This was what I aimed at, in order to have the whole day before me; but now came the hardest struggle, which was to take a last farewell of my wife. It was some secret satisfaction, however, that I had no child by her. I was almost afraid to reveal the secret to her: but at length, after making her swear in the most solemn manner by the owley, that she would never disclose it, I told her in direct terms that I was going; and the only thing that disturbed me, was parting with her. She begged, and cried most bitterly; but there was no staying for me any longer, my life being every day in danger. Had I been in any other part of the country, where I could have lived with freedom, ease, and safety, I don’t know what effects the unaffected love I had for her might have produced. At length, however, she was somewhat appeased, and I broke from her arms by break of day; but with what sorrow and reluctance, such of my readers as are tender lovers, can better imagine than I describe. I drove my cattle into the field, where my comrade was ready; I did not go near him for fear of being observed; but called, and bid him take care of my cattle: he said yes, yes, and away I walked, or rather ran; for by the time the sun was two hours high, I had got beyond the first woods, which is not less than ten English miles, if it could be measured.
I had now a large plain of five or six miles to go over, here I looked back every now and then, for fear of being pursued; but saw the coast was clear. My wife and friend, as I was informed afterwards, were true to the trust reposed in them. About noon, I came to a pond, where I just washed and refreshed myself, and kept jogging on till at last I espied the white cliff of Yong-gorvo. It is very high, and appeared like land that is seen about seven or eight leagues at sea; that however did not discourage me, and two hours before night I was at the foot of it. It is half an hour’s brisk walk to go up the hill to deaan Afferrer’s town, where I arrived safely, and went directly to him. He thought as soon as he saw me, that I came with some message from deaan Mevarrow, but I threw myself immediately at his feet, and begged his indulgence and protection; then I informed him of all the miseries I had undergone through my master’s cruel treatment of me, and the apparent danger my life was in every day, and at that time more than ever.
No sooner was he convinced of the true reason of my making thus my earnest application to him, than I perceived a pleasure glowing in his countenance; and he at once assured me, that he would protect me at all adventures, and that I should be a slave no longer; that I should do nothing but go with him wherever he went: and as a testimony of his sincerity, he would present me with a gun. Now carrying a gun here, like wearing a sword in England, is the mark of a gentleman; with this lance in your hand, said he smiling, you look like a mall-a-cross, which is a nickname they give to one of the meanest of their natives; you shall now appear like what you are, a free-born man. I licked his feet with all the satisfaction imaginable, in conformity to the custom there, and returned him a thousand thanks; nor did I forget my grateful acknowledgments to the Divine Goodness, who had thus far given success to my honest endeavours, to recover my former state of freedom; and to implore his assistance in the completion of so happy a project, which I had no hopes of ever putting into execution.
When I assured them that I came from my own house in one day, there was scarcely any one would give credit to the assertion. About a week or two after, two messengers from deaan Mevarrow came to demand his white slave; and to reproach deaan Afferrer, for not sending me back by some of his own people on my first arrival. This imperious message made him smile: send him back, says he, and by my own people! and his white slave too! why, no one ever saw a white slave before; nor has he the least authority to make him one. I look upon him as a distressed man, fled to me for succour, and he shall never be exposed to misery any more. I shall make no slave of him; he shall be at his free liberty to stay with me, or go where, or whenever he sees convenient. He here expatiated on the conduct of our people, with regard to deaan Crindo; which being much to the same purpose as has been hinted before, I shall not recapitulate.
In short, he convinced the two men of the unreasonableness of their master’s demand so far, that they excused themselves, and said, that they only came with a message. And I only tell you, says he, what answer to return to deaan Mevarrow. After this, he entered into familiar discourse with them, and asked them, what day I came away? When they told him he was perfectly surprised, and so were they to find I had actually walked it in one day; for it could not be much less than sixty English miles. I could not forbear rallying them, on account of their superstitious confidence in their umossees. See, says I, how my legs are swelled! how the spirits have made my bones rattle within my skin! I was a white man they said, and they had no power over me. As soon as deaan Afferrer had ordered them a house and provisions, and I had made some inquiry after my wife, which proving more to my satisfaction than I expected, I took my leave of them with pleasure; for I had some doubt before, what might be the effect of such a peremptory demand from deaan Mevarrow.
And now I lived, I must confess, with more freedom than ever I had done as yet; for I walked about with my gun upon my shoulder. When the deaan was disposed to eat, I ate with him; though not in the same dish, indeed, for no one here has that privilege. I had little else to do, than to go with him a hunting; by which means I made myself expert in all the arts of taking wild cattle. My principal business was to observe the situation of the country, and to inquire the route which Ry-Nanno was expected to take.
I was fond of going often a hunting, in order to take particular notice of the most remarkable mountains, which might hereafter be as so many landmarks to me. Besides vohitch futey, or white hill, here is another high mountain more to the northward, called vohitch manner, or red hill. It is in form of a cone, or sugar-loaf, and runs spiring up a great height; the inhabitants are of opinion, that it is the highest in the whole world. After I had lived in this manner six months, Ry-Nanno met me by accident in the forest, as he was coming to give deaan Crindo, and the other lords, intelligence of the Feraignher army being upon their march. This was such agreeable news to me, that I was at a loss how to conceal my joy; and for that reason I walked into the woods, for fear they should discover my inclinations by my deportment. I attempted to return my humble and hearty thanks to the Almighty in my native tongue, for the fair prospect I had of getting to a seaport town; but found I had forgotten my English, and could scarcely with propriety put three words together. However, the Madagascar language served me well enough to express the sentiments of my heart.
Deaan Afferrer told me as soon as I came home, that he had seen Ry-Nanno; that Rer Vovvern was dead, and that his son deaan Mernaugha now succeeded him; and that his nephew deaan Trongha, assisted by his brother Rer Befaugher, and deaan Mernaugha’s brother Rer Mundrosser, commanded the army. As I was conversing with the deaan, I could not help expressing my sorrow for Rer Vovvern’s death; because he was so faithful a friend to all white men. I found he suspected my design immediately, for he told me, though in a very courteous manner, that he hoped I had no temptation to change my place of abode through his treatment of me. To which I replied, after thanking him for all his favours, that I had no thought of removing from my habitation; that I was conscious to myself that I lived as well, or better than I could do in any other place. And, indeed, this was really fact, for he treated me with the utmost humanity and complaisance. I eat and drank as he did, and did no manner of work; but I perceived by this, he was not inclined to part with me. For which reason, I was under a necessity to be more close and artful, than I should have been had I made such a discovery.
Orders were sent to the three towns under deaan Afferrer’s command, that instead of hunting the wild cattle, they should make proper preparations for hunting the wild boar; by which they meant the king of Merfaughla. Whereupon, all hands were instantly at work, cleaning and fitting up their arms; for there are artificers here, who can make or mend a spring, and do twenty other things to guns as well as lances. The women employed themselves in making caps, to distinguish us in the wars; these were made of the same materials as our mats. The children beat Guinea corn in order to carry with us. I made it my business to put deaan Afferrer’s and my own gun in order; and to cast a considerable quantity of shot or rather slugs, by making a hole with a round stick in a lump of clay, to cast the lead in; and cutting it afterwards into little pieces about half an inch long. Though they frequently buy shot at the seaports, yet this was made, as I imagine, of the lead which they had procured from the wreck of our ship.
Ry-Nanno went back, after he had given notice of the Feraignher army’s march to deaan Trongha, in order to meet him at vohitch manner, according to appointment. Deaan Crindo sent orders that we should march, and meet him at the river, where we watered our cattle, in deaan Murnanzack’s country. I might have stayed at home, if I had thought proper; but I was resolved at all adventures to go with them, though I told deaan Afferrer, I was under some apprehensions of my old master Mevarrow, whom, I concluded, I should see there. But he bid me be under no concern on that account, for he would protect me; and deaan Mevarrow, he was well assured, would make no disturbance in the army. However, it happened better than I expected, for Mevarrow was left behind sick of the colah; which, in Guinea, or the West Indies, is called the yaws. It is a cruel distemper, and bears a near resemblance to the venereal disease, affects the bones and joints with great pain and soreness, breaks out all over in blotches and dry scabs, and is mostly in the privy parts, and under the arm-pits. However, it is not actually that complaint; for I have known children of three or four years old have it, whose parents never knew by experience what it was. There are but few who escape it once in their lifetime, but then they never have it more. In that respect, it is like the small pox, or the itch; and caught also as they are. If a person, who never had it, follow one infected in the long grass or bushes, if he lie or sit on the same mat, or even eat and drink after the diseased person, he most assuredly catches it. For which reason they send their children, when afflicted with it, out to nurse, to such persons as live alone in remote places; and when a man, woman, or a whole family is taken with it, they oblige them to go into the woods, and tarry there till they are perfectly recovered; which is frequently a whole year, and sometimes two.