THIS being the fifth morning, I cleaned up my best gun, and prepared my balls, and we all took a walk towards the bridge, every one admiring my gun as we went; but I could get none of them to carry it, and we had at least five hundred questions proposed about it. I told them they need not be afraid of it, for it was only wood and iron; but they knew nothing of iron. I then showed them how I made it give fire, by snapping the cock; they thought it was very strange. I then put a little powder in the pan, and made it flash, and showing them the empty pan, they would not be persuaded but I had taken away the powder before the flash, or else, they said, it was impossible that should be all gone upon flashing only; for they said it was a little nut, using the same word to express both nut and seed. I then desired one of them to put in some powder and snap it himself; but having prevailed with him to try the experiment, if I had not through caution held my hand upon the barrel, the gun had been on the ground, for the moment it flashed, he let go and ran for it.
I had a great inclination to gain the better of their prejudices, and used abundance of arguments to prove the gun as innocent a thing as a twig I took up; and that it was the powder which, when set on fire, the flame thereof wanting more room than the powder itself did, forced itself, and all that opposed it, out of the mouth of the gun with such fury as to make the noise they heard; and being just come to the rock, "Now," says I, "you shall see that what I tell you is true." They told me they desired nothing more than that I would make them understand it, for it was the strangest thing they had ever seen. "Well, then," says I, "observe; I put in this much powder only, and with this rag I stop it down close. Now," says I, "you see by the length of this stick that the rag and powder take up the space only of a finger's depth on the inside of the gun." They saw that plainly they said; "But how could that kill anything?"—"Now, look again," says I, "I put in a little more powder, as I did before when I made a flash, and you see there is a little hole from this powder through the side of the gun to the powder within. Do you observe that this communicates with that through this hole?"—"Yes," said they, they did.—"Now," says I, "when I put fire to this, it sets fire to that within, which fire turning to flame, and wanting room, bursts out at the mouth of the gun; and to show you with what force it comes out, here handle this round ball," giving them a bullet to handle; "you feel how heavy it is: now, can any of you throw this ball as far as that rock?" for I stood a good hundred paces from it.—They told me No.—"And don't you think," says I, "that if the force of the fire made by this powder can throw this ball to that rock, that force must be very great?"—They said, they thought it must, but believed it to be impossible.—"But," says I, "if it not only throws it to the rock but beats out a piece of the stone, must not that be much more violent?" They agreed it must.—Then putting in the ball, "Now," says I, "we will try." I then ordered one to daub a part of the rock, about breast high, with some mud, and first to observe about it if the rock was anywhere fresh broken, or not; who, returning, reported that the rock was all of a colour and sound, but somewhat ragged all about the mud.—"Did you lay the mud on smooth?" says I. He replied, "Yes."—Then lifting up my gun, I perceived they were creeping off; so I took it down again, and calling, reasoned with them upon their fears. "What mischief," says I, "can you apprehend from this gun in my hand! Should I be able to hurt you with it, are you not all my friends or relations—could I be willing to do it? If the gun of itself could hurt, would I handle it as I do? For shame! be more courageous; rouse your reason, and stand by me; I shall take care not to hurt you. It looks as if you mistrust my love to you, for this gun can do nothing but what I direct it to." By such like persuasions, rough and smooth, I prevailed upon the major part of the colambs and officers to stand near me to see me fire, and then I shot; but though my words had engaged them to stand it, I had no sooner snapped but the graundees flew all open, though they closed again immediately; and then we fell to question and answer again. I desired them to walk to the rock; and sent the person who put up the mark before, to see and show us exactly what alteration there was. He told us there was a round hole in the mud, pointing to it, which he did not leave there, and taking away the mud, a thick shiver of the rock followed it. They then all agreed that the ball must have made both the hole in the mud and also splintered the rock, and stood in amaze at it, not being able to comprehend it: but, by all the art I had, I could not prevail with a man of them to fire the gun himself, till it had been buzzed about a good while, and at last came to my ears, that a common soldier behind said he should not be afraid of it if the gentleman would show him how.
I then ordered the fellow to me, and he told me, with a composed look, that it had always been his way of thinking, that what he saw another do he could do himself, and could not rest till he had tried. "And, sir," says he, "if this gun, as you call it, does not hurt you, why should it hurt me? And if you can make it hit that rock, why should not I, when you have told me how you manage it?"—"Are not you the man that first helped me up with the large fish yesterday?" says I. He told me he was.
I was prodigiously pleased with the fellow's spirit, "And," says I, "my friend, if you will, and I live, you will hit it before you have done." I then showed him the sight of the gun, and how to hold it; and being perfect in that, "Now," says I, "shut your left eye, and observe with your right, till this knob and that notch are exactly even with each other and the middle of that mark; and when they are so, pull this bit with your fore-finger, holding the gun tight to your shoulder." He so exactly pursued my directions that he hit the very middle of the mud; and then, without any emotion, walked up with the gun in his hand, as I had done before; and turning to me very gravely, "Sir," says he, "it is hit." I told him the best marksman on earth could not be sure of coming so near his mark. He stroked his chin, and giving me the gun again, was walking to his place; but I stopped him, and seeing something so modest and sincere in his countenance and behaviour, and so generous in his spirit, I asked him to which colamb he belonged. He told me to colamb Pendlehamby.—"To my father?" says I; "then sure I shall not be denied."
I took him with me to my father, who was not yet come up to the rock. "Sir," says I, "there is a favour I would beg of you."—"Son," says he, "what is it you can ask that I can refuse you?" Says I, "'This man belongs to your guards; now there is something so noble and daring in his spirit, and yet so meek and deserving in his deportment, that if you will load me with obligation, it is to make him an officer; he is not deserving of so ill a station as a private man."
My father looking at me, "Son," says he, "there is something to be done before he can be qualified for what you require." This, thinks I, is a put-off. "Pray, sir," says I, "what can a man of courage, sense, and a cool temper, want to qualify him for what I ask?"—"'Something," says he, "which none but myself can give; and that, at your desire, I will supply him with." Then, my father calling him, "Lask Nasgig, bonyoe," says he; that is, Slave Nasgig, lie down. Nasgig (for that was his name) immediately fell on his face, with his arms and hands straight by his sides; when my father, setting his left foot on Nasgig's neck, pronounced these words: "Lask, I give thee life, thou art a filgay!" Then Nasgig, raising himself on his knees, made obeisance to my father, and standing up, stroked his chin; and my father taking him by the hand in token of equality, the ceremony ceased.
"Now, son," says my father, "let me hear your request."—"It is only, sir," said I, "preferment for the deserving, equal to his merit." My father asked him if he understood the duty of a gorpell. He did not reply yes, but beginning, gave a compendious sort of history of his whole duty; at which all the colambs were very much surprised, for even his comrades were not apprised, or ever imagined, he knew more of military affairs than themselves. My father then asked him if he knew how to behave as a duff; but he made as little difficulty of that as the other, going through the several parts of duty in all the different branches, in peace and war, at home and abroad. "Son," says my father, "it is a mystery to me you should have found out more in an hour than I myself could in half an age; for this man was born in my palang, of my own lask, and has been mine and my father's these forty years. I shall be glad if you will look on the rest of my lasks, and give me your opinion; I may have more as deserving." I told him such as Nasgig were not to be met with very often; but when they were found, ought to be cherished accordingly.
"Sir," says I, "nature works upon the same sort of materials divers ways; on some in sport, and some in earnest; and if the necessary qualifications of a great man are impressed on our mass, it is odds but we improve regularly into one, though it may never be publicly known, or even to ourselves, till a proper occasion; for as a curious genius will be most inquisitive after, and is most in the end retentive of knowledge, so no man is less ostentatious of it. He covets knowledge, not from the prospect of gain, but merely for its own sake; the very knowing being his recompense: and if I may presume to give you a hint how properly to bestow your favours, let it be on persons like this; for the vain, knowing man, who is always showing it, as he for the most part labours for it, to show out with, and procure his rise by it, were it not for the hopes of that, would not think knowledge worth attaining; and as his rise is his aim, if he could invent any more expeditious method than that, he would not pretermit any ill act that might advance him according to his lust of rising. But the man who aims at perfection, from his natural inclination, must, to attain his end, avoid all ill courses, as impediments to that perfection he lusts after; and that, by Nasgig's worth being so little known, I'll answer for it is his character. And this being true, yourself will deduce the consequence, which is the fitter man to bear place; for with me it is a maxim, he that labours after truth for truth's sake (and that he surely must who proposes no worldly view in it) can't arrive at his ends by false methods, but is always the truest friend to himself and others, the truest subject to his lord, and the most faithful servant to his God."
My father then turning to me, "Son," says he, "you have enlightened me more than ever I was before, and have put me on a new way of thinking, for which I am to return you many thanks." And the whole company doing the same, says my father, "I lost a brave general officer lately, who was destined to the western wars which are breaking out, and have been long debating in my mind to whom I should commit his corps; and but for the hazard of the enterprise, I would have now given it to Nasgig; but shall be loth to lose him so soon after I am acquainted with his worth, so will think of some other post nearer my person for him, less dangerous, though perhaps not so honourable."
"Great sir," says Nasgig, "I am too sensible of the honour already done me, to think any post wherein I may continue to serve you either too mean or too hazardous for me; and as valour is nowhere so conspicuous as in the greatest dangers, I shall esteem my blood spent to great advantage in any enterprise where my duty under your command leads me. I therefore rather humbly request this dangerous post, that I may either lose my life in your service, or live to see you justified in your advancement of me by the whole nation. For what can I do, or how can I demonstrate my affection to your person and pleasure, in an inactive state?"