It was with no small reluctance, that this prince listened to a peace; for not only his uncle’s deportment, but that of his sons too, was so inhuman and savage, in destroying the cattle belonging to their nearest relations, rooting up their plantations, and committing other flagrant enormities, that he almost forgot his own private wrongs, and looked upon deaan Crindo as the general enemy of mankind, who, to gratify his unruly passions, endeavoured to lay his country waste; notwithstanding he himself, at the first breaking out of the quarrel, had shown him so glorious an example. With what generosity did he treat both Crindo and Mundumber, and all who belonged to them? How careful was he of their towns and effects? Evidently demonstrating that he aimed at nothing more than doing himself justice, and deciding a controversy that was too warmly pursued, and that the murder of men in cool blood, and the destruction of countries, were actions of horrid impiety. And as Ry-Nanno told me afterwards, it was his innate virtue that at last determined him to a reconciliation; for he thought the Supreme Being could never look down with a favourable eye on a man who would refuse to relieve his fellow-creatures from such calamities as his countrymen then laboured under. And this was the principal motive, in the height of his success, to waive the prosecution of his own interest, when it stood in competition with the public good. These were the truly noble sentiments and generous resolutions of this great man, notwithstanding his contempt of revelation; or, at least, of the christian religion, as I had represented it to him in a disadvantageous light. I wish our priests who build so much on their superior knowledge of God’s will, would be as exemplary in their lives and conversations, and would teach princes as well as others, to be in reality so truly just, honourable, and good as this gallant black prince was in all his actions; and yet I doubt not, but he will be stigmatized with the odious character of an illiterate heathen.
As soon as Ry-Nanno had concluded his negotiation with deaan Murnanzack, he passed by deaan Afferrer, well knowing he would acquiesce with what his brother had done, and came to us, in order to compromise the quarrel we were engaged in with Chahary and Frukey. He condemned them for their rashness in the prosecution of their private resentments to the ruin of themselves and their country, and told them it was represented in a very bad light to all the kings on the island. He met with no great difficulty in the accomplishment of the reconciliation he aimed at; which being effected, he told them that Rer Vovvern had a pique against Woozington, for several very gross affronts. Amongst others, he had called a dog by the name of Rer Vovvern; and Ry-Nanno expected he should wait on them next summer to beg their assistance against Woozington; but his errand was at that time principally out of friendship, to put an end to their destructive divisions. In a few days a peace was concluded and publicly proclaimed all over the country.
While Ry-Nanno was delivering his first speech to Rer Mimebolambo and deaan Mevarrow, I observed that he fixed his eye attentively upon me, and seemed to view me with some concern; and calling to me in broken English—you, white man, come hither. When he asked me my name, he turned to my master and asked, here is a white bird among a parcel of crows; in our country, indeed, they are common enough, ships come there frequently, but then they wear clothes, and eat and drink with our lords. This poor young lad looks piteously: why do you suffer him to go naked? Pray show some charity to a distressed stranger, and do not use him with inhumanity. Deaan Mevarrow answered, I have used him more tenderly than he deserves; you do not know how his friends served deaan Crindo. Yes, says Ry-Nanno, I know the whole story perfectly well; and that deaan Crindo treated them in a barbarous manner in refusing to let them go at their request to a seaport, where ships come, in order to return to their native home. Had Rer Vovvern this white man, he would give him some of the clothes which his countrymen have left behind them, and take as much care of him as he would of his own son, till some ship should come to carry him home to his friends.
I listened to this discourse with the utmost attention, and waited with impatience for a favourable opportunity of talking with him in private, which I did that night; for he brought part of the cattle which deaan Murnanzack gave him, as he very well knew that we had none, and I was sent for to kill a bullock. I embraced this lucky opportunity, and told him in broken English, that I would wait on him at night. Accordingly I went, and he received me with abundance of humanity and respect. After we were seated, he inquired into the whole history of our shipwreck and misfortunes. I gave him a long and faithful detail thereof, not forgetting to acquaint him with the cruel treatment I met with from my master, and to set my wretched state of slavery in the strongest light. The relation of this melancholy tale, not only made me weep, but drew tears likewise from his eyes. He told me he would endeavour to purchase me of deaan Mevarrow, and desired me not to be too much dejected. I stayed late with him, and when we parted, the hopes I had entertained of his kind intentions to release me, kept me awake all night. The next day, after he had discoursed with my master about their own private affairs, he asked him if he was inclined to sell his white man; and in case he was, he would give him in exchange a handsome young fellow, capable of doing him more service, or a buccaneer gun, if that would be a more agreeable compensation.
I was sitting among my fellow-slaves, and waiting with the utmost eagerness and attention to hear the result of this conference. When my master ordered me to stand up, I was in hopes it was to strike the bargain; but, instead of that, says he, look on that white slave there; for looking after cattle, digging of wild yams, and improving of honey, there is not his fellow; and though a buccaneer gun is the common price of a slave, I will not take two for him. Ry-Nanno thereupon showed him three or four slaves, but Mevarrow told him in direct terms that he would not part with me on any conditions whatever. Then turning to me, he asked if I was not willing to dig some wild yams for him, as well as his other slaves who were just gone on the same errand before. Not daring to refuse, I was forced to take up my hatchet, shovel, and lance, and go into the woods; but instead of searching for yams, I sat down and wept till I was almost blind. However, I was under an indispensable obligation to find some to carry home, which was no easy task, for the stalks were now withered; yet I made up a bundle, after roasting them, but had none myself. When I came home, my master thought I had been idle, and said, you are mightily concerned I suppose, that Ry-Nanno is not your master. I went home and laid me down on my mat, and had nothing but a log of wood under my head for a pillow till some considerable time after it was dark, and then I stole privately to Ry-Nanno.
I was no sooner seated, than he told me he was glad to see me again, and asked me what success I had met with, which I told him; and, moreover, that my master had abused me to the last degree for bringing no more yams. He said I was the first man he ever saw who had a black for his master; and though he could not purchase me, yet he did not question, but Rer Vovvern would find some ways or means to get me into Feraignher, when he came next summer into this country. To that I replied, that I was afraid my master would not take me to the wars for that very reason, and that I despaired of ever regaining my liberty; but I was determined to make the experiment as soon as ever my master went out on another expedition, and left me behind him. Ry-Nanno endeavoured all he could to comfort me, and said, the same Providence which has hitherto preserved you, will deliver you at last; and I have great hopes of seeing you at St. Augustine-bay; for, said he, since Tuley-Noro’s death, there are but few ships come now to Port Dauphine, though that, indeed, is the nearest seaport, for ours is a great way off. I desired to be informed how many days’ journey it was, and which way he came; for I am determined, said I to attempt my escape; if they overtake me, I am sensible I shall be killed, but then I shall be freed from my present bondage, which is worse than death; and should I fall into any other master’s hands, it is morally impossible he should treat me worse than this has done. The whole country of Merfaughla, said Ry-Nanno, lies between us, extending itself from the utmost part of Anterndroea, where deaan Murnanzack’s cattle are all kept, to the river Oneghayloghe, which runs into St. Augustine-bay; and I think I was about forty and two days on my journey, but could have performed it in less than half the time, had we not hunted by the way; for the whole country, said he, is so well stocked with proper subsistence, that no one need carry any provisions, unless he be in a more than ordinary hurry. There are abundance of wild cattle in great part of it; besides, there is a large quantity of faungidge, verlaway, wild honey, and wild yams to be had, wherever you go. I inquired what kings lived in the way? He said three. Rer Trortrock is the first to the northward; the next Rer Chulu-Mossu-Andro, and Zaffentampoey; this last resides at the head of the river Oneghayloghe, to the eastward; all their people, however, live near two long days’ journies from the road. The nearest way, said he, is by the foot of Yong-gorvo hills, till you come to the west side of it, then strike over to the northward half a day’s journey, and take your course betwixt the north and west, and you cannot lose your way. I asked him a great many more questions till it was late and time to depart, but he would not permit me till I had supped with him. The next day he took his farewell of my master, and I stole away privately to thank him for all his favours. As they were packing up his provision, &c., he advised me to oblige deaan Mevarrow as much as possible, lest he should kill me or do me some secret injury, and bid me likewise not despair of getting home to England. He then made me a present of a large piece of beef, and after repeated expressions of my gratitude for his tender concern for me, I parted from him, though with abundance of reluctance. When I reflected on what had passed, I began to entertain quite different thoughts of being in another country from what I had done; for I found here were great numbers of people, nay, whole nations too, who were civilized, and understood the laws of decency and good manners; but it was my misfortune to fall among the most savage people of the whole island.
The next day the crier went round the town with orders to all deaan Mevarrow’s slaves to muster before his door. Among the rest I went to know his pleasure, which was to get ready and march with all our baggage the next morning to our own town; which was cheerfully complied with by every body but myself, who was very indifferent where I lived. So when we had taken our leave of Rer Mimebolambo and his people, we marched home and found our habitations very little worse than when we abandoned them, for they were at that time newly built. The orders were to attend and receive axes and hoes for the cultivation of the ground. Whilst some cleared it of the wood and briars, others hoed it up instead of ploughing it. Our master sent to his uncle Mephontey for a considerable quantity of guinea corn and carravances, which were soon sowed; and then indulged his slaves for a fortnight, in order to improve their own plantations. I desired deaan Sambo to use his interest with my master, that I might have two days more to take care of my honey, which I had secured from thieves, by setting up white sticks as a testimony that it was poisoned by the charms of the umossee. He gave consent; and thereupon, I took three large tubs, each of which would contain five or six gallons, and as many calabashes. I had farther to go than from our old town, which had been burnt; but when I came there, I found my hives all safe and untouched, and my stock of honey prodigiously increased. I smoked the bees out, and took the greatest part of their treasure away, but not all, leaving them some to subsist on, for they will return of themselves to the hives, and when they swarm, go directly to new ones without any of that fatigue we have with them in England. I found some fine Virginia honey with white wax, which I put into my calabashes. As it was near two years since I had seen them, I had almost forgotten where to look for a good part of them, they being planted at a great distance from each other in different corners of the wood. I filled, however, all my vessels, and left as large a quantity behind me for the next day’s journey. As soon as I got home, I waited on my master and made him a present of one of the tubs: now these lords always expect an acknowledgment on such occasions. When my master saw how large a quantity I brought him, he was surprised, and asked me why I brought him so much? For to do him justice, I cannot say he ever discovered a covetous disposition.
Besides, we have no officers to exact any certain quantity, but the people must go voluntarily, and carry a present of such commodities as their plantations and industry have produced; as carravances, guinea corn, potatoes, &c.; but this is only by way of acknowledgment of homage, and a calabash only would have been looked upon as a sufficient compliment. But as I was sensible that he had a circumcision-feast to make, and I had a large stock, I desired him to accept it. He told me it was true, and for that purpose he would purchase all the honey I had to spare, and give me a cow and a calf for it the first cattle he had.
The civil war being now over, we lived at ease, and could dig our wild yams without the least apprehensions of danger. People now went backwards and forwards to visit each other as usual, and every one attended his plantations; it was six months, however, after this, before we had plenty. My conversation with Ry-Nanno was ever in my mind, and I only waited for a favourable opportunity of my master’s going abroad upon some exploit, to make my escape, if possible, at all adventures. After some time, it happened that one Rer Ambarroch, a petty prince to the northward, having received and detained eight slaves of deaan Mevarrow’s, and thirty head of his cattle, a little before the civil war began; and the deaan sending a special messenger to demand them, he sent word back that he might come himself and fetch them, if he thought fit. He being now at leisure, Rer Mimebolambo and he agreed to join their forces, and having obtained leave of deaan Crindo, they prepared for their expedition.
I expected to be left behind, as usual, to take care of his wife, and pleased myself with the hope that the time was near at hand for putting my design in execution; but standing before him with two lances in my hand, you shall not, says he, always live at home like a woman, but shall go to the wars with me; the sight of a white man in arms will strike terror into the people upon the mountains where we are going. Hereupon he took my lances, and said, here is one of your grandfather’s arms; you can manage this, I presume, somewhat better than ours; prepare yourself for the march.