The twenty-first day in the morning I saw several wild dogs engaged with, and pulling down a bull that had been wounded as I imagined some time before, for I never knew the dogs attack them unless they were. It was no business of mine to interrupt them, and if it were, it would have been a very dangerous thing to make the attempt, for though they do not seek to assault a man, yet upon provocation they have been known to destroy several. This night was the first time I ever felt mosquitoes in the island; for, lying in the evening in a covert near a run of water, they stung me to that degree, that I was forced to shift my quarters, and as it was moonlight I got up and walked three or four miles farther to the top of a hill, where I slept without molestation. I had no occasion to light more than one fire, for there was no great danger of wild beasts here.
On the twenty-second day I discovered a fog in one long canal that ran from east to west, which as it continued all the day long, and at a vast distance, I conceived it to hang over the great river Oneghaloyhe, that runs into Augustine-bay. This put new life into me, to think I drew near to a seaport; I saw two men that day laden with beef, and would have spoken to them, but they dropped their enters and ran from me, though I called and laid down mine, and went towards them. As soon as they imagined I was gone, I saw them return and take their beef up again.
On the twenty-third day in the morning the fog appeared again, but much nearer. I walked as hard as I well could, being desirous to get to the river: it was afternoon, however, before I reached within a mile of it, and then the bushes and thorny small wood were so thick that it was with great difficulty, and many severe scratches, that I got to the river side. When I saw the river so very broad I was surprised, for at least it was twice as broad as the Thames at London. I had been informed that a man might wade over it near the head, but that they always made use of canoes to transport themselves over other parts, which way they got them I cannot say, for my own part I had no such help. I made my fire, went to supper, and then reposed myself to rest, or rather to study which way I should get over. In the morning I determined to look out for some old trees or branches that were fallen, and in a short time I met with several that were fit for my purpose, not only great arms but trunks of trees broken off by tempests, these I dragged down to the river side. In the next place I made it my business to find out a creeper, which is as large as a withy, but twining round trees is very pliant. I lopped the superfluous branches off of six long and thick arms of the trees, and placing three at bottom and three at top, I bound them together, making what we call in the East Indies, a catamaran. I built it afloat in the water, for otherwise I could not have launched it; and moored it to a lance which I stuck in the shore for that purpose; I then fixed my enter in order to preserve it as dry as I possibly could, as also my hatchet and my other lance, after that I made a paddle to row with; then I pulled up my lance and kept it in my hand to defend myself against the alligators, in case any of them should assault me, for I was informed they were very numerous and very fierce here. It blowed a fresh gale at west against the stream, which in the middle made a sea, and gave me no small concern; for I was in great danger of being overset and becoming a prey to the alligators. It pleased God, however, to protect me, and I landed safely on the other shore. This being a pretty good day’s work, I determined not to go much farther that evening before I took up my lodging.
On the twenty-fourth day, though I travelled a great way, yet nothing material offered; I saw indeed a few wild cattle, but not near the number that was on the other side of the river, and those too were somewhat shyer, by which I concluded it to be an inhabited country.
On the twenty-fifth day my burden grew lighter and began to smell, but I did not concern myself much about that, since I resolved to speak to the first people I could see; for I remembered, that deaan Trongha had told me that his town lay by the north side of this river. I forded over a brook which runs into the great river. The country is very pleasant, and here are abundance of palmetto trees, which they call satter-futey. They bear a long leaf like a cocoa-nut tree, but the fruit is quite of another nature: of these leaves the people make baskets, caps, &c. I saw no wild cattle all this day.
On the twenty-sixth day, though I walked very hard again, yet I baited in the heat of the day, and in the afternoon, making the best of my way, I espied a smoke; and being determined to speak to those who made it I mended my pace, lest they should be passengers only that baited as I did, and would be gone; but I soon heard the tongues of several children, who ran into the woods as soon as they saw me. Upon which, immediately three men, armed with guns and lances, started out. I looked behind me for a commodious shelter, not knowing what to think of them, and retreated a little; which they perceiving, left their guns behind them, and came towards me. Upon that I went to meet them, and, at a distance, desired to know what king they belonged to. They answered deaan Mernaugha, and as a farther testimony, perceiving that I was a white man, they spoke two or three words in broken English; and after that we shook hands, and saluted each other with the usual compliment, salamonger. They invited me to go with them to their habitations, where we sat down, and I gave them a short detail of my travels. They said they had heard of me, and having some susers in the pot just boiled, they desired me to eat with them. After which, I asked them several questions relating to their trade, their war, and peace; and one of the most experienced of them gave me the following melancholy account of it.
Our late king, Rer Vovvern, said he, killed himself with grief at an irruption which Rer Trimmenongarevo made with nine thousand men, and took his two daughters captives. Our prince pursued him with seven thousand, but the enemy, by a stratagem, got privately into Feraignher, and plundered it; deaan Woozington at the same time attacked the southern parts, having made canoes and passed the great river; the other passages being first stopped. He took also a great many people, but deaan Trongha, and his brother Rer Befaugher, who stayed at home with two thousand men, disconcerted his measures and prevented his carrying off the captives; which so enraged Woozington, who was a man of a barbarous disposition, that he slew a great many women and children. Rer Trimmenongarevo took a contrary method, for he sent messengers with friendly invitations to the people to come and live in his country and be his subjects, and with repeated assurances, that he would restore to them their wives and children; which promise he punctually performed, and still continues so to do; so that some hundreds are gone away: and he still so embarrasses us, who are unwilling to leave our native country, that many of us are obliged to fly into these forests and secret recesses in order to be safe, contenting ourselves, as you see, with what the country naturally affords us; for we dare neither plant nor keep cattle, lest we should be surprised. We have another petty prince in the mountains, who takes this opportunity to make incursions, and helps to impoverish us, so that we have enemies all around us; and those who remain in towns are almost famished. For we have no friends but white men, and there has not been a ship come this way a long time; and should they be apprized of our poverty they would come no more. Thus this kingdom, which was lately the glory of the island, is now almost reduced to nothing.
This melancholy tale so shocked me, that I sat mute and as fixed as a statue, till the man perceiving my concern, roused me by asking me my name; and if I had not thoughts of going to the king before I went to deaan Trongha, as, they said, was my duty; but I told them I was a freeman, and would act as I had already told them; so they gave me a mat, and I lay down ruminating on the hard fortune that attended me; but as Providence had taken care of me hitherto, I did not question but in due time my deliverance would be accomplished; and with this resignation I laid me down to rest.
These men were very courteous to me, and pressed me to stay two or three days with them; but I only breakfasted there, giving them some of my beef, which they accepted, though it was far from being good. When they found I was determined to go, they made me a present of a parcel of roasted susers to carry with me, and accompanied me as far as the path, and showed me how to find these susers, which till then I had never seen; they grow like wild yams, which were their principal diet. This was the twenty-seventh day of my travels, and turning out of the path into the wood, I hunted about for such an inn as had served me many a night before; which I soon found, made a fire, and after supper slept very contentedly.
The next morning I met with four men, who informed me, that though I could not reach deaan Trongha’s town, yet I might Rer Befaugher’s, and he would send a man to direct me. My way lay over a high hill, from whence I saw the sea, and the road where the ships used to lie in Augustine-bay; on the other hand was the great river, and the country very pleasant along its banks. When I came to the bottom, some boys who were tending their cattle ran up to me, for they are not afraid of white men, and one of them very courteously offered to show me the way to the town.