By this conference between deaan Crindo and king Samuel, I came to the knowledge of what happened to the white boys, who were my fellow captives, at least, so far as the natives knew themselves; as also, that the prince whom we seized and made prisoner with deaan Crindo, their king, was not, properly speaking, his son, but deaan Murnanzack, his nephew, whose right deaan Crindo had usurped, as we find in the sequel of this story; but a word in their language, signifying offspring, and comprehending as well grandsons and nephews, as sons, was the cause of our mistake. But,
To return to my own history: the contest between my master and me being pretty well over, through the intercession of deaan Sambo and the other chiefs, he ordered me to go and work in the plantations, and told me with a stern countenance, that if I hoed the carravances and weeds together, as I did before, he would hoe my —— out. I went away very well satisfied, not caring where I was sent, so it was but out of his sight, for he now became more my aversion than ever.
Our plantation was near five miles from home, and he seldom came above once in a month to visit us. As to my maintenance, or that of the rest of his slaves, we must provide for ourselves, or starve, for he never concerned himself about us. However, each man had as much land as he thought proper to cultivate for his own use, and one day in a week without control. When I first came there, I thought I must have starved. I was obliged on moonlight nights, after I had done my task, to go into the woods and hunt out for wild yams for my sustenance, and too often I found no more than was sufficient for one meal; which, however, I was forced to husband to the best advantage.
My fellow-slaves were, indeed, as courteous to me as I could well expect; and as they had plantations of their own, they gave me carravances and such other victuals as they had; especially on dark nights, and at such times as I could not shift for myself. I worked sometimes two nights in a week in cleaning and burning down the weeds and other things off the spot of ground I had allotted for my own plantation; the best root, however, that I could plant to produce myself food in a short time was potatoes. I lived in this miserable plight for nearly three months successively, and it was a year before I was well settled, and could say I had plenty.
Honey is one of the most profitable, as well as most useful things this country produces; and they may have it in plenty, if they will but take proper care. There is little trouble in the management of bees, which are here very numerous; they will readily come to their hives, or toakes, as the natives call them, and I took a particular delight in making them. They are part of the body of a tree, called fontuoletch; which is first cut off about a yard long, and then split right down. After we have dug out the middle with our hatchets, in which operation we are not over nice, we bind the two parts together in their natural position, so that the hive is a hollow cylinder; we leave a hole at the bottom for the bees to enter, and this is all the care that need be taken.
I had a large stock of these hives, but my neighbours too often plundered them. Once, however, I caught a young fellow; and about three or four days after, I went to his father to demand satisfaction for the honey he stole, and the destruction of my hives. The old man made very few words with me, but gave me two hatchets, a hoe, and ten strings of beads. I was very well satisfied with this compensation, and looked upon myself as no inconsiderable person; but soon after, I found out a sure method to preserve my honey; the relation whereof will give the reader an adequate idea of almost the only superstition to which these people are addicted.
I have made mention before of the Umossees who pretend to be magicians, sorcerers, and fortune-tellers. One of these was on his travels from Antenosa into our country, and took up his lodgings at my master’s town; my master had been that day in the woods to visit his beehives, and perceived several of them robbed of their store: he returned before night in a very great passion, and threatened to shoot the person that was found stealing his honey, let him be who he would. This Umossee coming to pay his respects to him just at that time, and hearing his complaint, told him he could give him a secret, or charm, that would effectually prevent his honey from being stolen; but he was afraid to communicate it, because it would infallibly kill the person who should but taste of it. Deaan Mevarrow replied, he did not care if they were all killed. Hereupon, it was agreed, that the Umossee should have two cows and two calves, in case his project proved effectual, and should stay to see the desired success.
Accordingly, the next morning, he went into the woods and singled out a tree which the natives call roe-bouche; we have none like it in England, nor is it very material, for any tree would have done his business, I presume, as well. He went to the eastward of this tree and dug up a piece of its root, and then turned to the westward, and dug up another piece; after this, he took the eastern root, and ordered deaan Mevarrow to rub it on a stone with a little water, and sprinkle the water among the bees, and the honeycombs in the hives; and, if any one, said he, shall steal the honey, and eat the least morsel of it in a quarter of a day, (for they reckon not by hours, as we do,) they will swell and break out in spots, like a leopard, from head to foot, and in three days they will die. Deaan Mevarrow was highly pleased at this discovery, and said, how shall I do when I want to make use of my honey for myself and family? The Umossee replied, the remedy is here in my hand, which is no other than a root of the same tree, but dug to the westward; and when you take your honey, rub a little of this upon another stone with water, and sprinkle the hives; this being done, your eastern root will have no power. But if any one have stolen your honey, and feel the bad effects of it, and you are inclined to be merciful and save his life, give him a small quantity of this western root, which he called vauhovalumy, or root of life, and it will take down all the swelling; the spots will all vanish, and the person be restored to his former state of health.
All this was mighty well, but the principal point was to try the virtues of it, and see if it would answer all these fine purposes of the Umossee, which deaan Mevarrow was somewhat doubtful of, though very eager to know; and therefore, having sprinkled his hives with the eastern root according to directions, he proposed it to several to make the experiment, and he would give them an ox as a reward, but nobody would venture; Whereupon he ordered it to be published about the country, and by this means I came to hear of it. Now I had before observed the simplicity of the people on these occasions, and plainly perceived that these artful Umossees took the advantage of their ignorance to cheat and impose upon them. I was very sensible there was nothing more in all this, and that it had already met with the effect desired, by striking terror into the people; and having a considerable quantity of honey myself, I imagined, if I gave out that I had the secret, it would also preserve mine. I sent word, therefore, to my master, that I would oblige him if he would communicate the secret to me, in case I survived the experiment. He not only sent for me immediately, and agreed to my proposal, but made me a promise of a considerable reward besides.
I went, accordingly, with my master and several others to the hive, which was sprinkled, as they call it, with the poison; and swallowed the honey down by handfuls before them, asking them at the same time if they would eat some with me? They would not touch it, they said, for ten thousand cattle; making several grimaces in the mean time, and expecting every moment some dismal calamity would befall me for my presumption. When I had filled my belly, my master would have me home with him, in order to have the cure at hand, but I chose rather to stay with my comrades; by which means, I had time to contrive some way to deceive them. As fortune would have it, being in the fields, I saw at some distance a calf sucking a cow; and nobody being in sight, I tied up the calf with my lamber, and milked the cow into my mouth as long as ever I could. This, and the honey together, had the desired effect, for it began to swell me immediately, and rumbled in my belly so loud that it might be heard. Away went I to my comrades, who perceiving my belly swelled, and hearing the unusual noise, advised me to run home, and cry out I was poisoned. I pretended to step behind a hedge on some private occasion, but it was only to whip myself with some nettles. The pimples and redness raised from this stratagem terrified them still more and more; for there appeared on me all the symptoms of poison which the Umossee had before described; and to crown the deceit, you may be sure I did not fail to comply, and cry out most heartily; thereupon, some ran before me, and others helped me home.