Mr Penrose, page 13
Patty came on in her English very fast, and as to her own Person was really a fine Girl, taller than Luta and of a lighter colour but not so full fleshed and, as I judged her, something older. When ever we went abroad any where Luta had a broad piece of bark to fix her child on, as in a trough; and this I know, It cost me a pair of trowsers for baby linen with which she used to wrap him up so as to carry him at her back. We lived after the same sort as usual for a long time, never seeing one Soul save our own little family. We eate, drank, lay down and got up as we listed, without the least disturbance. Each day was a kind of Coppy of the foregoing. Add to all this, we were blest with a good share of health; and my companions knew no other mode of life.
Yet I must needs own that I could have been much pleased to know how the world went on, and to have had the enjoyment of a good Companion of my own country. But as this perhaps might have cost me some unforseen trouble it gave me no great anxiety, as I knew my self at this time by experience as that if I was taken from the joys of this busy world, I was amply recompensed by being removed from the reach of rancour and malevolence. And now I found to my great comfort that a Young man might live, if so disposed, without vice; and I am certain, had I been removed from this forlorn place into life’s great hurry, I had gain’d so much over the vanity of my own heart that I verily think I never should have dipped again into such a scene of dissipation. So that finding myself the gainer, I became quite easy nor had I a desire to return for any reason what ever Excep the joy I concieved in beholding my dear Mothers face once more.
I took a great distaste to the Parrots as their noise was the most ungratful to my Ears, but as I found them diverting to the Girls I put up with it, they being fine birds to the sight. Yet when they began to chatter I could not help talking to them at times. Luta, observing me, would divert her self sometimes with them at my expence, As thus. Getting one of them on her hand she would talk to it thus: “Cut it off! Cutt it off!”—meaning my beard; then say: “Where is your father, your mother, Penoly? Where did you come from?” and the like. All this the birds learnt pat, and to call them by their names also. And if at any time they grew dull, they had no more to do than to give each a bunch of Goat or bird pepper, when they would both begin to prate at no small rate so that I could have been glad their tongues would cease. And if at times Luta found me dull she would threaten to give the birds pepper.
Some time after, Harry came home and reported that he had seen the Wild beast and a great many more than an hundred. This surprized me and caused me to ask how he had escaped them. He replied that he was not in fear of them. I then wanted to know of what kind they were. He told me they were a kind of Hog with white faces. Therfore I Imagined them to be what I had heard called Warrees. “Why did you not set the dog to hunt them?” said I.
“No, no,” said he, “too many. If the dog catch one, all the rest will bite him to death.” I knew Harry to be the best sportsman so gave up the point, but I was determined to contrive some scheem or other to trapan them. Now in all this time I never saw above two Tigers, and Harry one. We found that setting up a loud shouting made them turn tail directly, so on their account I was become a little easier in my mind but took care never to suffer the Girls to wander far in the woods alone.
One day Patty brought home some of the Candle fruit or Cassia Fistula. They are about the length of a foot and when green hang dangling like Mirtle candles from the tree; but when ripe they resemble black pudding in colour. She told me they were good put in hot water against pains in the bowels or costiveness. The substance within resembles tar and is very sweet, so that I used to dilute a small quantity of it in water and squeeze a lime among it. This made tolerable beverage but in colour it resembled Coffee.
We had not tasted a Guano for a long time; there was none frequented our quarter, the soil being in no way sandy. The next thing was a Voyage to Towers Field on a party to hunt Guano’s. We took all the whole family along to prevent harm. We fastened in the Parrots with plenty of victuals in their rude Cage we had made for them, and then put away down the lagoon, My wife, child and self in the large Canoa, Harry, his lady and the dog in the other. Thus we proceeded unto the old dwelling; there we went on shore and took a repast.
Now as we were all out togather I took a notion to visit the Key opposite where the Spaniards had been lately. When we arrived we went on shore and found the marks of their Tent, with a boom of an old oar made of green heart and exceeding heavy. At some distance we found an old Jarr would hold about three Gallons of a course earthen ware, round at the bottom. Harry picked up a case with a knife and fork in it, very rusty, but I took care to scower it so as to become fit for use. I found they had been so generous as to sink a barrel into my well as a legacy to those who should touch there in future times. We shipped our things, and just as we were putting off I picked up a good fishing line and sinker without a hook. When we got over to the other side we stood along shore and got to our hunting ground. There our dog ran down four Guano’s and we gathered a parcell of limes, and then put back for our old dwelling where we all slept that night, and the next morning sat out for home where we found all secure. But the joy the poor Parrots shewed on our return was wonderful—they talked the whole day long.
Now as a man is never too old learn, I got Harry to make me a new Bow that I might learn to shoot at marks with him, as thinking it would be of use to me. What spur’d me to this was, Harry the day before shott a duck as she flew over our place. Our Dog hunted well altho he had no likeness to a Spaniel, and took the water freely. I gave him the name of Swift. This Dog never barked, but in the night would give a long howl at times.
Nothing of note happened from this time except the rains, untill I found I had been here now 5 years and 9 months. At this time we kept much within door, as I may say, altho we really had no door at all. And now the beauty of our fine Cascade became quite changed to a great Cataract of Red water, thick and muddy, and continued so for above a fortnight. Therfore we used to fill our large Jarr and the Calabashes and set them by to settle. Providence never failed us; and we had either a boil [or] stew, and at times a roast. (Viz), We had the duck roasted. Harry made a woodden short spit and stuck the bird on it; this spit he fixed in the ground inclining toward the fire, turning it round in the ground now and then untill it was done. As for our Guano’s, we allways stewed them.
After the wet season was passed by, Harry proposed to go out to Strike some Sting-rays, telling me they had bones in their tails good for Arrow heads. As to those bones, I had seen of them, having been to catching those fish before. And as it is a fish little known in England I shall give it a description here. They are formed much like to those fish called Thornbacks. I have seen them would weigh above 200 lb. Just at the dock of its tail are fixed those bones one above the other. I have seen them with three, point behind point. These bones are very sharp at the ends with exceeding fine teeth each side as they lay flat on the tail. Those teeth are in a contrary direction to their points so that when the fish becomes vicious it erects the tail and darts these stings into its enemy, tearing out the flesh wherever it strikes, and leaves a great anguish in the wound for a considerable time afterward, as I felt by experience. Their Skins are sharp grained like unto a Shark.
There is another Species of that animal whose skins are Exceeding hard and rough, and are transported to Europe for the use of our Cabinet makers. This fish is called a Rasp-ray. There is yet a third sort of these flatfish called the Whip-Ray. This fish differs from the rest having the head resembling a Tortoise almost. The back is blewish with studds of small white circles all over it with the Skin exceeding smooth and shining, with a tail black as jett and of such a length that a fish of the size of a common Thornback shall have one perhaps Six foot in length.
After those fish Harry went in his own canoa and was out almost the whole day. He came home with about 7 bones, having struck three of those fish. What had detained him so long was this, He said the last fish was a very large one, and as he struck it the Staff slipped out of his hnd and the fish made away into deeper water with it sticking in back; and had it not returned again for the shore he should have lost the whole, and that was what we could but ill spare.
1. Callipash, that soft part of a turtle next to its upper shield or shell; wrongly used for carapace, the shell itself.
Chapter 10: Seventh Year
This year commenced with an ugly stroke of fortune to me, as thus. We all took a small trip to the Cave after Yams and potatoes, and while I was there I took a notion for to wash myself in the sea but I paid heavily for it. As I was about to come on shore I felt somthing dart into both my feet attended with instantanious pain. I directly swam to shore but was obliged to fall down on the sand. Harry ran to know what was the matter with me and found both my feet full of the darts of Sea Eggs. By this time I was in such an agony that I expected to faint. He directly ran for the Girls and they Got me into the Canoa, put on my cloaths, and then hurried me home as fast as possible. By that time my feet were Swolen so that I could not budge, and they were forced to carry me up to the bed and laid me down. After this Luta got Prickly pear leaves and split them, then toasted them at the fire and applied one to each foot, binding them on. From that time almost untill the next day I remain’d in a high fever. When it abated she took off the leaves and my feet appear’d as tho they had been boiled, but the thorns came all away with the leaves and I was quite easy. But I could not walk for three or four days, my feet were so tender; but they soon came to order again.
These Sea Eggs are of that class of beings who never move from their first stated fixture. They are of many different Sorts, shaped like to an Orange, divided with curious lines of partition, and spotted with Green, black, Yellow, red and brown. Some have no thorns at all, but the sort from which I recieved my injury have darts four or five inches long and are black. These darts they have the power to play about in the Water, directing them as a man would point with a Sword any way as they list.
Soon after this we were intertain’d with a very diverting scene. One of the Parrots had got away to a distance and was perched on a Cashoo tree where she sat refreshing herself, and a parcell of wild Parrots passing over espied him or her. Upon this they all came and settled in the same tree. Patty saw them first and came to call us out to share the diverting farce, and indeed it was a scene truly comic. They would walk side way up to her and place their heads parralell to her, then give her a peck. Another would get over her head in the mean time and do the like. Ours would hold up her foot as to ward of the blow. Others would take her a slap with one wing. At last they gathered as by consent all round her and fell to paying her at a sad rate. Upon this the poor thing began to call out, “Harry! Harry! Owen, little Owen!” as fast as possible. But no sooner did she begin to speak plain English than off they all flew, screeming like so many mad things and quite frighted, no doubt. Directly our Parrot began a loud laugh and flew home; but when she got into the cage she began to prate away to the other as fast as her tongue could go, the other bird saying, “Hay, hay, hay!” as if it understood the relation. This diverted Harry to so great a degree that he rolled on the ground laughing.
Shortly after this Harry expressed a desire to go after the Flamingos and I consented, so off went Toby1 and his Dog the next morning in the small canoa. He did not return that day, but as I knew it to be a good distance I was no way uneasy as he had fire works with him, and that made an Indian at home every where either by day or night.
The next morning was ushered in with a new adventure; it was thus. I call’d to Patty to rise and make up the fire, saying her man would be home soon. This she went out to do, but she had not been out long before she came running in to us crying there was a great thing dog fell down by the fire from the top of the rock over her head. What this could mean was quite beyond my comprehension so I got up and ran out, but just as I came to the fire down came another. This amazed me but I rouzed up my courage and went to examine them and found they were Piccaries, and both of them embowelled. Now, thinks I, this must be a piece of Messmate Harry’s gamut; but as the Dog did not come in first as usual, I could not think what or how it could happen. At last a loud laugh began over our heads. Directly I ran in and snatched up an ax, being determined to stand my ground. When I came out again I heard a voice call down from the Clift, “Yallut-ta, Yallut-ta!”
Upon this I cried, “Come down, you Scoundril! Come down. Let us have no more of your dogs tricks!” And indeed I was at that time very angry with Harry, as I thought. My spirits were so hurried that I never adverted to the pronunciation or difference of Voice untill an Indian shewed himself and called down to me. Immediately I saw it to be Komaloot. Upon this I call’d out the Girls quite overjoyed. I then made signs for him to meet me and away I ran up the hill. There I found Komaloot, Owagamy, Zulawana and a young Indian I had never seen before called Sama-lumy. I saluted them all, and they returned it. They were all four armed with Bows, arrows, and Mascheets [machetes] or Cutlasses. When we got down to the house great joy commenced directly. Komaloot took the child in his arms and hugged it. They then asked after Harry and Luta told them what he was gone after.
I then enquired how they came so secretly behind us, and that they had scared us not a little. Owagamy then told Luta a story as follows—that they happened to be out after game when they came to a fine open country, and there Komaloot made a proposal to find out our place. To this they agreed, but that they had overgone the place; this they learnt by getting up a large tree from whence they discovered a smoke on the right near the coast. This they concluded must be the place of our abode and turned off for it. Shortly after, they fell in with a few Piccary hogs and killed two of them, that they gutted them and cut out their navels, intending to bring them as a present to us. N.B. The navel of this animal is on its back, and if not cut out as soon as the beast is dead the whole carcass taints soon after. He said they discovered us at last by the great smoke the Girls made, for that Sama-lumy was then got up a tree not far from our habitation. They soon after got within sight of our place where they call’d a counsel and concluded to proceed after the manner they had done, least their suddain appearance should alarm us too much. I told Luta to return them my thanks for their good conduct.
While Patty was preparing a little of what food we had, the dog came running in. I then knew Harry was not far off. The poor animal was quite transported at the sight of his old masters. At length Messmate Harry made his odd appearance dressed in Scarlet from head to foot with his Flamingos, his great straw hat on his head; in one hand he held his bow and arrows and in the other he had a fine hand of Plantains. But as soon as he saw our family thus increased he made a full stop. I called him to come on, but as soon as he found who our company were, down went all his cargo at once, and much joy came on.
Harry enquired after their Canoa. When they told him they all came overland he asked them how many Tigers they had seen. This question made them send the young Indian off, who soon returned with the Skin of a Tiger on his shoulder, they having forgot it where they first saw the girl. This skin Owagamy presented to me. There was such a piece of business between our Dog and two they brought with them that he lead them all over our grounds. Now we began to ask after their families. They told us Lama-atty had another child, a girl; and that they had made friends with some other Indians after a long variance.
I then asked if the young Indian who came with them was a Captive or not. They said no, that he was a relation, but that he was under some trouble and that they wanted to bury him. I could not judge the intent of this dark speech, so put Luta to enquire of them what they meant by it. Then Komaloot took Luta on one side and held her in talk for some time. After this Luta told her brother to take the young Indian and shew him all round the place, so away they went togather. When they were gone Luta told me that it was the desire of her friends that I would consent for their leaving Sama-lumy to live with us for a time as they had a great reason for it, that my consenting would shew I had a true regard for them, and that they should be ever willing to oblige me in all things, and that Sama-lumy would serve me even to the hazard of his life. Now what to think or say I knew not, but in the first place I desired Luta to request that they would be plain with me in regard to the subject in hand.
Owagamy then took me by the hand and gave me a look most powerful, and then proceeded to talk nervously to me for a time, then bade Luta interpret the same. (Viz), She told me that as her friends understood I was much in dread of the Mines, and that they were so far from discovering me to the Spaniards that they would sooner suffer death than betray me. Therfore, as Sama-lumy was now under the same terror at this time, they had thoug [thought] best to bring him off to me that he might be concealed untill such time that it should be forgotten. As he was young they thought he would grow out of their knowledge.
Directly I took them by the hands, and by Luta’s help told them to confide in me as their sure friend in need. They thanked me, and then I told Luta to give me a relation how the misfortune had happened. She then said they told her that Samalumy had been to visit some of his relations who lived among the Spaniards, and that by ill luck he had made free to hang round his neck a String of beads with a cross to it; and as they were all playing togather he had the misfortune to break the Cross by stacking another with it on the back. This was percieved by a little girl who ran and informed a Padre who was not far off. The Padre came and reviled him, called him “Pero Savage,”2 for presuming to meddle with it as being unbaptized; but that he would soon find him better employmen in the Mines, then left him in great anger. This so terrified him that he took the first opportunity of sliping away to his friends, who on his information had shifted him from place to place untill they thought of this scheem to bring him to us.
