Soon after a French ship came there as usual; the maurominters, or slaves, who retained a respect for the French, got a canoe and went off to them, and informed them that their countrymen were all massacred. The captain was startled, and deeply concerned at this melancholy news, but could not revenge their cause, being glad to steer another course without making the least attempt to go on shore.
Having now nobody to interrupt them, they put their government into its original form, and made choice of one for their king, who was the most nearly related to the former; there being no other son than he whom the French took captive. Under this new king’s direction they lived peaceably and quietly for several years, no French ship ever presuming to come near them; but now and then an English ship paid them a visit; and they traded in a very fair and honest manner with the officers on board.
Some years afterwards, a French ship, homeward-bound from India, happened to be in great distress for want of water and provisions, and could not compass the Cape. Port Dauphine lay very commodious for the captain, but he knew that the natives were their implacable enemies, neither was he ignorant of the real occasion; and therefore resolved to make use of the following stratagem. Under a pretence of being sent ambassador from the French king, he went on shore in great pomp, and with proper attendants. The ship lay at anchor as near the shore as possible, in order to be within reach of their guns in case any acts of hostility should be shown them. The natives who came down to them, asked if they were English or French? They replied, the latter; but they were sent by express orders from the French king with some valuable presents, and were inclined to make a treaty of peace. The king they had last chosen, whom I mentioned before, died about a month before their arrival, and no new one was then elected in his stead; but the old queen (mother of the prince whom they had so clandestinely conveyed away some years before) being then alive, gave directions that the ambassador should be conducted to her house. His men carried a great many things of no great value amongst them; but such, however, as they knew would be highly agreeable in this country. These were formally presented in the name of the French king, and the queen testified her satisfaction in the reception of them, by entertaining the captain in the most elegant manner she could devise. This day passed in compliments, mutual presents, and such other ceremonies as were consistent with their ideas of public grandeur; the next day she sent for the captain and informed him, that she expected his men, as well as himself, should take the oaths according to the custom of her country.
The captain having readily agreed to her proposition, the ceremony was performed after the following manner:—the holy owley, of which we have already given some account, was brought out and hung upon a piece of wood laid crosswise on two forks, all which were cut down on this solemn occasion; as was also a long pole, to which a bullock was fastened: this was provided by the queen, and when killed, they took part of the tail, and some of the hair of the nose and eyebrows, and put them on some live coals that were under the owley; they then took some of the blood, which they sprinkled upon it, and upon the beam whereon it hung; the liver also was roasted, and a piece placed on it; two other pieces were put on two lances, which were stuck in the ground betwixt the queen and the ambassador; the queen swore first to this, or the like effect:—“I swear by the great God above, by the four gods of the four quarters of the world, by the spirits of my forefathers, and before this holy owley, that neither I, nor any of my offspring, nor any of my people, who assist at this solemnity, or their issue, shall or will wittingly, or willingly, kill any Frenchman, unless he prove the first aggressor: and if we, or any of us, mean any other than the plain and honest truth by this protestation, may this liver, which I now eat, be converted into poison, and destroy me on the spot.”
Having repeated this form of words, she took the piece of liver off the lance and eat it, and when she had done, the sham-ambassador did the same.
The captain, or quondam ambassador, stayed on shore about three or four days after this solemn contract, and sent on board what provision his people wanted. A firm friendship being now established between them, they strove who should outvie the other in the arts of courtesy and complaisance. The captain invited the queen to go on board his vessel, and she very readily went with several of the chief of her people, who were treated by the captain with great magnificence, and to her entire satisfaction. She returned on shore in the ship’s boat, and stood looking about her for some time after she was landed. The Frenchmen, not regarding the presence of the black queen, stripped and swam about to wash and cool themselves; the queen observing the whiteness of their skins, indulged her curiosity in looking on them; at last, perceiving one man whose skin was much darker than the rest of his companions, as he came toward the shore, and was going to put on his clothes, she espied a particular mole under his left breast; she went to him immediately, and looking more wishfully on it, would not permit him to put on his shirt, but claimed him as her son, who had been carried away, when a child, many years before; and had not patience to contain herself, but ran to him, (crying for joy that she had found her son,) threw her arms about his neck, and almost stifled him with kisses. This surprised all the people, as well blacks as whites, till having recovered herself a little, she turned to them and told them this was her son, and showed them the private mark. They who had known the young prince drew near, viewed the mole, and acquiesced with her that it must be he, and no other. The Frenchmen could not tell what to make of this odd discovery, nor what might be the fatal consequences that might possibly attend it.
The captain, therefore, taking the man aside, advised him to give as artful answers as he could to what questions they should ask him for their safety’s sake. Now there were several blacks who spoke French, and by their means the Frenchmen as soon understood the queen as they did. She desired they would ask him if he knew the country he was born in? He answered, he could remember nothing of it, for he was carried from his native place when a child. She asked him if he knew her? He said, he could not pretend to say absolutely that he did, but he thought she bore a great resemblance to somebody he was much used to when young.
This confirmed them more and more in their opinion. As to his being white-skinned, they thought that might easily be from his wearing clothes during the time he was absent from home; his hair was as black as theirs, so that it was concluded it must be their prince. The old queen was transported with joy at finding her son, and the natives were for choosing him their king directly, he being the next heir. They asked what was his name. He told them he never remembered that he was called by any other name than that of Samuel; but they gave him what they thought was his original name, compounded with Tuley, which denoted his return, or arrival; so they called him deaan Tuley-Noro. Deaan, it may be observed, is a universal title of honour, and signifies lord; and he was also farther saluted immediately with the title of Panzacker, that is, king of Antenosa.
The captain and other Frenchmen were surprised to find the man play his part so dexterously; not perceiving, at first, that he was in earnest, and was as fond of being their king as they were of electing him, though it was in so heathenish a place. He had here twelve thousand fighting men immediately under his command, and a fine, spacious, and plentiful country to live in at his pleasure. The ship’s crew sailed away and left him behind them; but as often as the French had occasion for what this island afforded, they made it a constant practice to put into Port Dauphine, and traffic with him.
About three or four years before we were cast away, a French ship happening to be there, some of the men got drunk on shore, and in a quarrel with some of the natives, told them that king Samuel was not their lawful prince, but that he was still resident in France. This might have proved of very fatal consequence to him, but he took such care to prevent it, as no one could justly blame him for. He sent for the man who made this public declaration, and ordered him to be shot to death; he commanded, likewise, his companions to depart forthwith, and assured them, that if ever they, or any of their countrymen presumed to come within his territories again, they should feel the weight of his resentment. And our man, who advised us from putting into Port Dauphine, being informed of this last adventure, made him say he was barbarous to all white people; but he had heard the story imperfectly, and from thence arose the mistake which proved so fatal to us.