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 LIBRARY , 
 
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 UNIVLRSITY I 
 
 Of ILLINOIS ' ' 
 
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 V.I 
 
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 THE 
 
 JOURNAL 
 
 or 
 
 LLEWELLIN PENROSE^ 
 
 SEAMAN. 
 
 IN FOUR VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. L 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR 
 
 JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, 
 
 AND WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, EDINBURGH, 
 1815.
 
 V.I ? 
 
 wo 
 
 BENJAMIN WEST. ESQ, 
 
 ^8 
 
 MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 -^ I MOST willingly avail 
 
 .4^ myself of your kind permission, to 
 
 3 dedicate to you the Narrative now 
 
 '^ offered to the Public. I venture to 
 
 V urge this request, not only because 
 ^^ your intimate knowledge of the 
 
 V Author, and the circumstance of his 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^having communicated to you many 
 
 ^ of the facts recorded in it, seemed to 
 ^ require it of me, but also because the 
 
 ^ VOL. I. a 
 
 \
 
 11 
 
 respect which the public have long 
 entertained for your virtues and 
 talents, might excite an interest for 
 a work which has the sanction of 
 vour name. If I can induce the 
 world to read the following pages, 
 I am not fearful of the result of its 
 judgment. It was a subject of 
 pleasing recollection to my father, 
 that this extraordinary Narrative 
 first led him to your acquaintance ; 
 and I am happy that the honour 
 has been extended to myself. From 
 your conversation I have received 
 both pleasure and instruction ; and 
 permit me, my dear Sir, to add, that 
 the kindness which I have experien-
 
 Ill 
 
 ced from you, renders me more de- 
 voted to an art which boasts in you 
 a Professor so liberal and enlightened. 
 May you long continue in the enjoy- 
 ment of the distinction which your 
 merit has obtained. 
 
 I am, my dear Sir, with great re- 
 spect and esteem, your most faithful 
 and obedient Servant, 
 
 JOHN EAGLES.
 
 ADVERTISE3IENT. 
 
 Some years since an old man, who 
 had apparently seen better days, ap- 
 plied to my father for charitable re- 
 lief. His language and address bore 
 a character of interest that must have 
 struck the least minute observer. My 
 father was, however, a man of discri- 
 mination, as well as feeling, who see- 
 ing how ill the superior cultiva- 
 tion of his mind adapted him for 
 the common receptacle for paupers, 
 (which was his object) supplied his 
 immediate waats 5 which benevo-
 
 VI 
 
 lence continuing from time to time, 
 he was so much charmed with his 
 good sense and conversation, that he 
 became much attached to him. He 
 supplied him with the necessaries of 
 life, and after some time, was en- 
 abled to place him comfortably in 
 the Merchants' Alms House in this 
 city, endowed for the reception of 
 decayed mariners, where, with some 
 weekly addition to the allowance of 
 the charity, he was placed much 
 above want. Here he enjoyed seve- 
 ral years of tranquillity. He was be- 
 loved by all our family ; and such 
 was the kindness with which my 
 father treated him, that I have often, 
 when a bov, seen the old man sit at
 
 vii 
 
 our table with the familiarity of ail 
 old friend. In this asylum he died, 
 and left to my father all he was pos- 
 sessed of And let not the reader 
 smile at his legacy, for it was not to 
 be despised ; it consisted of many vo- 
 lumes of books, collections of prints, 
 MSS., in particular the following Nar^ 
 rative. It was not in my father's 
 disposition to make inquiries into the 
 details of private history, especially 
 when it was probable they would ex- 
 cite painful sensations ; it is not to be 
 wondered at, therefore, that he did 
 not make himself acquainted with cir- 
 cumstances, the knowledge of which 
 would now be so interesting. 
 
 It was extraordinary that a man of
 
 Till 
 
 such a turn of mind, and with pro* 
 perty of such a description, should 
 have looked for an asylum among 
 paupers. It was fortunate he met 
 with a person so capable of appreci- 
 ating his merits, and preserving to 
 the world the Narrative bequeath- 
 ed to him. But the incident which 
 happily led to a more accurate know- 
 ledge of him, was as interesting as it 
 was unexpected. As an account 
 of it, I insert a memorandum found 
 among my father's papers, dated 10th 
 July 1805. 
 
 " Mr Annesly brought Mr West 
 to my lodgings; he dipped into Pen- 
 rose's Journal, and read several pages 
 in different parts. I was from home
 
 IX 
 
 when he came, but returned time 
 enough to give him an account of 
 the author. He seemed very atten- 
 tive to my history of WilHams, and 
 put several questions to me ; he said 
 every answer I gave tended to con- 
 firm his opinion. '* Sir," said he, " I 
 have looked at several parts of this 
 book, and much that I have seen I 
 know to be true ; I knew the man 
 too, and what is more extraordinary, 
 had it not been for him I should 
 never have been a painter. It hap- 
 pened thus. I had a relation at Phi- 
 ladelphia of the name of Pennington, 
 whom I used frequently to visit 
 while there. I saw a person carry- 
 ing a picture, a landscape, the first I
 
 X 
 
 believe I had ever seen ; I was very 
 much struck with it, and desired the 
 person to shew it to me ; he did, and 
 asked me if I was fond of painting, 
 and if I was, desired me to come to 
 his house and he w^ould shew me 
 other things. I saw there some cat- 
 tle pieces, admired them, and in- 
 quired how he could paint them so 
 accurately. He said he would show 
 me the secret, and took a small box, 
 which proved to be a camera; he 
 shewed me the construction of it. I 
 went home, and was not at rest till I 
 had made one for myself, and my fa- 
 ther gave the glass out of an old pair 
 of spectacles to complete it. My 
 delight was then to go into the farm
 
 XI 
 
 yards, and by means of my camera^, 
 draw the cattle, &c. I knew that Wil- 
 liams had seen many of the things he 
 describes in the Journal, and he gave 
 me the same account of them, He 
 first lent me the lives of the painters^ 
 which confirmed my inclination for 
 the art. On my return from Italy, I 
 sent to my friends in America my 
 picture, as a remembrance of me, I 
 had painted whilst abroad. I receiv- 
 ed a letter from Williams, for that 
 was his name, with a complimentary 
 copy of verses, in which he was 
 pleased to flatter me very highly j 
 but what is more extraordinary, the 
 lines may be considered as pro- 
 phetic of my future success in lifo,
 
 xu 
 
 V^hich it anticipates. I have his let- 
 ter and the verses by me now some- 
 where. I take it he adopted the 
 name of Penrose * from a great ship- 
 builder of that name, who was a 
 great friend of his. Williams after- 
 guards came to England. I was of 
 some service to him in London, but 
 of a sudden missed him from town ; 
 and on inquiring, I believe, of one 
 Smith, an engraver, who knew him 
 well, he told me he was gone to 
 Bristol, as he was very poor, and had 
 almost lost his eye sight, to claim 
 
 * Nothing is more common among seafaring 
 men, than the adoption of the names of their 
 ■particuU^r friends, instead of their own..
 
 XIU 
 
 some provision to which he was en- 
 titled from the parish. I was struck 
 with this coincidence with the his- 
 tory of Williams; it .induced me to 
 put further questions concerning him, 
 which confirmed my opinion that it 
 was my old friend's composition that 
 was before me, and what you had 
 shewn me of the lives of the painters, 
 I know to be his hand writing.'* * 
 
 1 Sth, saw Mr West again. He said, 
 ** Perhaps I am the only person in 
 existence who could give any ac- 
 count of Williams's life and manners* 
 He first came to Virginia from Lon- 
 don, An a ship commanded by Cap< 
 
 * The MS. shewn Mr Wes* was copied by 
 my father from the original.
 
 XIV 
 
 tain Hunter. Between this time and 
 his appearance at Philadelphia, when 
 I first met with him, was an interval 
 of more than twenty years, which 
 time I consider him to have passed 
 in the adventures related in the Jour- 
 nal." I likewise find a letter from 
 Mr West to my father, wherein he 
 makes the following mention of the 
 Author. 
 
 " From the year 1747 to 1760, my 
 attention was directed to every point 
 necessary to accomplish me for the 
 profession of painting. This often 
 brought me to the house of Williams, 
 and as he was an excellent actor in 
 taking off character ; he often, to 
 amuse me, repeated his adventures
 
 XV 
 
 among the Indians, m^ny of which 
 adventures were strictly the same as 
 related in your manuscript of Pen- 
 rose, as was also his description of 
 the scenery of the coasts, the birds 
 on them, in particular the Flamingo 
 Birds, which he described, when seen 
 at a distance, as appearing like com- 
 panies of soldiers dressed in red uni- 
 forms. He spoke the language of 
 the savages, and appeared to me to 
 have lived among them some years. 
 I often asked him how he came to 
 be with them ; he replied, he had 
 gone to sea when young, but was 
 never satisfied with that pursuit ; that 
 he had been shipwrecked, and thrown 
 into great difficulties, but Providence
 
 XVI 
 
 had preserved him through a variety 
 of dangers. He told me he imbibed 
 his love for painting when at a gram- 
 mar school in Bristol, where his great- 
 est delight was to go and see an el- 
 derly artist who painted heads in oil, 
 as well as small landscapes/* 
 
 I have given this account of the 
 Author, thinking it might be inter- 
 esting to the public. I avoid being 
 lavish of idle commendations of the 
 work, which will speak for itself. 
 
 JOHN EAGLES.
 
 THE 
 
 JOURNAL OF PENROSE. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Should the following Journal ever reach 
 my dear native country, I must intreat the 
 reader not to expect any persuasive argu- 
 ments to enforce belief, or language to. 
 adorn the story. I have neither skill for 
 the one, or learning for the other. My 
 education did not exceed that of a com- 
 mon country school ; I was thrown early 
 into life ; was obliged to think, and act 
 much for myself; experience gave me 
 knowledge and confidence; it induced a 
 
 VOL. I. A
 
 ? PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 habit of reflection, and taught me to ac- 
 commodate myself to things and circum- 
 stances, which a refined education would 
 at least have rendered more painful. With 
 naturally a good constitution, I had that 
 pliancy of temper, which on many occa- 
 sions carried me through difnculties, and 
 enabled me to encounter dangers, that a 
 more irritable disposition would have found 
 insurmountable. I shall tell my story in 
 })lain and simple terms ; and begin with a 
 faithful narrative of every occurrence with- 
 in my memory, from the day of my birth, 
 to the time I first left my native country 
 to cross the Atlantic. 
 
 Llewkllin rENROSE is mv name; I 
 •was born near Caerphilly, in Glamorgan- 
 shire, in the month of May 1725; my fa- 
 ther was bred to the sea, and was cast 
 away in a ship belonging to liristol, called 
 the Union frigate, commanded by Captain 
 Williams, who was his countryman, in the 
 great January storm, off the Texel in Hoi-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAU ^ 
 
 land. Of a fleet consisting of near sixty 
 sail, onlj one Dutch dogger, which lay 
 without, rode out the storm, all the rest 
 perished. INIy mother thus left a widow, 
 with two children, myself and a sister five 
 years younger, after a time married again. 
 Her second husband was a schoolmaster ; 
 she removed with him into Worcestershire, 
 then into Monmouthshire, and after that 
 into Wales. 
 
 I may justly say this man was the inno- 
 cent, or rather obstinate cause of the 
 many hardships I have since suffered. The 
 influence he had over my mother's judg- 
 ment, gave him the sole direction in every 
 thing that concerned her children. 
 
 I had been flattered and caressed by my 
 mother from my infancy ; she had attend- 
 ed to all my early propensities, with a view 
 of assisting my inclinations, in a perma- 
 nent settlement for life. I was particular- 
 ly fond of the sea, and was delighted with 
 the accounts my father used to j?ive of
 
 4. PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 his different voyages. I had some little 
 talent for drawing. Most of my early 
 sketches were of boats and ships sailing 
 in several directions. From this charminf^ 
 art I have derived great consolation, in 
 various situations of my life ; in the prac- 
 tice of it I have soothed many a bitter 
 hour. The moment I took my pen or 
 pencil in my hand, my cares were forgotten, 
 my mind became calm, and I enjoyed a 
 respite from every solicitude. 
 
 On my mother's second marriage, all 
 my dreams of happiness vanished ; my 
 pursuits were counteracted, my amuse- 
 ments checked, and my inclinations no 
 longer flattered, or even attended to. In 
 short it was decided by my father-in-law, 
 that I should be placed with a lawyer, a 
 profession I was particularly averse to. 
 iMy mother, in this, as in every other in- 
 stance, submitted entirely to his judgment, 
 and gave me lectures, day after day, on the 
 Auiy of submission to those who knew what
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 5 
 
 was best for me. I grew tired of these 
 perpetual remonstrances ; I detested the 
 law, and had a decided preference for the 
 sea. I acquainted them with my resolu- 
 tion, with a decent firmness which they 
 saw was not to be trifled with. Consider- 
 ing that my choice was more the effect 
 of whim and caprice than of any natural 
 tendency to that mode of life, they con- 
 sented that I should go a voyage by way 
 of trial ; hoping that the experiment would 
 prove favourable to their wishes, and wean 
 me from all further inclinations that way. 
 After I had made three or four small 
 trips, they renewed their dissuasions, and 
 tried by every possible means to bring 
 me to their way of thinking. Their oppo- 
 sition increased my attachment to the sea ; 
 I grew more obstinate, and finding no 
 abatement of persecution on their parts, I 
 was resolved to put an end to all further 
 altercation, and embark on my own ac-
 
 tt PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 count, without waiting for their consent 
 or approbation. 
 
 I had a companion, wliose name was 
 Howell Gwynn ; a similarity of disposi- 
 tion, an equally strong desire of roving 
 and love of adventure, liad united us in 
 strict friendship. It was now war time ; 
 we entered into an agreement to give our 
 parents the slip, and try our fortunes in 
 our own way ; we conducted our affairs 
 so artfully, that not a soul knew, or had 
 the least suspicion of our elopement. 
 
 Here let me pause for a few moments, 
 and acknowledge, with sincere contrition 
 and many tears, the anguish of mind 
 which the recollection of this step has oc- 
 casioned in many subsequent periods of 
 my life. The distress which my disobe- 
 dience inflicted on a kind and tender mo- 
 ther, sunk deep into my heart ; it has 
 haunted me at all times, and in every si- 
 tuation ; it has damped my joys ; it has
 
 PENROSE'S JOURXAL. 7 
 
 aggravated my sorrows ; it has made me 
 consider the many evils Avhich has befallen 
 me as the just visitations of heaven on 
 filial ingratitude. I write this as a warn- 
 ing to others, to avoid the sorrows, the 
 compunctions I have experienced, and to 
 assure them, that even in this world, the 
 contempt of parental authority does not 
 go without severe and exemplary punish- 
 ment. 
 
 Having found means to convey our 
 clothes and other trifles away, with no 
 more than four shillings in money,, and a 
 verv thin wardrobe, we set ofT from our 
 parents^ houses very early in the morn- 
 ing, in the month of September, in the 
 year 1744, to make the best of our way 
 for Bristol. We took care to evade all 
 inquiries, by going the cross roads, and 
 sleeping in barns or stables, now and 
 then begging a morsel of bread and cheese 
 at farm houses, pretending that we had 
 been cast away, in order to make our
 
 S PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 money last the longer. As we passed 
 through the village of Pile, we met a 
 young man who had just returned from a 
 cruise, in which lie had been unsuccessful ; 
 he advised us to go back to our parents, 
 and not think of adventuring to sea, where 
 the advantages were by no means ade- 
 quate to the dangers and difficulties we 
 should have to encounter. We considered 
 that our reception at home would not be 
 very agreeable, and resolved to proceed 
 on our journey, which we accomplished; 
 and on our arrival at Bristol, found that 
 our stock of money was reduced to three- 
 halfpence. 
 
 The first thing we did was to find out 
 the quay ; in our way to which place, we 
 met a young man who was a kind of re- 
 lation to me, and a sailor likewise ; he 
 was much pleased with our determination, 
 and undertook to get us births. The 
 city was filled with privateers' men ; my 
 cousin took us to a rendezvous in the
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 9 
 
 quay, the sign of the White Lion and 
 Horse-shoe. We had not been long in 
 the house before my companion Howell 
 was persuaded to enter ; but I had a greater 
 mind to become a good seaman, than 
 to commence hero all at once, and there- 
 fore evaded all their temptations. In this 
 I followed the advice of my kinsman, 
 who observed, that it would be better 
 for me take a trip with him to Ireland, 
 than to remain in a strange place with- 
 out money. 
 
 My companion Gwynn took his leave 
 of me, and set off for Hungroad, where 
 he was to join his ship ; and from that 
 hour we never met more. I remained all 
 the evening with my cousin, and found 
 him to be a fine hearty fellow, though 
 somewhat too fond of grog. As I was 
 no way inclined to drinking, I left him 
 and his company, and went up stairs to 
 sleep on a rush bottom couch, in the fore 
 room. Before I was well asleep, I was
 
 10 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 roused by a most sad outcry of a boy, as 
 I believed, under a most severe discipline. 
 My alarm was greatly increased, by the 
 most horrid imprecations from the person 
 who was inflicting the punishment. Hear- 
 ing him soon after go down stairs, I re- 
 solved to follow him, and endeavour to 
 find my cousin. As I pushed along the 
 passage, I observed a small light gleam- 
 ing from a room on the right hand, and 
 at the same time heard a soft voice call 
 to me, and beg me for God's cake to come 
 in. I entered the chamber, and saw, as I 
 thought, a very beautiful young woman 
 standing before me almost naked, but in 
 a gore of blood. I was retiring ; she in- 
 treated me to stay a few moments, and 
 begsn to inform me, that her husband, 
 in a fit of drunken jealousy, had beaten 
 her terribly. My alarm w as increased at 
 hearing this, and by a sudden movement, 
 very luckily, my candle went out. I of- 
 jfered to go down and light it, to which
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 11 
 
 she consented on my promise of return- 
 ing. This I took care not to do, and 
 fortunate it was for me that I did so re- 
 solve ; for shortly after I heard the hus- 
 band go up stairs again and repeat the 
 dose with equal severity. I grouped my 
 way into the fore parlour in order to 
 rouse some of the snoring tars, but I might 
 as well have spared myself the trouble ; 
 they were ail so snugly moored in sot's 
 bay, that it was out of my power to trip 
 one of their anchors. At last I ran foul 
 of a man in the entry, and found it to be 
 my cousin. For God's sake said I let us 
 get out of this house, I can stay no longer. 
 Just at this moment the watchman pass- 
 ed ; we took courage and hailed him ; he 
 bid us go to bed, if we were drunk, and 
 be quiet ; — we called out more loudly, 
 murder ! and desired him to knock at the 
 door. Having procured the assistance of 
 two brother watchmen, he thundered ac 
 the door to some purpose. We drew
 
 12 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 back into the parlour on hearing Mr Bean, 
 the furious landlord, coming down stairs 
 with a candle; but no sooner had he 
 opened the door than we rushed out, and 
 told the watchmen that we greatly feared 
 this fellow would murder his wife before 
 the morning. We left them to settle the 
 matter as they could. It was now about 
 three o''clock, and we walked the streets 
 till near six, when we entered another 
 house called the Champion of Wales ; 
 there we got breakfast, and afterwards 
 proceeded to the Gibb, where his boat 
 lay, which, after purchasing a few neces- 
 sary articles, took us down to Pile. 
 
 The wind coming round to the east, we 
 stood down channel the next day, and 
 took in a loading of coal at Neath, 
 from whence we proceeded to Cork. On 
 the passage I learned that my cousin was 
 the object of our landlord Bean's jealousy, 
 and that a tight battle had taken place be- 
 tween them, before I was distui'bed-.
 
 PENROSE'S JO'JRNAL. IS 
 
 On our arrival at Cork, as I was stand- 
 ing on the quay by the side of our vessel, 
 a man suddenly seized me by the hand, 
 and clap[)ir;g my thumb between his teeth, 
 threw me over his shoulder and carried 
 me into the nearest public house, where 
 he called for a quart of ale upon my 
 head as a nevv import. I was not a little 
 surprised at this, but some of our people 
 following, laughed, and said it was the 
 custom among the porters. This man''s 
 name, I well remember, was Billy 
 Vane. 
 
 Soon after this my cousin desired me to 
 go on shore with him to look out for a brute, 
 as he usually called the ladies of pleasure. 
 He was much in liquor, and remiember- 
 ing the adventure at Bristol, I desired to 
 be excused. He upbraided me with ingra- 
 titude, repeating all that he had done for 
 me ; but I was more afraid of the conse- 
 quence of such an excursion than of his 
 anger, and resolved not to go. He the»
 
 14 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 told me I miglit march on sliore and shift 
 for myself, for that he had done with me. 
 I took him at his word, left the vessel, 
 and went on board a snow bound for Lon- 
 don, to which place I worked my pas- 
 sage. 
 
 On coming to Xondon I entered on 
 board a privateer, not having a shilling in 
 the world to help myself. This game 
 I followed for some time with various suc- 
 cess, and squandered my prize money on 
 shore, much in the same manner that 
 other sailors do. After this I was press- 
 ed, and shifted from one ship to another, 
 till I found means to make my escape, 
 going under different names, as best suit- 
 ed my purpose. 
 
 Thus I spent my time till the year 
 1746. I then shipped myself on board 
 an old Indiaman, called the Harrington, 
 bound for Jamaica; she lay at the Ked 
 House, Deptford, one Hi nter commander. 
 With what little cash I had left, I pur-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. IS. 
 
 chased some few shirts and trowsers, a 
 jacket, Scots ])onnet, a pair of shoes, 
 and a small seaman's chest. The ship fell 
 down to Gravesend, from thence to the 
 Downs ; and there I experienced the first 
 thunder storm I had ever been in on the 
 salt water. The rain and the wind were 
 so violent off the shore, that she was soon 
 on her beam ends. As we were then get- 
 ting under weigh, the flashes of lightning 
 were so quick, that I could scarcely keep 
 my eyes open ; but it was of short dura- 
 tion. After this we proceeded to Spithead, 
 there to wait for the convov. In three or 
 four days we put to sea, being about one • 
 hundred sail, bound to different ports. Our 
 convoy was a ship called the old Chatham 
 of fifty guns, our ship mounted twenty 
 guns, with a letter of marque on board . 
 We parted company in the Bay of Biscay, 
 and proceeded alone. Nothing worthy 
 notice happened on our passage, except 
 that some of our main-top-men, during*
 
 1(5 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 the time we were exercising the great 
 guns, chanced to set the mizzen top-mast 
 stay-sail on fire, as they were busy in the 
 main-top ; but it was soon happily extin- 
 guished ; nevertheless, it put all hands in 
 a great hurry, as no misery can equal that 
 of a ship on fire in the main ocean. 
 
 After this we made the islands of An- 
 tigua, Mountserrat, Nevis, and St Chris- 
 tophers, and passing between them we 
 spoke with a French flag of truce. A 
 few nights after, we ran in with the Isle 
 of A'ash on St Domingo, in a very dark 
 night indeed, but saw it time enough to 
 avoid any danger. 
 
 The next day we came abreast of the 
 White Horses on the south shore of Ja- 
 maica : here the pilot came on board, 
 and we got safe into Port Royal. I must 
 observe that our first captain did not 
 go the voyage with the ship, and Mr 
 "William James, then chief mate, took the 
 command at Spithead.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. IT 
 
 Durinff our stav here Admiral Davers 
 died ; and as all the ships in the harbour 
 were firing minute guns on the occasion, 
 when it came to our turn one of the guns 
 on the larboard-side discharged before its- 
 due time. I happened to be standing on 
 the gang way, and saw a young man of 
 the name of Palmer sinking ; the blood 
 flew from his head and arms like a spout, 
 and a piece of his skull I found in the 
 main-chains. This unhappy young man 
 had been sponging the gun, and left some 
 of the old cartridge on fire within ; on 
 ramming down another, it immediately 
 took fire, and blew him to pieces, at the 
 same time blasting the fingers of the boat- 
 swain, which were held on the touch-hole. 
 About the latter end of November, having 
 our full loading, we set sail for London ; 
 but the Almighty was pleased to frustrate 
 our intentions, and to disperse us in a 
 wonderful manner. "VVe beat to wind- 
 ward for several days, to little purpose ; at 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 18 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 kngth we carried away our fore-top-mast, 
 top and all ; two of our hands went over- 
 board with it, but saved their lives. 
 
 Our commander then proposed to bear 
 away for Blewfields, to repair our damages. 
 After we had got up a new top and top- 
 mast, we put to sea, and bore away for 
 the Gulph of Florida. Sometime after 
 this, on a blustery night, we had like to 
 have ran on shore on the Isle of Pines ; 
 however we wore ship, and stood off again. 
 From this time the weather proved very 
 hazy, with small rains, and in this sort 
 it continued until Christmas eve. Every 
 mess was now busy in making puddings ; 
 but, alas ! now began the prelude to our 
 future troubles. 
 
 A squall arose about the second watch, 
 and all hands were called out. It blew for 
 about half an hour ; after this we jogged 
 on under an easy sail until break of day. 
 Little did I think at the time, that it would 
 prove so fatal a Christmas day to me I
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 19 
 
 Our chief mate, Mr Ramage, shortly 
 after he came on deck, spied a sail right a- 
 head of us ; directly all hands were called 
 to quarters, as she was lying-to, not two 
 miles from us. Just as this happened, we dis- 
 covered the Moro Castle, quite plain, under 
 our lee. Now, as the enemy was stern-to, 
 we could not judge of her force, nor did 
 she seem to take the least notice of us ; 
 and as we were in no kind of fear about 
 her, we stood on. We soon came abreast 
 of her, and found her to be a ship of force. 
 She bore down into our wake, hoisted Spa- 
 nish colours, and began to fire several ran- 
 dom shot at us ; we directly ran out two 
 stern-chases, and crowded all the sail we 
 could ; but in a short time after, away 
 went our main-top-gallant-mast ; and as the 
 enemy then gained on us fast, our captain 
 ordered the ensign to be hauled down. 
 
 The ship we struck to was a Spanish 
 man of war, and called El Fuerto, mount- 
 ing fifty guns, commanded by Captain Ma-
 
 20 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 lion J, a good-natured old Irishman. We 
 were carried into the Havannah, and there 
 our crew was divided on board of two men 
 of war, viz. the Dragon and Conquesta- 
 dor ; so that, I well remember, my Christ- 
 mas dinner was changed from plumb pud- 
 dings to horse beans and poor jerked beef. 
 
 In this place we remained prisoners, and 
 had the grief and mortification to see flags 
 of truce come in and go out every day ; it 
 being a practice for flags to visit the Spa- 
 niards from North America, laden with 
 flour and other articles ; and this trade was 
 supported by the sneaking contrivance of 
 their bringing and taking away one or two 
 prisoners at a time, that by this low cun- 
 ning the game might last the longer ; whilst 
 hundreds of his Majesty's loyal subjects 
 were detained and forced to hard labour in 
 the Moro Castle, carrying stones to repair 
 their enemy's fortifications, against their 
 wills. 
 
 Our employment on board the two ships
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 21 
 
 was picking of oakum, pumping ship, hoist- 
 ing in their water, and the like. We had 
 our birth allotted between, two great guns 
 on the lower deck. A proposal was made 
 bj some of the most experienced of our 
 companions in captivity, to form a set of 
 laws amongst ourselves, as well for our bet- 
 ter preserving peace, as not to give any un- 
 necessary ofifence to our enemies. To avoid 
 this, it was determined never to mention 
 the word Spaniard, but to substitute that 
 of Hoopstick in its stead. By this means, 
 we could talk freely about them at all times, 
 as none of them understood English. 
 
 Another law was, strictly to observe the 
 hours of ten in the morning and four in the 
 evening, for getting rid of the vermin with 
 which we greatly abounded. This law was 
 so punctually observed, that if any one was 
 found to transgress it, he was directly 
 brought to the gun, where he received a 
 good cobbing, alias ten and a puss on his 
 posteriors with a barrel-stave.
 
 22 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 The Spaniards took much pleasure in 
 hearing us sing, or seeing us play at cards. 
 Whenever a quarrel ensued, it was decided 
 oi> shore by a boxing match, to the great 
 derision of our enemies, as on such occa- 
 sions they never failed to call them Peros 
 Engleses, English dogs. 
 
 We were served every day with fresh 
 beef from the town, but as poor as carrion ; 
 yet we had bread enough, so that we used 
 to sell a part to the marines on board. They 
 likewise took our money on shore, and 
 bought roots or greens for us. Upon the 
 whole, therefore, we did not fare badly. 
 
 Mass was performed by them regularly 
 and decently every day. I wish I could 
 make as good a report of my countrymen ; 
 but the truth is, they not only shewed no 
 signs of religion, but, on the contrary, gave 
 great offence to the Spaniards, by assem- 
 bling below during the time of their devo- 
 tions, singing and dancing, and making 
 merry at their expence. For this some of
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 23 
 
 them were frequently laid in the stocks, 
 which is done by laying the person on his 
 back, with his neck in the hole, and a block 
 under his head. 
 
 It happened, while we were there, that 
 news came of the accessiorl of Ferdinand 
 to the throne of Spain, in consequence of 
 which there were great rejoicings for seve- 
 ral davs ; medals were struck and thrown 
 to the populace, bells jingled the whole 
 time, and a castle was erected, in order to 
 be attacked by an English ship drawn 
 through the streets on a carriage. On her 
 quarter deck was placed the figure of Ad- 
 miral Vernon ; her rigging was hung with 
 all kinds of fire-works ; so that, when she 
 came to attack the castle, she was soon on 
 fire, when poor Vernon was sacrificed to 
 gratify their rancour. Thus ended this 
 farcical pantomime 
 
 Every evening all the churches, castles, 
 and batteries, were finely illuminated ; but 
 our curiosity to see these fine sights had like
 
 24> PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 to have cost some of our people dear. As 
 we were not suffered to go on shore on the 
 town side, in the evenings we used to get 
 up on the ship's tops to see the sights on 
 shore. One night while we were aloft, and 
 the Hoopsticks under us at prayers on the 
 forecastle, no sooner had they done than 
 they ran up on each side of the shrouds, 
 and' began beating the English as fast as 
 they could come at them ; some ran down 
 the stays, others fought their way down 
 the shrouds, but no one could understand 
 the meaning of this treatment. As many 
 as could, got between decks; at last we 
 found the story to be thus. — In the fore- 
 top was a small hurricane house for the 
 captain of the top to sleep in ; in this place 
 was the model of a ship, in which some of 
 our people, through laziness, had watered. 
 Unfortunately for us, she had a small hole 
 in her bottom, and the urine ran down on 
 the Hoopsticks as they were at prayers. It 
 all blew over the next day, as they were
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 25 
 
 convinced it was not intended as an in- 
 sult. 
 
 After we had been here for about six 
 weeks, they thought proper to send us away 
 in an old leaky sloop. The appointed day 
 arrived, and she came alongside to take us 
 on board, and then to proceed to Jamaica 
 as a flag of truce. There were on board 
 this vessel five or six Spaniards, with an 
 Irish captain, who knew no more of the 
 sea than a parson, and, to the best of my 
 memory, about seventy of us. 
 
 We proceeded to beat through the old 
 Straits of Bahama- under a ship's nurse. 
 The sloop worked so ill, that she had 
 her wake ever on the weather-crutch, the 
 pump continually going ; this, added to 
 our pilot''s ignorance, made them at last 
 give her in charge to our mate Mr Ramage, 
 to navigate her to the island of New Pro- 
 vidence. 
 
 In the course of our voyage we met with 
 two sail, who took out a few of our peo- 
 ple ; the rest, by some means or other.
 
 26 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 found that there was cash hidden in some 
 water casks. This was imparted but to a 
 few, and they took measures to secure the 
 booty to themselves, and were resolved to 
 defend it. The Spaniards were somehow 
 or other informed of this ; and just as we 
 came abreast of Rose Island, near to New 
 Providence, liamage remonstrated with the 
 men to restore the money, but they per- 
 emptorily and boldly denied having stolen 
 it. At this time the wind died away, and 
 the monied heroes insisted an having the 
 boat hoisted out to go on shore, thinking that 
 it was Providence itself. What they could 
 not obtain by intreaty, they took by force, 
 and left us to sink or swim as it might hap- 
 pen ; but providentially the wind sprung 
 up, or we had certainly all foundered. This 
 breeze brought us into the port, just as the 
 heroes were crossing over from Hog Island 
 to the town. The captain immediately 
 laid his complaint before Tinker, who was 
 at that time governor, and as great a trick- 
 ster as those the captain laid his charge
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 27 
 
 against, as report then went. Some of 
 them were taken up and examined before 
 his Excellency ; but they had all found 
 means to secrete the cash, except Frank 
 Harris, with whom some of the dollars 
 were found. This poor young fellow was, 
 by the governor's orders, clapped into the 
 fort ; and after being several times obliged 
 to ride on the wooden horse, was forced to 
 enter as a grenadier. 
 
 In this place we rambled up and doiyn, 
 half naked and all friendless, without the 
 means of present support, or the prospect 
 of future assistance. I shall here give the 
 reader a rough sketch of my person as I 
 then appeared, viz. a long pair of ragged 
 and narrow Spanish trowsers ; a fragment 
 of an old blue shirt, not enough to pass un- 
 der my waistband ; part of an old red hand- 
 kerchief round my head, with my old blue 
 bonnet, but without either shoe or stocking 
 to my feet. This place being full of priva- 
 teers, one way or other we all entered.
 
 28 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Not yet convinced of my folly, and draw- 
 ing but little advantage from my past suf- 
 ferings, in a fatal hour I entered on board 
 a schooner, called the Recovery, of which 
 one James Strike was commander, in the 
 year 1747, on a cruize — against whom? 
 alas ! as it proved, against my poor self. 
 Having obtained a few dudds, as the sailors 
 term clothes, from the skipper, which were 
 to be paid for out of our prize money, I 
 considered, that as I was going with a set 
 of people whose manners were very differ- 
 ent from those of my own countrymen, I 
 might as well provide myself with hooks
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 2D 
 
 and lines for my profit, as well as pleasure, 
 on the cruize. I accordingly laid in a store 
 of these, and other trifling articles. We 
 sailed out at the east end, as they term it, 
 and after a short time came to at an island 
 called Andross. Here we staid but a short 
 time, then stood away for another island 
 called the Bimmenv, above one hundred 
 miles west of Providence. The batteau, 
 or canoe, was now hoisted out ; we were all 
 in high spirits. Some of our officers went 
 on shore with fowling-pieces ; in the mean 
 time, others of the crew fell to fishing. 
 This life was perfectly agreeable to my 
 mind. In the evening our people came 
 down on the shore, and the boat went and 
 brought them off, but not in so good a con- 
 dition as when they left us ; for it happen- 
 ed that one of them, rambling about by 
 himself, and not being perceived by ano- 
 ther, who was then taking aim at a bird, re- 
 ceived part of the shot in a very tender 
 part. He was almost mad with the smart
 
 30 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 for a time ; but he was with a set of people 
 who were not very compassionate, and who 
 turned his sufferings into ridicule and di- 
 version : when he was brought on board, 
 the doctor restored him in a few days. 
 
 From hence we crossed the Gulph for 
 the Florida Keys, and on one of them our 
 people shot three birds, such as I had ne- 
 ver before seen. They were, when erect, 
 near six feet high, and red as vermilion ; 
 the neck and legs being extremely long, 
 but the body no bigger than a fat hen. We 
 had plenty of rum on board, but I observ- 
 ed not the least economy amongst the crew ; 
 and indeed 1 began myself to relish it pretty 
 well ; and I shall here give the reader a 
 specimen of our frugality and temperance. 
 At Key-west, where there is plenty of wa- 
 ter, we determined to spend a few hours at 
 the sign of the fountain, as we termed the 
 spring. Some of our most valiant pot- 
 heroes took flasks of rum and a quantity of 
 Kugar on shore, and, seating themselves
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 31 
 
 round the well, discharged the rum and 
 sugar into it : of this mighty bowl I par- 
 took. When it grew weaker, we reple- 
 nished with spirits, till the greater part, 
 by hooping, jumping, and singing, grew 
 tired and fell asleep. N. B. These wells are 
 casks sunk in the sand, with holes bored 
 through them. 
 
 J. While we lay snoring on the grass, the 
 man at the helm cried out, a sail, ho ! We 
 were soon awake, and hurried on board; 
 and, what was more extraordinary, in a 
 few minutes every man appeared to be per- 
 fectly sober — so great an effect had this 
 alarm on our spirits. The sail appeared 
 to the southward, and we gave chace under 
 all the sail we could crowd right large. We 
 chaced her the whole evening without gain- 
 ing the least upon her. The next morn- 
 ing she was out of sight, having altered 
 her course. We then hauled our wind 
 and stood in-shore again. Shortly after 
 this we discovered some of the -savages
 
 Sp PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 coming down ; but as they were too shy 
 to come on board, we ran in closer, and 
 some of our valiant heroes took the 
 whim of firing on them, — a most brutal 
 and cruel resolution, at once the extreme 
 of barbarity and cowardice. While they 
 were at this game the schooner got 
 aground ; the skipper began to rave, and 
 ordered all the tallest of the crew overboard 
 to shove her off again. Their courage 
 vipon this began to ebb, as they were fearful 
 of being wrecked upon that inhospitable 
 shore ; but they soon hove her off. 
 
 The next day we saw two sail in the of- 
 fing, and gave chace. We came up with them 
 in the evening : they proved to be two small 
 sloops of no value ; we therefore took the 
 hands out, and set them on fire. The wind 
 fell, and it became a dead calm ; so that it 
 was astonishing to see the columns of smoke 
 which rose from them. After this we stood 
 away for the west end of Cuba, and there 
 landed our prisoners. In this latitude we
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 33 
 
 cruised for some time, when one day the 
 man cried, ' a sail on the weather bow !' 
 We directly gave chace ; but as she was 
 going large, we soon got the wind of her. 
 The chace then began to crowd all the sail 
 she could make ; but we overhauled and 
 got within cannon shot of her about five in 
 the evening. She proved to be a Spanish 
 ship of fourteen guns, and engaged us for 
 about two glasses. We had three men kill- 
 ed and seven wounded : she shot away our 
 jib-stay and two of our shrouds. This put 
 us in some confusion ; and during the time 
 it took in putting stoppers on them, she 
 hauled her wind and ran for it. We soon 
 made after, but lost her in the night; in 
 the morning she could not be seen from the 
 mast head. This day we were in the lati- 
 tude of 17 north. 
 
 We had now been out a full month, 
 and had taken nothing of value ; so that 
 our crew began to murmur greatly, and 
 begged of the captain to cruise on the 
 
 VOL. I. c
 
 34 TENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 Spanish Main ; he objected that our pro- 
 visions would soon run short. A gene- 
 ral discontent prevailed among the people. 
 I began to wish heartily that I had never 
 come among them ; and as we had some of 
 the true descendants of the old buccaneers 
 amongst us, did not know what they might 
 intend. At length they privately drew up a 
 round robin ; the major part of the crew 
 signed it ; but I declined putting my hand 
 to the paper. The officers, finding this, 
 were obliged to comply, and away we shap- 
 ed our course for the Main shore. 
 
 A few days after this, the wind came to 
 blow fresh at north, and increased so that 
 we were forced often to lie-to ; at length it 
 became more moderate. We were now in 
 the latitude of 15; and in the night, one 
 of our hands cried out, ' Breakers a-head !' 
 We tacked immediately, but had only time 
 enough, and that was all. As the wind 
 died away, we let go our anchor in eight 
 fathoms, and thus waited for day. When
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 35 
 
 the morning came (a morning I never long- 
 ed more for in my life), we found the ves- 
 sel surrounded with rocks and shoals. Not 
 above two of our hands knew where we 
 were, and they were not steady in the same 
 opinion. At last they agreed it to be those 
 dangerous shoals called Quita Swenns, or 
 Prevent Sleep. My mind became extreme- 
 ly anxious : I considered the very forlorn 
 state in which we were, with a small vessel 
 full of people, and no more than one poor 
 canoe to help us in case of extremity. One 
 of our quondam pilots advised to stand 
 away for Santa Catarina, wher^ we arrived 
 two days after, took on shore water-casks, 
 and boot-topped the vessel. Here our noisy 
 companions took it into their heads, that 
 they should have no luck till they finished 
 all the remainder of the rum on board. Af- 
 ter the water was secured the game be- 
 gan ; and matters were carried to such a 
 height, that it became one round of drink- 
 ing, fighting, and uproar ; and, but that
 
 36 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 we had a good commission on hoard, it had 
 more the appearance of a piratical expedi- 
 tion, than a lawful cruize against the ene- 
 mies of our country. The next day we 
 stood away to the southward, and on the 
 mornin'x after a sail hove in si^ht. We 
 chaced her the whole day long, gaining 
 but little upon her. On the morrow we saw 
 her right on the lee bow ; we had the wind 
 then northerly. The chace was now renew- 
 ed, and we seemed to come up with her 
 hand over hand, when she altered her course 
 right before it, and left lis like the wind. 
 About sun-set we saw land, and took it for 
 the Main, so kept under an easy sail all 
 that night. On the morrow we found she 
 had given us the slip, and that we had 
 neared the shore greatly by a current. We 
 stood in for a few hours, and then ran along, 
 ranging the shore, at the distance of about 
 four leagues, until the evening, when we 
 fell in with the soundings in thirty fathoms ; 
 shortly after it shoaled to sixteen, with
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. Sf 
 
 patches of rocks. Here we hove-to, and 
 all hands fell to fishing, with good success. 
 While we were all busy at this sport, a tor- 
 toise swam alongside ; they called for the 
 grainge, and three of us jumped into the 
 canoe, then alongside, and pushed after it, 
 but without success. As it was now al- 
 most dark when we came back, they veer- 
 ed her astern, and r remained in her, being 
 very much in liquor, as that day we had 
 finished the last drop of rum on board.
 
 38 PENROSE^S JOURNAL- 
 
 GHAP. in. 
 
 How long T slept I know not, the great 
 motion of the boat awakened me, and as I 
 was rubbing my eyes, to my great aston- 
 ishment, T missed the schooner. The con- 
 sternation this threw me into, sobered 
 me at once ; what to do, or how to act, I 
 was for the moment incapable of judging. 
 Horrible was now my condition, as the 
 wind freshed up more and more. At 
 last I saw a flash and heard a gun go off, 
 but it was a great way out, and for me to pre- 
 tend to gain the vessel again, was utterly 
 impossible, I therefore gave up the thought. 
 I drove^ and continued to bale as I drove^
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 39 
 
 in a sort of despair, till the dawn of the 
 day. 
 
 I was now close in shore, and put into 
 a small beach, where I ran the canoe on 
 shore, jumped out and hauled her up ; I 
 could just discern the privateer in the 
 offing, a great way out. While I was thus 
 standing and eagerly gazing about, I saw 
 a large brig stretching out, as in quest of 
 our vessel; she was near enough for me to 
 see she was a cruiser. I now walked about 
 in a state of distraction I know not how 
 to describe, and sometimes sat on the gun- 
 wale of the canoe. It is impossible to give 
 a just idea of the state of my mind ; I re- 
 mained thus absorbed as it were, till I lost 
 sight of both vessels ; I now began to look 
 round me, and could see nothing but a wild 
 country of palmetto trees and shrubs, but 
 whether inhabited or not by human be- 
 ings, I wa& perfectly ignorant. 
 
 As I sat musing what was next to be 
 done, having no more than a sailor's frock
 
 40 PENROSE'S .lOURXAJ.. 
 
 over my shirt, a pair of petticoat trowsers^ 
 my knife in one pocket, and my .fishing 
 tackle, with a few hooks in the other, and my 
 bonnet on my head, (these, with the canoe, 
 paddles, and grainge, were all my store), 
 the first thing I determined upon, in this 
 my state of desolation, was to ])rocure a 
 large stone for a killick to my boat ; this 
 made me naturally cast an eye on the- 
 painter, which 1 found had slipped the be- 
 laying. 
 
 At the end of the bay where I had land- 
 ed, ran out a reef of rocks. While I was 
 gazing every where around me, to my 
 great surprise, I discovered a man stand- 
 ing on the shore ; I saw that he was naked 
 and held a kind of oar in his hand ; I con- 
 cluded it was a savage, and he was not 
 more than two hundred yards from me. I 
 directly laid myself flat on the rocks, that 
 I might observe his motions without dis- 
 covering myself. I soon perceived that he 
 was walking towards me ; my breath grew
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 41 
 
 short, my heart beat in my breast so vio- 
 lently, that I could scarcely contain my- 
 self. I was at once to determine whether to 
 speak to him or not. My situation was be- 
 come tiiily dreadful. The prospect I had be- 
 fore me, was either to starve with hunger, or 
 to deliver myself into the hands of merci- 
 less savages, who would probably soon put 
 an end to all my troubles and my life to-. 
 gether. I looked up to heaven, resolved 
 to rely upon Providence, and determined 
 to show myself, as he was now within six^ 
 ty yards of me. I therefore got up, and 
 stepped down upon the beach. When he 
 first saw me, he halted ; I then hailed him, 
 and made signs for him to come on ; the 
 first salutation was, he clapped his hands 
 over his eyes leaning forward, then spread 
 them abroad ; I did the same. Upon this 
 he stepped up to me, and held out his hand ; 
 I received it in mine ; he looked me full in 
 the face, and said ' Christinos ;"* 1 answered, 
 ' sisenor.' He then stooped down and made a
 
 42 PEN'ROSE'S JOURKAL. 
 
 cross with his finger in the sand, laid his 
 hand on my shoulder, and motioned me 
 to follow him. I did so, and we walked 
 along the shore; he talked to me the 
 whole time, but I could not understand a 
 word. At last we came to a small inlet ; 
 here was his canoe, and in it a woman 
 quite naked, and a little boy about three 
 years old with her, in the same state ; she 
 seemed to be greatly alarmed at the sight 
 of me. The man, who appeared to be 
 about fifty years of age, used all means to 
 pacify her fears. Seeing this, I went to the 
 side of the canoe, and patted the child on 
 the head ; this, I found, pleased the man 
 much ; he gave me a piece of half roasted 
 turtle out of his canoe, which I devoured 
 greedily, not having tasted a morsel since 
 I went adrift. The man now gave a sort 
 of cry, as to a person at a distance ; I 
 looked and saw a boy run among the high 
 grass. The Indian gave me a sign to stay- 
 by the canoe, and away he went after him.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 43 
 
 Upon this the woman set up her pipes and 
 began to bawl to some purpose, the child 
 bearing his part. The Indian was obliged 
 to return, and he took me along with him. 
 We went in among the grass, and with 
 some difficulty brought out the other boy ; 
 the poor lad was so terrified, that I pre- 
 sume he had never seen a white man be- 
 fore. When we came back, the wo- 
 man began her noise again. I observed 
 they had several articles, such as turtles, 
 eggs, guanos, and the like, in the boat, 
 which was not above two feet wide, al- 
 though she was above sixteen feet long; 
 after this the man and boy got into her, 
 and I naturally supposed they would give 
 me a seat with them. The woman still 
 kept on her clamour, and the man handed 
 me out a large calabash by a string, and 
 pointing to a place, said, *' agua, agua." Un- 
 derstanding that he meant water, I ran off 
 to fetch it, but after searching for some 
 time could find none. What was my sur-
 
 44 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 prise on preparing to return to the boat, 
 when I saw the Indians paddling off as fast 
 as thev could, and they were then above 
 fifty yards from the shore. I stood like one 
 thunderstruck, fixed to the spot. At length 
 I hailed, but to no purpose ; I saw them 
 get round a point of rocks, and felt myself 
 as one left alone in the world. 
 
 The sun was now set, and I had to walk 
 back to my canoe. As I was returning, it 
 came into my head, that my late new friend 
 had certainly lianded me out the calabash 
 as a stratagem, that, by thus employing 
 me, he might have time to escape ; judg- 
 ing, that by the woman's behaviour she 
 would not consent to my going with them, 
 from some prejudice against me, or fear of 
 my doing them an injury. At length I 
 got back to the canoe, and seated myself 
 on the stern sheets ; I then hauled up the 
 boat as high as I could ; I pulled off 
 my frock, and, as I lay at my length in 
 her, covered my breast with it, to keep off
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. U 
 
 the dew, which falls heavy in tliese parts. 
 I now began to think it possible that I 
 might again see the schooner the next day ; 
 but, alas ! these eyes never beheld the Re- 
 covery more. 
 
 How soon I fell asleep I know not, nor 
 ^lid I find myself awake till the sun was 
 high. I looked wistfully towards the off- 
 ing, but no schooner was to be seen. I 
 was forced to cut a bit of lead off my poor 
 sinker, to chew, as I was almost choaking 
 with thirst. After this, in a kind of 
 stupor, I walked along the shore to hunt 
 for food. I found plenty of welks (a shell 
 fish) these I broke against the rock-stones ; 
 took them to my boat, where I sat down 
 and ate four of them raw as they were, 
 with the tears of true sorrow trickhng 
 down my cheeks ; and now had my cap 
 been full of dollars, they should all have 
 gone for one stick of fire. 
 
 The next thing was to go in search of 
 water; I wandered about for more than ajn
 
 46 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 hour, and returned without finding any. 
 In this ramble I conjectured that I was on 
 an island, by its position, or at least a 
 long point of land. I took another ex- 
 cursion, which carried me to a point ter- 
 minating with rocks and a small reef. On 
 ray return I took out my paddle and went 
 toward the point ; and finding a clear 
 place of sand, fell to digging. This work 
 cost me an hour''s hard labour, but still no 
 success. I then threw down my paddle, 
 and afterwards myself flat on my face, 
 not caring whether I lived or died. After 
 a time I got up, thinking to return, launch 
 my boat, and put along shore the other 
 way; but as I stooped to take up my 
 paddle, to my unspeakable joy water had 
 sprung up in my well. I instantly stoop- 
 ed down and tasted it with my hand ; it 
 was brackish, but tolerable. This was in- 
 deed a great relief. I fell on my knees and 
 returned thanks. Having drank my fill 
 I returned to the canoe, never ceasing to
 
 ^•ENROSE'S JOURNAL. 47 
 
 ■express my gratitude to that kind Provi- 
 dence, who had in so short a time provid- 
 ed me with meat and drink, when I had so 
 lately despaired of finding either. 
 
 I now became easier in my mind, hav- 
 ing no longer the dread of absolutely starv- 
 ing. I went back, brought my calabash 
 full of water, placed it in my boat, and 
 then took a walk along shore westward. 
 In this excursion I found a conch ; and 
 v/ith a stone, returned, sat down on the 
 bow of my boat, and worked round the 
 crown of the shell until I drew out the 
 fish, and as it is of a sweet taste, found it 
 very pleasing to my palate. In the even- 
 ing I prepared to compose myself to rest, 
 and slept soundly the whole night. Next 
 morning by day light 1 walked along the 
 shore, as far as the little creek where the 
 Indians forsook me. Here I finished the 
 remains of my conch, and then went on 
 through the creek about two miles farther ; 
 Jbere I could, plainly see the extent of my
 
 48 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 island. I "mounted on an old dead tree, to 
 look out, and, to my great sorrow, found it 
 to be not above half a mile over ; this 
 alarmed me much, as I considered it to be 
 a very poor place of residence for me. As 
 I was thus exploring round, I saw at about 
 the distance of five miles a more promising 
 shore, of a much larger island, or perhaps 
 the Main itself. I hurried down, and made 
 back for my boat as fast as I could, being 
 determined, if the weather proved moderate, 
 the next day to take my leave of this place. 
 The rest of the day I spent in preparing 
 for my departure. 
 
 I never failed to keep a sharp look out 
 after the schooner, as I was far from giv- 
 ing her up entirely ; but finding she did 
 not appear again, I supposed the brig I 
 had seen stretch out for her had either 
 taken her or sunk her ; if not so, perhaps 
 they had shaped their course some other 
 way, not caring to risk the seeking for me 
 or the boat again. At other times I ima-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 49 
 
 gined, they had returned to those Maroon 
 islands again, and had either bilged on 
 them, or foundered at sea. Thus, agitated 
 betwixt hope and despair, I passed my 
 lonely hours ; I could not sleep for the 
 great hurry of my mind. About midnight, 
 it rained so hard and lasted so long, that I 
 %vas drenched with water in the canoe ; 
 at last it began to hold up, and the day 
 came on as still as a clock. I then got out, 
 took my frock and wrung it well, and 
 threw it on the grass to dry ; I did the 
 same by my shirt and trowsers, and be- 
 ^an to bale out my boat. I then took my 
 calabash to drink, and found the i ain had so 
 freshened it, that it quite raised my spirits. 
 After this I clapped on board my kiliick, got 
 my boat afloat, and replaced my calaba^ih ; I 
 then took a walk along shore, gathered about 
 twenty welks, and threw them into her. By 
 this time my shirt and trowsers were to- 
 lerably dry ; I put them on, and prepared 
 for departure. 
 
 VOL. I. D
 
 60 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 I paddled along shore for some time, 
 passed the place where my well was, then 
 ventured out to double the reef of rocka ; 
 which having done, I stood away north on 
 new discoveries. The deepest water I found 
 to be about three fathom, and often not one. 
 After I had been on my voyage for about 
 three quarters of an hour, I observed, on a 
 small key, some odd white spots ; thither I 
 turned, and, as I drew nigh, an incredible 
 number of birds of many kinds rose like 
 a cloud about me, and their noise made 
 me almost deaf. Here I landed, and found 
 the white spots I had seen to be king 
 ,conches. These shells are so large, some of 
 them will contain three quarts of water. 
 I put five of them into my boat, and then 
 began to gather the eggs that lay all about 
 me. While I was at this work, the pelicans 
 would brush by my head so dose, as almost 
 to knock off my bonnet. 
 
 I now put off for my new^ shore, and in 
 about an hour got close in under the land;
 
 1*BN ROSE'S JOURNAL. ^5i 
 
 liere I found it bluiff to, then a beach, the 
 land overgrown with trees. As I paddled 
 along, I espied a kind of creek, about a 
 pistol shot over ; in I put, and found the 
 water to shoal to about four feet. I was so 
 delighted with these new scenes, that fear 
 never once entered into my head. I found 
 the land on both sides about the height of 
 a boat's mast ; but as I advanced in farther, 
 •I discovered it to be a lagoon, or lake. Here 
 the mangrove trees hung over my head 
 loaden with oysters, like traces of onions. 
 It abounded with fish of divers kinds, in 
 great abundance ; the spoon-bills, galdings, 
 and cranes, sat on the trees, without taking 
 much notice of me, as being seldom used to 
 the sisht of men. At length I came to an 
 opening ; fortune having directed me to 
 the left, this brought me to another branch, 
 where it opeaed wide all at once. Here I 
 found a small sandy shore ; I threw out my 
 killick and jumped on the land. 
 
 It was iH)w about meridian, as I judged 
 
 iiuivERsrnroF*wwo^
 
 5f PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 by the sun. I walked up the bank and 
 found the soil bare, with rocks for about 
 one hundred yards round ; and as I stood 
 looking about, I saw a kind of gap at some 
 distance, among the trees ; thither I walk- 
 ed, and, when I came to examine the place, 
 I found to my surprise another branch, 
 and that I was got on a small precipice, 
 with a pretty sandy beach beneath me. I 
 then looked out for some way to get be- 
 low ; and as I was doing this, I saw plainly 
 over the trees, the island I had left in the 
 morning. At last I got down on the 
 sands below ; here I found a cavern run- 
 ning into the rock. 1 examined the place, 
 and thought it to be about fifteen feet 
 deep ; and looking round, the mouth ap- 
 peared to be about ten feet in height, and 
 eighteen feet wide, with a gravel bottom. 
 Here I seated myself, and found a piece of 
 wood cut in the form of a mask ; this made 
 me believe, that I was not the first human 
 being who had visited this place.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. SJ 
 
 I now returned to mv boat, resolved to 
 find out a way by water to this place, if 
 possible. When I came with the canoe to 
 the point of the opening, I cut a branch 
 of the mangrove, and hung it up perpendi- 
 cular, in order to know the place again. I 
 then took to the other arm of the lagoon^ 
 and, in a short time after, found that it 
 brought me round to the cave, and there I 
 resolved to take up my abode for the pre- 
 sent. I carried on shore all my little mat- 
 ters. My furniture consisted of my lines, 
 three spare hooks, the calabash, and the 
 five shells. After this was done, I seated 
 myself on the ground, and began to regale 
 myself on my raw welks. I finished 
 my meal with a plentiful draught of wa- 
 ter, then lay myself down and fell fast 
 asleep. 
 
 As near as I can judge, it was about five 
 ©''clock when I awoke. The dread of my 
 wants in future, now took full possession 
 ©f my mind. I got, however, into my canoe.
 
 3» PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 and went round to the place where my 
 new signal branch hung, from thence pad- 
 dled out to the mouth of the creek ; after 
 this I ran her ashore, threw out my killick, 
 and went along the beach in search of food^ 
 but found only three welks ; this increased 
 my melancholy reflections. As I was mov- 
 ing on, with. my eyes bent on the ground,, 
 my ears were suddenly struck with a soft? 
 murmur as of water. I directly followed it ; 
 when going up to a small opening between, 
 the trees, to my unspeakable joy, I beheld 
 a beautiful little linn of water, falling over; 
 a shelving rock ; this was indeed a most 
 valuable property to me. I ran back ttt 
 HI)' boat, paddled away as fast as I could 
 for my calabash, and returned with that> 
 and two of my largest shells ; these I fil- 
 led, and then choaked them up with stones, 
 and returned to my cave with them, in- 
 tending to go no more out till the next 
 morning. 
 
 At the close of night, the mosquitoes
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 55 
 
 and sand flies began to annoy me much, 
 which deprived me of many hours sleep ; 
 but I had no remedy but patience. I 
 crawled into the back part of the cave, and 
 covered my face and hands with my frock, 
 and by that means rested tolerably till the 
 morning. The first thing I then did, was to 
 get a few panama shells, as they are called, 
 and with them I then concluded to keep my 
 reckoning, by putting them into one of the 
 conch shells, which lay in the back part< 
 of the cave. I now went in search of 
 conch bait, with a view of fishing, then re- 
 turned into the lagoon, and there came 
 to. I saw fish in great plenty, but so 
 great was my fear of losing a hook, that 
 if any fish larger than ordinary drew near 
 the bait, 1 instantly drew up my line. I 
 was lucky enough to catch seven or eight 
 grunts, and with them went to the cave, 
 and ate part of them raw ; this was my 
 constant practice. At length I found my 
 strength diminish daily, owing, as I sup--
 
 5Q PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 posed, to my diet. T grew weak and lost 
 my flesh ; and I considered that if I went 
 on thus much longer, my time would be 
 but short in this land of desolation. The 
 day was thus embittered by dismal reflec- 
 tions, and the night often passed without 
 sleep. I had no other prospect before me 
 but death, and looked upon this cavern as 
 the repository of my mortal remains. 
 
 After I had been here about a month, I 
 began to give the schooner quite over, as 
 lost to me for ever ; nor had I seen one 
 thing since the Indian canoe in the form 
 of a vessel. One evening the clouds began 
 to gather very thick, and it came on to 
 rain very hard, with terrible thunder and 
 lightning. I was just at that time returned 
 to the cave with a few conches. The storm 
 lasted above two hours, and I had great 
 reason to be thankful, that I had a dry 
 house over my head. 
 
 Early the next day, as I was walking by 
 the sea shore^ to my great surprise, I saw
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 57 
 
 •a smoke suddenly rising from the bushes at 
 no great distance from me. I at once con- 
 cluded there must be Indians near the spot. 
 How to act I could not tell ; but considering 
 that it was impossible for me to escape them 
 Jong, and as the man I had met already- 
 had treated me kindly and well, I went reso- 
 lutely up the beach, and peeped among the 
 trees. But how can 1 express the joy which 
 took possession of my soul, when I dis- 
 covered it to proceed from an old tree on 
 fire, by the accident, as I presumed, of the 
 lightning. I ran off immediately to my 
 boat, and placed a quantity of sand a-mid- 
 ships. I then gathered a parcel of drift 
 wood, and filled the bow of the canoe, and 
 away I flew to get some of that precious 
 element, laid it on the sand, and placed a 
 few sticks over it. The joy I felt on this 
 most happy occasion, almost turned my 
 brain. With an air of satisiaction, I seated 
 myself in the canoe, and paddled off with 
 my prize to my cave. I was so much
 
 £8 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 elated with this acfiident, that in the mo- 
 ment of exultation, I could not believe that 
 I now wanted for any thing. 
 
 N. B. I did not fail to return thanks to 
 that compassionate God, who had thus, in 
 his goodness, provided me with one of the 
 greatest comforts of human life, to cheer 
 and enliven the solitude that surrounded 
 me. 
 
 The moment I reached the shore, I 
 transported my fire under a shelving pro- 
 jection of the rocks, to preserve it IVom 
 the rain, and having now a blazing hearth, 
 X dii ectly fell to cooking some fish. It was 
 a full month since I had tasted any thing, 
 but raw food ; so grateful was this to my 
 palate, that I cleared all I had caught,. 
 After I had finished my meal, I began to 
 consider in what manner I should keep my 
 fire burning. I knew the poppanack wood 
 would keep fire to the last bit ; therefore, 
 wherever I found any, I never failed to 
 bring it home, and by this means preserv-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 59 
 
 ed this precious element I had often tried 
 to procure it by rubbing two sticks toge- 
 ther, but without success. Thus uniform- 
 ly did I pass my time for seven weeks,, 
 keeping a regular account by my shells. 
 I then took a fancy to explore the coast. 
 for some short distance, by way of recrea- 
 tion. 
 
 As I was wandering along the strand,- 
 in the course of my excursion, I discovered 
 something at a distance, which I could, 
 not immediately make out, but on coming 
 nearer, I found, to my great surprise, that 
 it was a small square chest, apparently of. 
 Spanish make ; on turning it over, it ap- 
 peared to be still locked, and not very hea- 
 vy ; at a short distance (ay a wooden bowl. 
 I capped the chesl on my shoulder, and. 
 taking the bowl in my hand, returned to 
 my boat, put them both in, and made my 
 wav up the lagoon. I soon landed my 
 little freight, and then ran to my fire, 
 found it in good order, and after trimming.
 
 eo PENROSE^S JOURNAL. 
 
 it, fell to examine the contents of my prize. 
 I found it contain two blue striped shirts, 
 one red and white siriped ditto, one 
 pair of long striped trowsers, three pair 
 of canvas ditto, four red silk handkerchiefs, 
 a pair of shoes, with silver buckles in them, 
 two fishing lines, a small bag of hooks and 
 sail needles, a roll of tobacco, a small spy- 
 ing glass in a wooden case, two clasp 
 knives, and a ball of twine ; these things I 
 discovered by their make were not Eng- 
 lish. 
 
 The tobncco w^as good for nothing ; the 
 shoes I was fearful of using, lest they 
 should bring my feet tender again, having 
 gone so long without them. How these 
 things came there, without my being able 
 to discover any part of the wreck, I could 
 not at that time judge. I stowed them 
 away very carefully in my cave, renewed 
 my fire, and then turned in for the night. 
 
 The next day I went in search of bait, 
 and on my return prepared to go a fishing.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. G% 
 
 I was always successful, and never failed 
 to catch a quantity of different kinds ; my 
 new mode of cookery made them doubly 
 palatable ; my strength began to increase, 
 and in a short time my health was perfect- 
 ly restored. 
 
 Some time after this, as I rambled along 
 the shore, I found a small yard, a boat's 
 rudder, and an empty cask ; these proved 
 to me, that the chest had belonged to some 
 small sloop or schooner, wrecked on that 
 shore some time past. While I thus exi. 
 plored the beach, I observed here and 
 there the track of tortoises ; I followed a 
 very recent one up the sand, and coming 
 to where it had been at work, fell on my 
 kn<?es, and began to turn up the sand. I 
 soon found it was a false place. They are 
 apt, as I have been informed, to practise this 
 deception, either to prevent farther search, 
 or not being pleased with the spot. I then 
 took to another track, and found myself 
 right. After digging a short time, I was sur-
 
 62 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 prised to see a parcel of young ones, about 
 the size of half a crown, waddling over 
 my fingers ; they were all of perfect tur- 
 tle shape. I left them to shift for them- 
 selves, and proceeded to another place. Here 
 I got about 75 eggs in good condition, 
 •went back to my boat, laid them in at two 
 trips with my calal.ash, and returned home. 
 
 N. B. I alw^ays took home with me the 
 drift wood which lay in my way, and 
 as much of the small brush as I could 
 carry. 
 
 Thus I lived till the wet season came on, 
 solitary and alone, it is true, but not altoge- 
 ther without comforts. I had suffered much, 
 but had great reason to be thankful to 
 Providence for the protection it had af- 
 forded, and the unlooked for benefits it 
 had bestowed upon me. I accustomed 
 myself to very thin clothing, that my 
 small stock might last the longer ; I often 
 w^ent with nothing but trowsers ; but now 
 i was obliged to wear something more, as
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 63 
 
 it was at times rather cold. My fire was 
 made within my cave, lest the continual 
 rains should deprive me of that blessing, 
 which would have reduced me to a sad 
 state of desperation. 
 
 I continued daily to lay up dry wood, as 
 it rained more or less for above a month, 
 according to my reckoning. In all this 
 time I went no farther from home than 
 to fetch palmetto leaves to make my bed; 
 now and then a fishing in the lagoon, and 
 to replenish my stock of water. 
 
 The weather now began to clear up 
 again, and nature appeared in a short time 
 dressed in a new liverv. I then resolved 
 to take a small trip in my boat. Having 
 made every thing ready, and leaving a good 
 fire, I put out of the lagoon in the morn- 
 ing, and stood over for the small bird key, 
 where I found such plenty of conches 
 and welks, that after I had thrown above 
 a hundred in my boat, I went on shore 
 and got a few eggs, with three young birds^
 
 $% PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 and then put off on my return. A very 
 large shark followed me. As he swam with 
 part of his tail and cobler's knife above wa- 
 ter, I judged him to measure about 14 feet 
 in length ; he continued with me for some 
 time, but on throwing over a conch, he 
 left me, and went down after it. 
 
 On my arrival at the cave, I began to 
 roast a conch ; in doing it I observed a bit of 
 spongy stuff, which grew on a part of my 
 fewel, to kindle and burn very quick. I 
 directly broke it off, put it out, then touch- 
 ed it at the fire, and found that it w^ould 
 completely answer the purpose of tinder. As 
 there was plenty of a bastard kind of white 
 flint pebbles along the shore, I concluded 
 that these with my knife would set me up. 
 I was not easy till I tried the experiment, 
 and found it to answer my purpose very 
 well, though the flint was not of the dark 
 kind we have in Europe. I procured a 
 quantity of the punck from the dead 
 stumps of trees ; prepared a shell for a
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 65 
 
 tinder-box, and was never without it, 
 wherever I went, either on foot or in my 
 canoe. 
 
 By my account, it now appeared that I 
 had been on this shore about nine months. 
 'During the course of this solitary life, tears 
 would often burst from me as I walked 
 along ; and this was some relief to that 
 perp&tual anxiety and perturbation of 
 mind, which agitated my whole frame, 
 «nd made me often wish myself dead. In 
 fact I longed for the ' flesh pots of Egypt.' 
 My regrets arose from being separated 
 from a set of companions v/ith whose ha- 
 bits and manners, however vicious, I was 
 accustomed. I considered, if they wei^ 
 fortunate, the prize money they would 
 divide amongst them, how much would 
 have fallen to my share to have squandered 
 away in folly and dissipation. Alas ! I did 
 not consider that a good God was so care- 
 fully watching over me for my benefit ; 
 •that the very evils I complained of were 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 $6 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 essential to my happiness ; that being thus 
 separated, or rather selected from my vi- 
 cious companions, was rescuing me from 
 infamy and ruin, and the placing me in a 
 state of comparative innocence, where my 
 reflections might purify my mind, was 
 briiiging me nearer to himself I was 
 young, vain, and foolish, and thought 
 not of these things as I ought to have 
 done. 
 
 Eut to proceed. — One morning I resolv- 
 ed to go along shore to the eastward. 
 Here I found the land fall low, with many 
 palmetto trees growing in a sandy soil. At 
 last I came to a small kind of inlet ; here 
 I went on shore, and after walking about 
 twenty yards up a sand bank, I found a 
 fine salina, or salt pond ; and, reader, be 
 not astonished, I discovered a large com- 
 pany of soldiers drawn up in battle array, 
 in their regimentals ; enough to terrify a 
 stouter man than I was, had I not been 
 well acquainted with their peaceable dis-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 67 
 
 position, they being nothing more than a 
 large flock of flamingos. I had now an op- 
 portunity of observing the way these birds 
 breecL They raise up a pyramid of sand 
 in the pond, in -the top of it they make a 
 pit, over this they sit to lay and hatch 
 their young, with their long legs hanging 
 down on each side. 
 
 N. B. Although these birds are as red 
 as scarlet when old, yet their young are 
 for a time of an ash colour, growing 
 redder by age ; they are of a very stupid 
 nature, and will not move for the noise of 
 a gun ; so that if a person can keep con- 
 cealed, he may load and lire often, before 
 they will take flight. 
 
 Not long after this, I counted over my 
 shells, and found the number to be three 
 hundred and fifteen. From that time, till 
 I had completed my whole year, I re- 
 mained in solitude, seeing nothing parti- 
 cularly to disturb my peace or to excite 
 my hope.
 
 68 PENROSE'S JOURNAL* 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 SECOND YKAR OF MY LONELY CONDITION. 
 
 About a month after I had begun my se- 
 cond year, I had a very odd adventure. 
 One evening as I was sitting on the shore, 
 about two miles distant from my cave, I 
 suddenly heard a great snort, which ap- 
 peared to come from among the bushes. 
 I jumped up and ran down to the boat as 
 fast as my legs could carry me. After my 
 first alarm was a little over, I began to 
 reflect within myself what this could pos- 
 sibly be ; and in this mood I paddled 
 along shore towards home, keeping a pro- 
 per distance from land, for fear of a se-
 
 PENROSE'S JO'JRNAL. 69 
 
 c<3nd alarm, or a surprise of any kind. 
 Just as I passed a short bay, to my great 
 astonishment, I thought I beheld a troop 
 of Indians, marching along shore, right- 
 abreast of me. I was indeed greatly ter- 
 rified. The first thing I did was to lie 
 along in the canoe, lest they should disco- 
 ver me, and thus to observe their motions ; 
 but I was soon happily undeceived, finding, 
 them to be nothing more than a small 
 herd of about twenty deer. As I lay 
 with my head raised up a little, my foot 
 happened to tumble a shell ; this caused the 
 foremost to halt, and stare directly at the 
 canoe ; he gave two strong snorts, and 
 immediately they all scampered up the 
 beach, into the woods. All my fears 
 now vanished, and I put away for home; 
 as fast as I could. 
 
 Nothing but the deer ran in my head for 
 several days together. As I had neither 
 gun nor ammunition, I could not expect 
 to succeed as a hunter, therefore gave
 
 7a PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 over all thought of a venison repast for 
 that time. 
 
 N. B. There were here two sorts of li- 
 zards, with which I was at times greatly 
 amused. One of these frequented the 
 rocks above high water mark, and, con- 
 trary to all others I* have seen, had their 
 tails in a curl on their backs. They were 
 of a yellow brown, beautifully mottled 
 with dark spots, and carried their heads 
 quite erect, like little dogs ; and they 
 were seldom above five inches in length. 
 Being acquainted with their manners, 
 many times have I seated myself to watch 
 them. First, three or four of them would 
 come round me, look me in the face, and, 
 if I began to whistle, would first turn 
 their heads to one side, and then to the 
 other, and listen very attentively ; yet if 
 I offered to stir, they were so alert as to 
 be off in a moment. I could never, by any 
 contrivance, catch one of them alive. The 
 other sort is what they call in Jamaica the
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 71 
 
 woodslave ; they are larger than the 
 former, and I remember the first I saw of 
 them surprised me very much. It was on 
 the limb of a low tree, and of a verdi- 
 grease green ; but, during the time I had 
 my eyes on it, it began to change its co- 
 lour, turning to a fine gold yellow, and 
 from that gradually to a dead leaf colour, 
 with brown stripes down the side from 
 head to tail ; from this it changed to deep 
 brown, and lastly to. a profound black. 
 Some of these I caught now and then, by 
 means of a small noose round the neck ; and 
 tvins them afterwards round the loins with 
 a bit of twine, kept them about my place 
 for a week or more at a time. I could 
 never discover that they took any food, 
 except they occasionally caught a fly. 
 
 Thus I went on for several months ; and 
 in this time I made me a table and a stool, 
 which I performed as follows. I cut twigs 
 and wattled them, after the manner I had 
 seen the country people do at home, then
 
 72 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 fixed them on four uprights. I cannot 
 boast they were quite so strong as I wish- 
 ed ; for I rrever ventured to cut any thing 
 very large with my knives, fearing to 
 break one of them ; and it was of the ut- 
 most consequence, in my situation, to pre- 
 serve them unbroken. 
 
 I am now about to mention a singular 
 circumstance, which, as it was the means 
 of procuring me a companion, and was 
 moreover attended with some drollery, I 
 think worth reciting. Having been out 
 one day to catch land- crabs, I tied three of 
 them together, and left them on the beach^ 
 while I was gathering a few of those shells 
 which our silversmiths make into snutf- 
 boxes ;. thinking, that if 1 should ever get 
 home again, they might turn to some ac- 
 count. As I was busy at this amusement, I 
 heard a noise over my head ; and, looking 
 up, saw a fish hawk bearing off my bunch 
 of crabs ; but it happened unfortunately 
 for him, for he could not rise with them.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL; 73 
 
 and came down on the beach, crabs and 
 all. 
 
 Though I must confess I was not in a 
 very merry mood, yet the thing drew a smile 
 from me, and of a truth it was the first 
 since my landing here. W hen I came up to 
 him, I found that two of those amphibious 
 gentlemen had fastened on his leg. He 
 soon commenced hostilities with me, fight- 
 ing with his wings and beak ; but to put 
 an end to the contest, I took an opportu- 
 nity and seized him by the neck, well 
 knowing that my other myrmidons would 
 not • quit their hold. Thus I bore the 
 whole bunch to my boat, and there first 
 bound up his beak, then his leg, and 
 brought safe home the whole body of dis- 
 putants. 
 
 The first thing I did was to disengage 
 them, by putting fire to the crabs, which 
 soon set the hawk at liberty. I cut one of 
 my new comrade's wings, and tied a small 
 log to one of his legs ; then cut the string
 
 74 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 from his beak to enlarge him. Dm'ing the 
 whole of this business, I must confess he 
 did his best to defeat my purpose. 
 This bird was of the most beautiful plu- 
 mage, of a mixture of white, yellow, 
 brown, and black ; his legs and bill were 
 yellow, and his talons black. He was 
 about the size of our English kite, and his 
 cry very much like that bird"'s. 
 
 I soon found my fear of his running 
 away quite needless , his legs being short, 
 he could make but little progress on the 
 ground. These birds always devour their 
 prey on the branches of old dead trees, 
 from whence they watch the fish with a 
 keen eye. The crabs had hurt his legs a 
 little, so that he was lame, which made his 
 confinement less irksome to him. I now 
 offered him some broiled fish, which he 
 disdainfully refused, nor would he taste a 
 bit for two whole days ; but, on the third, 
 I observed, when I returned from fishing, 
 that his stomach began to crave ; the sight
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 75 
 
 of the fresh fish increased his appetite, 
 which I judged by his crying. I threw 
 him some garbage ; he eyed it for a whiie, 
 and then fell on greedily, and devoured the 
 whole in a short space. This so pleased 
 me, that my mouth opened incontinently, 
 and I cried out to him, " Much good may 
 it do you, Mr Yellow-bill." In fact, they 
 were the only words I had uttered loudly, 
 from the time the Indians left me to that 
 hour. 
 
 In the course of a month we became 
 quite intimate ; so much so, that when I 
 came home, he would salute me very kind- 
 ly — a compliment I was always ready ta 
 return, as I was proud of having some on6 
 to speak to. He began now to be rather 
 too free, and would haul away my fish, 
 without leave or licence. At length this 
 poor fowl became so docile, that I could do 
 any thing with him. In an evening, as it 
 grew dark, he would come in to roost him- 
 gelf; so that I began to pity him, and
 
 76 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 think his log unnecessary, and took it off. 
 He knew his name, and would come when 
 called Yellow-bill. Whenever I seated 
 myself, he would come and place himself 
 by me, and remain picking his feathers the 
 whole time; this induced me to amuse 
 myself often with talking to him. 
 
 One day as I was fishing, it came into 
 my head to make a small voyage of dis- 
 covery ; and oji my return home I began 
 to put every thing in order, that I might 
 carry it into execution without inconve- 
 nience, and particularly provided food for 
 my bird. Accordingly, the next day, I 
 got some roasted fish and water into my 
 boat, lest I might not find any soon; I 
 likewise put up my tinder tackling, and 
 proceeded towards the salina ; there I left 
 the canoe, and marched over a barren soil, 
 producing nothing but palmettos, and prick- 
 ly pears ; then I walked away for a kind 
 of grove at about a mile's distance. On my 
 arrival, I found the shore grew rockjr, and.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. TT 
 
 inclined more to the left, where it ended 
 in a reef. Over these rocks I took my 
 way, and saw before me a great bay of sand, 
 the country full of large woods. Shortly 
 after I came to a kind of inlet, and here T 
 espied a large guano. This pleased me 
 greatly, as I now hoped to find their 
 haunts, which w^ould give an agreeable 
 variety to my diet, the flesh being very 
 tender and good. 
 
 1 went up the side of the creek for near 
 a mile, saw thousands of fish in it, with the 
 trees hanging over the w^ater in many 
 places, which rendered it difficult for me 
 to pass on that way ; therefore I took 
 more into the woods, keeping the creek 
 still in view. Here I saw many lime trees 
 full of fruit ; these were most pleasing ob- 
 jects to my sight. I plucked one of them, 
 and cut it ; although the acid is extremely 
 sharp, the taste was m.ost grateful to me, 
 and very rCiXeshing.
 
 78 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 Now I found the creek to change its 
 course ; and I began to fear I might 
 lose myself, as I could no longer see the 
 coast. I therefore concluded to seat mj- 
 self, and take a short repast. Not far 
 from this, on a rising ground, 1 sat down, 
 and saw at its foot a small ripple of fresh 
 water, with multitudes of land-crabs about 
 it. Here I began my meal, which was 
 enlivened by the various notes of innume- 
 rable birds, of beautiful and diversified 
 plumage. The concert was at once sooth- 
 ing and delightful to my ears. 
 
 In this place I observed a singular kind 
 of bird, called the Old Man, from its having 
 the feathers of its crop of such a length, 
 that when it perches it resembles the grey 
 beard of an ancient person. I began now to 
 consider with myself whether I should return 
 or proceed ; curiosity at length got the bet- 
 ter, and I went up a small height, where it 
 became very level, and full of brushy ex-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 79 
 
 cept here and there a bare place. I disco- 
 vered, at a small distance from me, several 
 manchiniel trees, whose fruit is deadly- 
 poison to man ; the very juice of its leaves 
 will raise terrible blisters, so as to deprive 
 a person of his sight. From beneath those 
 trees, to ray no small amusement, I be- 
 held armies of land-crabs, marching off, 
 on my appearance, with each an apple in 
 his claw, and many of them had two, which 
 made them droll figures ; the more so, as 
 they carried them upright After this I 
 w alked on about one hundred yards, keep- 
 ing a good observation of the sun. Here 
 I was struck with a very remarkable ap- 
 pearance. On a plain place stood a huge 
 rock-stone, almost upright, about the mag- 
 nitude of a small church tower, and, as I 
 judged, near forty feet in height, and al- 
 most square. \Vhen I came up to it, I 
 found many scratches on it, made by some 
 instrument or other, in the form of ovals, 
 triangles, with rude imitations of heads.
 
 so PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 and the like. These I judged to be the 
 works of Indians ; however, as I walked 
 round it, I found many letters, cut as 
 with knives, which I supposed to have 
 been done by Spaniards or pirates. Some 
 few of them I took down for my own cu* 
 riosity, and give them a place here, viz. 
 M+A. P+V JL. E+S. L-+-0. V+M. 
 Rir+C &c. &c. &c. I also found four 
 dates, in different places, added to names, 
 as thus— I-l- E 15S9 ; Bal. S^ 1605 ; A+A 
 1582, and W^'. R. 1673. In another place 
 was to be seen the following characters. 
 -I- To. >^. (gee. AA, 
 
 N. B. These letters having crosses be- 
 tween them, I attributed to the Spaniards ; 
 the others I supposed to be the marks 
 of buccaneers or pirates, who had ram- 
 bled over these parts in former times. I 
 now began to think of returning home, 
 and arrived at my small cove, where the 
 boat lay, towards the evening, then put 
 away along shore, and reached home just in
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 81 
 
 the dusk, well pleased with my cruise. I 
 found all safe as I left it, and was kindly 
 received by ray new comrade, \vho express- 
 ed great joy, raising his large wings, 
 stretching forth his neck, making a soft 
 and murmuring noise, and rubbing his head 
 and beak against my bare legs. 
 
 The following night I had a very trouble- 
 some dream, occasioned, without doubt, 
 by my excursion the day before. I thought 
 I was sitting by the before-mentioned huge 
 stone, when all at once, as from behind me, 
 I heard divers voices ; and casting my eyes 
 back, I beheld several men advancing to- 
 wards me. The uncouth garb they were dres- 
 sed in, made me start from my place ; they 
 came on and hailed me thus, " Buenos dia, 
 signior." They had whiskers, and wore ar- 
 mour. An old man asked me if I'had seen any 
 thing of Manuel Guiterez that way ; I an- 
 swered, that I had not seen any mortal man 
 since my first landing on this shore, ex- 
 cept three or four Indians. They asked 
 
 VOL. I. P
 
 68 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 how long I had been there, and by what 
 means I first arrived ; to all which I an- 
 swered in good Spanish, as I then thought ; 
 upon which they all seized me, and said, I 
 was the King of Spain's prisoner, and nuist 
 go with them to work in the mines as a 
 slave. This, I suppose, gave my whole 
 frame such a shock, that I awoke, hollaing 
 in a most fearful way. My poor haA> k was so 
 frightened, that he flew into the water, and 
 would most ceitainly have been drowned, 
 hr^l not the sight of its distress brought me 
 to my senses again. I ran to its relief, and 
 then seated myself before the cave. While 
 poor Yellovv-lnll was endeavouring to re- 
 place his plumage, I fell into a train of 
 melancholy reflections, the consequences 
 of my dream. I believed that the vision 
 might on€ day be verified, and perhaps the 
 time was not far distant I had certainly 
 grounds for this fear, as I knew it to be the 
 practice of the Spaniards in this part of the 
 world, and that many an Englishman had
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 83 
 
 been thus served ; and many a maid^ wife, 
 and mother, had lamented the death of a 
 sweetheart, husband, or son, when perh^s 
 they were, at the same time, in a much 
 worse condition. My mind was so agitated 
 with these thoughts, tliat it brought on a 
 fever, which lasted three days. I then be- 
 gan to recover myself, and was resolved to 
 consider it as a mere idle dream ; at the 
 same time I determined to submit myself 
 entirely to the will of God, and prayed 
 for strength and fortitude to bear up against 
 the evils incident to my forlorn situation, 
 and to act, under all circumstances, as the 
 duties of that situation should require. 
 
 Soon after this I went to my reckoning, 
 and found, by the number of my shells, 
 that I had been here above one year and 
 four months. I never omitted casting in a 
 shell ever morning, immediately after I 
 turned out, having provided a sufficient 
 quantity for that purpose. I now came to 
 the resolution of making a voyage west-
 
 84. PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 \> ard, having nothing to hinder me ; my 
 whole time being spent in a round of fish- 
 ing, eating, drinking, and sleeping. I laid 
 by a sufficient store of provision for Yellow- 
 bill, and put off one fine morning, expect- 
 ing to return the next day. I kept along 
 shore for the space of two hours, and then 
 began to explore new scenes, the land run- 
 ning sometimes high, sometimes low, in- 
 dented with fine sandy bays. At length I 
 opened a fine lagoon; I put into it, and pro- 
 ceeded for a good distance, the whole pros- 
 pect about me being pleasant and inviting. 
 As I turned round a low rocky point, I was 
 suddenly struck with the sight of several 
 human skulls, as I took them to be ; they 
 were white as snow. I put to shore, and 
 ■went up to them, and found my conjectures 
 right. I saw likewise that, in times long 
 past, fires had been made there, as I 
 found remains of ashes, and the ends of 
 burnt sticks. This satisfied me that the 
 place, had been frequented, and, as I
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 85 
 
 supposed, by a wretched race of cannibals. 
 I took up two or three of the skulls, and 
 put them in the canoe, and determined to 
 get out of that place as soon as possible. I 
 therefore put along shore, and spent much 
 time in viewing places till the night 
 came. I then landed. Not long after thi-s, 
 the clouds began to gather thick all around ; 
 rtie rain came on, with tliunder and light- 
 ning. I hauled up my boat high and dry, 
 and endeavoured to get under shelter my- 
 self; but the flashes were so frequent, and 
 the thunder so terrible, that I thought one of 
 the claps had separated the portion of the 
 globe where I was stationed. I vras so 
 stunned by it, that I stood motionless for 
 some time ; and as soon as I could well re- 
 cover myself, I ran down, and threw the 
 skulls upon the beach, through a foolish 
 and idle superstition that they were some- 
 how connected with the storm which had 
 happened. After this I walked about the 
 shore till the day began to peep, when the
 
 8G PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 clouds were dispersed, and the sun arose 
 fair and clear. I had not a dry thread 
 about me. My fire, tackh'ng, and food, 
 were all afloat in the boat. I began to 
 spread out my clothes, and to bale my 
 canoe. This occupied me till the sun was 
 about two hours high. Curiosity tempted 
 me to take up one of the skulls ; and as I 
 turned it round in my hand, I observed 
 that it had no marks where the teeth 
 should be. I began to examine another, 
 and found the same defect. 1 conclud- 
 ed now, they could not be human, but 
 that they were the skulls of loggerhead 
 tortoises. Thus convinced, I got into my 
 boat, and paddled away homewards, where 
 I arrived safe ; but should have been mise- 
 rably at a loss for fire, had I not been mas- 
 ter of spare tinder in the cave, as all the 
 other fire was quite extinguished. 
 
 After this frolic, I staid a long time at or 
 near home, and employed my thoughts sole- 
 ly to make my life as easy as I possibly couUk
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 87 
 
 To Confess the truth, till this time I had 
 not felt that true contrition which my con- 
 dition should have disposed me to a long 
 time before. I now began to correct all 
 my wandering thouglits, to check my wan- 
 ton and wilful cravings for the onions»and 
 garlick of my native shore, and to thank a 
 merciful God for the great deliverances I 
 had experienced, and the comforts and con- 
 veniences that he had condescended to pro- 
 vide me with, even in this desolate situa- 
 tion. Reasoning thus with my own heart, 
 I became quite resigned and easy. 
 
 Soon after this, it came into my head to 
 penetrate into the wood that was near my 
 habitation ; but how to accomplish this 
 was the business. I had neither axe nor 
 any other cutting instrument to clear away 
 impediments ; and to venture my knives 
 would be too hazardous an experiment, 
 and cutting against my own interest. How- 
 ever, at all events, I was resolved to make 
 the effort; but I proceeded with the ut-
 
 88 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 most caution, and therefore looked out for 
 the most convenient place to begin my in- 
 cursion. I chose one about half a mile 
 west of my dwelling, and a (ew days af- 
 ter made a beginning. In the first place I 
 cut a large pole, which took up some time, 
 as it was both hafd and heavy ; with this, 
 when I had cut a way wdth my knife, I 
 beat down the bushes, so as to get about 
 twenty yards into the wood. Here I met 
 with a large yellow snake, and killed him 
 with my pole ; it measured full six feet 
 in length, and ten inches round. This 
 made me somewhat timid, and I began 
 to find that I had undertaken a very ar- 
 duous task, and was doubtful whether 
 it might answer any good purpose. I 
 had half a mind to give it up, when 
 a sudden thought struck me, that I might 
 succeed more effectually by using fire. 
 Accordingly, waiting a favourable wind 
 that would drive it from my dwelling, I 
 took a load of dry bark, and set fire to it ;
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 89 
 
 it increased in a most rapid manner. I sim- 
 ply thought that it would only burn the 
 low hushes, but, to my great surprise, in 
 the space of an hour the blaze was tremen- 
 dous, and the largest trees were on fire. I 
 retired down to the shore, and began seri- 
 ously to repent of what I had done. The 
 fire became truly dreadful, and the conti- 
 nual crackling was like thunder in my ears. 
 Thus it burnt for the whole day ; but when 
 night came on it was awful indeed. 
 
 I could not close my eyes in sleep ; I 
 was haunted with the idea that the wind 
 might shift, which would bring it directly 
 to my cave. However, towards the morn- 
 ing, it became a dead calm ; but the fire 
 continued to burn more or less for seven or 
 eight days. At last a glut of rain came on, 
 and subdued the flames ; nevertheless, vo- 
 lumes of smoke continued to ascend for 
 above a week longer. 
 
 When 1 judged the earth might be tole- ^ 
 rably cool> I began to take a survey of the
 
 so PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 desolation I had made, and to walk over this 
 desert of ashes. The scene that presented 
 itself was indeed extraordinary. Here and 
 there stood tjie trunk and half-b«rnt limbs 
 of a cedar or^cotton tree, with a variety of 
 others of which I was ignorant. I came 
 at last to the remains of a large plantain 
 tree, which gave me much vexation, as the 
 Creoles use the fruit as a substitute for bread.- 
 The only consolation I drew from my mis- 
 fortune, was the knowledge that the true 
 plantain was to be met with in the neigh- 
 bourhood. 
 
 I now began to turn my mind to the 
 making of fishing lines, which I had learnt 
 from an old negro on board the schooner, 
 in the following manner ; to soak the leaves 
 of the corritoo, or the alloc, and then to 
 work it into fibres. This I found answer 
 my purpose well, so that I had no longer 
 any dread of wanting this article. I thus 
 passed my days in continual employment 
 of some kind or other j for, however idle-
 
 PENROSE^ JOURNAL. 91 
 
 ness may be supportable in a state of so- 
 ciety, in my solitary and forlorn condition 
 it was perfect misery. 
 
 N. B. I was at this time very much in- 
 commoded by a troublesome companion, 
 called the chigua ; a small insect, which get- 
 ting into the feet, there nestle and breed. 
 They must be very carefully taken out 
 with a needle, or the point of a knife. 
 But my feet soon grew so callous, that I: 
 bad no farther trouble with them.
 
 9% PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 C H A P. V. 
 
 THIRD YEAR OF MY RESIDENCE. 
 
 1 
 
 By my a<!Count, I found that I had now 
 exceeded two years by a few days. I did 
 not examine my reckoning often, as it al- 
 ways brought on a train of melancholy 
 reflections. About this time, as I was on 
 my walk eastward, I had the curiosity to 
 taste the prickly pear fruit, and eat three 
 of them. I then went in quest of guanos ; 
 and, when I arrived near to the place where 
 the stone tower stood, I was surprised to 
 find my urine as red as claret, and at once 
 recollected, that the cause must proceed' 
 from my eating those pears. I must con-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 98 
 
 fess it made me uneasy all that day; but 
 on the morrow, finding no ill conse- 
 quences follow, all my fears vanished. 
 
 I must observe, that during the wet 
 season I stirred but little from home, ex- 
 cept to catch fish, as I could not well do 
 without them. In all this long series of 
 solitude, I never had the sight of one ves- 
 sel, moving on the face of the ocean ; nor, 
 since the Indians left me, had I once the 
 opportunity of opening my lips to a fellow 
 creature of my own species ; yet time had 
 reconciled me to my condition, and not- 
 withstanding the state of separation in 
 which I lived, I had ceased to repine at my 
 lot. 
 
 I must remark in this place an odd cir- 
 cumstance, which always ha{)pened a'ter a 
 slight shower of rain. It was this. Imme- 
 diately as the rain ceased, I heard a noise, 
 like that of a number of chickens ; nor 
 could I, with all my industry, discover 
 from what cause it proceeded^ unless it
 
 94' PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 was made by the lizards ; yet I have con- 
 stantly kept my eyes fixed on them, and 
 could discover no motion whatever which 
 could occasion this noise as comingfrom them. 
 I am to this moment ignorant of the cause. 
 
 N B. It is not unlikely that it proceeded 
 from a kind of land crab, called by the sail- 
 ors and the West India fishermen, ^rf^/Zers. 
 
 I shall now give the reader an account 
 how my household affairs stood, in regard 
 to provision, and the various methods I 
 had used at times to procure it. In the 
 first place, I never wanted the three grand 
 articles of fire, water, and fuel ; fish never 
 failed me. I had that kind of food in plen- 
 ty, and of great variety ; such as group- 
 ars, hinds, porgies, black and red snappers, 
 grunts, rainbows, parrot-fish, coneys, gil- 
 iambours, doctor-fish, yellow tails, pork- 
 fish, marget-fish, cuckold-fish, school-mas- 
 ters, tango, squirrel-fish, sucking-fish, and 
 cray-fish. As for shark and barrow- 
 -coolers, I industriously avoided them, lest
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 95 
 
 they should rob me of too many hooks, 
 which I valued above pearls. Sometimes 
 indeed I would venture with my lines 
 made of corritoo. I then w»ent into about 
 three fathom water, perhaps about a mile 
 from shore, for the sake of novelty ; there 
 I caught old-wife, hog-fish, or small jew- 
 fish ; nevertheless, a shark would get the 
 better of me sometimes, and carry away 
 a hook. Here it may not be amiss to re- 
 late an odd adventure, which happened to 
 me while I was at this amusement. The 
 day was very still ; a flat calm. As I sat 
 very composed at my line, hanging over the 
 side of the canoe, all at once I heard a 
 violent rushing, as of a cannon-shot 
 through the air. I immediately fell flat to 
 the bottom of the boat, and lay still for 
 about a minute ; when I raised my head, 
 I saw a large bird, called a man of war, 
 rising up from the surface of the water, 
 with the garbage of a fish I had lately
 
 96 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 caught in its talons. A short time before 
 I had taken a groupar, who had gorged my 
 hook ; I opened him to recover it, and had 
 thrown the guts overboard, and it had drift- 
 ed away to some distance. This affair 
 may seem trifling to many ; yei to me, a 
 lonely creature, it w^as truly alarming, hav- 
 ing never been disturbed by any noise loud- 
 er than the cry of a poor bird. 
 
 As to fruit and vegetables, I never 
 touched those I was a stranger to ; sap- 
 podillos, guavas, limes, maumees, coco- 
 plumbs, cassia fistula, sea-grapes, colliloo, 
 &;c. &c., I made use of as I found them. 
 Flesh, except that of guanos, and a few 
 birds out of nests, was what I seldom 
 tasted. I found out a way to catch the 
 ground doves. I took notice, that after 
 my great fire in the wood, numbers came 
 there to bask in the ashes ; this gave me 
 the hint to make fresh fires in bare places, 
 ^rnong the ashes of which I laid snares.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. »7 
 
 and by this means took many of them, 
 which, when roasted, afforded me a delici- 
 ous meal. 
 
 "When I was one day hunting this game, 
 chaiice brought me to the spot where lay a 
 young fawn, about two or three days old. 
 I was just going to take it up in m)' arms, 
 to bear it home, when I con.-idered that if 
 I did so I had no way to feed it ; I there- 
 fore determined to let it remain where I 
 found it, and made it a visit every day td 
 scrape its feet. I continued this attend- 
 ance for near three weeks ; I then got some 
 corriLoo twine, and belayed it to a stump. 
 The old one came always in the night to 
 suckle it, as. I suppose, for I could never 
 get a sight of her by day. When it was 
 about five weeks old, I brought it home to 
 my place, and made it fast among the low 
 trees hard by. It soon becime the tamest 
 of creatures ; and if at times I let it loose, 
 it still attended me. It was a female, and 
 I gave it the name of Miss Doe. It now 
 
 AOL. I. G
 
 98 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 fed any where round my dwelling, and be- 
 came so familiar as to follow me like a dog. 
 One day I took it into my head to make 
 trial of her attachment. I first made her 
 fast, then got my boat round to the 
 beach, returned and set her loose. She 
 followed me to the sea side. I then got 
 into my boat ; she jumped in after me, gaz- 
 ing wildly round her. No sooner did I put 
 off, and she felt the motion of the boat, 
 than she sprung out in an instant to a good 
 distance, and there fell to capering and 
 jumping like a mad thing. After this, I 
 put along shore, and she stood with her 
 head erect, gazing after me; but on my 
 whistling, she began to frisk it along the 
 sands after me ; but I could not coax her 
 into the canoe. I therefore put to and got 
 out ; she immediately ran to me, reared up 
 her fore-feef upon my shoulders, and then 
 fell to licking my face. 
 
 I cannot describe how affecting this scene 
 was to me ; it really made me shed tears of
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 9» 
 
 joy. I reflected on the goodness of Divine 
 Providence, for thus throwing in my path 
 this poor inoffensive animal, to be the com- 
 fort and amusement of vAj solitary and dis- 
 consolate hours. She soon became so used 
 to the boat, that she would jump in the 
 moment I took my seat, and w ent with me 
 any where. 
 
 About this time appeared on the coast a 
 great number of whales ; I saw them first 
 in the morning, as I was sauntering along 
 the shore. They remained in sight the 
 whole day, blowing and playing about ; on 
 the morrow they were still to be seen ; and 
 as I was attentively w^atching them, 1 saw 
 one ot them raise its body above half out 
 of the water ; at other times their tails 
 came out very high, flashing about ; and 
 thus they kept sporting and blowing for 
 three days, and then went away to the 
 southward. 
 
 To return to my household matters. In 
 the turtle season, which was generally
 
 100 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 about June, July, and August, I fared 
 sumptuously ; but found my body break 
 out in large blotches, after eating this deli- 
 cious food for a long time together; yet it 
 had this effect, that 1 became more healthy 
 afterwards. At times I cut the lean parts 
 of them into narrow strips, and laid them 
 in brine ; then hung them up in the sun 
 till they became hard and dry. These 
 strips I sometimes boiled with some coUi- 
 loo in a large shell. My fish I either roast- 
 ed, boiled, or stewed ; but generally pre- 
 ferred the latter mode. I must observe, 
 that I had one way, when I was parlicu- 
 larly in haste, which was to cover up a fish, 
 just out of the water, under the hot em- 
 bers, where it remained about ten minutes ; 
 I then took off the skin entire, opened the 
 belly, took out the entrails, and thus ob- 
 tained the true flavour of the fish, as the 
 sooner they can be cooked the better. 
 
 I must not omit to mention, that by fre- 
 quent boilings my shells grew crazy, which
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 101 
 
 ©bliged me to look out for more. I took 
 the greatest care of the few European ar- 
 ticles I had by me. My head now ran on 
 making baskets, and I resolved to make the 
 trial. I chose out the most favourable 
 twigs, but, to my great disajipomtment, 
 found few that would answer my purpose. 
 This put me on my old work of wattling 
 again. I first made the bottom, then fixed 
 uprights at the tour corners, and wattled 
 lip between them ; thus I formed an ordi- 
 nary kind of basket, wHich would hold 
 about half a bushel. 
 
 Some time after, as I happened to be 
 out in my boat, near to the Bird's Key, 
 going over a very shoaly place, I saw a very 
 large fish close along side of the canoe , it 
 was the first I had ever seen of the kind. 
 I struck it on the head with my paddle, 
 when it began to flounce about at a great 
 rate. The water was so shallow that it 
 had not depth enough to swim., at last I 
 saw it was endeavouring to get round, and
 
 leg PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 thrust its long saw over the gunwale of my 
 boat, which startled me not a little. I im- 
 mediately jumped out on the off side with 
 my paddle, and began to lay about me 
 manfully ; but it got clear off, and strug- 
 gled into deep water, and was soon out of 
 sight. This fish seemed to be about ten 
 feet in length. If I had had my grainge 
 with a line, I might have taken it with 
 ease. 
 
 I shall in this place mention a circum- 
 stance which often gave me much uneasi- 
 ness, not being entirely free from that 
 wretched prejudice, imbibed by the gene- 
 rality of children, respecting apparitions, 
 which is first implanted in their tender 
 minds by the ignorant superstition of nursesj 
 or perhaps the more criminal ignorance of 
 their own parents. The fearful apprehen^ 
 sions arising from this weakness had never 
 left me, but had gained strength in my 
 travels, and was particularly increased by 
 keeping so much company with sailors^
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 103 
 
 who, of all other people, are the most su- 
 perstitious. The circumstance which oc- 
 casioned my present uneasiness was a noise 
 which I often heard on mooii-light nights ; 
 it was a kind of hollow treble tone, which 
 seemed to utter " ya )ho ! yaoho !"" some- 
 times repeated three or four times together ; 
 this was answered by a similar sound at a. 
 distance. It was always heard to the west- 
 ward ol" me in the high land. There was 
 nothing particular in the noise itself, but 
 what I might very naturally have accounted 
 for; unfortunately, hovvev^er, from an asso- 
 ciation of ideas, it had never failed to excite 
 in me the greatest horror and dread imar 
 ginable ; which 1 thus account for. 
 , While I remained in Providence, I had 
 frequent conversation with an old negro 
 man, a native of Jamaica, who, in his 
 younger days, had been well acquainted 
 with many of the buccaneers, had sailed 
 with them, and knew their haunts. This 
 man had received his pardon under the
 
 104 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 Queen''s act of grace, and then followed 
 piloting, or went out to hunt after wrecks 
 about the coast. 
 
 This old man, whose name was William 
 Bass, could write and read, and was well 
 versed in the Scriptures ; he had been in 
 England, France, Spain, and all over the 
 coast of the Spanish Main ; yet was he su- 
 perstitious to a very great degree. Among 
 other stories, he related to me one concern- 
 ing a sort of nocturnal animal, that walked 
 Upiight as a man, and about the same size ; 
 it was black, and wonderfully swift of foot. 
 It would suck the blood of the animals it 
 caught, and leave them for dead. He ob- 
 served also, that, by the track of the feet, 
 one would be led to suppose their heels^ 
 were placed foremost ; the cry was similar 
 to what I have related, and he said that 
 nothiuL^ but a bullet of silver could kill one 
 of them. 
 
 At the time this story was first mention- 
 ed to me, it made but a slight impression.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 105 
 
 and I rather treated it with contempt; but 
 when, in my solitary situation, the same 
 sounds were vibrating in my ears, I had the 
 weakness to believe what I had before re- 
 jected, and became terrified with the idea 
 of not only hearing, but being visited by 
 these blood-thirsty animals ; and the more 
 so, as the sounds were heard more distinct- 
 ly, and seemed to come nearer than usual. 
 
 Thus time went on with me until the 
 wet season was coming on, and I prepared 
 to lay up a store of w ood-brush, conches, 
 &c. The latter I could keep by me for a 
 long time, bv making a small fence round 
 them in the wat^r, and by this means had 
 my bait generally near at hand. About 
 this time I had a frightful dream. I 
 thought it was the wet season ; the whole 
 country was overflowed, and I was obliged 
 to quit my cave in my canoe ; like a se- 
 cond Noah, I wandered about for land, but 
 could fee only one small patch at a dis- 
 tance, for which I paddled with all my
 
 106 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 force. This exertion awakened me, and I 
 was happy to find it no more than a dream. 
 I little thought then it would be verified 
 so soon after, at least in a degree. > • 
 
 The rains came on ; and so great was 
 the fall of water day by day, that it over- 
 flowed the lagoon quite up to the entrance 
 of my dwelling. I was now forced to be^ 
 stir myself with all diligence, hurrying 
 away with all my poor articles to high-wa- 
 ter mark, and securing them in the best 
 manner I could. Here I was forced to 
 remain, quite exposed to the weather, for 
 two days, when at length it abated. In 
 my great hurr)^ I had forgotten my poor 
 bird ; but Miss Doe stuck close by me. I 
 now ventured to visit my cave, where 1 found 
 the water had considerably subsided, and 
 that, had I only retired into the back part 
 with my things, all would have been safe. 
 With great anxiety I began to search for 
 poor Yellow-bill ; at last I found him in a 
 low bush, but quite dead, as he had been
 
 PENROSE'S JOURXAL. 107 
 
 supplied with no food for three days, or 
 more. I gave many a heavy sigh for the 
 loss of my faithful and affectionate friend ; 
 but, alas ! my grief was unavailing ; it 
 was indeed augmented, by something like 
 a consciousness of neglect. 
 
 I now began to consider with myself, 
 that fire and water were no otherwise 
 friendly to man than under strict limita- 
 tions ; I resolved, therefore, to erect me a 
 hurricane house, to which I might remove 
 on the shortest notice. As soon as I had 
 removed my things back to my cave, I be- 
 gan this work, and made it in the form of 
 an awning, close at one end, and a door at 
 the other, thatching it well with palmetto 
 leaves. When I had completed this busi- 
 ness, and began to be settled again, the loss 
 of my poor bird weighed heavily on my 
 spirits, and had not my fawn supplied its 
 place, I should have felt my solitude more 
 dreadful than ever. 
 
 One day as I was fishing, I discovered a
 
 108 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 sail in the north-east quarter. She came 
 away large, and in about an hour I could 
 perceive it to be a small sloop ; but she 
 kept a great offing, and stood away to the 
 southward ; yet I kept my eyes on her as 
 long as I could distinguish her, until she 
 ran the horizon down. This sight, so new 
 to me, introduced a train of melancholy 
 reflections. I longed to be again with my 
 fellow men ; it occasioned a painful retro- 
 spect of my past life. I looked back with 
 regret, and forward almost without hope. 
 There is, however, a principle in the hu- 
 man mind which will not sufier it to yield 
 entire possession to despair; it will always 
 suggest some alleviation to present misery ; 
 some effort that may be made to render 
 our condition better ; to throw off the 
 superflux of wretchedness with which it 
 is loaded ; and, with a pliancy suited to 
 the occasion, will accommodate its powers 
 to the trials to which we are exposed. I 
 began to reflect, that most probably this
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. I0\f 
 
 sloop belonged to the Spaniards ; and, 
 however forlorn my situation might be, a 
 visit from them would certainly not im- 
 prove it. The possibility of being sent to 
 work in the mines, made my present con- 
 dition comparatively a happy one. Sub- 
 dued by these reflections, my discontents 
 vanished, and I became reconciled to a 
 mode of life which at least promised me 
 liberty and security. From this time, no- 
 thing happened of sufficient consequence to 
 be remembered, till I found by my reckon- 
 ing that I had begun another year.
 
 110 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 FOURTH YEAR OF MY RESIDENCE. 
 
 My fourth year commenced with as little 
 expectation of any relief as the former ones; 
 but my mind was easier and better satis- 
 fied. I used frequently to make a party 
 at hunting at this time. The reader may 
 perhaps wonder how I brought this about. 
 It was thus. Early in the morning, I used 
 to get every thing ready in my boat, and 
 then, with my mate, Miss Doe, for whom 
 I had made two small bags, to carry on her 
 back any trifles I might want, I coasted 
 along shore to the east lagoon. There I 
 landed, and walked over land to the Tower
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. Hi 
 
 Field as I called it. Here I used to un- 
 load my companion, and then light a fire. 
 From thence we proceeded to a sandj 
 plain, the constant resort of the guanos, 
 and where thej burrow in the ground like 
 our rabbits. They run very swift ; but 
 now and then I got up with thenij and, 
 either by strength or stratagem, ac- 
 complished my purpose. When within 
 reach, I used to knock them down with a 
 short stick ; but if they got so far the start 
 of me as to gain their holes, I then made 
 fire over their burrows, which never failed 
 to fetch them out, and they became an 
 easy prey. When I had often practised 
 this sport. Miss Doe began to take a more 
 active part in it ; and when she perceived 
 me in full chace (5f a guano, she would fly 
 off, and be up with it in a trice ; she would 
 then often beat the creature dead with her 
 fore feet. This new mode would have 
 given much diversion to our English sports-
 
 H2 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 men, to see a man hunt with a deer instead 
 of a dog. 
 
 I now began to consider, that the rea- 
 son of my never seeing above one vessel 
 during my stay here, was the knowledge 
 that the coast was very dangerous and full 
 of shoals, l)anks, and reefs, and that it 
 might possibly be long ere I should see 
 another. They who chanced to fall in 
 with the land in the day time, knew how 
 necessary it was to keep a good offing, if 
 possible. 
 
 A few days after 1 had made these con- 
 jectures, a large vessel hove in sight, stand- 
 ing to the northward ; she was about tour 
 leagues out. The view of her renewed all 
 my regrets ; and when I parted sight with 
 her, I could have lain me down and died. 
 Time again worked my cure, and after a 
 few weeks I returned to my usual tran- 
 quillity, and resolved, that whatever might 
 happen I would repine no more. Such is 
 the mind of man ; we are but little capa-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 113 
 
 ble of foreseeing or knowing what is most 
 advantageous to us ; we reason from hu- 
 man experience, which is often a fallible 
 guide, and arrogate to ourselves the privi- 
 lege of jtidging, without the possibility of 
 knowing the consequences which may re- 
 sult from our decision. If things turn out 
 as we wish, we congratulate ourselves on 
 our sagacity and foresight ; we take all 
 the merit to ourselves, and never consider 
 that there is an overruling Providence that 
 directs and governs all events. I must 
 confess, that I charge myself with this pre- 
 sumption. The eager and longing desire I 
 had to be in the ship I had lately seen, 
 might have proved my ruin ; she might 
 have been an enemy to my country, and 
 have taken me into slavery for the remain- 
 der of my life, or we might all have pe- 
 rished together in th« ocean. Oh, my 
 God ! thy ways are inscrutable to feeble 
 and short-sighted mortals : Thou directest 
 lis by means best suited to the ends of our 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 114 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 being, and often tiirnest our greatest cala- 
 mities into occasions of rejoicing ! These 
 reflections are fully justified by what soon 
 followed. 
 
 According to my account, I had been on 
 this shore about three years and two 
 months. The wind blowing very fresh, I 
 had not been abroad for several days ; it 
 still continued at south, with frequent rain 
 and thunder storms. When it became 
 more settled, I resolved to make a trip 
 over to the Bird Island after conches and 
 welks. Accordingly I put off the next 
 morning very early. I had not gone far 
 out before I saw a canoe about a mile to 
 the westward of my dwelling,* and two 
 people on shore. I directly put back, 
 hoping they had not seen me, and hauled 
 up my canoe ; I then ran along shore, and 
 got to a convenient place behind some trees. 
 There appeared no more than two persons; 
 one standing, the other silting, near the 
 canoe. Soon after I saw them retire up
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 115 
 
 to the bushes ; they came down again, 
 and both looked into their canoe, then 
 ran about the strand, making many 
 odd motions, threw themselves on the 
 ground, and acted like men bereft of their 
 reason. 
 
 At length I determined to get nearer to 
 them, as I knew there could not be many 
 of them, by the size of their boat I ap- 
 proached them so near, that I plainly 
 perceived one to be a woman. Now they 
 seemed to caress each other, then suddenly 
 fell into the most extravagant antics, 
 throwing the sand over their heads, and 
 crying in the strangest way imaginable. I 
 was quite at a loss to know what all this 
 could mean. At last J resolved to shew 
 myself. I had nothing on at that time, 
 but my bonnet, a rag round my waist, and 
 my paddle in my hand ; and thus I sallied 
 down on the beach. They were at this 
 time not sixty yards from me. No sooner 
 did they get sight of me, than they ran
 
 116 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 among the bushes. I hallooed to them, 
 but they never cast an eye back. I tlien 
 walked up to the canoe, where I found a 
 very aged man in her bottom, who to all 
 appearance was at the point of death. I 
 took him by the hand, but he did not open 
 his eyes ; whereupon i spoke loud, and 
 he just lifted up his eyelids, and seemed 
 to look on me. I then began again to call 
 loudly to them ; the lad shewed himself. 
 I beckoned to him, but he did not move 
 at first ; at length, however, he came on a 
 little, then stopped again. I continued to 
 invite him, and he came nearer, till he 
 was at length within a few paces of me ; 
 he then threw himself at my feet, taking 
 one of them and placing it on his head, 
 returned it, and did the same with the 
 other. Upon this I lifted him u^, patted 
 him on his back, and took him by the 
 hand. He stood before me as a person 
 astonished and terrified. I smiled in his 
 face, which gave him some courage, and
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. lit 
 
 he went to the canoe, and spoke to the old 
 man, but he closed his eyes, and died away. 
 I made signs to him to call the woman, 
 'which he did ; she advanced in the same 
 cautious manner, but gave still greater 
 indications of fear ; on my giving her all 
 the signs of friendship in my power, she 
 practised the same ceremonies as the lad ; 
 threw herself at my feet, placed them 
 upon her head, &c. During this time, the 
 old man in the canoe gave a deep groan, 
 and expired. 
 
 When I found the old man was actually 
 dead, I made signs for them to get into 
 their canoe, and to paddle along shore, as I 
 directed them ; which they readily obe) ed, 
 and followed me, till we came to the spot 
 where my boat lay. I launched her, and 
 made signs for them to follow me still 
 fuiiher; which they did, in profound si- 
 lence, until we arrived at my cave. I land- 
 ed, and invited them on shore, in the most 
 friendly manner. They began to cast their
 
 118 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 eyes round them, seemingly in great con- 
 cern ; and now and then looked sorrow- 
 fully at each other. I then produced some 
 fish, and placed it before them, but they 
 shook their heads, and declined if, and 
 appeared to be very melancholy. 
 
 The reader will observe, that I had now 
 a great deal of business upon my hands ; 
 first, to provide for my new tenants, and 
 then to bury the corpse of the old man. 
 And it may not be amiss here, to give some 
 sketch of their persons. 
 
 The girl seemed to be about the age of 
 seventeen, and nearly five feet three inches 
 in height ; her complexion was nut brown, 
 or rather a slighter tint ; her eyes black, 
 and the whites of them of a china cast, 
 inclining to a blue ; her nose and mouth 
 small, her teeth, white as snow, and even 
 as dice ; her neck and bosom, of the finest 
 form imaginable;, and her arms and legs 
 were finely proportioned : her hair was 
 black as jet, parted before, and curi-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. U^ 
 
 ©usiy tied behind, hanging down in plait- 
 ings, united together by strings of beads, 
 of many colours, to a great length. Round 
 her neck, arms, and legs, she wore three 
 rows of teeth, belonging to the tiger, or 
 some such animal ; and round her loins 
 ran a narrow piece of wove striped cot- 
 ton. 
 
 The lad seemed to be about a year 
 younger, but stronger built ; his hair hung 
 over his forehead and shoulders, as nature 
 had disposed it, and in no small quantir 
 ty ; he had no other dress than a slight 
 piece of striped cotton round his middle. 
 As they were both of a height, and resem- 
 bled each other much in features, I some- 
 times thought they might be twins. 
 
 The remainder of the day w^as spent in 
 endeavouring to inspire them with confi- 
 dence, and fix in their minds a good im- 
 pression of me. They however continu- 
 ed silent and melancholy, which might 
 proceed from their being so suddenly sur-
 
 120 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 prised by me ; or, perhaps, more particu- 
 larly for the old man's death. Tears con- 
 tinually fell on the bosom of the girl, 
 whenever she cast her eyes towards their 
 canoe. The lad's trouble seemed to be of 
 a more manly kind. 
 
 But as just now there was much to be 
 done, I could spare but little time for con- 
 dolence. I had a lodging to provide for 
 the strangers, and the funeral of the old 
 man to prepare. I took part of my own 
 couch, and carried it to my tent, spread it 
 the best I could, and then shewed them 
 where to turn in for the night ; they obey- 
 ed in a very condescending manner, and 
 with expressions of gratitude. 
 
 I slept but little the whole night, and , 
 by the peep of day took my canoe and 
 went to fishing. I returned in about two 
 hours, and found them both sitting in 
 their own canoe, weeping. I went up, and 
 cheered them in the best manner I could, 
 and then began to light my fire ; this
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 121 
 
 'done, I fell to cooking as fast as possible, 
 and having finislied, invited tjiem to par- 
 take of my meal. The lad came directly, 
 but the girl declined it. I went to her, 
 took her by the hand, led her to the table, 
 and made her sit down. I then gave each 
 of them a roasted fish ; hunger now van- 
 quished grief, and they both ate heartily, 
 which pleased m(? much. After break- 
 fast,. I made signs to them to follow me 
 to the canoe. I took up the corpse by the 
 head and shoulders, pointing for them to 
 take up the legs : they did so^ and we carr- 
 ried it to some distance and laid it down* 
 I then began to dig a sort of grave with 
 my paddle, which having finished, 1 made 
 them help to lift it in. I now sat down 
 to rest myself, and to observe what would 
 be their behaviour on the occasion ; but 
 they seemed only to watch my motions. I 
 therefore began to cover the corpse, and 
 fill up the grave with sand, in which of- 
 iice the lad readily assisted me. When we
 
 122 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 had finished, the poor girl threw herself 
 flat on the sand, and wept bitterly ; and it 
 was with some reluctance I could get them 
 to follow me back to the cave. 
 
 I must here observe, that on the first 
 appearance of my new guests, Miss Doe, 
 from excessive bashfulness, had retired 
 and hid herself, but the next day she 
 again made her appearance, and when we 
 carried the old man to liis grave, she fol- 
 lowed at a distance. 
 
 In two or three days, my new friends 
 became more familiar, which convinced 
 me they began to entertain a good opinion 
 of me. They conversed more together. 
 Nothing could be softer than the language 
 from their mouths ; but it seemed to me 
 extremely difficult to attain, as they had 
 a way of drawing in their words with the 
 breath, and then uttered them as from 
 the throat. I found the girl very modest 
 and bashful, particularly when I looked at 
 her ; she would pretend not to observe
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 12S 
 
 me, yet every now and then, I caught her 
 viewing me from the corner of her eye, 
 when she thought I was otherwise en- 
 gaged. 
 
 In about seven or eight days, we became 
 quite sociable together ; and I observed, 
 wlien we were on the shore, they were con- 
 tinually pointing to the southward ; and 
 sighs would often escape from the poor 
 girl's bosom, while the lad would say a 
 great deal to me. There was a difficulty 
 which I very much wished to get over ; 
 this was to find out their names. I took 
 notice, when they spoke to each other, 
 there was a variation in certain words, 
 but I could not particularly catch the term 
 of address. To satisfy myself, I took the 
 following method. One day as the girl 
 was washing some fish out of the canoe, 
 and knowing the lad to be out of sight, 
 I made signs for her to call him ; but here 
 I was completely foiled, for, standing up, 
 «he began to cry out in a small shrill
 
 124 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 voice, " hoo, oo, oo, a hee,'' and he came 
 immediately : I bid him stir up the fire, 
 as a pretence for calling him ; but as we 
 were afterwards sitting at our meal, I 
 pointed to my breast, and said, " Penrose." 
 The lad understood me directly, and nod- 
 ding his head, looked at his sister, then 
 pointingtohisownbreast, said " Ayasharre, 
 Ayasharre ;" and directing his finger to the 
 girl, said " Yalut-ta, Yalut-ta". I be- 
 lieved I had succeeded, but was resolved to 
 make another trial, to put the matter be- 
 yond a doubt. Accordingly, a short time af- 
 ter, I took an opportunity of calling " Aya- 
 sharre ;''^ he came running and smiling to me 
 immediately. After this, I took occasion to 
 go into the cave, and called the girl, in the 
 best manner I could ; she came at once, and 
 I gave her a shell, to bring me some water. 
 I was now fully satisfied. I had so often 
 occasion to repeat the lad*'s name, that I 
 was resolved to shorten it ; and as it bore 
 so great a resemblance to Harry, from this
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 125 
 
 time I gave him that name. I took the 
 same method with the girl, and called her 
 Luta. 
 
 Hitherto, I had not meddled with any- 
 thing I saw in their canoe. I now went 
 with Harry to examine the contents The 
 first thing he took out was a yam, and ran 
 with it immediately to the fire to roasl it 
 for me. I soon stopped and prevented him. 
 It was too precious a jewel to me to be so 
 disposed of. I soon made them understand 
 that I would plant it in the ground. With 
 that he ran to the canoe and brought up 
 three more. My joy was so great on this 
 occasion, I could hardly express it. 
 
 We now went to examine the remainder 
 of their freight ; and the following is a 
 fuithful account ol' the cargo, viz. — 
 
 Two very neat paddles, bladed at each 
 end. Two small harpoons, fixed with lines 
 and staves. A bow, with several arrows, 
 headed with sharp stones and sting-ray's 
 bones. A small silver bell. Some half- 
 roasted turtle. A few eggs. Part of &
 
 126 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 dead dog, or some animal resembling it, 
 which stunk abominably. Several sorts of 
 fruits and roots — part we used and part we 
 planted. But what was of infinitely more 
 value to me than the whole cargo, was a 
 small hatchet, as good as new ; on it was 
 stamped the maker's name, Pedro Munoz, 
 Cadiz, by which I found they had inter- 
 course with the Spaniards. 
 
 It was with the greatest difficulty that I 
 eould keep my legs in this canoe ; yet they 
 had a small mast and a mat sail, which they 
 could ship and unship as they had occasion ; 
 and I afterwards saw four or more tall In- 
 dians stand and paddle in such a one with 
 great dexterity, though I am persuaded the 
 most expert of our seamen would not have 
 been able to keep his balance in her. 
 
 I now began to teach them a few 
 words ; and the first which Harry 
 caught was " come,'*' as he heard it so 
 often repeated by me. The girl behav- 
 ed with great reserve whenever I aim- 
 ed to instruct her. But one day as we
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 12T 
 
 were sitting together, the deer coming up 
 to her, she said " Miss Doe,'' as plain as I 
 could speak it myself. The method I pur- 
 sued with them was this Every morning I 
 shewed them two or three objects, named 
 them, and made them repeat after me. By 
 this means I found they made a rapid pro- 
 gress. Harry would sometimes ask me the 
 name of a thing he had forgotten, when 
 the orii 1 never failed to set him riijht. I 
 found by this, though she did not speak so 
 often as her brother, yet she retained what 
 she heard much better in her memory. 
 
 These poor innocent young creatures be- 
 came every day more dear to me. As much 
 as was in their power, they would antici- 
 pate all my wishes. It was their deiight to 
 take directions from me, and to obey them 
 with a ready cheerfulness, which convinced 
 me of their regard. I used every method to 
 conciliate their affection and esteem ; but, 
 at the same time, I so carried myself, that 
 they should consider me as their superior. 
 
 Harry was so delighted with my method
 
 128 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 of striking fire, that he would ask me for 
 my knife now and then, to try the experi- 
 ment himself ; and would even put the fire 
 out for the purpose of lighting it again, so 
 that I sometimes was obliged to refuse 
 him. 
 
 It happened that one day I took Harry 
 with me to view the burnt ruin I had made 
 by setting fire to the wood. The girl per- 
 ceiving my intenticms, began to weep. I 
 very much wished to know the cause. 
 Upon this she threw her arms round her 
 brother's neck, and whispered some words. 
 Desiring to know the meaning of this, he 
 was sadly put to it to make the neces- 
 sary explanation, but began thus : "You 
 go, me go, Yalutta go not — never come 
 — dead — sick — die."" I took her by the 
 hand, and told her she should go too, 
 as I could not bear to see her unhap- 
 py. So oflf we went together, with 
 Miss Doe in company. When we came to 
 the spot, I was much surprised to find so 
 great a change since I was last there. So
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 12S 
 
 many things had sprung up ; and even on 
 the shrubs many blossoms were to be seen. 
 I therefore determined to plant my yams 
 in this spot. Miss Doe, perceiving so great 
 a plain space before her, would often set off 
 and race away to a great distance ; yet, 
 immediately on my whistling, she would 
 bound back again as swift as an arrow. 
 
 The next day I made them take the 
 yams to tiie same place and plant them ; 
 and from their increase we had a plentiful 
 supply ever after. Some months passed on 
 thus in the most perfect harmony, when an 
 accident happened which perplexed me not 
 a little. One day I went to examine my 
 reckoning, and found that I had more 
 shells than I ought to have. I could not 
 conceive the meaning of this. I tfirned it 
 much in my mind, but said nothing, resol- 
 ving if possible to discover the cause. I 
 must confess I had my suspicions, and soon 
 found them confirmed. Two or three 
 days after, I observed Harry bring in a few 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 130 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 shells, and throw them in the basket before 
 my face ; and, as it appeared, with perfect 
 good will, and with the intention to oblige 
 me. Not finding it possible to explain to 
 him the use I made of these shells, I told 
 him there was more than enough, and 
 turned it ofT with a laugh. 
 
 It now became necessary to invent some 
 plan to reckon my time by ; and I deter- 
 mined on the following — to cut it on the 
 trees with my knife ; and for that purpose 
 I looked out a large cedar tree, or rather fig 
 tree, whose bark resembles in texture that 
 of our beech. On one of these trees I cut 
 the date of my full time, as near as I could 
 conjecture, by fifty days at a time. I was 
 just three years and two months, when I 
 first found them, on my shore, and at this 
 time they, had been with me about four 
 months ; so that I fixed the period at three 
 years and six months. 
 
 From this time, I continued to add by 
 ■fifties; giving Harry a strict charge never
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 131 
 
 to touch the marks, on pain of my great 
 displeasure; and as he considered these 
 characters as a kind of conjuration, he stu- 
 diously avoided even touching the tree. 
 
 Having mentioned this fig tree, I shall 
 give the reader some account of its singu- 
 lar qualities. It resembles in no respect 
 -the tree of the same name with us in Eu- 
 rope. In its infant state, it grows perhaps 
 to the height of nine or ten feet, at which 
 time it becomes so weak as to want sup- 
 port. 
 
 N. B. This tree is always to be found 
 within three or four feet of a stately cedar. 
 When it has grown to about the height before 
 •mentioned, as if from instinct, it parts into 
 two arms, bending towards the cedar tree, 
 which it clasps, or rather embraces closely, 
 and by this means is prevented from fall- 
 ing to the ground. Having gained this 
 support,, it begins to climb, growing daily 
 stouter and higher ; and I have often ob- 
 ^•served, that when other trees intervene, it
 
 132 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 cautiously avoids them, and makes its 
 way to the cedar in preference. It thus 
 continues to increase in strength and mag- 
 nitude, till it towers above the tops of the 
 highest trees In the forest. At the same 
 time its body, having the like kind of ad- 
 hesive quality, extends itself in such a 
 manner round the bark of the cedar, that 
 it totally envelopes its kind benefactor, 
 which is only here and there to be dis- 
 covered. Indeed, in process of time, the 
 whole external appearance becomes an am- 
 ple fig tree, as no part of th^ cedar can be 
 perceived. Of this fact I have seen many 
 hundred instances 
 
 I was accustomed to make a moral use 
 of this spectacle. ^I considered my own ten- 
 der and aifectionate parent as the benevo- 
 lent cedar, that yielded me nourishment 
 and support when I was incapable of pro- 
 viding for my weakness; that, having attain- 
 ed size and strength to stand erect by my- 
 self, I had suffered her to wither and die
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 133 
 
 away, as the sap from the cedar, and had 
 elevated myself, by ungratefully contribut- 
 ing to extinguish the life and substance of 
 my benefactress. But let me hope that I 
 have made some atonement for my ingrati- 
 tude, by the sincere contrition I have felt, 
 and the troubles and mortifications I have 
 since that day experienced. 
 
 One evening as Harry and I were walk- 
 ing on the shore, I chanced to hear the 
 Yaoho's cry. Upon this I bid him to 
 listen, and asked him what he knew con- 
 cerning this noise, expecting to hear some 
 strange odd story ; but to my no small 
 confusion, he laughed, and said, " that 
 birry.''— " What is birry .?'' saidl.—'* Bird,"' 
 answered he, " go all nights, bite birds 
 little ;" then, clapping his hand to his 
 mouth, made exactly the same noise. This 
 was enough ; I at once concluded it to be 
 nothing more than an owl, or some such 
 nocturnal bird : and called myself an owl or
 
 134 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 an ass, for swallowing the idle tales which 
 had terrified me. 
 
 N. B. It must not be supposed, that tlie 
 events I have related happened in the ex- 
 act chronological order in which I have 
 given them, but in or near the time, as 
 well as I can remember ; not having the 
 use of pen, ink, and paper, till the Dutch 
 ship was lost many years after. 
 
 In order to divert the time, I used to 
 play at quoits now and then with my mess- 
 mate Harry ; and this he learned to such 
 perfection as soon to be an overmatch for 
 me. Often, when we were at this sport on 
 the beach, Luta, as I called her, appeared 
 to be much elated whenever I won the 
 game. This I found never failed to occa- 
 sion much snickering between her and 
 Harry ; but as it always passed in their 
 own language, they thought I paid no at- 
 tention to it. Some time after this, as they 
 were together with me in the cave, Harry
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 135 
 
 came and stood before me, and said, 
 " Where you come ?" This I knew was 
 meant to ask me from whence I came. I 
 was at a loss how to give him, in language, 
 the information he required ; so I pointed 
 to the sea, and made signs that I had slept 
 often during my voyage in a canoe, before 
 I arrived at this shore. This I found 
 made them very thoughtful, and the girl 
 wept much. To pass it off as well as I 
 couM, I began to instruct them in words. 
 Harry, observing me to be much pleased 
 with his sister"'s pronunciation, leaped up 
 at once on his feet, and taking Luta's hand, 
 put it into mine ; then fell to shouting, 
 hallooing, whooping, dancing, and making 
 his obedience to us, after the manner I had 
 learnt him ; and thus he went on like one 
 frantic with joy. All this while the girl 
 stood looking silently on the ground. I 
 then made signs to Harry that I under- 
 stood him wejl, and was pleased with his 
 proposal. Indeed, it was impossible to have
 
 136 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 any objection, as she was a, young creature 
 of so charming a dispcrsition, and so ready 
 on all occasions to administer erery kind 
 office in her power. I then asked Luta if 
 she was willing to be my wife, explaining 
 by signs what I meant. Perhaps the read- 
 er may have no little curiosity to learn 
 what answer she made me. It was thus : 
 '' Penoly" — this was as near the sound of 
 my name as they could catch — " Penoly 
 no go," pointin^T to the sea ; " Luta make 
 fire all day.'' She then fell on her knees, 
 and kissed my feet, then placed one of 
 them on her head. Upon this, I lifted her 
 up. When Harry saw this, he ran and 
 clasped us both round, then began to 
 dance, sing, and whoop, louder than be. 
 fore, uttering confusedly, and without or- 
 der, all the English he knew. T plainly 
 vmderstood all this as the unfeigned ex- 
 pressions of his joy, and gave him the sa- 
 tisfaction of knowing that I was much gra- 
 tified with it.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 137 
 
 Our wedding was thus accomplished 
 without much external form, but with as 
 pure sentiments of love and affection as 
 ever warmed two youthful hearts. Never 
 did a young couple come together on more 
 equal terms ; our love, our interest, our for- 
 tune, our desires, and our intentions, were 
 all one — that of becoming helpmates to 
 each other ; and I felt grateful to Provi- 
 dence for the blessing it had bestowed on 
 me, in this faithful creature as my partner 
 for life. Our vows were exchanged before 
 Heaven, in a temple not made with hands ; 
 and I trust, though they were offered 
 in the wilderness, they were accepted by 
 that Being who delights in the happiness 
 of his creatures. 
 
 This event took place just three years 
 and seven months after my landing on the 
 Spanish shore, or Main coast, as I learnt 
 it afterwards to be, though at that time 
 I supposed it to be an island. I now pro- 
 posed to Harry that he should sleep in my
 
 138 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 bower, to which he readily consented ; and \ 
 told him, whenever he could find out a wife 
 for himself it would make me extremely 
 happy. 
 
 Some time after this great affair was 
 settled, my new brother and I went over 
 to the Bird Island to procure conches and 
 e^gs. When we came on the shoal, and 
 had hauled up our boat near a clump of 
 bushes, there seemed to be a great stir 
 beneath them. On examination, we found 
 a multitude of shell-fish, or rather amphi- 
 bious gentry, called soliers or soldiers, Irom 
 their red colour. As there is something 
 singular in the nature of these creatures, I 
 shall give a description of them, to the best 
 of my knowledge and ability ; viz. they are 
 always to be found in shells of different 
 kinds ; but the welk is the largest they like 
 to dwell in. The fore-part of this small 
 animal resembles the lobster when boiled ; 
 the after-part within the shell is of so deli- 
 cate a nature, that it will not bear the
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 139 
 
 slightest injury. They either come out of, 
 or go into the sea, to possess themselves of 
 the shells ; and what is remarkable, that, 
 soldier-like, they have most warlike dispo- 
 sitions, and are continually fighting and 
 committing hostilities on each other. In 
 these contests, they often beat each other 
 out of their tents, never failing to take ad- 
 vantage of an empty house, immediately 
 on the other quitting it. As they grow 
 larirer, they shift from one shell to another. 
 They are good eating, roasted on the coals, 
 leaving the shell directly as the fire touches 
 them. They pinch sharply with their 
 claws when first caught. Having taken 
 about half a peck of these soldiers, I walked 
 towards a point where there were many 
 pelicans, and some so young that they 
 could not fly. I had been but a short time 
 on this spot, when the old ones began to 
 be verytroublesome ; taking a circuit round 
 me, gliding on the wing, they would 
 every now and theij return, and give me
 
 140 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 such slaps on my head, that I was obliged 
 to defend myself with my paddle as I re- 
 treated. 
 
 Having gathered a few eggs, I returned 
 to the canoe, where Harry shewed me a 
 large fish called a ten-pounder, which he 
 had struck with his dart. These fish are 
 shaped like a mullet, exceeding swift of fin, 
 but very bony. This gave me a specimen 
 of my new brother's dexterity, as he struck 
 it in its full career, as a good shotsman 
 would a swallow on the wing. We novr 
 began to hunt for a few large shells ; and 
 as we were at this work, Harry took up a 
 trace of an odd kind of stuff, such as I had 
 often kicked before me on the shore. He told 
 me it was a parcel of young conches ; and 
 on opening one of the parts, it proved to 
 be so, there being more than forty young 
 ones in the cells, all completely formed. 
 This trace of stuff was at least two yards 
 long, and must have contained some thou- 
 sands, being joined close together, and ia
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 141 
 
 form like to the plant house-leek, of an 
 odd texture, and in colour resembling san- 
 dy yellow. 
 
 This leads me to remark, that shell fish, 
 as they increase in age and magnitude, re- 
 tire into still deeper water ; and this is the 
 reason why we so seldom find the shells with 
 the fish in them of a great size, though 
 smaller ones are frequently found ; the 
 others never coming into shoal water, but 
 when worked up by tempestuous weather. 
 In confirmation of this, as I was fishing in 
 about ten fathom water, there came up 
 ^vith my hook a very large shell with the 
 fish alive in it, of the helmet species. I 
 had seen thousands of them before, along 
 the shore, but not of one quarter the size 
 of that I brought up, which weighed at 
 least from ten to twelve pounds. 
 
 When we were about fifty yards from 
 the shore, I discovered a small chicken 
 turtle on the top of the water. I shewed 
 it to Harry, who, snatching up his dart.
 
 142 PENROSE'S JOURNAb. 
 
 bade me paddle slowly for it. T did so, 
 and he struck it in the back. The shaft 
 dropped out, and away she towed us ; he 
 tending the line which w^as fastened to the 
 head of the boat, till she grew tired. We 
 then got her in ; she weighed about twenty 
 pounds ; and we returned home and made a 
 ieast with it. 
 
 This adventure determined me to make 
 a strong line for the purpose, which, by 
 the assistance of my brother Harry, was 
 soon completed ; and we often procured 
 turtle in abundance. I now began to con- 
 trive how we should make a small turtle- 
 crawl to confine a few of them as they 
 •were caught. This, with much labour, we 
 accomplished to our satisfaction. 
 
 Finding that my companions began to 
 understand English, so as fully to compre- 
 hend my meaning, I began to interrogate 
 them about their country. I asked Luta, 
 how far off was the place she came from ? 
 She shook her head, and said, "About
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 143 
 
 three sleep and three wakes," meaning about 
 three davs journey ; but Harry said, " It 
 was long more than four sleep, he was cer- 
 tain." I asked her then, who was the old 
 man who died in the canoe ? She said, 
 " He was her moder-fader, called Co- 
 duuno ; that their own moder was dead, 
 and their fader put dead by the fighting 
 men ; that she and Harry lived with the 
 old man ; that they had two broders and 
 two sisters, who were married to men and 
 women like she and I were " I then ask- 
 ed them if any white men came among 
 them? They said, " Not every day, but 
 once in many sleeps ; she had never seen 
 but three of them, and they were old men, 
 and it was long ago ; once when she was so 
 high," (holding her hands about three feet 
 • from the ground). I inquired what they 
 did when they came ? " They brought 
 crooked sticks with them," she said, " and 
 made the women tell everv thinf(." I then
 
 114. PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 asked, if they did not exchange things willi 
 them ? *' Yes, some small — all for good,** 
 she said, " but her people did not like to 
 walk with them.'' " Why?" " Because,'' she 
 said, " they kill all her old people long 
 while ago, when the very old trees were 
 small, as she heard old men say, but now 
 much more grown every where ; — her peo- 
 ple had no way to get out from them, and 
 they could not push them into the sea." I 
 asked Harry, if their people did not eat 
 men when they killed them in fight ? He 
 gave me a sneer, and spit on the ground ; 
 saying, " No I no ! no ! never ! not eat ! but 
 that the old men said such things had been 
 done when the moon was a little star." 
 
 I then inquired how they came to this 
 shore. To this he made answer, that 
 they came out to fish and catch turtle; but* 
 when they had been out two days, the old 
 man had a fit, which, as I understood 
 them, he was much subject to ; that the
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 145 
 
 wind came off the shore so strong that 
 they could not regain it ; and finding the 
 old man grow worse and worse, they had 
 at length gained my place, after being out 
 nine days, drifting away with the current, 
 quite out of their knowledge, having never 
 been so far from home before. 
 
 " Should you be willing to go back ?" said 
 I. 
 
 On this they both eagerly cried, " Go l 
 Yes, — go, you go — you go." 
 
 I told them that I would go when I 
 could find the way thither ; and then drop- 
 ped the subject. 
 
 Thus things went on till my fourth year 
 ran out. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 146 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 TIFTH YEAR OF MY RESIDENCE. 
 
 One evening as we were all sitting to- 
 gether, I resumed the subject of their go- 
 ing back again. On this they both caressed 
 me fondly, and said, " yes, go — one, two, 
 tlvree.''"' " No," said I, '- if I should go, your 
 people do not know me, and would have 
 nothing to say to me ; but there is your 
 canoe, go when you please, and I can re- 
 main as you found me.*" This I said to try 
 them. 
 
 Upon this a kind of sullen silence en- 
 sued ; and I observed the tears fall from 
 the girFs eyes. I took her in my arms,
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 147 
 
 and told Harry to observe his sister. He 
 then began to weep too, and said, " I never 
 go, Penoly, out you and Luta."' In the 
 midst of this affecting scene, I felt some- 
 thing sting me on my thigh sharply. I 
 immediately got up, and found a huge cen- 
 tipede under me. The pain in a short time 
 became almost intolerable, and gave them so 
 sudden an alarm, that fear became the pre- 
 dominant passion, and at once dissipated all 
 their other apprehensions. Harry ran and 
 killed the insect ; and pounding it with 
 wet dirt, laid it on my thigh ; and Luta 
 bound it up after the best way she could. 
 I then laid myself down — was in a fever 
 for above an hour, with my head on the 
 girl's lap, who was weeping over me in the 
 most affectionate manner. I fell asleep. 
 How long I lay I know not ; but when I 
 awoke I was almost choked with thirst. 
 They gave me some fish soup ; and by the 
 morning I felt not the least uneasiness. 
 When I began to shew myself as usual,
 
 U^ PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 Luta said to me, softly, " me never go, 
 Penoly no go — but Penoly go — Harry go 
 — Luta go." 
 
 I had now began to reflect with myself, 
 that no true pleasure can be felt which 
 occasions the slightest pain to others ; and 
 as it was but a wanton kind of trial of 
 their affections, I was properly served, 
 and ought to be fully satisfied with the re- 
 buke I had received, without trying upon 
 them any more such painful experiments. 
 
 Harry was now my prime minister in all 
 my undertakings. One day as he return- 
 ed from gathering wood, he brought with 
 him a large yellow snake. I had seen 
 some of them before, as well as a small 
 green sort, with another striped like a 
 barber'^s pole, with black and yellow. I 
 asked him what he would do with it ; " eat 
 it," he said. " Do so, then, if you can stand 
 the poison." He cut off the head, skinned, 
 and gutted it, then laid it on the coals ; 
 when it was done, he brought it to me to
 
 PENROSE'S JOITRNAL. 149 
 
 taste, but I declined it. I asked Luta, if 
 she liked it, she said, " yes, very good." 
 When I saw them fall to with such ap- 
 petite, I tasted it, and must confess that 
 it was as tender as a chicken, and of a 
 fine flavour. Another time he brought 
 home a prodigious large calabash on his 
 head. I was then in the cave, and Luta 
 called me out to see rt. And I must con- 
 fess it was the largest fruit production 
 I had ever seen ; to speak within reason, 
 it could not weigh less than eight-and- 
 twenty to thirty pounds. Harry cut it 
 in two, and then began to scoop it out ; 
 when it was thus made hollow, each part 
 would at least contain a gallon of water. 
 I laid the two parts by in the shade to 
 harden ; it then became of great use to 
 us, always standing in the cave, full of 
 water, for our use and comfort. 
 
 Shortly after this, I determined to re- 
 \:isit the new lagoon, where I found the 
 turtle skulls ; therefore I bade Harry get
 
 J 50 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 ready both canoes ; and the next day 
 we dressed a few fish, and filled one of 
 the large shells or divisions of the cala- 
 bash with water, and left the cave ; Luta 
 and myself in my canoe, Harry and Miss 
 Doe in the other. We had no interruption 
 in our passage, but arrived at the place of 
 skulls with ease; then proceeded to a 
 grove of mangroves, close on the water. 
 Here we saw a great multitude of mullets, 
 and other fish, with plenty of whistling 
 ducks, cranes, galdings, the bald eagles, 
 lish hawks, &:c. ; and being in greater num- 
 bers than I had seen before, were a sure 
 sign of much fish in the lagoon. There 
 was a channel of about four or five feet 
 deep all the way to the mouth of it ; but 
 at the entrance the water deepened to 
 two fathoms in most places, till we cams 
 up it near half a mile, when it became 
 shallower by degrees. The length of this 
 lagoon is about a mile, or perhaps som{^- 
 thing more, with its entrance so shut iu
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 151 
 
 by a point, that at the distance of one 
 hundred yards it is not perceptible. When 
 we got to the head of it, we observed 
 a large and spacious place, with a beautiful 
 fall of water coming down from a cliff 
 about forty feet high, with fine trees over- 
 hanging every part. This water made its 
 course to the lagoon, down a fine lawn, 
 mixed with patches of gravel, for the dis- 
 tance of about one hundred yards. No- 
 thing could exceed the beauty of thi^ 
 scene ; it formed a kind of semicircle, 
 measuring, by computation, about a mile, 
 every where environed by groves and 
 thickets, except as you advance on the 
 right, where you may walk among the 
 trees to the summit, and have a complete 
 view of the whole area, with the lagoon, 
 woods, lawn, and sea in the distance. 
 
 I now told Harry to make fast both 
 canoes, and we then proceeded up the 
 lawn together, quite to the waterfall. As 
 we advanced, a large flock of parrots flew
 
 352 TENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 over our heads, making a strange outcry. 
 On this we halted, it being the first time 
 I had ever seen any of these birds wild. 
 As I was thus gazing round me, I per- 
 ceived at some distance an opening amongst 
 the rocks; thither we bent our course,, 
 and on a nearer view we found a passage 
 between them, near to which was a ca- 
 vern, with its entrance oblique to the la- 
 goon, and, as it were, facing the fall of wa- 
 ter, or rather the streamlet which came 
 from the fall. I know not how to give 
 an exact description of this place, unless I 
 say, tha^ it had the appearance of a high 
 Gothic arch, about twenty feet perpendi- 
 cular; it was irregular, and near thirty 
 feet wide, composed of a rugged kind of 
 rock, and the floor fine gravel and small 
 stones. I desired them to follow me, as I 
 was resolved to explore it thoroughly. As 
 we advanced, the echo was so great, that 
 though we spoke low, our voices sounded 
 tremendously. When we entered about
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 153 
 
 five yards, I found the roof began to be 
 more lofty than at the entrance ; and be- 
 fore we proceeded farther, I bade Harry 
 return and gather some sticks, and kindle 
 a fire. After he had done this, we made a 
 farther entrance, with fire-brands in our 
 hands. I now discovered many marks 
 and letters cut on the rock on both 
 sides the entrance, similar to those I 
 had found cut on the tower stone ; by this 
 I found that others had been here before me. 
 I did not think them worth the pains of co- 
 pying, except in two instances, where the 
 names were cut at length, viz. Martin 
 Fletcher, and George Needham, 1670. 
 We now took fresh brands, and advanced 
 forwards. In a short distance, we found 
 it contracted on all sides to about half the 
 magnitude, and inclined much to the left ; 
 -we should have been enveloped in total 
 darkness, had we not used the lighted 
 brands. We were now suddenly arrested 
 ))y a strange noise within, which soon
 
 154 PENROSE'S JOURNAU 
 
 made US scamper back as fast as possible, 
 and we were speedily followed by a set of 
 harpies, as ugly and deformed as the most 
 terrified imagination could have conceiv- 
 ed ; these were no other than enormous 
 bats, the ancient proprietors of the premises, 
 who seemed resolved to defend their 
 possession against all intruders. How- 
 ever, we were not so easily to be over- 
 come. A thorough knowledge of the cause 
 of our fear made us despise it. I bid 
 Harry get fresh lights, resolved to make 
 a further search. He readily complied, 
 and I could scarcely refrain from laughter 
 when I saw him return, running and 
 whooping, with a legion of these nocturnal 
 gentry before him, whirling the fire-brand 
 round his head, crying, " poo, poo, poo, 
 poo,^** and laughing violently at the same 
 time, till he hurried almost out of sight. 
 I soon followed, and asked him if he had 
 found the end; "yes, yes,'' he said, "I 
 put hand there too'' ''And how is it.^^' I saicJ,
 
 PENROSE'S JOURXAL. ' 155 
 
 "Very dark, very little, short,'''he replied; 
 by which I knew he had been to the end 
 of it. 
 
 Soon after this, Harry pointed and 
 shewed me a very fine plantain tree, and I 
 presently saw two more. This so charm- 
 ed me, that I turned short round to Luta, 
 and asked her if she should like to live 
 there. She said, " yes, if I liked to come 
 live too."''' Upon this, I came to a full re- 
 solution of moving without farther delay. 
 I was so delighted with the place that I 
 never reflected on the obstacles which op- 
 posed our making it immediately our sole 
 residence ; such as the distance from our 
 yam patch, and becoming quite land-lock- 
 ed from the sea, &c. This made me pause a 
 little. On the other hand, I began to con- 
 sider the advantages ; that we should be 
 quite safe from storms and inundations, the 
 plantain trees almost at our door, and that, 
 by the hatchet, we could easily clear a way 
 up to the cliff, where we could have a more
 
 156 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 extensive view of the sea, than from the 
 simple beach. These and other reasons 
 turned the scales, and I resolved at once to 
 put the scheme in execution. 
 
 Here we spent the remainder of the daj, 
 and prepared to sleep within the great en- 
 trance that night, with three fires burn- 
 ing before us. This we accomplished 
 without any other disturbance, than now 
 and then a bat would fly in and awaken us 
 with the noise of his wings. At the break 
 of day we set off, and arrived at our old 
 habitation in good order, and found every 
 thing safe at home as we had left it. 
 
 My mind now began ta run strongly on 
 my new situation, and I communicated all 
 my thoughts to Harry. Upon the whole 
 he approved of my plan, but started some 
 objections, which had not occurred to me, 
 viz. the great distance from our turtle 
 crawl, the guano ground, and the little 
 probability there would be of finding drift 
 wood. In all other respects he joined with
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 15T 
 
 me in giving the preference to this place, 
 as contributing much more to our com- 
 forts ; and I determined to remove as soon 
 as possible. In regard to the guano 
 ground and plantation it might be some- 
 what inconvenient for the present ; but 
 when we were settled, we would plant nearer 
 home, and make a new crawl for our turtle 
 in the most convenient place we could 
 find. So far we all agreed. 
 
 Hav^ing fixed the day for leaving the 
 cave, we accordingly began to make our 
 preparations. One morning as Harry 
 was out after drift wood on the shore, 
 he spied a canoe, and came running 
 to us almost out of breath, crying, 
 " boat, boat, canoe-boat."" Away I ran 
 with him,.,Luta, in a great fright, fol- 
 lowing us, not knowing what had passed. 
 When we came on the beach, I saw a 
 canoe standing right in for our shore, and 
 about a mile off. There were three sa- 
 vages in her, standing quite erect, with their
 
 158 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 paddles, intending, as I supposed, to land 
 about half a mile below us. We all three 
 retired into the bushes. What step we 
 should take in this critical moment was yet 
 to be determined. I began to observe my 
 companions, and found that both Harry 
 and L.uta seemed very uneasy, though they 
 had been so much for my going with them 
 before. I encouraged them in the best 
 manner I could ; and thus we watched the 
 landing of the savages. They soon came 
 to shore, hauled up their boat, and one of 
 them pointed dirqptly to our cave. They 
 began their march towards us. I therefore 
 concluded they had either seen us or our 
 smoke, and was resolved to meet them bold- 
 ly. When they came within two hundred 
 yards of us, I bade Harry go down on tl^e 
 beach ; then took Luta by the hand, and 
 followed, she trembling with fear. We 
 were in a manner as naked as those w^ 
 w^ere going to meet, except that I had a 
 pair of striped trowsers on, and my bon-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 159 
 
 net on my head. The instant they per- 
 ceived us they stopped short; 1 then hailed 
 them ; they answered me. To shew that I 
 was in no kind of fear, 1 advanced boldly 
 up to them ; one of them called out, " Es- 
 pania? " I answered, " no ; Englese." On 
 this, they all said, " Signor Capitano, bon, 
 bon." I had taken the precaution of call- 
 ing myself an Englishman, from what I 
 had learnt from Harry and his sister of the 
 disposition of their countrymen towards 
 our nation. I then made signs for them to 
 follow me. 
 
 When I found them inclined to be 
 friendly, I told Harry to try if he could 
 understand them. But how^ was I surpiis 
 ed when I saw him fly up to one of them 
 in a transport of joy, and call him by 
 name. They all three at once got about 
 him. I «hall not pretend to give a descrip- 
 tion of their expressions of ecstacy on re- 
 cognising him — it is out of my power. 
 Harry pointed to his sister. I had no o^-
 
 160 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 -casion to apply to her for an explanation 
 of this. It was the language of the heart. 
 It spoke intelligibly to all our feelings. 
 They were of the same nation — probably 
 of the same kindred ; and I could perceive, 
 during the conference, that they looked 
 with confidence and esteem on me. 
 
 I could hold out no longer. I joined 
 them ; when Luta, throwing her arm round 
 my shoulder, gave them to understand that 
 I was her husband. They all three saluted 
 me kindly in their way ; at the same time, 
 examining my person, remarked, that I 
 was larger than they ; for they were light 
 small men, but well proportioned. I was 
 anxious to obtain more information, and 
 told Harry to invite them home with us. 
 They expressed the greatest wonder and 
 amazement when they heard Harry and 
 Luta talk English to me. They would 
 often lift their hands over their heads, cry- 
 ing, " O wah, wah he !"
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. iGl 
 
 i then inquired of Harry whom they were. 
 He told me the elderly man was Koma- 
 loot, his sister's husband's brother; the 
 tallest of the other two was Futatee; the 
 third he did not know. 
 
 This intelligence gave me much pleasure. 
 We soon arrived at the cave. I now bade 
 Harry and his sister sit down with them, 
 and talk over every thing. Luta soon be- 
 came very talkative. I found the subject 
 was their being driven in the canoe, and 
 arriving at this shore. I then desired 
 Harry to prepare a mess for them ; which 
 he flew to perform immediately. I re- 
 marked one thing very peculiar in these 
 people, that they slvewed their teeth much, 
 very rarely closing their lips in conversa- 
 tion. 
 
 I now wanted to learn whether accident 
 or design brought them to this shore. Luta 
 made the inquiry ; and gave me the foU 
 lowing answer : That there had been a 
 great canoe lost lately, and that her friends 
 
 VOL. I. h
 
 162 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 had been out in the great water to it for 
 what they could find. I bid her ask if any 
 of the people were saved. They said no ; but 
 they found four dead men. I then inquir- 
 ed whether they were English or Spaniards; 
 they replied the latter, by their clothes and 
 little wooden crosses about their necks — 
 saying they knew the English threw such 
 things away, unless they were made of 
 gold or silver, as the English did not use 
 wooden gods, thinking them of no value. 
 This made me smile upon Luta ; and she 
 said something that made them all laugh. 
 I inquired what it was. She very ingenu- 
 ously told me, that she had informed them 
 I had no god at all that she ever saw. I 
 asked her how she could tell that. Her an- 
 swer at once closed my mouth, and penetrat- 
 ed to my heart — " If I had one I had never 
 shewn him to her'" I felt convicted of in- 
 gratitude to my maker and preserver, and 
 of injustice towards her, to have so long left 
 her mind in complete ignorance, and thus
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 1^3 
 
 to have deprived her of the comforts and 
 consolation of religion. 
 
 To return to my narrative. I asked 
 Luta what they said concerning her and 
 her brother being missing in the canoe, 
 which drifted to this shore. She said thev 
 informed her, that her friends had been all 
 along the coast in search of them, but had 
 given them up long ago, thinking that they 
 had either perished at sea, or that some 
 vessel had taken them up and carried them 
 away ; that the old man's wife was dead ; 
 also one of her sisters called Niuxa. 
 
 When she repeated the names, I saw her 
 eyes fill with tears. 
 
 One of the Indians asked, whether I was 
 not afraid to live there on account of the 
 rainy season ? I bid her tell him, that I 
 was going to remove to a more convenient 
 situation ; and that I would shew it to 
 them before they returned home if they 
 would stay a day or two. They told Harry 
 they would ; and were going to make a
 
 1G4. PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 small hut to sleep in while they remained 
 with us. We then made a good meal of 
 such things as we could set before them. 
 After they had done, Harry and one of 
 them went to bring round their canoe. 
 When it came I observed they had collect- 
 ed several things out of the wreck, by 
 which I knew it to be a Spaniard. 
 
 There were three pair of undressed 
 leather shoes. Two small brass kettles. 
 A large roll of sailcloth. Some woollen 
 frocks and trOwsers. A good firelock ; but 
 no powder or shot. A great number of 
 spikes and small nails. Some knives with- 
 out springs, like our clasp knives, but open, 
 with a stopper behind. About twenty 
 balls of twine. Six hatchets. Some chissels. 
 Three saws — with plenty offish-hooks, and 
 a pair of shark-hooks. A dozen of fish 
 grainges, tied together, quite new. Two 
 felt hats, and above a dozen new ones, 
 made of straw. A bag of fine Lima beans. 
 Pour hammers, and one mallet.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 165 
 
 But there was one thing which gave me 
 much concern — a bloody shirt. On sight 
 of this, I began to suspect their honesty ; 
 and that possibly they had procured these 
 things by violence and murder. However, 
 without further knowledge, it would be 
 unfair to conclude them guilty ; and to en- 
 tertain such an opinion of them would be 
 a perpetual source of uneasiness. 
 
 I was resolved not to meddle with their 
 booty ; and whether any thing was con- 
 cealed beneath what I had seen I knew 
 not. 
 
 Mr Harry I found very inquisitive and 
 busy in examining their whole cargo ; but 
 I checked him, lest they might be dis- 
 pleased and leave us in a pet, which would 
 have given me much concern.
 
 166 PE^^ ROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 I HAD been on this shore about four years 
 and three months when these Indians ar- 
 rived. They now began to cut down stuff 
 for erecting a temporary hut for themselves^ 
 Harry and I assisted them, with which 
 they were much pleased. They inqun-ed 
 prrticularly how I was first cast on this 
 shore; and as I found they had got some 
 knowledge of it from Luta, I bid her tell 
 them the whole. 
 
 In about three hours the hut was finish- 
 ed, close to that of Harry ; and they pre- 
 pared to rest for the night. On the mor- 
 row, I proposed that Harry and two of
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 167 
 
 the Indians should go out to strike some 
 fish, viz., Futatee and the other, keeping 
 Komaloot with the girl and me. They 
 returned with some fine fish, which I or- 
 dered to be cooked for our voyage. 
 
 The next morning we all put off, and 
 had a pleasant trip of it. When we arriv- 
 ed at the spot, they all agreed that it 
 would suit much better than the old habi- 
 tation, but that I must expect to be 
 troubled now and then with the tigers 
 and wood cats ; that Harry must likewise 
 keep a good look out after the piccaries 
 and warrees, or they would devour all our 
 yams, and other things. 
 
 This was a new and perhaps a useful 
 piece of information, as I had never once 
 thought of any thing of the kind, having 
 never seen any in all the time I had been 
 there. I was nevertheless determined to 
 settle on that spot ; and I observed to them, 
 that 1 had never seen any tigers whilst I 
 lived at the cave. They said, that was very
 
 16g PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 likely ; as those creatures never frequent 
 low mangrove grounds, being much dis- 
 turbed at the noise of the sea, and finding 
 little game in such quarters. But if thej 
 ,sliould chance to make us a visit, we had 
 only to show them some fire, and they 
 would soon run off, and that even smoke 
 cT)ntinued for a time seldom failed to make 
 them quit that quarter. Then pointing to 
 Miss Doe, observed, that she would be apt. 
 to draw them about us. I was so prepos- 
 sessed in favour of the place, that I was re- 
 solved to run all risks. 
 
 We now took a general view of the 
 place, while Harry prepared the fish for 
 <iinner. Having finished our meal, we 
 all got into our canoes, and returned to 
 our old habitation again. On the morrow 
 I proposed to look out for some turtle. 
 Our party consisted of Futatee, his com- 
 panion, Harry and myself, leaving Koma- 
 Joot at home with Luta. We followed our 
 :5port for two days, io which time we took
 
 I*ENROSE'S JOURNAL. 1(K> 
 
 no more than six turtles. Three of them 
 I reserved for ourselves, and placed them 
 in the crawl ; the others they roasted, after 
 their slovenly manner on the coals, for their 
 use as they returned home to their 
 friends. 
 
 They now began to think of departing. 
 I put Luta upon begging from them a few 
 of the articles out of their canoe, which 
 would be of great use to us, promising, at the 
 same time, that we should be always ready 
 to lend any of their countrymen that should 
 land on our shore all the assistance in our 
 power. Upon this they held a council to- 
 gether ; then asked what we desired, and 
 they would be ready to make an exchange 
 with us. I desired her to inform them, 
 that as to offering them any thing in ex- 
 change, they must see it was not in our 
 power. Komaloot then took me to the 
 canoe, and asked Harry what I wanted. I 
 pointed to the hatchets, kettles, twine, &c. 
 but what I seemed most to wish for, were
 
 170 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 the very things they were least willing to 
 part with. He then took up a pair of 
 -shoes, and offered me them. I gave him 
 to understand that they were of no use to 
 me, I was become an Indian like them- 
 selves, and that my wants must be similar 
 to theirs. This produced a fresh consulta- 
 tion. At last Futatee and Komaloot spoke 
 a great deal to Luta, which she thus ex- 
 plained to me ; that they advised us to go 
 and reside among' them ; they would an- 
 swer for it we should be treated with kind- 
 ness, as I had been so good to Luta and 
 Harry. I began to suspect this was only 
 an evasion, to excuse them for not parting 
 •with any of their cargo to supply our ne- 
 cessities. I therefore desired her to inform 
 them, that I was fearful, if I accepted of 
 their offer, that I might through igno- 
 rance of their customs give them some 
 cause of offence ; and of all other things 
 I wished to avoid the Spaniards ; so it was 
 best that I should remam where I was.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 171 
 
 That I should always be glad to see any of 
 them at my poor habitation, which, by re- 
 moving to the other place, would now be 
 made much more convenient ; but if Harry 
 had the least inclination to return with 
 them to see his friends, I would by no 
 means wish to detain him. His sister, I 
 believed, had no such wish to leave me, as 
 we lived together in great love and harmo- 
 ny. Upon this they observed they had 
 no room for Harry, whatever his inclination 
 might be, as their canoe was too fulL 
 liUta then retorted on them sharply, that 
 having so much they would not part with 
 any thing to her. This occasioned a loud 
 laugh, and a great deal of jabbering among 
 themselves ; after which, they took her 
 by the hand, and led her to the canoe, to 
 shew them what she wanted. She point- 
 ed to one of the kettles. They gave it to 
 her. Then they asked me what I chose. 
 I told them Harry wanted an axe. They 
 ^ave him one. 1 observed they had many
 
 1T2 PENROSE'S JOURNAL* 
 
 knives, and we wanted some. They gave 
 us three, with some of the twine. I asked 
 for a few of the Lima beans to plant. 
 They offered me as many as I would have ; 
 and finding them in a complying humour, 
 I hinted that sailcloth would be very use- 
 ful to us. We had this also. But it was 
 with the greatest difficulty they would 
 spare us a few spikes and nails, as they 
 valued them more than any part of the 
 cargo. They readily gave us three of the 
 sanebraros or straw hats. I now thought 
 a little flattery might be useful ; and inti- 
 mated, by means of Luta, that I had taken 
 a particular fancy to Komaloot. The bait 
 took, and I was presented with a shark 
 hook, and two of the new fish gigs. These 
 I valued greatly. They likewise gave me 
 a hammer and a saw, with a parcel of the 
 small fish hooks. 
 
 The next day they prepared to leave us ; 
 but when Harry found this, he took Luta 
 aside, and desired that she would intreat
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. ITS 
 
 them to procure him a wife. This caused 
 much mirth ; but as Luta and I joined se- 
 riously in the petition, they said when they 
 got heme they would advise with their 
 people about it, and endeavour to comply 
 with our wishes ; and observed, that if they 
 should return to us again, they should 
 oome in canoes, as they had never l^een at 
 our place by land. 
 
 They now took their leave in a very 
 friendly manner. We accompanied them to 
 the beach, saw them set oif, and remained 
 near an hour watching them. It was 
 wonderful to see with what expedition 
 they paddled away ; yet the canoe was so 
 full, that I should have been afraid to have 
 trusted a favourite dog in her, unless it 
 was to go along shore, where he could 
 swim for his life. While they remain- 
 ed with us, I tried by every possible means 
 to learn what part of the coast I was upon, 
 but could not succeed. I found that I was 
 on the continent, and not an island as I
 
 174 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 supposed. They would sometimes mention 
 Carthagena, and a few other places. They 
 told me no Indians lived within four days 
 journey of me, but that there were a great 
 many to the northward, with whom they 
 never talked or walked When we return- 
 ed back to the cave, I was surprised to 
 find the shoes and gun among the man- 
 groves, but supposed they had forgotten 
 them. I observed, that for two or three 
 days after their departure, Luta and Har- 
 ry were quite dull, and out of spirits. As 
 I went into the cave, I was greatly sur- 
 prised to see on a ledge three dollars. I 
 called Luta to inquire about it. She told me 
 they had it out of the canoe, from under 
 the sailclotli, and that they had as many 
 as would fill the wooden bowl. These 
 were. of little value, an equal number of 
 nails would have been infinitely more pre- 
 cious to me. 
 
 The next business I took in hand was, 
 I must confess, somewhat out of my line,
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 115 
 
 but my fair countrywomen will, I am sure, 
 excuse this exercise of my ingenuity, when 
 they know to what purpose it was applied. 
 It was no less than to make my lady a 
 petticoat out of the fragment of sailcloth 
 the Indians had left me, by the help of a 
 sail needle, and a little twine. I comiilet- 
 ed this garment in a very workmanlike 
 manner, and shewed her how to put it on. 
 She was so highly pleased with it, when I 
 told her my country people wore the 
 same, that for two or three days she did 
 nothing but admire it as she walked along, 
 and put herself into such strange attitudes 
 to shew it off, that it created me much 
 diversion. It was somewhat of the short- 
 est, I must confess, which gave her a more 
 comic appearance, as it did not reach 
 above a foot below her waist ; but neces- 
 sity will sometimes impose strange varia- 
 tions in the -costume of female habiliments, 
 which are not otherwise to be accounted 
 for. I can offer no apology for the
 
 176 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 scantiness of my wife's petticoat, but'tliB 
 obligation I was under of complying with 
 the old proverb, of " cutting my coat ac- 
 cording to my cloth.*" 
 
 It now came into my head to add a 
 still greater polish to her manners, by 
 teaching her how to make a courtesy, and 
 Harry to make a bow. My lessons, I must 
 confess, w^ere not in the first style of ele- 
 gance, but they were copied in a manner 
 so truly diverting, as to afford me great 
 entertainment; and whenever Luta ob- 
 fserved me to be more thoughtful than 
 usual, she would every now and then drop 
 }ne a courtesy, till she forced me to smile. 
 
 I now determined, by means of my tools, 
 to fit my canoe for sailing. I cut the old 
 boafs rudiier, and made a thwart to fix a- 
 midships, prepared me a small mast suited 
 to my canvas, and when my sail was 
 made, I cui a sprit for it. All being rea- 
 dy, I took a short trip in her with Harry 
 a«d his sister, and found her work well.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 1T7 
 
 The next thing was to examine her bot- 
 tom, and for this purpose we got her cap- 
 sized on the beach. Harry and I now 
 began to peg up all the worm holes, then 
 covered her over with a large quantity of 
 boughs, to keep her from rending, while 
 we went in quest of a shark or two. Ac- 
 cordingly, we went the next day in the 
 small canoe, but were a long time before 
 we met with success ; at last we hooked 
 a shark, killed him, and brought him home. 
 We prepared his liver in our brass ket- 
 tle, and then payed the boat's bottom with 
 it. Some of the oil we used to burn at 
 times in a shell, but we found they soon 
 cracked, and became useless. Harry hav- 
 ing discovered a sort of wood which burnt 
 like a flambeau, this suited our purpose 
 better. 
 
 Being now on the remove, I resolved to 
 examine my reckoning, and mark it down. 
 I found my account stand at my leaving 
 the cave, at four years and six months, 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 178 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 We contrived to convey our moveables 
 thus : Harry took charge ol' Miss Doe, and 
 a few other things, tlie rest I stowed in 
 my large canoe, accompanied by Luta. I 
 bade him paddle away a-head, as I had a 
 large wind ; but I soon fore-reached him, 
 and arrived first, landed my lady, and 
 waited for him. He followed me in about 
 half an hour. We then carried up all our 
 furniture to the castle, the name I gave to 
 our new habitation. Having arranged 
 every thing in a proper manner, Harry and 
 I set off to strike some fish, at which sport 
 he was very skilful. It was not long be- 
 fore he struck a fine snook fish, sufficient 
 to serve us for two meals. When the evening 
 came on, we made three large fires before 
 the entrance of our castle, as a guard 
 against the tigers ; when this was done, 
 we got a few palmetto leaves out of my 
 canoe, and made our beds lor the night, 
 but we had little sleep ; our minds were 
 in some degree agitated with our removal ;
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 179 
 
 every thing was new and strange to us, 
 and we were not entirely without appre- 
 hensions, though our fears had no particu- 
 lar object. Nothing disturbed us during the 
 night, except that a bat or two now and 
 then flew out and in. 
 
 Early in the morning, Harry and I 
 went down to the lagoon, and cut a way 
 into the mangroves, leaving a good shade 
 over head. Here we docked our two canoes. 
 The rest of the day we employed in put- 
 ting all our matters in more exact order ; 
 but it was more than a week before I 
 could at all reconcile myself to my new 
 habitation. My mind was still haunted 
 with frightful ideas of wild beasts ; but my 
 two companions were visited by no such 
 fears, and slept soundly. 
 
 The first piece of work w^e entered upon, 
 was to make a stool for each of us to sit 
 on, and a new table. For these purposes, 
 I ordered Harry to fell a few small trees, 
 such as we could conveniently manage. I
 
 180 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 undertook to cut them in lengths, and saw 
 them through. It cost me much labour 
 before this work was finished, and rough 
 enough they were when made, but they 
 served as well as more costly furniture, for 
 the use we applied them to. 
 
 I chose the inner part of the cavern for 
 our bed chamber, and made fire in it to 
 expel the damps, and drive out the bats ; 
 the outer part was for Harry, somewhat 
 apart from us, and out of our view ; in his 
 station, he was our guard from any sud- 
 den surprise. Thus we continued for two 
 months, without the slightest interruption. 
 I began not only to be reconciled, but 
 charmed with our new dwelling. 
 
 One afternoon we were suddenly alarm- 
 ed by a most unusual noise. Harry ran 
 out, but soon came back, calling out loud- 
 ly for assistance. No sooner did I get out, 
 than I saw poor Miss Doe flying home 
 with a tiger-cat sticking fast between her 
 shoulders. I was much enraged, and
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. |8| 
 
 snatched up one of the hatchets : Harry- 
 followed me ; we were soon up with the 
 animal, and I dispatched it with a single 
 blow. The poor deer was so mangled, 
 that I saw it was impossible for her to 
 live ; I was therefore under the necessity 
 of knocking her on the head. I cannot 
 describe how painful this office was to me, 
 but I considered it as an act of mercy. 
 Poor Harry could not tell what to make of it; 
 he seemed to look at me with surprise mingled 
 with horror ; but I soon convinced him, by 
 shewing him the dreadful state of the poor 
 creature, that it was impossible for it to 
 live, and the short time it could exist 
 must be passed in extreme misery. Thus 
 I lost my faithful, my sportive companion. 
 The event had scarcely happened, when 
 I began to wonder at my ferocity. I re- 
 pented for what I had done, though my 
 reason convinced me I had not acted im- 
 properly. It was the sudden impulse of 
 humanity, to relieve a suffering animal
 
 183 PENROSE'S JOURNAL^ 
 
 from a state of torment. For the moment 
 it became a matter of feelintr onlv. I felt 
 as if I had committed a crime, and wept 
 bitterly. All this time Luta kept at a 
 distance. Harry took some pains to ex- 
 plain the transaction to her. Since the 
 matter was so decided, we thought it ne- 
 cessary to skin the poor animal. During 
 this operation, Luta continued weeping ; 
 indeed, we were all three greatly affected 
 at the loss ot this affectionate and divert- 
 ing creature, and mournfully viewed her 
 remains, with regret and sorrow at our 
 heaits. 
 
 Some time after, Luta observed to me^ 
 that this was a most unlucky beginning ; 
 she wished she had remained at the old 
 cave. I endeavoured to laugh her out 
 of this most foolisii prejudice, and assured 
 her, ihat we were equally under the pro- 
 tection of Providence, here as at the other 
 plciee ; that u e had no dangers to appre- 
 hend but what we weie able to provida
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 183 
 
 against. Notwithstanding all my reason- 
 ing with her, I was very uneasy at having 
 such troublesome and dangerous neigh- 
 bours, and made it a rule to light up a large 
 fire twice a week, which answered our 
 purpose completely, as it was some years be- 
 fore we saw any more of them ; and where- 
 ever we went, Luta always accompanied us, 
 to {.recent the possil)ility of an accident. 
 
 Alter we had been here for a considera- 
 ble time, we went one day along shore to 
 the southward of our lagoon. We found 
 the water very shallow, with a small cur- 
 rent setting north. As we were paddling 
 on, I spied a long range of a small kind of 
 red rushes in the water, as I supposed them 
 to be ; but, on further examination, found 
 them to be the horns of multitudes of cray 
 fish. We pushed our canoe amongst them ; 
 and grasping a handful of their horns, 
 threw them into the boat. Indeed we 
 could have loaded her with them if we had
 
 184 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 been disposed, for they were by no means 
 shy. 
 
 These cray fish are of a light freestone 
 colour, spotted with black and yellow ; and 
 some of them do not weigh less than four 
 pounds ; of which sort Harry struck se- 
 veral afterwards. 
 
 The discovery of these fish was a very 
 important service to us, as it provided us 
 with a variety of food ; and we returned 
 home joyfully with our cargo. The poor 
 deer's skin Harry dressed in the Indian 
 fashion ; and it served me for a jacket, 
 with the hairy side outward, without sleeves, 
 as I was not taylor enough to complete 
 that part oi the work ; but, upon the whole, 
 I acquitted myself tolerably. I was not a 
 little proud of it, as it spared the few 
 clothes I had left ; and going naked, 
 though I was so much accustomed to it, 
 was attended with one inconvenience which 
 was extremely troublesome. This was oc-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 185 
 
 casioned by an insect called the doctor fly, 
 about the size of our conamon hive bee, 
 and shaped somewhat similar, but its head 
 is of a bright Saxon green. No sooner do 
 they find out an object that suits them, 
 than they dart at it, and instantly make 
 the blood fly out, like the touch of a lan- 
 cet. 
 
 By this time Mrs Penrose was far ad- 
 vanced in the way of increasing our family ; 
 on w hich account I took, more than ordi- 
 nary care of her. Harry was so proud of 
 it, that he was continually talking to me 
 on the subject ; asking me what name I 
 would give the child, &c. he. 
 
 We now began to clear a good road up 
 the hill with our hatchets, that we might 
 the better come at the top of the cliff over 
 the entrance of our castle. This we did 
 by spells — a day now and then — until my 
 reckoning proved that I had now been 
 anotlier year complete on this island.
 
 186 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 GHAP. IX. 
 
 SIXTH YEAR OF MY RESIDENCE. 
 
 After we had cleared round the top of 
 the cliff, we could survey the whole coast 
 far and wide, and could plainly perceive 
 the great danger ships of burthen would be 
 in, if they approached it too near ; as there 
 was nothing but rock, sand banks, reefs, 
 and currents, with eddies and breakers, to 
 be seen along the whole coast. It was, 
 therefore, no wonder I saw so few ves- 
 sels. 
 
 One day I took occasion to ask Harry 
 if he could tell me what his name meant 
 in English ^ This puzzled him not a little ;,
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 187 
 
 but after conversing some time with his 
 sister, they agreed that Ayasharry signified 
 a swift runner, or a light-footed person. 
 I then bid him translate Luta's name, and 
 they said it signified green grove — that 
 Komaloot meant a finder or searcher, and 
 Futatee a bald eagle. Codii-uno, the name 
 of the old man who died in the boat, signi- 
 fied a man of great strength. 
 
 One day as I ascended the hill to look 
 out as customary, I thought I discovered 
 something like boats, off a point to the 
 southward. On this the spy-glass, for the 
 first time, came into my head ; so I return- 
 ed for it. Harry was at this time gone a 
 fishing ; but returning soon, we went up 
 together, and found that, as I suspected, 
 they were boats or canoes. Harry began 
 to whoop and dance for joy ; he said Ko- 
 maloot was c(jming with three canoes. I 
 found on this, as on many other occa.sions, 
 that the Indians can see distinctly at a 
 much greater distance than Europeans.
 
 188 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 However, in this instance, his joy had 
 made him exaggerate ; as by the help of 
 my glass, I could see plainly there were 
 but two canoes. I laughed at him on this, 
 and observed, that one canoe was large 
 enough to bring him a wife. This made 
 him shake his head, saying, he believed 
 they would not do him that service ; now 
 his father, mother, and old Codu-uno, 
 were dead. 
 
 We now saw them come round the end 
 of Long Key, and put right away for our 
 dwelling. I could count eight people. We 
 all three got into my canoe, and went 
 down the lagoon to meet them. As soon 
 as we got out, we made up a fire. This 
 they saw ; and when the}' came within 
 hail, we gave a good shout — they answer- 
 ed us. I bade Harry and Luta dance with 
 me, to shew them how glad we were to see 
 them. 
 
 The first man who jumped out was 
 Komaloot. He ran to meet me, and I him.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. H§ 
 
 After embracins^, he said, Yalut-ta ? I 
 pointed to the fire where she stood. He 
 then ran and took her in his arms — shook 
 hands with and hugged Harry. By this 
 time they were all landed. A fine scene 
 now presented itself to me. 
 
 Nature, undisguised nature, began to 
 display her full powers. They all ran to- 
 gether in a cluster, fell to weeping, 
 laughing, hugging, and even went so far 
 as to bite each other. One of the men 
 threw out of the boat some arms, and then 
 fell to dancing. This I knew betokened 
 friendship ; and I kept dancing and sing- 
 ing at such a rate, that had any of my own 
 countrymen seen me, they would have 
 thought me as much a savage as the rest ; 
 but I knew it to be my interest, as a 
 stranger among them, to shew these de- 
 monstrations of joy at seeing them, and 
 bidding them welcome. 
 
 My visitors were as follow : Komaloot 
 and his brother, called Vatte-queba, (this
 
 190 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 person was the husband of Luta''s sister,) 
 his wife Lama-atty, Owa gamy, (this man 
 seemed to be of some authority among 
 them,) Futatee, who visited us before, Da- 
 ma-santo, and Zula-wana; and lastly, Ca- 
 ra-wouma, with a little boy in her arms, 
 aged about two years, called Quea-ruva. 
 
 AVe all embarked again for our castle, 
 and arrived soon after. When they were 
 landed, I made signs of the great joy their 
 presence gave me, and then led them 
 to our dwelling. I bid Harry to desire 
 Komaloot to place them before me accord- 
 ing to their dignity. When he was made 
 to understand this, he took Owa-gamy by 
 the hand, and seated him first. I desired 
 him to bring me a few flat stones, which 
 he did. I took one, and with the point of 
 my knife scratched his name on it. I then 
 asked him what it was in English. He 
 said it was a traveller. This I wrote be- 
 neath it, and laid the stone in Luta''s lap. 
 The next that came was Zula wana. They
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 191 
 
 told me his name meant a good canoe-man. 
 I put down this likewise, and delivered the 
 stone as before. Then came Vatte-queba, 
 or the excellent fisherman; Futatee, the 
 bald eagle ; Lama-atty, or transparent wa- 
 ter ; Cara-wouma, or beloved darling ; and 
 lastly, the boy Quea ruva, or the council- 
 lor. During the whole oK this ceremony, 
 they all sat in solemn silence, witii their 
 eyes fixed steadily on me ; but as soon as 
 I had concluded, Owa-gamy inquired the 
 reason of all this. Harry told him it was 
 for the purpose of learning their names, 
 and fixing them in my memoiy With 
 this they were all very much pleased ; and 
 Owa-gamy, pointing to each, repeated their 
 names again. 
 
 After this Komaloot took the young 
 woman Cara-wouma by the hand, and be- 
 gan a long oration to me, now and then 
 turning to Owa-gamy and the rest, as if 
 for their assent or approbation. They all 
 answered in one tone, like an amen in the
 
 192 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 church. When he had finished, he sat down, 
 leaving the girl standing. During the whole 
 of this, Harry was smiling, and looking at 
 his sisters, they nodding their heads in re- 
 turn, so that I soon began to comprehend 
 the business. I then desired Luta to ex- 
 plain the w hole to me in English in the 
 best manner she could ; which she did thus : 
 '' Komoloot says, when he went back to 
 our people, he told them, that they had 
 seen my brother and me. No more dead. 
 One white lost man, who had heart as big 
 as great friend, had lifted up our lives again, 
 and covered over the bones of good old 
 man Codu-uno ; that Penoly had nade one 
 of three people, so that all agreed I was a 
 great hearted man ; and for that reason, 
 Ow^a-gamy came with them to drink clear 
 water with me ; and, out of the great love 
 they bore to Ayasharry, they had brought 
 him Cara-wouma for a wife, she being will- 
 ing, when she heard he was come alive 
 again." When she had finished, I took
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 193 
 
 the girl by the hand, led her to Harry, and 
 made them join hands, in presence of the 
 whole company. They all gave a great 
 shout of approbation, and thus ended the 
 ceremony. 
 
 I now began to think it high time to re- 
 gale my visitors, but first desired Luta to 
 inform them, that their coming so early in 
 the day, prevented our giving them such 
 an entertainment as we wished ; but if thev 
 would help my brother Harry in catching 
 a i&yf fish, we would cook them with the 
 greatest expedition. Two of them imme- 
 diately offered to accompany Harry, and I 
 desired him to take them among the cray fish. 
 
 During their absence, Luta took her 
 friends to shew them all the beauties of the 
 place, and explained to them our manner 
 of living and sleeping, Sec. Owa-gamy ob- 
 served many things to her, in regard to 
 our future happiness, which she inter- 
 preted to me, and bid me remember to 
 get some fresh water to drink with the 
 
 TOL. r, N
 
 194. PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 men, as it was always their custom with 
 friends. I desired her to get me a cala- 
 bash, and then went to the stream, and dip- 
 ped it full, took Owa-gamy by the hand^ 
 and drank to him. This pleased him much, 
 and he received it from me, and drank 
 also. No sooner had this ceremony pass- 
 ed round, than they all began to sing, 
 dance, and laugh with me, in a more free 
 manner than hitherto. 
 
 The canoes soon returned with plenty of 
 fish, which were speedily cooked. Then all 
 sat down, and made a hearty meal. Our 
 liquor was the pure stream that run from 
 the rock. This done, I desired Harry to 
 amuse his friends with a song, which he 
 did in a very droll manner, with great va- 
 riety of action, sna|?|)ing of fingers, &c. 
 AVhen Harry had finished, they all got up, 
 took each other by the hand, and began 
 singing and dancing after their rude man- 
 ner. They used but little motion, being no 
 more than a kind of gentle trot, stopping
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 195 
 
 every now and then, to give a loud whoop. 
 When they were pretty well tired with 
 dancing, they retired to the porch of the 
 cave, and fell asleep. 
 
 I grew so fond of the little Tboy, that he 
 seemed delighted to play with me. He 
 would sometimes touch my beard, and then 
 shrink back to his mother, and hide his 
 face. She asked Luta why I did not 
 pluck it out as their men did. She told 
 her it was not the custom in my country ; 
 that white men used to cut it off with 
 sharp knives, but that I had none of them, 
 and therefore let it grow. Lama-atty ob- 
 served, she should not like to feel her hus- 
 band's face so. Luta laughed at her for 
 this, and then laid her cheek on the head 
 of the child. 
 
 Luta told me, her sister had informed 
 her, that they had brought some things in 
 the boat for us, which I was glad to hear ; 
 and that Lama-atty said, she was glad to 
 find her with child, as that would make me
 
 19« PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 love her harder ; but Luta told her, that 
 could not be, unless I was to eat her. 
 This made me laugh so loud, that it 
 awakened the men, who all came out to us. 
 Shortly after Lama-atty .said somewhat to 
 Zula-wana. They went immediately down 
 to their boats, and brought up to us a 
 bundle of bass rope, four earthen pots 
 made of fine red clay, about half a peck of 
 Lima beans, some very small peas, rotten 
 oranges, long sweet potatoes, and other 
 sorts of roots ; about three handfuls of In- 
 dian corn, mammees, avogatos, cashoo 
 nuts, squashes, pompion, and gourd seeds, 
 all in the planting way. They gave us 
 also five cocoa-nuts and some cotton seed, 
 with several other things, of which I knew 
 not even the names. They brought with 
 them two dogs, which, I must confess, I 
 could not help coveting. They differed 
 considerably from our dogs, were of a mid- 
 dle size, of the colour of rusty iron, with 
 their ears erect, and broad faced, having
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. lOT 
 
 sharp snouts, and stump tails. I wished 
 much for one of them, but was fearful of 
 asking, lest I might appear greedy ; but 
 Owa-gamy, observing my fondness, made 
 me signs that I should have one of them 
 v»'hen they went away, to keep off the wild 
 beasts. 
 
 The Indians now began to talk to Luta 
 about planting, and gave her very good 
 advice upon the subject. I asked their 
 opinion about planting a fence round our 
 abode, to guard us from the tigers, &c. 
 This they strongly objected to, saying, the 
 more trees we had about us, the more we 
 should be troubled with the mosquitoes. I 
 took their advice. They continued with 
 us five days, when they began to prepare 
 for their departure, collecting provisions 
 for their voyage. I gave them every as- 
 sistance in my power, and the fullest as- 
 surances of a hearty welcome, whenever 
 they or any of their people would favour 
 us with another visit. Just as they were
 
 198 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 leaving us, Zula-vvana took one of the 
 dogs, and tied it to a stump for me, which 
 made me quite happy. When they took 
 boat, we accompanied them out into the 
 bay. 
 
 At parting, I made Harry give them once 
 more his song, which he did, and they all 
 sang in their turns. Hearing the dog howl 
 very much, I took the opportunity of ask- 
 ing them how we should feed him, as we 
 had so little flesh. They laughed, and 
 said, he would eat fish or fruit as well. I 
 then desired to know when they would pay 
 us another visit. They said after many 
 moons, when they could walk by their 
 neighbours with good countenances. By 
 this I judged they were at war. I then 
 desired Harry to inform them, that it was 
 ni)' desire they would never communicate 
 my being on this shore to the Spaniards, 
 as my nation was at war with them, and 
 they wouhl be glad to take and send me to 
 work in theii' mines. I should then be for
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 199 
 
 ever lost to them and Luta. They one 
 and all made signs that they would com- 
 ply with my request, and would sooner be 
 burnt with great fires than betray me ; and 
 I gave them full credit for their sincerity 
 and attachment. 
 
 We kept them company as far out as 
 the Long Key, and then took our leave, with 
 much lamentation among the women, es- 
 pecially poor Luta, who wept bitterly on 
 parting with her sister. I must confess 
 that I was myself much affected ; perhaps 
 I was taking my last leave of some of the 
 most affectionate and disinterested of mor- 
 tals, who had supplied my necessities with 
 the greatest attention and humanity, and 
 had made a voyage of so many leagues for 
 the sole purpose of visiting me, and antici- 
 pating those wants, which they well knew 
 my forlorn situation exposed me to, by an 
 ample provision of most useful articles. 
 Yet these were untutored savages. I blush 
 for civilized Europeans I
 
 200 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 On our return, our first business was to 
 make some wooden shovels to turn up the 
 earth with. These cost us some trouble, 
 cs we were obliged to make them out of 
 solid timber in tlie best manner we could. 
 I began now to advise Harry respecting 
 Lis future conduct to his wife, and desired 
 that he would in every respect behave to 
 her, as he should observe me do to his sis- 
 ter. As he saw I was very serious, he 
 made me a very low bow, and promised to 
 obey me in every thing, and in the present 
 instance with the greatest pleasure. He 
 then brought Carra-wouma to me, and de- 
 sired that I would give her a new name, 
 as I had before done to his sister and him- 
 self. I told him we would call her Patty ; 
 which was the first name that came into 
 my head. He asked me what was the 
 meaning of that name in English. This 
 puzzled me a little. I told him, however, 
 it meant fine girl. This pleased him very 
 well, as perhaps any other would have
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 201 
 
 done. Mv family was now increased to 
 five, including the dog. 
 
 Our next business to attend to was 
 planting ; and this I considered it would 
 be best to begin at the old burnt ground, 
 near our first habitation, as I was fearful 
 we might be troubled here with the wild 
 beasts ; and as I had never seen any on the 
 
 * 
 
 low coast near the sea, I thought that would 
 suit us best. This occupation took us up 
 more than a fortnight. We now found the 
 turtles began to draw in for the shore, their 
 time of laying being near. We followed 
 them every day till we had caught eight. 
 It then came into my mind that we were 
 taking more trouble than was necessary ; 
 and I observed to Harry, if we watched 
 them when they came on shore to lay, it 
 might answer our purpose much better ; we 
 should then take all females, the males at 
 this season being very lean, and not good 
 for much. We followed this practice till 
 we had turned so many we found it ne- 
 cessary to desist.
 
 202 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 One fine moon-light night, as we were 
 at this sport, Harry somewhat too impa- 
 tient for the turtle to fix herself, she dis- 
 covered him, and made at once back for 
 the sea. Observing this, he ran and got 
 astride on her back, grasping the forepart 
 of her callipash. Seeing this, I ran too 
 and got on behind, and Patty came and 
 clung round my waist. Notwithstanding 
 this, she was so large and strong, that she 
 scrabbled us fairly into the sea. Patty 
 tumbled off backwards. I slid off on one side 
 and lost my hat; but Harry stuck on her, 
 till she sank him up to his chin, and then 
 he left her. This little adventure occa- 
 sioned much laughter, and Luta had full 
 enjoyment of the scene from the beach. 
 Having regained my hat, we returned home 
 for the night. 
 
 The next morning early, we returned 
 to the scene of action, and with much la- 
 bour, conveyed eleven turtles to our crawl, 
 the least of which weighed near three 
 hundred weight. We had at the same time
 
 PENROSE'S JOURMAL. 203 
 
 erght chicken turtle. We sometimes pro- 
 cured sea grass for them, with conches 
 and welks, and it was surprising to see 
 with what ease they cracked the shells, 
 though they were as hard as flint. 
 
 We now passed our time easily and 
 pleasantly, and wanted for nothing ; yet I 
 must confess that I sometimes longed to 
 taste bread, which had not passed my lips 
 for some years. What little clothes I had 
 left, were husbanded with the strictest 
 care ; not for the use I made of them at 
 present, but there was something painful 
 in the idea of being deprived of them ; it 
 seemed to shut me out from the possibility 
 of returning to the world I had left, and 
 confine me to a savage state for life. How- 
 ever fanciful this association may appear, 
 I really felt that such a deprivation would 
 have given me the pain I have described. 
 
 My lady now drew near her time, and 
 we had the sad misfortune for Harry to 
 fall sick. Patty proved a very tender and
 
 204. PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 good nurse, but I was sadly put to It ; as 
 he took to his bed of leaves, and was in a 
 high fever. I found that Luta and Patty 
 had some knowledge in herbs, and they 
 made tea for him, while I prepared weak 
 soups. He was at times delirious, and 
 wanted to go a fishing, or to see his sister 
 Lama-atty, Having no assistance, I was 
 obliged to take all our concerns on myself, 
 and go to the old cave for yams and turtle, 
 and likewise to fish. 
 
 One morning early, as I was going on 
 one of these errands, I met with a most 
 serious alarm. Just as I got out of our la- 
 goon, I beheld a sloop at anchor, off the 
 end of the Long Key. I saw men walking 
 along the shore, where they had pitched a 
 tent. I was so affrighted, that I trembled 
 in every joint I had scarcely power to 
 proceed or to put b.ick. Recovering my- 
 self a little, I got within the point, being 
 certain they had not seen me, as I was so 
 close under the land. I put up the lagoon^
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 205 
 
 and made for our habitation. The first 
 thing I did was to put out the fire. Luta 
 seeing me much agitated, desired to know 
 the cause. I waved it. But when she saw 
 me take out the glass and run up the hill, 
 she asked me if some of their people were 
 coming. This was enough, Harry over- 
 heard her question, ran out, and ill as he 
 was, would follow me. When we arrived 
 at the top, I could plainly see five or six 
 men clothed, and I knew them to be 
 Spaniards by their broad hats. While I 
 was looking, I saw them kindle up a large 
 fire, and some of them went off on the 
 ramble. I likewise heard the report of a 
 gun, and saw the smoke. This at once 
 convinced me they were not Indians, and 
 I determined to avoid them with as much 
 caution as possible. Harry had been so 
 elated with the hopes of seeing his 
 countrymen, that he acted as if nothing 
 ailed him, and wanted me to go imme- 
 diately to meet them. I refused. And as
 
 206 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 I was carelessly leaning over a crooked 
 stump, eagerly watching them, the root 
 of the tree gave way, and tumbled me 
 down the declivity for some yards, till I 
 was stopped by a sharp pointed rock. I was 
 much scratched and hurt, and lay quite 
 helpless, as m.y leg and back were greatly 
 torn by the stones. Harry called Patty, 
 and between them they conveyed me down 
 the hill I was quite unable to move. 
 Patty gathered medicinal herbs ; my wife 
 boiled them, and washed my wounds. I 
 was very uneasy lest Harry should relapse. 
 This and the enemy being almost at our 
 door, troubled me sadly. However, con- 
 trary to my expectations, Harry kept upon 
 his legs tolerably well, and after my 
 wounds had been well bathed, I found mj 
 spirits quite revived, and that I was 
 not so much hurt as I feared. I bade him 
 go and hunt for the glass, and keep a good 
 look out. He soon came back with it, 
 and told me the strangers were not yet
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 207 
 
 gone. The next morning he went up very 
 earlj, and said they were there yet, and 
 were going about in a boat. My patience 
 would hold no longer. I was resolved to 
 go myself. Attempting to stand, I found 
 my right leg was very stiff, so that I could 
 hardly put it to the ground. Yet I was 
 resolved to hobble up the hill, with the 
 assistance of Harry and Patty. This I ac- 
 complished with some difficulty, and seat- 
 ed myself with my glass in my hand to 
 watch the motions of the enemy. I found 
 they were just striking their tent. As we 
 had eaten nothing since their appearance, 
 we now began to regale ourselves on some 
 turtle eggs. They staid there all this 
 day ; and we spent the second night in the 
 same state of fear and uncertainty as the 
 first. The next morning Harry brought 
 us word they were all gone. I put my 
 best leg foremost, and mounted the hill. 
 They were out of sight ; but by the help 
 of my glass I could just discover the sloop
 
 208 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 standing close hauled to the eastward. 
 Who they were or what was their errand, 
 I never could learn, but felt glad enough 
 that they were gone. 
 
 This happened about five years and 
 three months after my landing on this 
 shore. The next day Luta presented me 
 ■with a son. I called him Owen, that being 
 the name of my father. The following 
 day was remarkable also, by my discover- 
 ing a large ship in the offing. When I 
 first observed her, she was a great way 
 out, standing to the westward. We soon 
 lost sight of her, and she never nigh- 
 ed the shore again. This was the first 
 large ship I had seen near the coast in all 
 my time. 
 
 A few days after this, an aloe began to 
 blossom directly before our dwelling; it was 
 surprising to see the rapid progress it 
 made in a short time. I had seen many 
 before, but never one so large, and so fair 
 within view. In the space of twelve
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. g09 
 
 <lays or a fortnight, It grew to the height 
 of thirty feet, as I judged, full of the most 
 beautiful tufts of yellow flowers, and scent- 
 ed the place all round. The humming 
 birds, bees, wasps, and flies, were feeding 
 all day on its sweets, so that it became 
 quite a living habitation. It was visited by a 
 particular sort of the humming bird, which 
 had two feathers in its tail three times the 
 length of the bird. In one point of view, 
 it was profoundly black, but in another, 
 shone with green and gold. Harry knock- 
 ed one of them down with a blunt arrow, 
 but struck away one of the long feathers 
 out of its tail. I preserved it a long time, 
 till it was destroyed by vermin. 
 
 One day as Harry was out on his ram- 
 bles, he saw a green parrot fly out of the 
 hole in an old palmetto tree; he examined, 
 and found two young birds in the nest, 
 which he brought home, scarcely fledged ; 
 be took great care of them, and continual- 
 
 VOL. I. o
 
 210 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 \y fed them with ^uavas, and other wild 
 fruits. At length they would eat yam and 
 plantain, of which we found plenty in the 
 woods, and Harry planted several from 
 suckers. We had also a quantity of good 
 squashes and pumpkins coming on, as 
 every thing seemed to thrive rapidly. 
 
 Patty came on in her English very fast ; 
 and really in her person she was what 
 might be called a fine girl, taller than 
 Luta, and of a lighter colour, but not so 
 plump, and somewhat older. Whenever 
 we went abroad any where, Luta had a 
 large piece of bark to fix the children on ; 
 and it cost me a pair of trowsers for baby 
 linen. Thus we lived for a long time, 
 without seeing a soul except our own fa- 
 mily. We ate and drank, lay down and 
 got up, just as we pleased, and without the 
 least distuibance ; each day was a copy of 
 the foregoing ; we were blessed with good 
 health, and my companions had nothing 
 to wish for.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 211 
 
 For my own part, I must confess, I felt 
 some regrets for the world I had quitted. 
 I wished for one of my own country to con- 
 verse with. Neither time nor distance had 
 eradicated from my breast the love I bore 
 to my native land. My social aflfections 
 were warm and unabated ; yet I reflected, 
 that if I had been favoured with such a 
 companion, it might have occasioned trou- 
 bles which I had now escaped ; and 
 though I was taken from the joys of the 
 busy world, I had none of its cares to tor- 
 ment me. Rancour or malevolence could 
 not reach my dwelling ; envy and strife 
 were not inmates of my retreat. I had 
 reason to bless God, for the deliverances 
 he had vouchsafed to grant me, and to be 
 contented with that portion of earthly hap- 
 piness, which it had pleased him to pre- 
 pare for me in this solitary desert. 
 
 At first I took a great dislike to the par- 
 rots, as they made a sad squalling noise.
 
 212 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 However, as they diverted the rest of my 
 family, I thought myself bound to bear with 
 them. In a little time they began to chat- 
 ter, and then I could not help talking with 
 them myself. Luta took great pains with 
 them, and taught them several things, 
 amongst the rest, as she had a great dis- 
 like to my beard, she would take them 
 on her finger, and teach them to say, 
 " long beard, nasty, cut it off, cut it off;*" 
 then, '* where Penoly fader, where Penoly 
 moder ?" and to speak all our names. If at 
 any time they grew dull, they gave to each 
 of them a bunch of goat, or bird pepper, 
 when they would begin to chatter imme- 
 diately ; and if Luta saw me inclined to be 
 melancholy, she would threaten to give me 
 some bird pepper too. 
 
 Sonie time after, Harry came home, and 
 reported that he had seen the wild beasts, 
 more than a hundred of them. This sur- 
 prised me much, and I asked how he had
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 213 
 
 escaped them ? He said, he was not afraid 
 of them. 
 
 " Of what sort were they, then ?" 
 
 He told me thej were a kind of hog 
 with white faces. I therefore supposed 
 them to be what I had heard called 
 warrees. 
 
 " Why did you not set the dog to 
 hunt them ?"" said I. 
 
 " No, no," he replied, " too many ; if 
 dog catch one, all the rest bite dog to 
 death." 
 
 I knew Harry to be a skilful sportsman, 
 therefore gave him full credit for this in- 
 telligence. I was however determined to 
 invent some stratagem to entrap them ; and 
 set my wits to work for that purpose In 
 all this time I had never seen more than 
 two tigers, and Harry one. We found that 
 setting up a loud shouting made them 
 turn tail at once, and this made me easier 
 on their account; but I took great care never
 
 214 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 to suffer either Luta or Patty to wander in 
 the woods alone. 
 
 One day Patty brought home some of 
 the candle fruit or cassia fistula. It is 
 about the length of a foot ; and when green, 
 and a quantity of them together, they hang 
 dangling like myrtle candles from the 
 tree. When ripe, they resemble black 
 puddings in colour. She told me they 
 were good, when put into hot water, 
 against pains in the bowels or costiveness. 
 The substance within resembles tar, and is 
 very sweet. I used to dilute a small 
 quantity of it in water, and squeezing a 
 lime into it, make a very tolerable beve- 
 rage. In colour it resembled coffee. 
 
 We had not tasted a guano for a long 
 time, as none of them frequented our quar- 
 ter, the soil not being sandy. We there- 
 fore determined on a voyage to Tower's 
 Field to hunt them. As a necessary pre- 
 caution, we took all our family with us^ 
 except the parrots. We left them behind^
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 215 
 
 in a sort of cage we had made for tliem, 
 with plenty of victuals to serve till our re- 
 turn. We then put away down the lagoon. 
 My wife, child, and seir' in the large canoe ; 
 Harry, his wife, and dog, in the other. 
 Thus we proceeded to the old dwelling, 
 where we went on shore, and took our re- 
 past. It now came into my head to visit 
 the key where we had lately seen the 
 Spaniards. We found the marks of their 
 tent, the boom of an old oar, made of green 
 heart, and exceeding heavy. At some dis- 
 tance we found ajar that would hold about 
 three gallons. It was made of coarse 
 earthen ware, and round at the bottom. 
 Harry picked up a case with a knife and 
 fork in it. They were very rusty, but we 
 soon made them fit for use. They had 
 sunk a barrel into my well, as a legacy to 
 those who should chance to land there at a 
 future time. W^e shipped our things ; and 
 just as we were putting off, I picked up a 
 good fishing line and sinker, but without a
 
 216 PE^ ROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 hook. When we got over to the other 
 side, we stood along shore, and arrived at 
 our hunting ground. Our dog soon ran 
 down four guanos, and we gathered a par- 
 cel of limes. We then put back to our 
 old dwelling, where we slept that night, 
 and the next morning reached home, found 
 all secure^ but can scarcely describe the 
 joy of the poor parrots at our return ; they 
 did not cease to chatter all the day, and 
 often repeated our names. 
 
 Harry was a very good marksman. I 
 observed him one day strike a duck flying 
 with his bow and arrow. Not thinking 
 myself too old to learn any thing that was 
 useful, I was resolved to become his pupil, 
 and desired him to make me a new b^ow, 
 that I might learn to shoot at marks with 
 him. I knew this would be useful, parti- 
 cularly as I found, in the above instance, 
 that our dog hunted like a spaniel, though 
 not at all resembling that species, and 
 %Yauld take the water very freely. I gave
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 217 
 
 him the name of Swift ; he never barked, 
 but in the night would at times give a 
 long howl. 
 
 Thus our time passed on, till 1 found I 
 had been on this shore five years and nine 
 months. The rainy season now came on ; 
 and we kept much within doors, if I may- 
 be allowed the expression, when our habi- 
 tation had no door at all. Our cascade 
 was now become a foaming cataract of red 
 water, thick and muddy. It continued 
 this sublime appearance for more than a 
 fortnight, and then subsided by degrees. 
 We used to fill our large jar and calabashes, 
 and set them by to settle, till fit for use; 
 In regard to food, we fared sumptuously ; 
 seldom wanting a boil, a roast, or a stew. 
 When Harry killed the duck, he made a 
 short wooden spit, and stuck the bird on 
 it ; he then fixed it in the ground, inclin- 
 ing to the fire, turning it now and then 
 till it was done. Our guanos we always 
 stewed.
 
 ?19 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 When the wet season was past, Harry 
 proposed to go out and strike some sting- 
 rays. He said they had bones in their 
 tails fit to make arrow-heads. As this is a 
 fish little known in Em'ope, I shall give a 
 description of it. 
 
 They resemble thornbacks ; and I have 
 seen some of them that would weigh more 
 than two hundred pounds. Just at the 
 dock of its tail are fixed those bones, one 
 above another. I have seen them with 
 three, point behind point — they are very 
 sharp at the end, with exceeding fine teeth 
 on each side. As they lie flat on the tail, 
 the teeth are in a contrary direction to 
 their points ; so that when the fish is irri- 
 tated, it erects the tail, and darts these 
 spears into its enemy, tearing out the flesh 
 wherever it strikes, and leaves great an- 
 guish in the wound for a long time after, 
 as I have felt by experience. Their skins 
 are sharp grained like a shark. There is 
 another kind of them, whose skins are ex-
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 219 
 
 ceeding hard and rough ; and are some- 
 times brought to Europe for the use of ca- 
 binet-makers. This is called the rasp-ray. 
 There is yet a third sort of them called the 
 whip-ray. This differs from the others by 
 having the head somewhat resembling the 
 tortoise. The back is bluish, with studs of 
 small white circles all over it. The skin 
 is very smooth and shining, with a tail 
 black as jet, and of such a length, that one 
 of the size of a common thornback shall 
 have its tail at least six feet long. 
 
 In pursuit of this fish, Harry went in 
 his own canoe, and was out almost the 
 whole day. He brought home about seven 
 bones, having struck three fish. He said 
 what had detained him so long, was in 
 consequence of the last he struck, which 
 being a very large fish, the staff slip- 
 ped out of his hand as he made his stroke, 
 and the ray immediately made its way 
 into deep water, with the spear sticking
 
 220 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 in its back ; and had it not returned 
 again to the shore, he would have lost the 
 whole, which we could not very well 
 spare, and should have felt the want of 
 greatly.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 22| 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 SEVENTH YEAR OF MY RESIDENCE. 
 
 This year commenced with an ill stroke of 
 fortune to me, which happened thus. We 
 all took a small trip to the cave for yams 
 and potatoes. While I was there I took 
 it into my head to bathe in the sea ; but I 
 paid dearly for it. After swimming about 
 for some time, I had an inclination to 
 come to shore ; and feeling with my feet 
 for the ground, I felt something suddenly 
 dart into both of them, which gave me 
 most excruciating pain. I scrabbled to 
 shore as well as I could ; but the moment 
 I left the water, fell dowm on the sand.
 
 «22 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 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 1 was ready to faint. 
 He directly ran for Luta and Patty ; and 
 with some difficulty they got me into the 
 canoe, put on my clothes, and then hurried 
 me home as fast as possible. By this time 
 my feet were so swollen that I could not 
 put them to the ground. They were forced 
 to carry me to bed ; and having laid me 
 quietl} down, Luta got some prickly pear 
 leaves, split, and then toasted them at the 
 fire, and applied one to each foot, binding 
 them on. From this time till the next 
 day I remained in a high fever ; it then 
 somewhat abated. She took off the leaves, 
 and my feet appeared as if they had been 
 boiled. The thorns came all away with 
 the leaves, and I was soon easy, but could 
 not walk for three or four days, they were 
 so excessively tender.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 223 
 
 These sea-eggs are of that class of be- 
 ings that seldom move from their sta- 
 tion. They are of many different sorts, 
 shaped like an orange, divided into curi- 
 ous lines of partition, spotted vrith green, 
 yellow, red, and brown. Some have no 
 thorns at all ; but the sort from which I 
 received my injury, have darts four or five 
 inches long, and are black. These darts 
 they play about in the water, directing 
 them, as a man would a sword, any way 
 they list. 
 
 Soon after this, we were entertained with 
 a very diverting scene. One of the parrots 
 got out of its cage and flew to a distance. 
 It rested at length on a cashoo tree, and 
 continued there for some time, pluming 
 itself, and enjoying its liberty. A flock of 
 wild parrots passing over discovered it, 
 and immediately, as by general consent, 
 settled upon the same tree. Patty saw 
 them first, and called us to partake of the 
 entertainment ; and it proved a truly comic
 
 224 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 one. They began by walkins^ side-way 
 up to the tame bird — placed their heads 
 parallel to his — then one of them gave him 
 a peck, and another overhead did the like. 
 The bird held up his leg to ward off the 
 blow — others would give him a slap with 
 the wing. At length they all gathered 
 round, and began to pay him off at a terri- 
 ble rate Upon this the poor bird called 
 loudly, *' Harry ! Harry ! run quick.""* The 
 moment he began to speak, they all flew 
 away, screaming like mad things, and to 
 all appearance terribly frightened. Our 
 parrot began to laugh loudly, flew home 
 to his cage, and began to chatter to the 
 other bird, who now and then made an 
 odd kind of noise, as if it understood all 
 that was said. This diverted Harry so 
 much, that he quite rolled on the ground, 
 laughing violently. 
 
 Soon after this, Harry expressed a de- 
 sire to go after the flamingos. I consent- 
 ed ; and he took the dog with him the next
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 225 
 
 morning, in the small canoe. He did not 
 return that day ; but knowing that he had 
 materials for making fire, and that he was 
 at a considerable distance, I did not make 
 myself uneasy. — An Indian is at home 
 every where, by night or by day. 
 
 The next morning was opened with a 
 new adventure. I called Patty to rise and 
 make the fire, as her husband would soon 
 be home. She went out to fetch wood ; 
 but soon came running back to us, crying, 
 <' there was great thing — dog — fell down 
 —from top — over head V I could not 
 comprehend the meaning of this ; so got 
 up and followed to the entrance of the 
 cave where she was making the fire, when 
 down came another animal. I took cou- 
 rage to examine further, and found they 
 werepiccaries, and both of themembowelled. 
 This I considered as some of Mr Harry's 
 fun ; but as the dog did not come in as 
 usual, I was puzzled to account for it. 
 Presently I heard a loud laugh over our 
 
 VOL. I. p
 
 226 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 heads. I was alarmed, and snatched up 
 an axe, resolved to stand my ground and 
 defend myself to the last. A voice now 
 called out distinctly, " Yalut-ta ! Yalut- 
 ta !" Upon which I answered, " come 
 down Mr Harry, and let us have no more 
 of your dog tricks." And indeed I began 
 to be angry with him ; and my spirits were, 
 so hurried, that I did not notice the differ- 
 ent pronunciation and tone of voice. An 
 Indian now shewed himself, and I present- 
 ly discovered him to be Komaloot. Upon 
 this I called Luta and Patty, being quite 
 overjoyed, and made signs to him to meet 
 me. I ran at once up the hill, and found 
 Komaloot, Owa-gamy, Zula-wana, and a 
 young Indian I had never seen before, 
 called Sama-lumy. I saluted them all, 
 and they returned it with cordiality. They 
 were all four armed with bows and arrows, 
 and maschuts or cutlasses. When we got 
 down the joy was universal. Komaloot 
 took the cliild in his arms, and hugged it.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 227 
 
 They inquired for Harry. Luta told 
 them he was gone after flamingos. I then 
 asked how they came so secretly to sur- 
 prise us ? Owa-gamy told Luta, that be- 
 ing out in search of game, they came to a 
 fine open country, and Komaloot made the 
 proposal to find out our place, to which they 
 all agreed. After some days they found they 
 had gone beyond us, which they knew by 
 getting up a large tree, from which they 
 discovered a smoke on the right, near the 
 coast, which they concluded must be our 
 abode, and immediately turned off for it. 
 In their way they met with a ^ew piccary 
 hogs, and killed two of them. They gut- 
 ted, and cut out their navels, intending 
 them as a present for 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 carcase taints soon 
 after. 
 
 He said they discovered us at last by the 
 great smoke Patty made in lighting our
 
 228 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 fire, as Sama-lumy was then got up a tree 
 quite near our habitation. They soon 
 came in sight, and then called a council, 
 in which it was determined to proceed in 
 the manner they had done, lest their sud- 
 den appearance should alarm us too much. 
 I desired Luta to return them my thanks 
 for their good conduct. 
 
 While Patty was preparing a repast 
 for our visitors, the dog came running 
 in ; and I knew Harry was at no great 
 distance. The poor animal was quite 
 transported at the sight of his old masters. 
 Harry now made his appearance, quite in 
 scarlet, from head to foot, with his flamin- 
 gos — his great straw hat on his head ; in 
 one hand he held his bow and arrows, and 
 in the other a quantity of plantains. When 
 he saw our family was increased, he stop- 
 ped short. I called him to come on. The 
 moment he discovered who our company 
 was, down went all his cargo at once ; and 
 he began laughing, shouting, and dancing,
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 229 
 
 with many other grotesque expressions of 
 his joy, at seeing his old friends. 
 
 Harry inquired for their canoe, When 
 they told him they came over-land, he 
 asked how many tigers they had seen. 
 Upon this question, they sent the young 
 Indian off, who soon returned with the 
 skin of a tiger on liis shoulders. This skin 
 Owa-gamy presented to me. There was 
 a very extraordinary greeting between our 
 dog and two they brought with them. He 
 seemed fond of shewing them every place, 
 and took them all over the grounds. 
 
 We now began to inquire for their fa- 
 milies. They told us Lama-atty had ano- 
 ther child, a girl, and that they had made 
 friends with the other Indians, after a long 
 variance. I asked if the young Indian 
 they brought with them was a capture .^ 
 They said, no, he was a relation ; that he 
 was under some trouble, and they wanted 
 to bury him. I could not understand this, 
 and desired Luta to inquire what it meant.
 
 230 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 Ivomaloot took Liita aside, and held her 
 in talk some time. After this Luta told 
 her brother to take the young Indian, and 
 shew him all round the place. When 
 they were gone, she told me it was the 
 desire of our friends that I would consent 
 to their leaving Sama-lumy to live with us 
 for a time, for which they had a very good 
 reason ; that my agreeing to this would 
 prove I had a true regard for them, and 
 in consequence they would be happy to ob- 
 lige me in all things ; that Sama-lumy 
 would serve me faithfully, and to the 
 hazard of his life. I knew not what to 
 think of this, and desired Luta would re- 
 quest them to be plain and open with me 
 in this business. 
 
 Owa-gamy then took me by the hand, 
 gave me a very piercing look, and made a 
 long and very nervous oration to me, which 
 he bade Luta to interpret. She told me 
 that as her friends understood I was much 
 in dread of the mines, they were so far
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 231 
 
 from discovering me to the Spaniards, that 
 they would rather suffer death than betray 
 me. Sama-lamy was now under the same 
 terror, and they thought it best to bring 
 him off to me, that he might be concealed 
 till such time as he should be forgolten, or 
 would grow out of their knowledge. 
 
 I at once took them by the hands, and 
 desired Luta to tell them to confide in me^ 
 as their sure friend in time of need. On 
 which they all thanked me. I then begged 
 Luta to give me a relation of the misfor- 
 tune that had happened to the young man. 
 Sama-lumy, she said, had been to visit 
 some of his relations, who lived among the 
 Spaniards ; that by ill-luck he had made 
 free to hang round his neck a string of 
 beads, with a little cross to it. As they 
 were all piaying together, he had the mis- 
 fortune to break the cross, by striking ano- 
 ther with it on the back : this was per- 
 ceived by a little girl, who ran and inform- 
 ed a Padre of it, who was not far off. The
 
 232 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 Padre came, and was very angry with hini, 
 called him perro savage, for presuming to 
 meddle with it, for it was holy ; but that 
 he w'ould soon find him better employment 
 in the mines ; then left him in a great rage. 
 This so terrified Sama-lumy that he took 
 the first opportunity of slipping away to his 
 friends ; who, on his giving this informa- 
 tion, had shifted from place to place, till 
 they thought of this scheme of bringing 
 him to us for better security. 
 
 I now saw the whole drift of this land 
 visit, and gave them credit for their inge- 
 nuity and address. Ovva-gamy told me, 
 w^henever the Padres fell out with those 
 who had nothing to pay for an offence, 
 they never ceased to pursue them by their 
 arts, till they had obtained their revenge, 
 though they pretended to pity them. They 
 took care to have them taken in hold by 
 an officer, and then they never saw the 
 priest's face more, but were immediately 
 conveyed to the mines.
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 233 
 
 Harry and Sama-lumy now returned. 
 They were acquainted with what had pass- 
 ed. Harry was mightily pleased to have a 
 companion, and the young Indian made 
 me many signs of gratitude for consenting 
 to his stay, and thus protecting him from 
 the cruelty of the Spaniards. I desired 
 Harry to get me a flat stone, that I might 
 set down the translation of his name on it, 
 and record the circumstance. I then asked 
 what the meaning of Sama-lumy was. 
 Luta conferred with Harry, and afterwards 
 informed me that it was mountaineer. I 
 put it down, and ordered the stone to be 
 placed away among the rest. They now 
 asked me how the seeds came on ; and 
 were informed, we had most of things now 
 in plenty, except the oranges and cocoa- 
 nuts. Owa-gamy said that would be many 
 long moons first. He then directed his 
 discourse to the young Indian ; and as I 
 was told, charged him to mind all my di- 
 rections, and be my true and faithful friend ;
 
 234 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 to be sure to be obliging and tender to the 
 women, &c. Sama-Iumy begged they 
 would leave him his dog. This they did ; 
 then took their farewell, saying they would 
 come again when they had time. 
 
 When the Indians were gone, T began 
 to reflect on the probable consequences of 
 this transaction. If the Spaniards should 
 by any means come at the knowledge of it, 
 it might involve my whole family in ruin; 
 Admitting, therefore, the probability of 
 their discovering my retreat, he must at 
 all events be off, and not by his presence 
 complete the destruction of those who had 
 granted him protection. 
 
 One day as we were all three shooting 
 at a coot, Harry told me Sama-lumy want^ 
 ed a new name, that he might be consider- 
 ed as one of our family. I told him that 
 was right, and he might call him Toby, if 
 he pleased. He inquired if that was a 
 good name. I told him it was ; that it was 
 the name of a young man who took great
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 235 
 
 care of an old blind father. This was sa- 
 tisfactory, and he was called Toby from 
 that day. 
 
 Thus we lived for a considerable time. 
 Our little one began to waddle about. 
 Harry's wife grew bulky, and promised an 
 addition to our family, of which he was 
 not a little proud. The burthen of pro* 
 viding for my family was in a great mea- 
 sure taken off my hands by my two assis- 
 tants, and I only went now and then for my 
 pleasure. One day as the lads were on 
 the look out, they came down and report- 
 ed that they saw a vessel out at sea. 
 When I went to examine with my glass, I 
 saw three ; they appeared to be standing 
 in for the land, with the wind at west. 
 As they came in shore, I found two of them 
 to be schooners, the other a sloop. They 
 put about soon after, and we saw them no 
 more till the evening, when they stood 
 in again, then tacked, and left us for good
 
 236 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 and all. I made a memorandum of it on 
 the side of the rock with my knife. 
 
 About this time I put my two mess- 
 mates on digging pit-falls for catching the 
 warrees and piccaries. This they labour- 
 ed at for several days together, and dug 
 six of them. We baited them with plan- 
 tains, yams, potatoes, and the like. Now 
 and then we used to catch one, but we 
 w^ere obliged to knock it on the head be- 
 fore we dared go down, they were so fierce 
 and courageous. 
 
 I shall now mention a circumstance 
 which led to a useful discovery. I asked 
 Harry if he had ever seen a lizard with 
 two tails, having been informed that such 
 had sometimes been seen. He said he 
 thought he had, and inquired of Toby. It 
 happened soon after this, that Toby being 
 out on his rambles, imagined he saw such a 
 thing run under a bush. In poking his 
 head after it, he met with a sad disaster. I
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 237 
 
 was the first who saw him return ; but he 
 was so disguised and altered, that I scarcely 
 knew him. He had stuck lumps of red 
 clay all over him, one on his cheek, another 
 on his leg, two on his thighs, and one on 
 his breast. Some of them he had bound 
 up with a sort of long grass ; and altoge- 
 ther he cut so strange a figure, that I call- 
 ed my family out to look at him. This 
 made him laugh ; but the scene now be- 
 came heightened beyond all description. 
 His eyes were almost closed up, and his 
 under lip swollen to an immense size, 
 shewing his teeth so remarkably, that they 
 laughed at him immoderately ; but as I was 
 ignorant of the cause, I was more inclined 
 to be alarmed than to be merry, at so me- 
 lancholy a spectacle. However he soon made 
 a shift to inform us of the adventure. 
 Luta and Patty then made use of the old 
 receipt ; and by the next day he was quite 
 well, and gave us a droll account of the 
 business.
 
 233 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 
 
 The poor fellow thought he saw a two- 
 tailed lizard run under a bush ; and to 
 satisfy his curiosity, he ran his head into a 
 wasp''s or hornet''s nest, where he was stung 
 to some purpose. His description was, 
 *' two tail go in — go in Toby — good look 
 bush — maum come — maum maum bite 
 Toby — run Toby, run Toby, no see two 
 tail morrow." This accident gave us a 
 knowledge of the clay he made use of; 
 and I found by burning it in the fire that 
 good earthen ware might be made of it, if 
 we could shape it into vessels ; but this 
 was a kind of manufactory I but little un- 
 derstood. However I resolved to set my 
 two messmates to work on this clay, and 
 they brought a great quantity of it. I 
 then made them temper it ; and our first 
 trial was thus : I got one of the large cala- 
 ])ashes, and oiled it round, then daubed the 
 clay all round it without, and by this 
 means made a huge ugly sort of yabba or 
 pot. After it had stood by to dry for a
 
 PENROSE'S JOURNAL. 239 
 
 time, we burnt it, and it answered tolerably 
 well to hold water, and would boil things 
 likewise, but from its size was very un- 
 wieldy. After this first rude essay, we 
 made several other articles of domestic 
 furniture^ which were very useful. 
 
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