Mr Penrose, page 34
But we found at times a kind of large Spider back in the up land which highly deserves a discription. It is Black and White. They frequen banks which face the rising Sun in which they have cells. Now on a day as I was out with my Gun and Harry and Owen with me, the boy bid me look on the Bank and see the Great Spiders, how they stopt their holes. This made Harry call to me for to halt, saying that if I went on slowly I should see a fine thing and what I loved (meaning a great curiosity). And soon after I saw several of those Spiders run into their holes and slap too one of their doors after them. On this I drew out my knife and picked at one of them and to my great surprize found it to work too and fro as on hinges. It was composed of a thick substance of Web and of a circular form. After I had satisfied my curiosity thus far I told them we would all three withdraw to watch their motions, and after some time we could see one neighbour open his door half way, then another, and so on untill many threw them quite back and came forth. But now as we were intent on viewing this wonder in nature Mr. Rover espying them, he soon drove the whole town to close quarters and so spoiled our farther interest of observation for that time.
Now it happened as Daddy Nunez was out on the hill, which was usually his morning walk, he came down and said he thought he percieved some small canoas at a distance to the westward. Upon this I took my new Glass and went up with Norman. We soon percieved two Canoas coming. “Now,” said I, “these are our new boats I will lay any wager, so let us prepare some kind of a repast for them against they come in.” In about an hour they came round the Key and I could then plainly percieve 10 people in them. “Get our boat ready,” said I. “Norman, you and I will go down and meet them,” so off we went and met them in the bay.
When we got within hail I called and they answered “Amegos” or friends. We then put off before them up the lagoon and they all came on shore—Gattaloon, Gaynasunto and 8 other Indians who most of them had been here at our place before. We all welcomed them after our wanted fashion and Gattaloon told me those were my two Canoas they had made for my use. They brought us 4 Beef hides, Matting, Cotton pieces for our Women, some Cocoas and Coffee seeds and other things. The Canoas were 18 feet long and 2½ feet by the beam, as I may term it, and would carry 8 Men each with ease. I presented Each of them with a small Looking Glass and some of our remaining Dutch Cloth, but it was of little value being much injured by the moth and time. Bell gave 50 dollars into the hands of Gattaloon, desiring they would never discover the means of their obtaining them among the Spaniards unless they reported they found them as we had done. All this they promised to observe strictly and we doubted not their integrity, having had the experience of their fidellity for such a length of time.
Gattaloon asked Daddy Nunez how he liked his scituation and the Old Man told him he had not known so much ease and content for many years past. He then enquired the same of Soroteet. His answer was that he thought the Agago, or as they translated it The Killing Spirit, had never found the way to our place or had never heard of it, saying could they not see the Manoluvy or Manolubee was always among us when ever they came by the Laughing in our faces at all times. (By this word they mean a general amity or concord among us.)
In about three days and after our little business was settled they took their leave to return home over land, having brought Arms with them for that purpose, saying on their departure there was a Vessel cast away about half a days paddling from their place more to the West. We asked them of what People but they could not give us that satisfaction, saying they saw none of the men dead or alive and that she was all in pieces, had a white bottom, one Mast and some great Guns—from which we judged it might perhaps be our Fair Trader as the discription tallied with her.
1. In British usage any sort of firecracker; also a syringe or squirt. Here probably a tube or other device for directing the smoke.
2. Hidden, concealed.
Chapter 31: Nineteenth Year
We had nothing remarkable from the time the Indians left us, which was about the latter end of March. But some few days after they were gone Harry told me that he had got a great secret from Soroteet to tell me. “What may that be?” said I. He told me that Gattaloon had informed Soroteet when last here that we were discovered or known to be here by the Spaniards. “Ay, ay!” cried I and directly call’d Norman. When he came, “Now begin,” I said to Harry, “and what ever you have learnt, Speak it, let it be what it may Either good or bad.” For I must confess it discomposed me at first, but reflecting again that it was a thing which must come to their knowledge one day or other, I became more calm again.
And he went on, saying that Gattaloon told Soroteet the affair because he knew he could talk neither Spanish or English, and that the affair could not well be devulged to me while they were among us least we should take it ill. We might attribute the discovery to their trechery but desired we would not entertain so hard a thought of them, as those who were now dead had pledged their hearts with us. That they knew not by what means we were discovered but that a Couple of Spaniards from Maricaibo had been lately among them and asked If there were not two English Men married among their people and lived somwhere along the Shore to the Northward. That finding we were known to be here they thought it a folly to deny that they knew nothing of us, but had confessed that they knew of a poor man who had told them he had been driven on shore in a boat alone; but that I had been many long Moons there before they had found me out, and recited the circumstance of one of their Canoas being driven on shore where I resided, by which means I obtained a Wife. That I was a good man and liked to live there with my Indian family, but that I should have traveled to find out some Spaniards had I not been informed they would send me to the Mines as being an Enemy at that time; but that I was so far from being an Enemy to Mankind that I had since my landing there give my best assistance to two or three distressed Spanish Vessels, and that they had heard me often say could I but be confirmed in one thing—which was that they would not injure me—I could die in a true state of satisfaction. That in regard to the other Man who lived with me, he had been cast away long since and came among them, but hearing of me he had traveled to find me out and had got one of their Girls for a Wife also. That we lived by fishing and were the most inoffensive Men that could live.
“Well,” said one of them who was an old Man called Perez, “when you see them again you must inform them that they need not be in any manner of dread or fear, as their condition is not to be envied; and if they are content to be voluntary Anchorets [anchorites] none will make it their business to molest or disturb them. But they are not Bon Catholicks, we suppose.” But they told them we were, that we Prayed to the book and Cross often, to which they answered, “Star bon.”1They enquired how far it was from where they lived and they told them above 7 days distance. And thus their Enquiry ended.
We both thanked them for their good conduct in our hearts. And how or by what means they came by the knowledge we knew not unless by some of the fair traders who might have been wrecked or from Old Horgans people. However, we now became intirely easy in our minds as thinking we had made a happy discovery, knowing by the tenour of the Spaniards discourse they would not give themselves the trouble to seek us out Because we were of no consiquence to them Either for good or ill.
One day as Daddy Nunez and Harry came in from fishing they brought home in the Canoa from the Bird Key a part of some Animal Substance in long round shapes of a brown hue Exceeding smooth and of a consistancy like unto soft grissle. I asked Harry what it was and he gave me the following discription which I thought odd enough. The Old Man kept continually chattering at the same time to Bell in Spanish, but the matter was as Harry said. He got out of the canoa and was wading among the Rocks after one of those kind of fish called a Cuckold with his Mascheet in his hand, And all of a suddain he felt something clasp him round his legs clinging very fast. On looking down he saw a monstrous Lancksa, as he called it; that he directly call’d out to Nunez to come to his assistance, which he did; and by cutting with his knife and the Mascheet togather he got free, and that he had brought part of it home to shew it to us and would then roast and Eate it, which he did. But of the discription He gives of this Being it is quite romantick to me. However, as I have not beheld the like with mine own Eyes hithertoo I must beg the kind Reader to rest satisfied with Mr. Harry’s account of it.
(Viz), He tells me that they are not very frequent, Especially this grand Sort, but there are three sorts of a less magnitude. That they are always found adhering to the side of a Rock or huge Stone in some place where there may be an Eddy or current of Water; that they expand forth several Arms which are continually playing about in the water and that in the End of Each of those Arms is a kind of mouth, as he expresses it, which catches all kinds of little living things, meaning Marine insects. That these arms convey what they catch into one great mouth it has in the centre of its body, but that it has no Eyes nor can it remove from the place it is fixed on. But should any part of it be torn or cut away, in that case the part so moved or seperated will soon cement itself to some other place and become a New Lancksa and act exactly in all things like the old mother it came from. That they will lay hold on every thing they can reach, and provided the Object prove too large for them to take in, in that case they suck the substance out of it and then let the husk or skin drop. All this story appeared wonderous to me, and I must leave it to the Learned to determine of what class it may belong to unless it may be that being called a Polypus.
Now I am on this Subject I must remark another kind which it is my belief may belong to the same tribe of Marine animals. These we saw when Somer and I were once out to the Westward in a place among Rocks and even under water. Through several holes in the side of those Rocks about 4 feet down seemed to grow small tufts of flowers Resembling in shape our Polyanthus but of a pale rose colour now and then tinged with yellow. But on my runing down a Paddle to shove a bunch of them off they would instantaniously retire into the Rock. This drew on a wonder in us, and finding by repeated trials that it evaded all our art, Somer took upon him to detach one of them which projected forth from an angular corner with an Ax. And to that end he got overboard and knocked the piece off, when he put it in my hand and came in again; then seating himself began to beat it to pieces and in a small cell we found a substance like to a thin membranous substance. But those part which had expanded like so many flowers were become quite contracted, yet there seem’d to be some small palpitation left shewing life remaining. I judged the Violence of his strokes had been the cause of its death as knowing full well it must be some kind of animal being or other, by others we had caused to retire now became display’d afresh; but on our offering to touch them they incontinently withdrew. This natural curiosity would ever have escaped my memory had not this adventure of Harry’s came on at this time to revive it.
And now I am on the Sensative subject I shall remark some other of a Terrestrial kind. (Viz) there is a kind of long thin Grass growing in these Regions which, if you should only cast or wave a hand or even a small Switch over it, it instantly falls down flat altho not touched or approached nigher than a foot. There is also a Species of the Yam which when you find it sprang above the ground, should you then fix a stick or the like in any point of direction within a distance of 3 feet, it will in a short time find its way to it. But should you remove the stick a short time before it had reached it, and shift it to the other side or any one point of the Compass it will soon find the way round and then begin to climb up it.
There is to be found on the Seabeach a kind of Vine with a red stem about the thickness of a Goose quill with small leaves growing in pairs laterally and at the distance of two feet from each pair. But what makes the thing most remarkable is when it has extended its stemes as from one centre like to a Star to the distance of perhaps 10 or 12 feet, It there takes root in the sand and becomes a fresh Centre proceeding in like manner; so that in some places the shore will be spread with them for 50 yards and all from one common Centre. And so strongly do these red Tendrils hold in the sand that on taking hold of one of them you shall find them tought or turgid like any Ships stern fast. There are some kinds of Flowers also which have the quality of displaying their bloom after the Sun is set and keep so the whole Night through untill the day comes on, when they all close again. On the contrary, others open with the Rising Sun and close again as it sets in the Evening.
It may not be derogatory to this Subject if I should mention a thing which all the Indians hold to be a real fact, but this I do not affirm as to my own knowledge. But they have advanced to me That there is one kind of Deer who have Ears in their Feet by which means they know when an enemy is approaching even at a miles distance or much farther. And once when walking in the Woods Harry picked up the foreleg bone of one of those animals, and shewing me a gruve in the Shin part proceeding from the parting of the hoof, told me that was the channel by which those Animals heard to such a great distance. But I rather concluded that some Nerve of a very subtile sensation had lain in that hollow gruve which gave the creture such a distant warning of danger.
Similarity: There grows a kind of small tree here which bears a large Fruit shaped somthing like a Bell Pear but much larger and flat on one side, full of soft thorney points. It is of a dark green inclining to a purple toward the large End, which is of a full purple. Its pulp is white, spongey, and very full of juice with many purple seed within it. Its leaves are large and hang in an ample form. Now what is a thing much to be admired is a Small Bird who feeds on the seed of it. This Bird is in size like to our English Green finch and of that kind of Green. Its Bill resembles the Parrot. And as the fruit varies or graduates from the Green to the Purple so changes the bird in its hue exactly, from its tail to the neck and head which terminates in the purple so that when the Bird is actually on the limbs or fruit you can hardly know unless it should move or shift its place.
How manyfold are the Wonders of our Divine Creator when our Eyes behold these things. Should we not say: “In the Majesty of Thy Wisdom, O Lord, hast Thou created them to the improvement of our understanding, and to lead us step by step to a proper Idea of Thy Omnipotence” ? And how thankful ought I to be thus to have so much leasure to Contemplate on them; and, as I have said, Step by Step may they bring me and all mankind to a proper sense of my own state And their own so that in the End we may all become worthy members of his divine abode through the Merits of Him who descended from whence Eternal happiness flows.
1. I.e., “Está bien” that is good.
Chapter 32
About the 10 day of August Mrs. Harry brought forth a Girl and they gave her the name of Betty as a compliment to my Wife. And Harry observed on the Occasion that Soroteet had not hithertoo been renamed as was customary with us when any Indian joyn’d our family. I then turned to my friend Norman and told him to stand Godfather, and he thought proper to Call him Rory or Roderick. And from this time we heard no other Sound for two or three days from Harry, Owen and the other Children than “Rory, Rory, Rory,”—so much would any simple novelty play on their innocent minds, arising from their contracted mode of life and never being enlarged by a sight of this great worlds Hurry and Varieties.
At times Mr. Harry would amuse himself with learning the Boys to Swim by taking them on his back in the lagoon. Now it so fell out that as He and Mr. Rory were down at the Water with the Children at this sport, Norman, Nunez and my self looking on with our pipes smoking, Daddy Nunez cried out, “Un tiberoon!” or a Shark. This soon made them all quit the water with surprize as we never had seen one so far up before. But the Indians got bait and soon caught her.
This Shark was not above six foot long, yet she had 8 young ones which would not leave her so that they were all taken. These young gentry altho they were not more than 8 or 9 inches in length yet were so strong that it was a great difficulty to hold one of them in a Mans hand with a Strong gripe. It is well known the Shark brings forth her Young after the manner of Quadrupeds, but there is a great mistake among those who think her young on any suddain danger run into her mouth or down her throat, when the very Contrary is the truth. For on any approaching danger they All secreet them selves in the Womb; and this we had the fairest opportunity of observing as the thing was transacted to our satisfaction before our eyes.
The Indians brought with them when last here a few Pods of some exceeding large Beans of a full brown colour, having but two in each pod. These Beans or Kernels are about the size of a Dollar and of an Excellent virtue for all complaints of the Bowels. As they report, the Mode of using them is to scrape a part of the Kernel into warm water or Stew them, and so great is their Efficasy that the quantity of 3 or 4 grains Will relieve the most racking cholic immediately. This we have experienced now and then, as occasionally required. I have ordered a few of them to be planted that we never need be without them in future.
One day Harry and Rory brought home with them a Hawks bill Tortoise weighing about 30 pounds, of Whose Shell our artificers in Europe make great use in divers kinds of Ornaments. Yet this kind of Tortoise is not very agreeable to the taste, nor do we eate them. And as this gives me an opportunity to mention more on the Subject I shall take notice that there are 4 or 5 sorts of this Animal; nay, I might say with certainty 7 Sorts great and Small.
(Viz) in the first place, Loggerhead Tortoise. This kind is most frequent on our coast and are so large that many of them run to 400 weight. They have a very round back and are rather longer in proportion than the other kinds, but there is no beauty in the Shell. The Second Sort are called Trunck Tortoise as they resemble the form of our old Coffers, being ridged. They grow big and rank and are not very agreeable to the taste. The third I may term the Hawks bill as their beek resembles the beek of that Bird. Now the fourth is what they call the Green Tortoise and most coveted as their flesh exceeds all others in taste. These are known to grow to the size of 300 weight also. The fifth kind are such as never go into Salt Water but frequent Ponds and muddy places. These are of a most odious appearance to any Stranger. I have seen them of above 50 weight, and when one of them finds himself Environed by Enimies so that he can not make his Escape he will fight with a hissing noise; and should he once fix his jaws on any object he will never quit it without bringing off the piece. They are black, rough, and have bright Eyes with circles of Red so that they cut a most formidable appearance; yet the meat of these animals stewed is very rich and agreeable to the pallate.
