t;MU

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

FROM THE COLLECTION MADE BY
CHARLES SHELDON B.A. 1890
OF BOOKS ON NATURAL HISTORY
EXPLORATION -HUNTING & FISHING

GIFT OF FRANCIS P. GARVAN
B.A. 1897

THE

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' \ T©L»--TO YOlfNG PEU1

¦ •' t £? a'-. •<
Chillas Litl>.,(iH-atdBu!lJiiii>',5U.Si.:),lbiri)i!i*l"

THE

NARRATIVES OF AN OLD TRAVELLER1;

CONTAINING

Ifye Jeirfe ^5 Jfafr-bi^ffy Js^s

SHIFWBECK, EAMINE, WILD BEASTS, SAVAGES, EDO.,

OP

TRAVELLERS IN EVERY PART OP THE WORLD.

FROM THE CERHAN OF SB. FH. H. KNELB,

Si) * £#

WILLIS P. HAZARD, 178 CHESNUT STREET,
PHILADELPHIA: 1854.

Enteeed, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853,
BY WILLIS P. HAZARD,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Goxjfeiijfs.

PAGE
The Island oe Ceylon, ------- 5
Pire at Sea, - ------- 58
The Desert, ---------86
Shipwreck and Starvation, ----- 125
The Little African's Adventures, ... - 147
An Adventure est the Time of the Circassian War, 173
The Tschutski,  181
The Pair op Nishni Novogorod, ... - 190
(iii)

PERILS OF THE WILDERNESS
Jo iJje Jsi^x|9 of 6eJ)Joi|.
" The very thing !" exclaimed my old friend Templyn,
as he suddenly burst in upon me, — "read there ! There's
good news !"
His good news consisted in nothing more nor less than
that the superintendent at Colombo, the capital of the
Dutch possessions in the Island of Ceylon, was about to
return to Europe, and would endeavor to secure the
lucrative post he was going to quit to my honest friend
Templyn. Like myself, Templyn found himself, on account of the
unhappy war with England, which had brought us both to
the East Indies, in not very brilliant circumstances ; we
lived comfortably however upon our small estates which
adjoined each other, on the northern coast of the Island.
Templyn, a man somewhat advanced in years, but still
animated with the fire of youth, in the bosom of a
numerous family, and. I, in my best years, with a young
wife whom I had married only a few months before.
Templyn knew the untamable passion for travel, which,
from my childhood,, had involved me in all sorts of adven
tures and had early led me from home to the far east, and
(5)

6 The Island of Ceylon.
he appeared to have reckoned upon my weak side to
accomplish his plan. But this time I hoped to resist the
temptation, and after congratulating him heartily upon his
smiling prospects, advised him to lose not a moment but
seize the, first opportunity and set sail for Colombo.
"As if I were such a fool," he replied with a sly smile,
" and run into the hands of the English who are cruising
all round the Island ! No. I am going by land, and in
your company. Upon that I have reckoned."
My ruling passion began to bestir itself, but I endea
vored to excuse myself, declaring that such a journey
offered no excitement; the way from our residence to
Colombo — a hundred leagues and more, through a poor,
exhausted country, would not pay the expense of a palan
quin. "And besides," I added, "what is to become of my
young wife ? How could I answer it to myself, if I were
to leave her without comfort and protection ?"
"Who wishes you to do so?" said Templyn eagerly.
" Your sweetheart shall live, eat, drink, and sleep with my
dear old lady until we come back. I have no idea of
dawdling along the old beaten way by the coast. Who
wants to joggle along on other men's shoulders ! No, my
dear fellow, on foot ! — on foot," he repeated with a loud
voice and a confident slap on my shoulder; "please God,
on our own legs, and right across, high up in the country,
through the tremendous forests of Ceylon, just as you have
always wished. We will get two or three of the natives to
join us, take some fellows with us well laden with provis
ions and travelling tackle, be well armed with guns,

The Island of Ceylon. 7
swords, and pistols, and we'll see whether hunger or wild
beasts will attack such fellows as we."
At this picture the ashes were all blown away from my
smouldering passion for travelling. All at once it burst
into full flame, and my assent flew over my lips. The
preparations for the adventurous undertaking Templyn's
impatience would not suffer to be delayed. They were
commenced the next day. They did not escape my loving
wife who, however, regarded the whole thing at first as a
somewhat extravagant jest, or as a whim which she would
have little difficulty in laughing us out of. Such was her
impression, until somewhat embarrassed and not without
the confusion of conscious guilt, I very gravely assured
her that my word was given and that it was too late to
draw back. Many ebullitions of love and anger I had to
endure, but when she found that I was not to be changed,
her dissatisfaction was turned into anxiety. She let
nothing be wanting in the way of good counsel, and
contented herself at last with making me promise to
provide myself with a pair of boots, in order that I might
not be exposed to the bite of venomous reptiles. In my
neighbor's house also many a lively scene was enacted.
Frau Templyn, in addition to the reproaches she poured
upon her good man, had yet something else to lay in the
scale in his age which little comported with such a mad
adventure, the consequence of which might be so disas
trous to his large family. But the old man was a tough
piece, who said little, and asserted his authority. The
worthy woman saw the uselessness of resistance, swallowed
down her objections, and with my wife, comforted herself

8 The Island of Ceylon.
with the prospect of the quiet time they would have
together in our absence.
Still more difficult than the reconciling of our wives
to our adventure, was the attempt to procure companions
for the journey. But here fortune favored us. Templyn
found an old soldier, originally from Strasburg, who had
wandered to Ceylon as a journeyman baker and cook, an
honest chap of inexhaustible good humor, incomparable in
making faces, at the same time a burly fellow in size and
of unquestionable courage. He had only two , faults,
which indeed rendered him of doubtful value as a travel
ling companion ; he was deaf as a post, and such a deter
mined friend of all kinds of strong drink, that to be more
or less drunk was the order of the day with him. We
had no choice, however, and all things considered, he was
about as valuable to us as our other companion, a French
man of the name of d'AUemand, a man of excessive
politeness but of no great valor, who, having important
papers to carry to Colombo, did not dare to attempt the
journey alone, and so attached himself to us.
Our arms corresponded to our wants, and were such as
would serve to procure us game for food, and protect us
from the wild beasts upon which we expected to stumble
at every step. For the latter purpose we had to make pe
culiar preparations against. the wild elephants who reigned
supreme in the forests, and who not rarely assaulted remote
settlements in immense troops, trampling down the tilled
fields, and destroying human life. As our hunting arms
would harldly suffice, and we could not hope to overpower
these animals, should they take it into their heads to

The Island of Ceylon. 9
attack us, our point was to scare them off; accordingly we
provided ourselves with a hundred rockets, and a copper
alarm kettle. To protect ourselves against the men, who
are oftentimes no less dangerous than the wild beasts, I
procured from the government a passport, in the native
language, written on a palm leaf, directing all whom it
concerned to provide me JaGob Hafner, Clerk of the Dutch
East India Company, and my companions with all needed
assistance. This kind of official protection is indispensably
necessary in a country where the oppressed natives hate
their oppressor, and where every European, who claims
their hospitality, finds himself poorly off without such a
pass. All our preparations finished, after a moderate mid-day
meal, we took farewell of our wives not without tears.
We men bore ourselves stoutly — father Templyn scolded
a little ; a sobbing good-bye sounded after us, and so we
broke away with our company, sixteen in all. Almost the
whole population of the place turned out to witness the
commencement of such an unheard of enterprise. To
speak the truth, we four Europeans looked very much like
so many highway robbers starting upon an expedition for
plunder. Three of us were armed with cutlasses, a brace
of pistols in our belts, cartridge boxes, and rifles over our
shoulders ; the deaf baker wore a huge sabre, which clat
tered behind him as he marched. II.
In order to cut off a good piece of the way to the Dutch
fort, Panoryn, whence we were to start on foot, we crossed

10 The Island of Ceylon.
an arm of the sea ; the voyage was short, but not without
an adventure, for just as the baker was taking a drink of
rum to our health and a good journey, a flying fish shot
by so close to his nose that in pure fright he let the glass
fall to the ground. And his fright was not without reason,
for the creature, pursued by his enemies, darted out of the
water as if he had been shot from a bow, and his pike-
shaped mouth-piece, which was so hard and pointed, like
the bill of a bird, that it entered an inch or two into the
ship's flanks, was not a very pleasant thing to come in
contact with.
On the third day we reached the fort, and found a right
hearty welcome from the commandant of the same ; but
all his well meant efforts to turn us from our purpose were
fruitless. As, however, we were approaching the scene
of danger, we lost no time in putting our arms in order.
Immediately after dinner we shook hands with our friendly
host, and turned towards the thick forest which lay spread
out like a carpet within half a mile of us. A majestic,
awe-inspiring sight ! especially as imagination suggested
what a host of blood-thirsty, ravenous wild beasts, with
strength far exceeding that of man, were hidden behind
the curtain.
A dim twilight received us as we entered the skirt of
the wood between the huge trees, which wove over our
heads a dome of branches, variegated by flowers, and
blossoms, and accessible to no ray of the sun. At every
step, as we entered farther into the forest, the trees rose
larger and closer, and were so thickly woven together with
underwood and running vines, that sometimes we were

The Island of Ceylon. 11
unable to proceed a dozen steps without cutting our way,
axe in hand. It grew every moment more difficult, and
we were heartily glad when one of our attendants, an
elephant-hunter, who acted as our guide, at last found a
narrow foot path, which we instantly followed.
I found myself by accident at the head of the march ;
the Frenchman, with whom I had fallen into lively chat,
trotted after me, when suddenly a monstrous bear shot out
of a bush right before my feet, and stood apparently in
doubt whether he should attack me or make off. For my
part I did not see him until he was so near to me that I
tumbled over his broad back, and we both rolled on the
ground. The Frenchman was more fortunate, and had
time to retreat a few steps. I instantly tried to rise,
either to flee or to defend myself; but before I could get
upon my feet the monster stood growling over me, with
open mouth and raised claws, prepared to attack me.
The frightful sight struck me motionless with fear, and I
gave myself up for lost, for, at the slightest movement on
my part, the outstretched claw would have descended on
my head ; I closed my eyes, and commended my soul to
God. At this critical moment I heard something whizz
over me, and at the same time a shot was heard, at which
the startled animal left me, and with a horrible cry darted
away through the opening whence he had made his appear
ance. Thus was I, contrary to all hope, rescued from
death, and indeed in a double form, for I was not in more
peril from the uphfted claw of the bear than from the
pistol ball sent by the trembling hand of the excited
d'AUemand, and yet J owed it to this bad shot that I was

12 The Island of Ceylon.
not torn to pieces, before one of the company, who were
some distance behind, could render me any help.
While these, as much astonished as rejoiced, congratu
lated me upon having escaped the rough embrace of the
shaggy fellow, our baker was doing his best, with his
drawn sabre, to find the impudent beast that he believed
to be still in the neighborhood; but not succeeding, on
account of the thorns in penetrating the thick and tangled
underwood, he would fain show us what he considered an
infallible means of putting the wildest and fiercest animals
to instant flight. He seized his hat between his teeth,
crawled on all fours, and, with all sorts of shouts and
cries, made such comical leaps that we were ready to burst
with laughing. His nonsense at least helped to restore
our composure. Besides, this adventure sharpened our
wits, and we perceived the necessity of redoubled caution
in pursuing our narrow and crooked path, where we could
see so little distance ahead. For had an elephant or any
other wild animal rushed on us, we should have had no
chance either for defence or escape. We sent on our
kettle drummer, with some of our armed attendants, a few
steps before us, so that we could not easily be taken by
surprise. We proceeded somewhat more orderly; the day was
beginning to decline, and the thickness of the forest
increased the darkness ; the cries of wild beasts began to
be heard, and the spot which our guide proposed for our
night camp was still distant. We lighted the torches
which we had procured at Panoryn, and which, being of a
very resinous wood, rivalled the best wax tapers. The

The Island of Ceylon. 13
bright flashes of our torches, connected with the far-
sounding noise of our kettle drum, disturbed the feathered
inhabitants of the woods, who, startled by the light, flew
about as if intoxicated, while the monkeys, likewise dis
turbed in their sleep, signified their displeasure by ear-
piercing cries, and by pelting us with leaves and fruits.
At last, about nine o'clock, we reached, heartily tired, our
first resting-place — a lonely, ruinous straw hut, in the
thickest of the forest; but as we knew that several kinds
of poisonous serpents were wont to take up their abode in
such old moulding straw, we preferred to encamp round a
good fire out of doors, where we prepared our supper, and,
after setting a guard, laid ourselves down to rest.
Our order of the day remained the same during our
whole journey. As soon as daylight appeared we broke
up our camp, in order that, while we were fresh, we might
accomplish a good piece of the way. It was indescribably
agreeable, travelling through those forests in the early
morning — life every where, every where in motion. Apes,
with their young in their arms, leaped with odd antics
from bough to bough ; birds of the most brilliant plumage
flew in every direction. From millions of throats gushed
song or cry. Parrots chattered, and beetles and insects
buzzed monotonously in our ears. We exhaled the most
refreshing air, impregnated with fragrant flowers and
plants, which pushed themselves up amidst the bushes.
About noon, as soon as we could find a spot where it
was somewhat lighter, and the ground was dry, and water
near, we made halt and spread out our mats, which served
for chairs, tables, and beds. Our attendants took turn in

14 The Island of Ceylon.
collecting dry wood to light a fire, while others attended
to the cooking; the idle slept, sang, smoked, or chattered.
As soon as dinner was ready we seated ourselves cross-
legged in groups, and each one placed before him a large
leaf from the tree that yielded us shade, and received
upon it his portion of steak and rice. Gay jests and
laughter seasoned the meal, and the baker acted excel
lently his part of a jovial fellow. Our hunger appeased,
we threw aside our green dinner plates, and the cooking
utensils were washed and packed up again. An hour we
devoted to a most welcome siesta, but as soon as our
guards shouted their " ready," all were again in motion,
the baggage was strapped up, and we took up our line
of march.
We were much more careful in our selection of a resting
place for the night, and carefully avoided the neighbour
hood of any water, as we knew that all savage animals,
before commencing their nightly search for prey, betake
themselves to such places, either to quench their thirst or
to bathe. For the sake of quiet sleep we were obliged, as
well as we could, to avoid the proximity of these dwellers
of the forest, and chose a spot free from underbrush, and
commanding a wide view of the surrounding country.
Then our people were obliged to procure a large supply
of wood, as well for the great fire around which we were
to encamp, as for the smaller ones in the circle, which
were a great protection to us. One of us, with a pair of
cocked pistols, or the baker with his huge sabre, accom
panied them as a guard. Our evening meal was prepared
and partaken of with far less noise and bustle than our

The Island of Ceylon. 15
dinners had been, either in consequence of our increased
fatigue, or of a kind of timid anxiety, a discomfort of
mind, if I may call it so, always induced by darkness and
loneliness. Each edged himself closer to his neighbor,
and was very careful to go no farther from the fire than
was necessary ; even our eyes avoided any long or sharp
investigation of the surrounding darkness, for however
charming these forests may appear illuminated by the
clear light of day, they are unspeakably fearful to the
traveller when veiled under the thick mantle of night.
No longer, as in the morning, do a thousand flute-like
songs awake the slumbering echoes, but a death-like still
ness broods over a wasted desert, broken only by the
frightful tuwhoo of the night owl, the short bark of the
jackal, the growl of a tiger, or the trumpeting of an
elephant, breaking through the thicket, and then suddenly
every thing relapses into the former stillness, as of the
grave. III.
One evening the whole party, after a long day's march,
quite wearied out, arrived at our place of encampment, and
as the servants were especially fatigued with carrying our
heavy baggage, d'AUemand and I undertook the first
watch and from time to time replenished the fire that
was burning in our midst. About midnight we perceived
a shaking and quaking of the earth as if a squadron of
cavalry were dashing upon us. We immediately aroused
ous whole company except the baker, whom we allowed to
snore on quietly, as he had as usual taken too much drink,

16 The Island of Ceylon.
and might perhaps, in such a confused state of mind, have
committed some folly which would have ruined us all.
Scarcely had friend Templyn, upon whose cool courage
I placed the greatest reliance, rubbed the sleep from his
eyes, when we heard just behind us, from the crashing
thicket, a clear piercing cry, and turning our frightened
gaze in that direction, we saw the monster from whose
throat it had proceeded, illuminated by the light of our
fire — a huge elephant, who was glaring directly at us, and
who whirled his trunk aloft in such a threatening manner,
and so quickly, that we seemed to hear the whirring of a
great spinning-wheel. We were just about to greet our
unwelcome guest with a few bullets, when one of the
servants, who had all hastily climbed the nearest tree,
besought us to desist, as the terrible creature would, if
our balls did not happen to strike it just in the spot where
a wound would be mortal, trample us all under his feet
in his mad fury. If we took this advice we were entirely
without means of defence, for unfortunately our torches
and rockets lay so near the dreadful creature that any one
attempting to seize them would meet with certain death.
In this extremity we thought of our gongs, and instantly
sounded them, with, as it proved, the very best success,
for no sooner did the sound reach his ear than the monster
uttered a yell so loud and so terrible that the boldest heart
quaked for fear. At the same time, in his fierce rage, he
tore up with his trunk a young tree that stood near him
by the roots, bent it up together, and crushed it under his
feet like a cabbage-stalk. After thus moderately giving
vent to his anger, 'he turned towards us again and appeared

The Island of Ceylon. 17
to be meditating a like destruction of our baggage. Invol
untarily we pressed forward to the rescue of our treasures,
and uttered a loud piercing shout which was echoed back
by our people in the tree, who now gave us up for lost.
And as our gongs were all the while going like mad, our
disagreeable guest found it so intolerable that, shaking his
ears in a waggish manner to express his disapprobation of
our concert, he at last fairly turned round and made off.
His retreat soon changed into such a hasty flight that in a
few minutes he was out of the reach of the balls that we
sent after him.
So ended, happily enough, an adventure which had well-
nigh put an end to our expedition ; at which we were all
abundantly rejoiced, not merely because we had escaped
with only a good fright, but also because in this first real
danger we had discovered and learnt well how far we
might depend upon our servants in such a time of need ;
we immediately divided among them our torches and
rockets that we might have something at hand to serve
for weapons, for we had often heard, and can now testify,
that nothing frightens even the most savage animals, so
certainly as fire.
As I had always been accustomed in any urgent situa
tion to rely upon myself I kept myself always prepared to
meet the enemy at any moment, and earnestly warned our
servants every evening to be upon their guard, and never
during their watch allow themselves to be overcome by
sleep. But words are always easier than deeds, and on the
following night I was unconsciously nodding when the two
servants who were watching with me, roused me with the
2

18 The Island of Ceylon.
cry of " master, a tiger !" Wide awake in a moment, I
looked around, and they pointed me to two sparklmg little
balls that gleamed upon us from the thicket not far from
our outermost watch-fire. There was no doubt that they
were the eyes of a tiger who only awaited a favourable
opportunity to seize and carry off some one of us. Father
Templyn, our ever ready protector, was awakened, and we
agreed to aim at the same time for the spot just between
the two points of light. We shot and immediately heard
a struggling and writhing as of some creature in the death
struggle, which grew less and less distinct, and then
ceased. In the meantime the noise of our rifles had roused
the rest of our party, and as I really could keep awake
no longer, the baker undertook to watch in my stead for
the rest of the night. But at break of day we were again
aroused by a joyful shout from him. He informed us that
we had been fortunate enough to kill a Royal tiger of the
largest size, and our servants were already engaged in skin
ning him. We found that both balls had taken effect, and
had shattered his skull ; as then we had each an equal
claim to the beautifully spotted hide, we drew lots for it,
and fortune favored me. As soon as our people had
finished their task of skinning the tiger, we again started
on our way.
We were now quite near to the mountains which cross
the island, and as the path in the plain swarmed so with
ants that we every moment sunk deep into their nests,
and progress was most difficult, we determined to ascend
the mountains for a little distance in hopes of finding a
better path and satisfying our curiosity as to the surround-

The Island of Cetlon. 19
ing country. This plan d'AUemand did not relish at all
and he did his best to dissuade us from adopting it ; yet,
had it not been for a sad accident which we shortly
met with, and which frustrated our purpose, he would
hardly have succeeded in altering our fixed determi
nation. We had already turned our steps in the direction deci
ded upon, when in passing by a thinly-clothed tree we
observed a mass of honey — a bee hive so immense that it
awakened in us a strong desire to possess it; but the
bough from which it hung was so high as to preclude the
possibility of smoking out the bees according to the usual
custom. We were just turning from it when one of our
servants offered to climb the tree and chop off the bough
with an axe, so that we could easily overcome our little
enemies. We accepted his offer and promised him a
double share of the sweet booty for his daring. The poor
fellow climbed the tree and reached the heavily-laden
bough in safety ; it already quivered with the first stroke
of his axe, but he was prevented from giving another by
the bees, who rushed raging in thick swarms from their
cells, and so cruelly attacked his naked body that he
uttered a loud cry, and closing his eyes, turned to come
down ; unfortunately, in his descent he made a mis-step,
fell and broke his leg. This misfortune drew a cross
through our reckoning — a continuation of our former plan
was not to be thought of, as we could not possibly leave
the sufferer to the mercy of fate, or rather to certain des
truction. Nothing was left for us but to place him upon a
litter of boughs, hastily woven together, and seek the

20 The Island of Ceylon.
nearest inhabited place, which our guide assured us we
could reach the same day.
If this untimely event made us sullen and silent, the
Frenchman provoked us still more by his ill-timed and
extravagant merriment. He made no attempt to conceal
his delight at the stupidity of the man, which had brought
us to our senses, and destroyed our nonsensical plan. He
blessed the bees, and vowed he would write a song in praise
of their brave defence of their property. We could not
listen to him without vexation, but we did not think it
worth while to point out to him his want of courtesy and
good feeling. Fate, however, revenged us upon him. In
the joy of his heart he attempted to spring over the trunk
of an old decayed tree that was lying directly in his path ;
with one leap he was on the other side, but sank up to
his shoulders in the soft mud, which only a thin treach
erous bark, as it were, covered. His sudden disappearance
caused a loud shout of joy, which continued until, not
without trouble, we had drawn him from his prison. As
soon as he had brushed from his clothes all marks of the
accident, we begged him for a song in praise of decayed
trees, which he refused with great politeness and vivacity.
He was really fortunate to have escaped so well, for these
old trees often are hiding places for a peculiar kind of
venomous snake, or for poisonous spiders of an enormous
size. Late in the evening we reached Vedative, quite a large
village, situated in the midst of a wide open plain, where
we saw human faces for the first time since our departure
from Panoryn.

The Island of Ceylon. 21
Our first care was to entrust our patient to the best of
the many potters inhabiting the surrounding country, who
often combine with their trade quite a degree of skill in
setting broken bones. IV.
We now followed the low monotonous sea beach for
several days, until we arrived at the river Calnar, where
we again, to escape the heat of the sun, and the increasing
tedium of the journey, steered our course inland. The
river, that we chose for our night encampment, was quite
dry, and only here and there were to be seen hollows in its
bed, filled with water and surrounded by thick bushes.
Father Templyn, the insatiate hunter, proposed to me to
conceal ourselves for one night in the vicinity of one of
these basins of water, that we might have a glimpse of the
monsters who came hither to quench their thirst. I had
small desire to do so, as the low brush afforded no protec
tion against the savage creatures, and there was great
danger of treading upon snakes and other poisonous rep
tiles. But I allowed myself to be persuaded, and concealed
myself in a bush, while Templyn and the Frenchman
took up an advantageous position in another, at a little
distance. We waited long in vain, and were thinking with regret
of our camp, when the roaring of some wild animal was
heard, and we presently saw three buffaloes approach the
stream. They satisfied their thirst, and then waded far
into the water and laid themselves down, so that only

22 The IslAnd of Ceylon-
their snouts were visible above the surface. They had
remained thus, in this comfortable position, quite still and
immovable for about fifteen minutes, when a fourth buf
falo appeared, and, after he had snuffed the air for a few
moments, began to drink. The others, indeed, raised their
heads above the water at his approach, but did not seem
inclined to hinder him from drinking. No sooner, how
ever, did he prepare to lie down in the water, than one of
the three others raised himself up, and with the most
fearful snortings rushed upon him. The heavens were
perfectly free from clouds, and the moon revealed dis
tinctly every thing around, so that, in the excitement of
this sight, I did not regret the loss of my sleep in the
camp. It is perfectly impossible to describe the power
and fierceness with which these enraged creatures attacked
one another. Before each onslaught they retired a little
space, pawed the sand, threw it high in the air, and then
with a snort that actually seemed to be accompanied by
sparks of fire, like an arrow from a bow, they rushed upon
one another, each time with so much force as to drive
their opponent staggering back again. Sometimes they
would stand apart for a breathing space, like statues, until,
their heads bent down to the ground, they renewed the
fight. Each time, however, that they retired they lessened
the distance between them — blow followed blow with a
dull crashing sound that echoed far and near, up and
down the thickly wooded banks of the river. Fortune
decided in favor of the defender of the bath, who gave the
disturber of his rest such a decisive butt in the side that
the latter, deeming it imprudent to await a second, left the

The Island of Ceylon. 23
field of battle, and hastened towards the forest. His
valiant conqueror did not think it worth while to follow
him, but contented himself with a deafening roar of tri
umph, and' returned to his companions in the water.
Spite of my enjoyment of this fearful duello, -I had not
beheld it without a secret shudder; judge then of my
terror when a ball, whistling past me, immediately aroused
all three buffaloes. They immediately arose with a loud
roar, and two of them rushed towards the place whence
the flash of the musket had proceeded, while the third
directed his furious course directly towards the bush in
which I lay concealed. In a terror which no words can
describe, I betook myself to flight, but flight deprived me
of my usual presence of mind. I had only proceeded a
few steps when I lost my hat, and my long hair became
inextricably entangled in the thorny bushes around me.
I heard the bellowing of the dreadful beast not very far
from me, and in despair I made one final effort to extricate
myself, which almost prostrated me upon the ground, and
left nearly one half of my curls behind me. I had now
some hope of reaching our camp, which was about a hun
dred steps distant, but I felt, as one often does in a dream,
that my legs were paralyzed by fear, and an invisible
power seemed to detain me immovably on the spot. My
destroyer was now so near that I could feel his hot breath,
but sufficient strength remained for me, fortunately, to
throw myself directly in his path, and the fearful creature
plunged, in his headlong career, directly over and past me.
I had given myself up for lost, and well I might do so, for
the hind hoof of the buffalo left its impression in the

24 The Island of Ceylon.
earth only a hand's breadth from my head, and I was
covered with the sand which it had tossed up over me.
I now recovered sufficient presence of mind to creep upon
my hands and knees into the nearest thicket, and there,
chattering and trembling with fear, conceal myself. How
long I remained there I do not know; my full conscious
ness returned for the first time when I heard the voices of
my companions and of our servants, who had come, armed
with torches, to seek for me. I cried out to them and
they released me with some difficulty from my hiding
place, wondering how I had contrived to force myself so
far into the thorny thicket. All this mischief had been
caused by Templyn's eager desire for the chase at all
hazards, and spite of his excusing himself by the assurance
that his piece went off by accident, and of my warm friend
ship for him, I could not forbear expressing my displeasure
at his folly which had so nearly cost me my life, especially
as I had accompanied him this night only upon the express
condition that no large animals should be attacked.
In consequence of this adventure I suffered the next day
from headache and fever, and could not continue the jour
ney; accordingly we remained during the following night
at our dangerous encampment by the side of the river, but
were all upon our guard. From time to time we heard
a strange rustling which inreased towards morning. A
splashing in the pools and a suppressed grunting led us to
believe that wild boars were wallowing in the swampy bed
of the river. In spite of the darkness which followed the
moon's setting and which prevented us from distinguishing
anything beyond our watch-fires, we directed our rifles

The Island of Ceylon. 25
towards the spot whence the sound proceeded and fired.
It immediately seemed to us that the creature left the
water and hurried to the thicket. After all was quiet
again we heard a breathing and grunting as of some
creature that might have been wounded by us ; we awaited
with impatience the break of day, and with the first dawn
instituted a search. As the animal had long been quiet,
our search was for some time fruitless, and we had already
determined to lose no more time about it, when Templyn's
servant discovered behind a large bush a wild boar stretched
out without any signs of life, and we immediately declared
him to be our property. I, with the baker, was nearest at
hand when the discovery was made, and my companion
instantly prepared to cut off the tail to present to the
Frenchman, whom none could endure since his unfeeling
conduct. He seized hold of the tail, laughing, and was
just about to apply the knife, when the creature, which
had lain, to all appearance dead, rose upon his fore feet
with a horrible grunt. The expression on the face of the
amateur surgeon at this moment was a rich study. Pale
as death, he stood with open mouth, immovable, and
gasped for breath. I, myself, was startled, and seized my
rifle. But as we both soon perceived that the animal tried
in vain to rise, and then sank back again, I was relieved,
while the baker grew so angry that, full of rage, he at last
buried his huge sabre in the creature and quieted it forever.
His ridiculous wrath furnished material for many a joke
against him for sometime afterwards.
After many other insignificant adventures, we at last arri
ved happily at the end of our journey, where we met many

26 The Island of Ceylon.
friends and acquaintances whose kindness made our stay
among them, a continued festival.
Every day they drove us about in the country near the
city, and every evening we were invited either to a wed
ding, ball, or assembly. I was in excellent spirits, for I
had attained the object of my journey, the satisfaction of
my curiosity, but friend Templyn was quite cast down, for
he found that his hopes had deceived him, and the profita
ble office that he had come to seek, had been given away
before our arrival. It fared still worse with the French
man, for instead of receiving a cordial reception from the
government, which he had supposed that the important
papers that he carried with him would ensure him, he was
arrested and imprisoned as an English spy. To the baker
fell the best lot of all, for he married the rich widow at
whose house he lodged, and gave himself up to domestic
life. During my stay in Colombo I became acquainted with a
Portuguese who had travelled much as a merchant, soldier,
pilgrim, and what-not, and who fascinated me by his
agreeable and instructive conversation. He informed me
one day that he was determined to undertake a journey to
the mountains in the middle of the island, as soon as he
could find a companion upon whom he could rely, and who
could bear the hardships of such an excursion. He thought
me " the very man whom he had been looking for," and
told me, after I had promised the strictest secrecy, that
during his last excursion in the above-mentioned moun
tains, he had lost his way, and had discovered in a deep
valley, a stream almost dry, whose banks were covered

The Island of Ceylon. 27
with rubies and other precious stones, but that he had not
dared to take any away with him for fear of the natives,
who are commanded by their chiefs, to search every trav
eller, and to murder without hesitation, all in whose pos
session precious stones are found. He had, however,
marked the spot and it would be very easy to find it again,
if I would accompany him.
The undertaking appeared to me by no means as easy
as he represented it, as we should be obliged to avoid all
frequented paths and penetrate through pathless wilds and
forests ; I reminded him of this and also of the danger of
meeting with the aforesaid unpitying savages.
But he knew well how to answer all my objections and
I at last consented to accompany him upon the condition
that father Templyn should be informed of the expedition
and invited to join it, for I imagined that in his straitened
circumstances, he would grasp eagerly this opportunity of
enriching himself. But the old man shook his head, and
laughing scornfully at my proposition, advised me kindly
not to be led astray by the fancies of the brain-struck Por
tuguese, who had certainly mistaken pebbles for precious
stones. He brought forward other and better arguments
against the expedition, and as the Portuguese was passing
by our room at the time, he called him in, reproached him
bitterly with putting such ideas into my head, and threat
ened if he did not leave me in peace, to find some way of
forcing him to do so. The wily Portuguese concealed his
displeasure, and soothed Templyn with the assurance that
he had himself, after more mature consideration, given up
the expedition and was determined to visit the Indian

28 The Island of Ceylon.
continent. He added that it would be a great pleasure to
him if we would receive him into our company on our way
home, as far as Fort Chilaw, where he had business to
transact. His request was so modest that without any
hesitation we granted it.

V.
Early the next morning we bade farewell to Colombo,
and soon afterwards reached the village of Negombo,
where storm and rain obliged us to seek shelter, and
where I. determined to remain for some days and await
better weather. Templyn now, in consequence of his
disappointed expectations, in perpetual ill-humor, insisted
so obstinately the next morning upon departure, that we
separated, and I sent him on his way with the servants
and baggage-carriers. Before he went, however, he drew
me aside, and with a kind of frank honesty which never
deserted him, warned me for God's sake not to give any
heed to the Portuguese who remained with me, and not to
allow myself to be dragged to ruin and death by the
phantoms of his brain. One more pressure of the hand,
and he was gone.
In fact the Portuguese, who bore the name of Manuel
de Cruz, had not ceased, since our departure from Colombo,
to endeavour to excite my imagination until he became
convinced that his wondrous golden mountain had no
longer an effect upon me. But now he believed that the
departure of my friend opened a new field for him, of
which he did not fail to take advantage, and followed up

The Island of Ceylon. 29
his wondrous assertions with the entreaty that I would
yield to his wishes and follow him.
" And whither ?" I interrupted him, with a quiet smile ;
" over mountain and valley, through thicket and thorns,
to fill my pockets with pebbles and dream of diamonds.
My way lies in' the direction of my home, where dear
ones are awaiting my return with longing."
Manuel returned my quiet smile, and begged me to
listen to him seriously and attentively. The moment had
arrived when all reserve must be laid aside, and when he
should have revealed to me the true state of the case, he
had not the slightest doubt of what my determination
would be. After he had reminded me of the well known
fact, or rather report, that in the war with the Portuguese,
the native kings had packed their enormous wealth in
great iron chests, and had thrown these into some river,
he continued that he had learnt from his father that the
Portuguese had obtained possession of one of these chests,
but being obliged to effect a hasty retreat, they had not
been able to take it with them, but had concealed it in
the mountains. He had, indeed, told me of the discovery
of the wonderful mountain, but that was not so ; neither
had he lost his way in the mountains, but had gone
thither with the express purpose of finding the hidden
treasure. After a long search, and incredible pains, he
had at length succeeded in finding it in a little cave in the
rocks, on the bank of a small stream, but he could discover
neither opening, cover, or lock, and his efforts to break it
open with a stone were entirely unavailing; the spot,
however, where the chest lay hid, he had so firmly im-

30 The Island of Ceylon.
pressed upon his memory that he could find his way
thither in the dark. It would only cost three or four
days of fatigue and labor, such as is gone through with on
every hunting expedition, and certainly that was not
paying too dear for a future of pleasure and plenty.
Why should I deny that these treacherous words
sounded sweeter than ever in my ears. They had the
more weight with me as I had often heard the sinking of
the treasure spoken of as an indubitable fact. And yet
the adventure that the Portuguese proposed, appeared so
strange and romantic, that I was perfectly undecided what
to do. Here the wildness of the undertaking, the hope of
riches allured me, and there thoughts of my young wife
beckoned me in quite another direction. After a long con
flict, my folly and the charm of such a strange expedition
gained the mastery, and I promised the Portuguese who was
still importuning me, to accompany him, if he would
solemnly assure me upon his honor and conscience that
every thing that he had told me was true and that he had
falsified in nothing.
With flashing eyes and the most solemn oaths he assured
me that all he had said was literally true, and then all
remains of indecision vanished from my mind.
We now hastened to Chilow, quickly made the necessary
preparations for our journey, and after a few days set out
before sunrise without having informed a soul of our pur
pose. Our only baggage, besides our guns and swords, consisted
of a bag containing about 20 pounds of rice, a kettle to
cook it in, a bottle holding three quarts of brandy, a bear

The Island of Ceylon. 31
skin, a coil of strong rope, some copper basins which were
to answer as gongs, an axe, and lastly some files and forc
ing tools, with which to possess ourselves of the contents
of the mysterious chest.
At noon we arrived at a little stream that came so
swollen from the mountains, that we were obliged to ford
it. We undressed, and,Jn order to lure away the croco
diles, that had plumped into the water at our approach,
my companion begged me to go some hundred steps up the
stream and shout with all my might, while he could then
take over the baggage in two loads. Our stratagem suc
ceeded, and now it was my turn to cross the stream which
I prepared to do, relying far less, however, upon the shouts
of the Portuguese than upon my good sword, which I held
in my right hand, ready to plunge down the throat of any
monster who should dare to come too near me. As I
reached the middle of the stream I looked up at my com
panion whose face was turned towards me and who was
shouting most furiously, when I saw, (judge of my hor
ror !) not many feet from him a tiger with crooked back
and cat-like motions, creeping stealthily nearer. Even if
fear had not deprived me of voice, I should not have dared
to utter a sound while I was in the water, and, unfortu
nately, he did not understand the repeated signs that I
made him.
I sprang from the stream as the savage animal was
just behind him, and forgetting my own danger, uttered a
shriek so piercing that the beast stopped and turned
towards me. My companion now became aware of his dan
ger and had the presence of mind to jump into the river.

32 The Island of Ceylon.
As soon as the tiger perceived that he was discovered,
he gave up his chase and returned, to the wood, from
whence our loud cries had attracted him, looking round at
us from time to time, and showing a double row of cruel
white teeth.
We now followed the bank of the river, till we arrived
at an open space about two hundred yards square and quite
free from trees and underbrush, where we determined to
spend the night. Our first care was to provide ourselves
with a quantity of dry wood and brush, which we arranged
in heaps in a half circle in such a way that the two wings
stretched to the bank of the river which formed our de
fence in the rear. This precaution was the more necessary
as I had discovered the traces of buffaloes, of which I was
more in dread than of any other wild animal whatever ;
for the buffalo of the East is a perfectly untamable beast,
and woe to him who approaches too near one of the hor
rible monsters and happens to displease him either by
wearing red, by discharging a gun at him, or by happening
to meet him after he has been put to rout by a stronger
opponent. Should he ever succeed in 'avoiding his first
furious onset and climbing a tree — he is still lost unless
his hiding place furnishes him with eatable fruit of some
kind, for his cunning persecutor will not leave the spot
until he has either dislodged his victim or dies himself of
hunger, at the root of the tree.
When we had eaten our supper, as my companion had
determined to watch during the first part of the night, I
stretched myself upon the bearskin, and composed myself
to rest, with as much carelessness and indifference, as if

The Island of Ceylon. 33
I had been lying upon my bed at home, in the conscious
ness of safety. I even listened with a kind of satisfaction
to the roaring that was occasionally heard in the woods
around — listened until my eyelids drooped and I fell
asleep. When it came my turn to watch I spent the time in the
same easy state of indifference, prepared for whatever
might occur, my pistols in my belt, my gun upon my
shoulder, and my cigar in my mouth. Outside of our en
campment I heard the crashing tread of the elephants,
and the low roar of the buffaloes who passed by us in their
headlong career ; sometimes the snorting crocodiles stirred
in the river behind us, but these last gave me no uneasi
ness, for I knew their dread of fire. At last the dawn
appeared, and fresh and hopeful we re-commenced our ad
venturous journey.
We soon discovered on the other side of what seemed
an interminable forest, the peaks of the wished for moun
tains, and with a joyful shout- my companion pointed to
the goal of our exertions which we hoped to reach in two
or three days. "Courage!" he cried to me, "let us dare
anything and everything! I do not require thanks, my
friend, but you will bless the hour that brought us together."
VI.
On the third day we left the river bank and took our
way across an immense sandy plain only relieved by a few
straggling bushes here and there : and in the evening we
reached the borders of the forest which we entered the
next morning.
3

34 The Island of Ceylon.
Our path became more and more intricate ; we made
our wray with difficulty through the briars and heaps of
dried leaves, but too often the abode of deadly reptiles ;
at every rustling we stopped and looked carefully around,
our cocked rifles ready in our hands, in dread lest we
should encounter some savage animal.
At noon we came upon two bears, one of whom was
endeavoring to climb a tree, while the other walked around
him as if keeping watch. The first quickly accomplished
his object and hid himself in the boughs, but the other,
evidently more courageous, looked fixedly at us and showed
his teeth.
" Hold !" I cried, " he is aiming for us ; let's try the
temper of our weapons, or better still, let us take a small
circuit here and save our strength for him."
" Nonsense !" replied Manuel, " an elephant or a buffalo
might make such precaution necessary. But that fellow
there — let us see how he can show his heels."
And he rashly advanced, applying the most abusive
terms to the monster, but quickly slackened sail, for the
beast, instead of running away, turned round and trotted
briskly towards us.
" Jesu Maria, here he comes !" he cried, and we threw
off our packs, seized our guns and placed ourselves, ready
for firing, behind two thick trees. It was high time, for
the beast, growling fearfully, was already only a stone's
throw distant from us ; I fired, and had the good fortune
to shatter his right fore paw ; he fell, but recovering him
self immediately upon his hind legs, rushed upon the Por
tuguese, behind whom I had placed myself, in order to

The Island of Ceylon. 35
re-load my piece, and who immediately fired, but missed,
and then, instead of presenting his bayonet, ran to conceal
himself behind another tree. The furious bear had almost
reached him when another of my balls pierced his side ;
he tottered, and proped upon his uninjured paw, leaned
against a tree, and with foaming jaws, began to roar most
horribly. We expected to see him fall to the ground, but
with a loud yell, he suddenly raised himself, and ran at
me so quickly that I had but just time to draw my sabre
and plunge it up to the hilt in his body. I then sprang
back, leaving him the weapon, which he tore out of the
wound, and endeavored, in the death-struggle, to tear it
to pieces with his teeth.
I cut off one of his ears as a trophy and we went our
way ; but the further we penetrated into the wood, the
more difficult became our progress. We were often forced,
in order to gain five steps forward, to take twenty in a zig
zag direction ; sometimes we came upon old decayed trees,
into which, if we attempted to climb over, instead of going
round them, we sunk up to our waists ; sometimes, immense
quantities of ant hills impeded our progress, or we encoun
tered morasses from which issued swarms of musquitoes
that attacked us with unexampled fury ; sometimes the
trees rained red ants, who also assailed us unmercifully in
spite of the most careful covering of our faces and hands,
and whose bite left a most painful inflammation. But
worst of all was a kind of reed which grew everywhere,
and in which our feet were continually entangled as in a
net. To cap the climax of our misery, these reeds were

36 The Island of Ceylon.
filled with sharp thorns which penetrated our stockings
and scratched our legs most cruelly.
Half dead with fatigue, our faces and hands covered
with great red blotches, and our legs with blood, we
arrived at last at a large pond, where we determined to
encamp for the night. We had scarcely sufficient strength
left to collect the wood that was necessary for our fires ;
a glorious meal of roast woodcocks refreshed us somewhat,
however, and we enjoyed the prospect of a delicious sleep.
This, it soon appeared, was not to be thought of, for
scarcely had the night closed in upon us when, close
around us, we heard the roaring of tigers, the hoarse bark
of the jackal, and the cries of numerous other animals,
whom we could not recognize by their voices. And soon
the savage beasts were discovered by the light of the fire,
here, there, and every where between the trees, and it
seemed as if every beast of the forest had determined to
attack us. Even our fires appeared scarcely to terrify
them, and they crept nearer and nearer until we were
actually surrounded by them. The most horrible roars
resounded through the forest, where they appeared to be
fighting among themselves, then suddenly a dead silence
would ensue until some one raised his voice alone, and was
immediately answered by the whole band. And now it
flashed upon us that we had brought this all upon our
selves ; how could we have been insane enough to have
chosen our place of rest so near to a pool of water, and
thus prevented these wild monsters from quenching their
thirst. Could we wonder that these creatures, exasperated
and driven almost to despair by their desire for water,

The Island of Ceylon. 37
should angrily surround our fires, which separated them
from the water. Most willingly would we have allowed
them to drink, but no tree stood near enough to serve as a
refuge for us without our being torn in pieces before we
could reach it.
Midnight passed over us in our terror, and we expected
every moment that thirst would overcome the fear of our
fire in some one of our dreadful enemies, and that then an
universal onslaught would be made upon us. Our fears
were not groundless, for two tigers, bolder then the rest,
approached cautiously, with measured steps, and were
instantly joined by several other beasts, among whom we
recognized some bears. The two leaders ventured close to
our fires, then suddenly halted and gazed steadily at us for
some seconds with flashing eyes, while they gnashed their
teeth with suppressed rage. At last, raising their noses in
the air, they commenced such a frightful duet, that in
terror we sank upon the ground, and could scarcely hold
our rifles in our trembling hands, for this roar, which was
echoed from all sides, seemed to us the signal for an uni
versal attack. Only one of the tigers ventured nearer,
and he came so close that he could easily have reached us
with one spring. The extremity gave me fresh courage, I
hastily seized a huge firebrand, and hurled it in the face
of the bold creature with so sure an aim that he fell back ;
recovering himself he fled hastily, carrying the rest of the
animals with him. From time to time more of our thirsty
foes drew near, and we had trouble enough to keep them
at a safe distance, by means of our guns and fire-brands.
Long after the day began to dawn we heard their angry

38 The Island of Ceylon.
growling in the distant parts of the forest, and could
hardly believe that we had actually survived the dangers
of this dreadful night.
Perfectly exhausted, and staggering with sleep we con
tinued our arduous journey until, towards nine o'clock, I
found it utterly impossible to proceed ; I threw myself on
the ground under a tree and immediately fell asleep. My
companion waked me in about two hours, as he had been
for some time watching a tiger who had been creeping
cautiously around us, only awaiting a propitious moment
to make us his prey. He had just appeared from a bush
not twenty steps distant, when we, steadying our pieces
against the trunk of a tree, fired upon him. Mortally
wounded, he sprang a few feet into the air and as he fell
Ave saw him struggling with death, but we were so cast
down by our continued perils that we never even stopped
to look at him, but continued our weary way.
About noon the forest became less dense, but as the
number of trees decreased the underbrush grew so thickly
that it formed one closely woven mass like a thick brush,
spreading out before us to the very foot of the mountain,
which was at least three or four miles distant. At first
sight it appeared utterly impossible to effect a path through
this desert plain; but we were determined to make the
attempt. VII.
And now we were in the midst of what seemed an inter
minable labyrinth, and often when with compass in hand,
we had with infinite difficulty advanced, as we thought.

The Island of Ceylon. 39
several steps, to our vexation we found ourselves upon
some spot already traversed by our footsteps, for the bushes
were almost all about a man's height, and any view of the
country round us was impossible. We knew besides that
this part of the island actually swarmed with tigers,
always lurking in such thickets, and no tree stood any
where near to which we might escape if attacked, nor
could we see a spot where we could obtain a firm foot-hold
to defend ourselves, even if we had had the strength in
our exhausted condition to do so. The foot-prints of enor
mous tigers, and the trail of serpents were seen every
where around us in the glowing hot sand, which heated by
the sun, in the more open spots of country, added to our
discomfort. Towards evening a cloud obscured the sun, and the
weather, hitherto mild and clear, was varied by a shower
of rain which was to us at first an unspeakable blessing,
as it cooled the air and the sand, but which shortly de
scended in such torrents that we were obliged to take
shelter under a lonely tree. But scarcely had we deposited
our baggage here, when we heard a rustling in the boughs
over head, and, looking up, discovered a tiger-cat, which,
disturbed by our approach, was springing from bough to
bough. At any moment this savage animal which, if
driven to extremity is more to be feared than even the
tiger, could have leaped down upon us, so we judged it
expedient to retire a few paces and give him an opportu
nity for - flight, of which he quickly availed himself and
was out of sight in a few seconds.
The day now began to decline, and as the tree was quite

40 The Island of Ceylon.
high and very thickly leaved, we determined to pass the
night in its branches, a determination to which we were
brought by necessity, for we could neither discover a spot
free from underbrush, large enough to accommodate our
circle of fires, without being burnt to ashes ourselves, nor
could we collect dry wood sufficient to feed our fires when
made — indeed we had scarcely enough to cook our supper
of rice.
After our simple meal we prepared our couches, which
we did by weaving the rope that we had with us, between
two strong boughs in a kind of net, upon which we could
repose without fear of breaking our necks, and covering it
with young under leaves. Although this bed was so nar
row and inconvenient that we were obliged to sleep in
almost a sitting posture, we scrambled joyfully into it in
order, with a sort of comfort that sprang from a sense of
safety from all unseen danger, to indulge in a cigar. We
listened with indifference to the screams of night-birds
and the roars of savage beasts that resounded from
all sides. From time to time it appeared to rain just
above us, and the thought would intrude sometimes that
we might be harboring most uncomfortable room-mates in
our tree, although we had been prudent enough to clear
the field by several pistol shots. While we were talking
about it, however, our eyelids drooped and we slept pro
foundly. At day-break we were awakened by the cawing
of the forest raven and the shrill pipe of the wood-cock —
and we left our pleasant couch without delay, loosened our
rope from the tree, loaded our guns anew, refreshed

The Island of Ceylon. 41
ourselves by a hasty breakfast, and then continued our
journey. The sun rose in glorious majesty, and gilded so richly
the mountain which lay just before us, and which we
hoped contained such a rich treasure, that we took fresh
courage and inspiration, and hastened on, not doubting
that we should arrive at our journey's end before nightfall.
Our progress was quite as difficult as it had been the day
before, for the sun seemed hotter than ever after the
storm, and we went on cutting our path through the
thicket until fatigue overcame us, and we threw ourselves
down at the fo"ot of a lonely tree to refresh ourselves by
sleeping alternately for several hours. Invigorated by this
rest, and a hasty dinner, we began for the first time, as
we fondly hoped, our weary march towards the desired
mountain, which was now only about two miles distant.
We were still more encouraged by perceiving that the
thicket became less dense at every step, the footing more
firm and strong, and trees in layers and groups were every
where seen around us. We could pursue our path with
out being continually obliged to make most tiresome
circuits, and towards evening we reached a thick forest
of most beautiful trees, which we recognized at once, by
their thick bark, for ebony. Fruit trees we found none,
and this rejoiced us, for we argued that few beasts of prey
would, without that inducement, venture into a forest so
bare of underbrush which could afford them concealment.
In excellent spirits we approached the mountain, our
hopes and delight increasing at every step. We thought
of nothing but the gratification of our avarice, of the con-

42 The Island of Ceylon.
tents of the iron chest, and future plans of life, upon
which we were placing the firmest reliance. All distress,
danger, and fatigue, were forgotten, and we were about to
' give vent to our feelings in a loud joyful shout 
When suddenly we stood still on the edge of a steep
and profound abyss, about thirty feet wide, which opened
just across our path, and which stretched unbroken to the
right and left as far as the eye could reach. It had appa
rently been formerly the bed of a river, which had either
run dry or chosen another channel. The ground was dry
and covered from the brink downwards with such a
thickly woven rank growth of underbrush, that the utter
impossibility of working our way down and up again
through such a living wall, was clear at the first glance
The attempt to reach the opposite bank in this way would
have been certain ruin. If we persisted in doing so some
other path must be found.
For a long time we gazed speechless at one another,
until at last I endeavored to recover myself, and observed
to my companion that no other course remained for us but to
pursue the brink of the precipice until we could find some
path to the other side. He agreed with me, and according
to his advice, we turned to the left ; but the further we
went the wider grew the dreadful abyss, and as night
approached we encamped and prepared our evening meal.
At day-break we patiently continued our journey, without,
however, any success, until, after several fatiguing hours,
I stopped and conjured Manuel to turn and pursue a path
to the right. He yielded, and we retraced our steps, but
so sadly that it would be difficult to imagine a more dreary

The Island of Ceylon. 43
journey. At the same time we had not the smallest
doubt of arriving at the end of this unlucky abyss, but we
were vexed at the detention which we believed it would
cause us in reaching the place of our destination.
Covered with dust, we arrived about noon, at a large
tree just on the edge of the precipice, in the shade of
which we prepared to take our mid-day meal. But the
Portuguese would taste nothing, and sat still in a deep
reverie, until he suddenly sprang up with a cheerful coun
tenance and declared that he had at last found a means of
transporting both ourselves and our baggage to the other
side of the abyss. His plan was as follows : A tree cor
responding to the one under which we were sitting, stood
directly opposite, upon the bank over against us, and the
boughs of each were only about twenty feet apart. Now
Manuel proposed to descend into the abyss and cut his way,
axe in hand, through the thicket. When he had reached
the opposite bank I was to make fast the end of our rope
to my ramrod and then shoot it over with a small charge
of powder. This end he was to fasten to a stout branch
of the opposite tree, while I, on my side, did the same
with my end of the roDe, only taking care to select a
bough somewhat higher than his ; then nothing would be
easier than to slip our baggage from one bank to the other,
and myself after it, if I was afraid to follow him through
the thicket.
The plan was odd enough, but it did not seem utterly
impracticable, and there was no choice left us. But how
Manuel could hope to penetrate the thickly woven thicket
and escape the savage beasts that might lay concealed

44 The Island of Ceylon.
therein, I. could not conceive, and I told him so, with pres
sing entreaties to think of it no more ; but he insisted that
he must succeed if he covered his face and hands with
cloths, leaving only a little opening for his eyes ; as for the
wild beasts — as he brought all this upon us, it was but fair,
he said, that he should have the largest share of the dan
ger. I yielded, but only upon the condition that if he
found the undertaking more difficult than he had imagined,
or met with any unexpected danger, he should immedi
ately return.
After he had taken a heavy draught from the brandy
flask, he commenced his perilous descent through the
horrible thicket, upon his hands and knees, while I stood
above and clashed our copper basins together, and from
time to time, threw heavy stones into the abyss to scare
away the poisonous snakes and reptiles that might be con
cealed there. He refused to allow me to fasten one end
of our rope around his waist, that I might hastily draw
him back in case of urgent need, for he feared that it
might become so entangled as to impede his progress.
It was sometime before he could even penetrate so far
into the thicket as to conceal himself from my view, but
when at last I lost sight of him I sat down on the edge
of the abyss and passed a quarter of an hour in such dis
tress that I could hear my heart beat against my ribs,
while my eyes remained immovably fixed upon the spot
where he was to appear upon the other side. Suddenly I
observed in the midst of the thicket, a strange commotion,
and instantly a loud piercing shriek of agony from my
poor companion, fell upon my ear. What could I in my

The Island of Ceylon. 45
weakness do but return shriek for shriek. There was no
doubt of his danger and I could give him no help. I do
not know myself what I attempted in my despair. I dis
charged my pistols, clashed the copper basins, and ran
hither and thither, like one possessed, then plunged into
the opening where he had disappeared, and listened with
breathless attention. In vain ! A deathless silence reigned
in the abyss, and only my loud wailing filled the air.
VIII.
Almost unconscious, with sensations that cannot be
described, I at last seated myself upon the spot where I
had taken leave of my unhappy friend, and gazed down
fixedly into the abyss, where he had paid so terribly for
his and my folly. Every thing that I had hitherto suffered
shrunk into nothing before the woe of this hour. Sunk
in despondency no thoughts of guarding my miserable
existence remained in my mind, and at this moment I
should have been an easy prey to any savage animal that
might have been lurking near.
But the love of life at last gained the mastery ; I con
sidered how useless and dangerous it was to remain any
longer on this unhappy spot, and determined to seek the
shortest path out of this wilderness. But whither should
I turn. I could not dream of returning to Chilaw, through
the perilous thickets which our united exertions had so
hardly penetrated ; that would have been offering myself
up to destruction.
Still less was it advisable to follow the abyss to the
north, for I should only arrive among the mountains,

46 The Island of Ceylon.
where certain death awaited me ; I had no choice but to
follow the horrible abyss to the south, and trust my deliv
ery to some happy accident.
Slowly I set out, oppressed with the weight of woe, and
almost loaded down with the various necessary utensils,
whose weight had hitherto been shared by my unfortunate
companion. Beside my weapons, I carried a copper kettle,
about ten pounds of rice, and a brandy flask. I also took
with me my poor companion's sword, which he had laid
aside, and which must in future serve me instead of the
axe, which he had taken with him. The bank, along
which I slowly wandered, was very monotonous, and as
evening approached I determined to take up my abode for
the night in a tree.
But sleep fled my eyelids, and if fatigue sometimes
closed them, the howling of the tiger and jackal immedi
ately roused me. Horrible fancies oppressed my spirit in
my half-awake state, and I seemed to see my companion
standing at the foot of a tree, gazing upon me with hollow
eyes, and beckoning me to follow him. I started up, my
hair stood on end, and I should certainly have fallen from
the tree had I not bound myself firmly to a bough. At
last, towards day-break, I fell asleep, and the sun was
wandering in the heavens before I again awaked. Its
burning rays scorched me, a violent thirst consumed me,
and I experienced severe pains in my back and side, the
consequences of my forced position on my airy couch.
As soon as I had quenched my thirst by a draught from
the brandy flask, the contents of which I had diluted with
water the day before, I collected my baggage and wan-

The Island of Ceylon. 47
dered on, but the violent pain in my head and limbs
increased by the heat of the sun, against which I had no
protection, and the dust raised by my footsteps which in
flamed my eyes, and covered my parched lips, made my
lonely progress more difficult than ever. After a weary
march of a few hours, I sat down on the bank of a small
pool of water to drink and to fill my flask — my dinner I
resolved not to prepare until I had accomplished several
hours more of my journey. As I was about to rise I saw
with horror close beside me one of those hateful insects,
the mere description of which had so often made me shud
der, and which I now saw for the first time, it was the
horned spider. Spite of my horror I could not resist the
temptation of examining it more closely. Imagine its
brown hairy body about six inches in circumference, its
legs as thick as a quill pen, with which it had clutched a
lizard and was stripping the flesh from the bones of the
poor creature, and its eyes which seemed to glow with
savage rage. I took a little rice and held it out to it, but it
sprang at it with such lightning rapidity, that I let it fall
and took to flight to escape from its poisonous fangs.
The heat of the day was so intense that it was impossi
ble to quench the thirst in my dry throat, I continued,
however, to walk on, as, from various signs, I apprehended
a storm. Black clouds, with copper-colored edges col
lected threateningly around the horizon, and brooded with
a leaden weight upon the dark forest, soon concealing the
sun behind their black veil. I hastened my steps in order
to reach a tree with heavy foliage that I saw before me
in my path. As soon as I arrived beneath its shade I

48 The Island of Ceylon.
commenced kindling my fire, that I might cook my mea
gre meal before the approach of the storm. While my
rice was boiling, I ascended the tree, wove some of the
branches together and covered them with leaves that I
might have a more comfortable couch than I had enjoyed
on the previous night. I then eat my supper, and as the
clouds still remained far off on the horizon, I hoped to get
off this time with nothing but the anticipation of a storm,
and crept into my nest somewhat comforted to resign my
self to sleep ; sleep came, but scarcely had I closed my
eyes when I was again haunted by the most horrible
dreams. I seemed to stand in the midst of a raging storm
upon the summit of a rock in the boiling ocean which
broke in gigantic waves at my feet, and drenched me
with foaming spray.
Suddenly I awoke, and found with horror that my
dream was at least half reality. The heavens above and
around me seemed one vast sheet of flame, varied each
second by pitchy darkness. My eyes were blinded by the
incessant lightning which darted through the heated air
all around me. Peal upon peal of thunder burst over me,
and was echoed from the distant mountains ; all nature
seemed seething and fermenting around me in an universal
insurrection of its mighty forces. In the midst of the din
there rolled directly over my head, as it seemed, such a
peal of thunder that transcended every thing I have ever
heard before or since, and language fails me even now
when I attempt to describe it. It sounded in my ears like
the springing of a mine — the earth trembled, and a sti
fling smell of sulphur almost suffocated me. This crash

The Island of Ceylon. 49
appeared to be the signal for the commencement of one of
those tremendous tropical storms, which sometimes pros
trate whole forests, and in which my tree waved and
bent so that I was obliged to hold on to its branches with
all my strength to avoid being dashed to the ground. I
was enveloped in a perfect cloud of sand and dust ; my
fire flew about in every direction, and was utterly extin
guished when the hitherto imprisoned rain poured down
like a second flood. Three hours its infernal fury con
tinued, but I retain only a confused recollection of this war
of the elements, for I sat with closed eyes, my head sup
ported on my knees, in a kind of unconsciousness. If
startled by some frightful peal of thunder, I roused myself
for a moment, but quickly closed my eyes again, for the
sharp blue lightning revealed too distinctly the desolation
around me. I could not endure the sight. As the storm
subsided I thought for the first time of my dangerous
situation in the high tree, surrounded by my metal weap
ons. To be struck dead by the lightning would not be
such a horrible fate as, crippled and disabled, to fall an
easy prey to the first savage beast who might find me at
the foot of the tree ; this thought was anguish to me. But
this time my fears were vain ; the storm ceased at last,
and I awaited anxiously the break of day.
At the first streak of dawn I descended, dripping with
rain and shivering with cold, from my tree, and continued
my journey, hoping to warm myself by exercise. After
some time the abyss, which had hitherto extended directly
towards the south, took another direction, and I began to
hope that I should soon reach an inhabited part of the
4

50 The Island of Ceylon.
country ; but my hopes did not last long, for I came sud
denly upon a huge steep rock, which towered up far to the
right and left, in one unbroken mass, about fifty feet high,
like a great wall. I stood immovable, and gazed around
me for some passage, some cleft or projection, which might
make it possible for me to climb over it. I found myself
cut off from every hope of deliverance. This cruel dis
appointment extinguished the last spark of hope in my
bosom. In despair I threw myself upon the ground, tore
my hair, and beat my breast, until I fell into a kind of
stupor, and a death-like chill pervaded my limbs. This
lasted about a quarter of an hour, and when I came to
myself I filled the air with lamentations and curses upon
the Portuguese whose folly had caused all this grief and
woe. My state of mind was too unnatural to last long,
and the instinct of self-preservation impelled me to search
around still more narrowly for some mode of egress from
this horrible place. To the left was the frightful abyss
whose sides, before sloping, now descended sheer below me,
and forbade any attempt to descend from above ; and before
the huge rock, which hung over the precipice and was lost
in the dense thicket on my right. Only where the rock
overhung. the abyss could I observe a few clefts and holes
in its smooth surface, by which an ape, or some other
animal used to climbing, might have reached its summit ;
but the thought of hanging over that dreadful abyss, where
the least slip would be fatal, was frightful to me ; should I
undertake the ascent, I must leave my gun and bag of pro
visions behind, and what could I do without them.
There was nothing left for me but to go round the rock

The Island of Ceylon. 51
through the thicket, and yet to ascend the rock would be
as easy as to penetrate that mass of roots, boughs, and
briars. I skirted the edge of the wood for a few steps to
find some less tangled spot, and to my great joy discovered
an opening in the thicket, into which I immediatel}"
plunged, only, however, to retreat in the greatest terror ;
for a horrible breathing sounded in my ears, and I noticed
a rustling in the boughs above me, which boded no good.
In niy despair I detennined to retrace my steps to the
spot where I had lost my companion, and then strike into
the path by which we had come from Chilaw. I was
about to seize my gun and baggage, which I had thrown
upon the ground, when I heard again the hissing sound
that had terrified me just before, and turning round, I saw
not many steps from me, a serpent of gigantic size.
IX.
It emerged slowly from the opening which I had per
ceived so joyfully, a few moments before, in hopes that it
would prove a path through the thicket for me. Ring after
ring unfolded itself, and hemmed in by the abyss, rock, and
thicket, every means of escape was denied me. I was a
dead man. The monster glared at me with his flashing
eyes, his neck swollen with rage. I uttered a shriek of
horror; for a moment I was motionless with fear ; every
thing seemed to spin around me, and a sudden faintness
almost overcome me. How long this lasted I do not know,
but I was not quite stupified; I hesitated whether to
plunge head over heels from the precipice or attempt to

52 The Island of Ceylon.
climb the rock where it overhung the abyss. I deter
mined upon the last ; fear lent wings to my feet. I was
obliged to jump about five feet before I could find a cleft
for my hands, and I succeeded in reaching it. For some
seconds I hung over the abyss, vainly trying to find some
foothold, expecting momentarily, to be seized by the mon
ster behind me. Most fervently did I pray for strength,
and at last I managed to find a little ledge for my feet, I
climbed still higher, until at last my hands grasped the
summit of the rock and I swung myself upon it.
Safe, but trembling in every limb, I sank upon the
ground, for my strength was entirely exhausted by my
superhuman exertions. My breath failed me ; my heart
beat violently ; a thick mist came before my eyes ; I hardly
recollected where I was or what I had been doing. The
past seemed to me like a dream, and I should really
have believed it so, if my eyes had not convinced me that
I was fifty feet higher than I had been a few moments
before, and if my gaze had not fallen upon the gigantic
serpent so far below me, who was busied in swallowing my
rice in its goat-skin bag. As soon as he had accomplished
this, he coiled himself up with a loud hiss, and commenced
beating up the dust and sand with his tail.
Secure on the summit of the rock, I considered the
enormous size of this monster, who was encased in yellow
and black scales. He must certainly have measured seventy
feet in length, and his body was twice as large round as
mine. From time to time he raised his head as if in
search of some new prey, but as none was at hand, he
contracted and lengthened his shining rings, slipped slowly

The Island of Ceylon. 53
over the sand and disappeared in the wood through the
same opening from which he had emerged.
This horrible, disgusting creature had been the uncon
scious means of my delivery, for without the excitement
of the terror which he had caused me, I should never have
attempted the perilous ascent of the rock. I looked sor
rowfully and wistfully at my weapons, which I had left
behind me, for how was I, deprived of them and my pro
visions, and almost naked, to sustain my wretched exist
ence. The point which I had now reached was not calcu
lated to relieve my anxiety. The rock that I had just
ascended was one of the smallest of a circle of steep cliffs
heaped around, which surrounded a fearful abyss, upon
whose brink the path that I had been following, appeared
the only thread of hope left to me.
As it was already past noon, I continued my journey as
well as I could through the steep cliffs which were piled up
all around me. When night set in, I chose my resting
place under an overhanging rock that formed a kind of
grotto, kindled my fire, although there was small fear of
wild beasts among these rocks, and laid my weary head
upon a broad' flat stone that served me for a pillow. But
spite of my fatigue, I could not sleep, and my thoughts
busied themselves with painfully analysing my misery.
It might have been about midnight when I heard a distant
sound as of the barking of dogs, mingled with faint, hollow
voices ; they grew louder and louder, and I thought I could
distinguish the voices of several men talking and laughing
loudly. I sprang up and felt my heart beat quicker, and
a cold chill ran up and down my back. I listened ; every

54 The Island of Ceylon.
thing was still around me, when suddenly mocking voices
again sounded through the air and were answered by the
echoes from the mountain.
I listened more attentively, and just behind the cliff
under which I was, there burst forth a yelling scream that
almost froze my blood in my veins ; I seized a stone in my
hand and rushed forward to contend with the Kobolds who
were teazing me. Then it seemed as if a hundred dis
cordant, strange voices were calling all around me, that
deprived me of the last particle of composure; I thrust
my fingers into my ears, shut my eyes, and sprang back
again into the grotto. In my hasty retreat I struck my
forehead severely against a sharp-pointed rock, and the
blood which flowed from the wound and mortification at
my rashness brought me to my senses, of which I never
stood so much in need as at this moment. These strange
noises are still inexplicable to me ; they might well have
shaken the courage of a bolder man than I, and reminded
me afterwards of the European legends of the Wild Hunts
man. Men of weight and understanding in India, to whom
I have related this adventure, have assured me that such
wonderful voices are frequently heard in the mountains
and forests of Ceylon, and are ascribed by the natives to
evil spirits.
After this fatiguing night, in which I did not enjoy one
moment of refreshing sleep, the day at last broke forth
from the east, and with it I commenced again my hopeless
journey. I was obliged still to work my way over steep
rocks and sharp stones, and was besides, tormented with
the most violent thirst. After a long search, I discovered

The Island of Ceylon. 55
a little water in the hollow of a rock, and this dirty water
tasted more deliciously to me than any drink that I had
ever before enjoyed.
My thirst once quenched, hunger tormented me, and I
looked in vain for something wherewith to satisfy it, until
I observed a snake about three feet long and as thick as
my fist, giving chase to a poor little lizard. I seized a
stone and killed the snake, cut off its head, which I knew
contained all its venom, stripped off its skin, and roasted
my prey at a little fire which I had managed, with great
difficulty, to kindle.
Whilst I was enjoying this delicious meal, thick clouds
collected above and around me, enveloping me in such a
mist that I could distinguish nothing around me. I knew
that these mists sometimes surrounded the mountain-peaks
for days at a time, and were not unfrequently the precur
sors of dreadful storms ; fear of being detained by them
upon this bare rock, where I should surely perish with
hunger, determined me to descend, or rather to slip down
the mountain in the midst of the mist. After being several
times almost precipitated from the precipice, I arrived
safely at the bottom, and found myself again on the bank
of the old abyss and between two rows of cliffs, where
I threw myself down utterly exhausted, and did not
awake from the deep slumber into which I fell, until
the sun was tolerably high in the heavens on the follow
ing day.
My limbs felt as if they had been broken on the wheel,
I shivered with pain and cold, as in the beginning of a
fever, and my tormenting thirst and increasing weakness

56 The Island of Ceylon.
warned me only too plainly that, unless I was speedily
delivered, I should be beyond all sensation of pain and
terror in a few days. With these sad forebodings I arose
from my hard bed, took a few drops of water, and con
tinued my way along the edge of the abyss. Evening
again approached, and filled with despair, I was about to
throw myself under a tree, to await my death calmly,
when I perceived at a little distance, a spot where the
brink of the abyss seemed much less fearful, and a path
across it almost possible. Strengthened anew by the sight,
I looked around me for some nourishment, and succeeded
in catching by the tail a little alligator that was just slip
ping into a hole. I killed it, and prepared a delicious
meal ; then, protected by a large fire, I lay down to rest.
On the following morning I began my dangerous journey
through the thicket, and reached in safety the other bank
of the abyss, which had been the cause of all my suffering
and misfortunes. A few steps further, and there — a loud
shout of joy burst from me, my senses forsook me, and I
sank fainting on the ground.
When I came to myself, and stood up, I found myself
in a broad frequented path, where I discovered quite
recent footprints. I followed it as quickly as my fatigue
would allow me to, and soon encountered a troop of trav
elling natives, who were proceeding slowly with their
mules. They were not a little terrified to behold in this
wilderness a man wandering towards them, travel-stained
and hollow-eyed, but received me most kindly when I had
told them my story, strengthened me with a most refresh
ing soup, and brought me safely to the coast in three

The Island of Ceylon. 57
days. In a short time I found an opportunity to embark,
and returned safely to my friends and dear ones, who
were mourning most bitterly my disappearance and proba
ble death, and who regarded me almost like one risen
from the dead.

f lire ^f §e^«
After a short delay on the eastern coast of Madagascar,
where we had laid in fresh water and provisions, we
weighed anchor, and with a favourable wind, steered for
Java, the place of our destination. It was a beautiful
November day. I stood on deck enjoying the prospect of
the quiet sea, congratulating myself that the most tedious
as well as the most dangerous part of our voyage from
Holland was accomplished, for the Cape of Good Hope lay
far behind us, and counting over the profits that our rich
cargo must ensure us, when all at once the terrible cry of
fire ! fire ! was heard. I hastened down into the hold,
whence the cry proceeded, but saw nothing ; to my inquiry
as, to what was burning, one of the sailors replied, "in
that cask there." I thrust my hand into it, but as I per
ceived no fire, I ascended again to the deck to ascertain
the cause of the noise.
The steward had gone down into the hold in the after
noon, as usual, to fill a bucket with the spirits which were
to be distributed to the crew the following day, when after
accomplishing his task, he took up the candlestick which
held the tallow candle, and which he had set down upon a
cask near that from which he had filled his bucket, a spark
fell into the open bung-hole and the flames burst forth from
the cask; immediately the top and bottom fell out, and
(58)

Fire at Sea. 59
the burning spirit flowed down into the coal hole beneath.
The careless fellow had, as he told me, poured upon the
flames several buckets of water that stood near, and entirely
extinguished them. To make all sure, I gave orders to
have all the coals damped, and then went my way, think
ing no more of the matter.
Half an hour afterwards some sailors again shouted fire,
which terrified me greatly ; when I went below the flames
were already blazing up from the lowest part of the hold ;
the half extinguished fire had spread fearfully among the
coals, and unfortunately several rows of brandy casks were
piled up just above this spot. We hoped now to check
the rapidly increasing flames, and the greater part of the
crew brought water in leather buckets and poured it down
into the hold in torrents. But this led to new and dan
gerous consequences ; the water falling upon the glowing
coals caused such a thick sulphurous smoke that we were
in danger of stifling, and it was almost impossible to remain
any longer in the hold. I, however, continued to do so,
that I might give the necessary orders, desiring my crew
to work by turns, that they might have every now and
then a whiff of fresh air, for I feared that several who
could not reach the port holes, were already suffocated;
indeed, I was myself several times so confused that I
scarcely knew what I was doing, and was obliged to lean
my head upon a cask and turn my face towards a port-hole
to get fresh air.
When, at last, I was forced to go on deck, I went to the
supercargo, Hein Rol, and told him that I thought it advi
sable to throw the powder overboard, but he could not

60 Fire at Sea.
make up his mind to it. " If we throw our powder into
the sea," said he, " we may, it is true, hope to extinguish
the fire, but how, without powder, shall we defend our
selves against the enemies who infest these seas, and how
shall we justify ourselves if our ship should be taken ?"
In the meantime the fire was rapidly gaining ground, and
as no one could any longer endure the suffocating smoke
that filled the hold, we seized axes and cut holes in the
lower deck, through which we poured floods of water
upon the flames, but with no success in extinguishing
them. Three weeks before our long boat had been fitted for
sea, and fastened to the stern of the ship ; now we let
down the boat from the upper deck, as it was in the way
of the sailors who were bringing water. The confusion
became greater every moment, we saw ourselves exposed
to the double danger of fire and water, and the sure prey
of one or^he other. We could not hope for help, for there
was neither land nor ship in sight. The sailors now began
one by one to slip away ; they let themselves down into
the water and swam to the long boat, where they concealed
themselves under the benches, to wait until their number
should be sufficient to enable them to cut loose from the
burning vessel. Hein Rol, who was standing on the quar
ter deck, was not a little surprised to see the boats so full
of men ; they cried out to him that they were about to put
to sea, and that if he wanted to go with them he must
come quickly. He was easily persuaded, as he was greatly
terrified, but as he was getting into the long boat, " Wait
friends," he exclaimed, " till the captain comes." Of course

Fire at Sea. 61
they listened neither to request nor command, but quickly
cut the rope and pushed off from the ship.
Whilst I was still issuing orders, and hoping to subdue
the flames, some of the sailors rushed up to me, exclaim
ing in the greatest terror, " Oh, captain, what shall we do ;
the boats have both cut loose, and are making off as rap
idly as possible."
" If that is the case," I answered, " things look badly
enough ; they have determined to leave us to our fate."
I hastened upon deck, and was soon satisfied of the
shameful purpose of the cowardly sailors. " Let us bear
down upon them," I cried ; " if they refuse to take us with
them, they must be taught their duty ; we will run them
down." And we had already approached them within three
ship's lengths, when they took the wind of us, and were
soon out of our reach. " Friends," I said to the remnant
of my crew, " there is now no help for us save in the mercy
of God and our own exertions, which we must redouble,
and once more attempt to stifle the flames. Run to the
magazine, and throw the powder overboard before the fire
reaches it." I took the carpenters with me, and ordered
them to bore holes in the ship's side, so as to let a couple
of fathoms of water into the hold ; but their tools made
no impression, as the vessel was lined with iron.
The failure of^this last attempt occasioned an indes
cribable panic, and a piercing shriek of terror filled the
air. At my command they began again to pour water
upon the flames, which really began to subside, when sud
denly the oil casks caught, and blazed up fearfully. We

62 Fire at Sea.
now gave ourselves up for lost, for the flames appeared to
gain strength from every bucket of water poured upon
them^ and the burning oil ran every where, kindling every
thing that it touched. In this extremity the crew, who
had now lost all courage, raised such a horrible scream of
agony and despair, that my hair stood on end, and the cold
sweat started from every pore.
In their despair, however, they still worked on, pouring
water into the hold and throwing the powder into the sea.
Already, of more than three hundred, only sixty casks
were overboard, when suddenly what remained caught on
fire, and the ship, in which there were one hundred and
nineteen souls, was shivered into a thousand fragments. I
was standing just behind the mainmast, with about thirty
men near me busy with the water buckets ; in one mo
ment of time they had vanished none' could say whither;
the rest shared a like fate.
As for myself, Captain Wilhem Isbrand Bontekoe, I
awaited my destruction with the others, stretching my
arms towards heaven, and exclaiming, "0 Lord have
mercy on me !"
II.
Although I distinctly felt myself lifted into the air, and
thought that all was most certainly over with me, I
retained my perfect consciousness, and a spark of hope still
glimmered within me. I fell into the sea in the midst of
the ruins of my shattered vessel. When I found myself in
the water, my courage revived wonderfully. I seemed quite
a different man. I looked around me and perceived the

Fire at Sea. 63
mainmast upon one side of me ; clinging to this, I began
to consider the sad destruction around me. " 0 heaven,"
I sighed, " has then my beautiful ship sunk forever !"
Wherever I turned I saw no living soul ; but after a few
moments, a young man emerged from the water not very
far from me, and swam hastily. He soon reached the bro
ken bowsprit, which was floating near him, placed him
self upon it, and said to. himself, " I am at least alive !"
When I heard his voice I looked around and exclaimed,
" 0 God, does any one beside myself survive !" At the
same time I recognized in. him, Harman Van Kniphausen,
a young man from Eyden. I saw near him, a stout spar,
and as I retained my hold, only with the greatest difficulty,
upon the main-mast, which was continually rolling over, I
cried out to Harman : "Push that spar towards me ; I will
swim to you upon it, and we will then both seat ourselves
upon the bowsprit," The attempt succeeded, most fortu-
tunately, for I should not have been able to reach him
without the spar, as I felt myself much bruised in the
back, and had received two wounds upon the head.
All these injuries, which I had not felt at first, now be
gan to be so painful that I could scarcely hear or see, and
the words broke from me, " 0 heaven if this suffering
increases I shall die." We swam together, both clinging
to the bowsprit ; from time to time we gazed around in
hopes of seeing one of the boats ; at last we discovered
them, but at such a distance that we could not tell whether
they were approaching us or sailing in a different direction.
The sun was already near its sitting, and I said to my com
panion: "Friend, there is no hope for us; we cannot pos-

64 Fire at Sea.
sibly keep our hold all night ; we must raise our souls to
God and pray for a speedy rescue, or for perfect submis
sion to his will." We began to pray and our prayers were
answered, for when we again looked around, we perceived
the boats quite near to us, to our great joy, for we had cer
tainly given ourselves up for lost.
" Save the captain !" I cried now as loudly as possible,
and I heard shouted back from the boat, " The captain is
gtill living !" They now sailed towards us as fast as pos
sible, but were afraid to come close to us, lest the heavy
bowsprit should injure their boats. Harman, who had been
very little injured by being blown up, felt strong enough
to swim, and so was saved.
" If you would save me," I cried, " you must come for
me, for I am so badly wounded that I cannot swim. The
boatswain, a stout youth, sprang immediately into the
water and handed me the end of a rope, which I wound
around my body, and by the mercy of God, at last reached
the long boat, where all wondered not a little to see me
again. I lay down in the stern to recover myself a little, for I
felt so miserably that I thought my end must be fast ap
proaching ; my back was very painful, as were also, the
wounds in my head. Yet, I recovered myself somewhat,
and said to Hein Rol and the others : " We shall do well
to remain near the wreck all night long, for when the day
breaks we can certainly recover something to eat, and per
haps we can find a compass, which we must have, if we
ever hope to reach land."
Among many almost indispensable things, we wanted

Fire at Sea. 65
a compass, charts, and quadrant ; our provisions, too, were
very scanty, so great had been the haste to get away from
the vessel. Hein Rol did not heed my advice, and con
tinued to sail on through the night in hopes of seeing land
in the morning ; but when he saw this hope disappointed,
and found the next morning that we were still far from
the land, he remembered my advice, and the men, finding
me yet alive, cried out to me : " Captain, what will become
of us ? we are far from the wreck, and can discover no
land ; we have nothing to eat or drink, and no compass or
charts, what shall we do 1"
" My friends," I replied, " you should have followed my
advice, and remained all night near the wreck, for whilst I
was clinging to the mast I saw such quantities of things
floating about me, that they hindered me from swimming,
and were quite dangerous."
With their assistance I crawled upon deck ; and when I
saw that they were still rowing on, I asked them, " My
friends, how much food have you ?" They pointed to a
cask which might hold at most seven or eight pounds of
biscuit." " Stop rowing," I continued, " for you will exhaust
yourselves, and then have nothing to eat wherewith to
recruit your strength."
" But what shall we do ?" they asked.
I advised them to take off their shirts and make sails
of them. As we had no thread, I bade them untwist
some ends of rope that were lying about, and with these
they sewed together, as well as they could, some small
sails. We found that we numbered forty-six in the long-
5

06 Fire at Sea.
boat, and twenty-six in the other. A sailor's blue jacket,
and a cushion, which we found in the boat, were, by com
mon consent, accorded to me, in consideration of my
suffering condition. The ship's surgeon was among us,
but he had no medicines; chewed biscuit was the only-
thing that he could apply to my wounds, and in the mercy
of God it healed them. I wished to give my shirt, like
the others, for the sails, but they would not consent, and I
most gratefully acknowledged the consideration with which
I was treated.
We rested all day long, that we might not weary our
selves with rowing ; but we finished the sails, which were
up before night. All this happened on the day after the
shipwreck. We directed our course by the stars, whose rising and
setting we observed carefully; and I drew, as well as I
could, upon one of the planks of the deck, a chart repre
senting the islands of Sumatra and Java, with the straits
between them, through which we hoped to steer. On the
day when the ship was blown up, we were, by the most
exact calculation, five and a half degrees south of the line
and twenty miles from land. The nights were now so cold
that in the mornings we were perfectly stiff, while in the
day time we suffered from the most intense heat, for the
sun was directly above our heads.
The few pounds of biscuit, which was all our store, I
divided into rations and distributed daily among the men ;
but we were very near the end of them, although the
piece that each one had for the whole day, was scarcely
half a finger in size. Our supply of fresh water had failed

Fire at Sea. 67
entirely, so the first time that it rained we spread out the
sail and caught the water, with which we filled two small
casks, to serve us on days when we had no rain. But we
were soon obliged to break into this last supply, and I
dipped up the water in the end of a shoe ; each man came
to me, drank his portion, and then went quickly back to
his place. x But in the midst of their thirst, the men all
said to me, " Drink yourself, captain, as much as you
want, for we all depend upon you." Although their kind
ness touched me, I could not bring myself to take more
than my share.
Up to this time the two boats had always kept in sight
of each other, but as the long boat sailed much faster than
the other, the men in the latter exerted themselves to get
nearer to us ; and, as they knew almost nothing of the
management of a boat, entreated us ,to take them up into
ours, lest they should be separated from us during the
night. But our crew refused their request, and cried out
to me, " Captain, if we take them in, we shall all go to
the bottom, for the boat will not be able to sail." I could
not prevail with them, and we were obliged to leave them
to their fate.
We were now miserable in the extreme. Our biscuit
was all consumed, and we could see no land. I used all
my powers of eloquence to convince the men that we could
not be far from the coast of Java, and prayed them to
have patience, but their patience did not last long ; they
soon ceased to listen to me, and began to murmur and
whisper among themselves, " Let the captain say what he

68 Fire at Sea.
will, we are just as likely to be sailing about on the open
sea as approaching the coast of Java."
After we had fasted for a long time, and starvation
seemed inevitable, a few sea-mews chanced to fly so near
to us that we caught them in our hands, stripped off the
feathers, and cut them up into little pieces, which we divi
ded most conscientiously; each man devoured the share
that fell to him with the greatest avidity. As for myself,
I thought it better than any delicacy I had ever tasted ;
honey had never been half so sweet to me, and we lamen
ted that there was no chance of our again enjoying such a
treat. There was still no sign of land, and the men lost
all courage, and silently awaited their fate, when the other
boat again approached us, and the men in it renewed their
entreaties to be taken in. As death seemed inevitable, we
consented at least to die all together, and they left their
boat to the mercy of the waves, bringing with them their
thirty oars, which I arranged upon the benches, so as to
form a kind of deck under which our seventy-two men,
divided into two parties, alternately rested.
In spite of all this, we were, as can easily be imagined,
huddled very closely together, and gazed upon each other
with the despairing expression of men who had nothing to
eat, no water to drink, and who could not see a bird upon
the sea, nor a cloud in the air which might bring them
relief. When we had given up all hope and had begun to
prepare ouselves for death, it pleased God, to reanimate our
sinking courage once more, for a great number of flying
¦fish sprung out of the waves and fell into the boat ; we
seized them eagerly, and devoured them raw, with as much

Fire at Sea. 69
enjoyment as formerly in the case of the sea-mews. But
now our thirst increased fearfully, and in their despair,
some of the men began to drink the water from the sea,
although I cried out, "friends, forbear to drink the salt
water, it will not quench your thirst and will kill you."
Others sought refuge in the little pieces of lead and rusty
nails that they could find in the vessel, which they chewed
for a temporary relief.
Our misery increased every day, and despair took pos
session of us, for the men cast upon each other angry,
greedy looks, as though they longed to fall upon and
devour one another; indeed, they soon began to speak
openly of it, declaring that they would begin with the
cabin-boy. Such horror seized me at this dreadful idea
that I almost lost my courage and presence of mind. In
this extremity I turned to God, and begged him as fer
vently as I could, not to permit such a horrible crime ; I
then addressed my men, who were actually preparing to
kill the cabin-boy, with all the earnestness, and with the
most touching words at my command :
" Friends, what are you about to do ? Do you not recoil
from such a crime ? Turn your thoughts to God ; he
will look in mercy upon you, and deliver you from this
dreadful temptation, for we cannot be far from land."
Then I showed them on the chart which I had cut on
the deck, the spot where I believed we were, but they
replied that I had said the same thing for many days, and
deceived thenv with hopes that were never realized ; they
could not tell whether I was deceived myself, or was only
bent upon deceiving them. Spite of these threatening

70 Fire at Sea.
speeches, they consented, at my entreaty, to wait for three
days, but swore to carry out their cruel determination if
help did not appear at the end of that time. This decis
ion almost broke my heart. I redoubled my prayers, and
implored God to have pity upon us and prevent the com
mission of such a crime. In the meanwhile the time flew
by, and our hunger and thirst were so intense that they
could scarcely be endured.
" Ah," cried some, " if we were only on land, we could
at least eat grass like the cattle."
From this, one can form some idea of our fierce hunger;
I tried to cheer up the men with the most encouraging
words that I could think of. Hope, which was decreasing
rapidly in my breast, still sustained me, and although my
wounds had weakened me much, and still pained me, I
was among the strongest, and could still walk from one
end to the other of the boat, while many could not stir
from the spot where they were lying.
Thirteen days had passed since the shipwreck, and our
hope of reaching the coast of Sumatra, which I had not
thought far distant, grew every hour more indistinct. All
declared that our thirst was no longer to be borne, when
the weather grew cloudy and rain began to fall ; we imme
diately spread out the sail and laid down upon the deck
to catch every drop that we could in our mouths, while we
filled our casks as before.
I was steering the vessel at this time, and according to
my calculations, we were very near land ; I hoped that the
weather would clear up, but it continued to rain so vio
lently, and I was so cold and wet that I could hold out no

Fire at Sea. 71
longer. I called to one of the sailors to relieve me, and
crept under the deck to warm me.
IV.
"Land! land! Friends, we are close to the coast,"
suddenly cried the steersman, before he had been more
than an hour at the helm, quite beside himself with joy.
The land which we should have discovered much sooner
in clear weather, lay really just before us, and it was a
pleasure to see how all immediately aroused themselves,
and came eagerly forward to see how far distant it was
and how soon we could reach it. We spread all sail that
we might arrive before nightfall. As we approached we
perceived that the breakers were too strong to admit of
our weathering them, and we discovered a little island
where was a small bay, in which we cast anchor. The
starved crew, gathering together all their remaining
strength, sprang on shore, and distributed themselves
every where, in search of something to eat ; I threw
myself upon the ground, kissed it, and gave thanks to
God for his timely aid, and for having shielded us from the
commission of so foul a crime as the men would have per
petrated on the following day, for this was the last of the
days that they had promised to wait, and the cabin boy
would have been killed on the morrow.
We found an abundance of cocoanuts on the island, but
no sweet water ; we were, however, quite satisfied with the
refreshing juice of the youngest and tenderest nuts, while
the harder ones served us for meat. We indulged too freely
in this delicious food after our long fast, and were extremely

72 Fire at Sea.
ill the next day ; we rolled on the ground and shrieked
with agony; but it did not last long, and on the following
morning we were well again.
We explored the island but found no food but cocoanuts,
and encountered quite a large serpent; we saw no human
beings, but found traces of vessels having touched there.
As it could not be far from Sumatra, according to our cal
culations, we loaded our vessel with cocoanuts and set sail
again towards evening. The next morning, Sumatra lay
in sight, and with a favourable breeze we bore down upon
the coast and sailed along, looking for a harbor where we
might land, until our provision of nuts was exhausted.
Then, as the breakers seemed every where too strong to
trust ourselves to them, it was decided that four or five of
the best swimmers should attempt to reach the shore, and
search more narrowly for a good landing place. This plan
succeeded, and they soon arrived upon the shore of a river
where they gave us the signal agreed upon ; we steered in
that direction, but just at the mouth of the river there
was a sand-bank, upon which the waves broke with great
fury. " Friends," I cried, " I cannot undertake to land here
without your unanimous consent and co-operation, for if
the boat strikes, which is quite possible, I cannot bear the
blame alone."
I then asked them for their advice ; thev had but one
opinion — it was best to attempt the landing.
" Well, then," I replied, " if you are all willing, I am
ready to share the danger with you."
I then placed myself at the helm, and prepared to cut

Fire at Sea. 73
directly through the breakers, but the first wave filled our
boat half full with water.
" Friends," I cried, " bale her out as quickly as possible."
This they did as well as they could with hats, shoes, and
the two casks that we had on board, and with such success
that our boat was almost empty again, when a second wave
filled it anew, so that for a while it could make no further
progress, and was near sinking.
" Keep her as steady as possible," I cried, " and redouble
your exertions, or we are all lost."
The men worked, indeed, with superhuman energy ; the
third wave was small and did not bring us much water,
and, as immediately afterward the sea ebbed, we passed
.safely through the raging breakers. When we had sailed
a little further, we tried the water and found it fresh ; this
occasioned us no little joy. We landed on the river, which
was covered with low bushes, upon which we found a kind
of small sweet beans, which tasted excellently. Some of
our people, ascending a little hill just before us, found the
glimmering coals of a recent fire, and some tobacco, with
which they joyfully returned. Some natives had probably
encamped there, and had forgotten the tobacco, or left it
there purposely. We now fell to with the axes that we
had with us, and cut down several small trees, of which we
made fires in five or six different places, and the crew,
lying at their ease around them, smoked the tobacco with
the most intense enjoyment.
In the evening we replenished the fires, and three of us
kept watch to guard against an attack from the natives,
whom we stood in great dread of, particularly as the moon

74 Fire at Sea.
was on the wane, and the night was very dark. Scarcely
had we lain down, when the beans, which we had eaten in
such quantities, caused us such fearful agony that we
scarcely hoped to survive it. Just when the pain was
most violent, our watch startled us with the cry, " The
savages are coming !" We started up, and spite of our
illness, and although we had no weapons beside the two
axes and an old rusty sword, the instinct of self-preserva
tion gave us new courage and strength. We all with one
accord seized the fire-brands, and ran towards the enemy ;
the sparks, being scattered on all sides, must have pre
sented an imposing appearance, for the natives took to
flight, and concealed themselves in a neighboring forest.
Our people now assembled again around the fires, but
the rest of the night was spent in great suffering. Hein
Rol and I did not like the idea of remaining upon the
land, and we betook ourselves to our craft.
On the following morning, at sunrise, three natives ap
proached us from the forest, and we sent three of our peo
ple to meet them, who had learnt the Malay language,
which is spoken in Sumatra. A conference was immedi
ately held, and the natives inquired first of all to what
nation the strange men belonged.
" We are Dutchmen," our men replied, " and have lost
our vessel by fire, and have landed here to buy provisions
of you, if you have them."
" We have chickens and rice," they replied, to our great
satisfaction, for it was just this kind of food that we stood
most in need of.
During the conversation the savages drew nearer to the

Fire at Sea. " 75
vessel, and asked inquisitively if we had any weapons with
us ; we answered as prudence dictated, that we were well
provided with them, as well as with powder and shot. As
I had spread out the sails upon our boat, they could not
look in to convince themselves of the truth of our asser
tion. They now brought us some boiled rice and a few
chickens, for which we paid with a few Spanish coins that
we had in our pockets.
"Well, my friends," I said, "let us betray no fear, but
sit directly down, and eat what we have procured, and
then consider what we shall next do."
When we had finished our meal, we consulted how we
should supply our necessities. As we were not perfectly
sure of our whereabouts, we asked the natives to tell us
the name of their country, and though we could neither
understand, nor make ourselves understood perfectly, we
gathered from them that we were really upon Sumatra, for
when we mentioned Java, they pointed towards the south
east, and uttered distinctly the name of Jan Coen, who was
the Dutch commander upon that island. We were now
convinced that we were upon the right road, and were not
a little rejoiced. V.
Being still in need of provisions, it was determined that,
in order to procure them, I, with four of our men, should
go in a light pirogue, belonging to the natives, to one of the
nearest villages. I reached it safely, bought a good supply
of rice and chickens, and sent them to Hein Rol to dis
tribute among the men. Then I and my four men cooked

76 * Fire at Sea.
several fowls and some rice, and eat a good hearty meal ;
we drank besides a quantity of a kind of wine made from
the sap of a tree, so strong as to be intoxicating. While
eating, the inhabitants of the village sat round us, and
devoured with their eyes every mouthful that wre took.
After dinner I bought a buffalo, which, however, was too
wild to be led away. As we had already wasted some
time, I proposed to return to our friends, and leave the
buffalo till the next day. My four sailors begged me so
earnestly to allow them to spend the night in the village,
assuring me that they could easily take the buffalo when
he should lay down for the night, that although I hesitated
at first, I at last consented, took leave of them, and bade
them good night.
When I came to the bank of the river, where the
pirogue lay, I encountered a multitude of savages, who
were arguing with one another very earnestly, the point
being, as I gathered from their gestures, whether they
should detain me or let me go. Without a moment's
delay I seized two of them by the arms, and pushed them
forwards, whilst I gave them to understand by signs that
they must row me down the river, as my servants or
slaves. They eyed me maliciously, but were so overawed
by my boldness that they obeyed, and entered the canoe.
I seated myself in the middle of the boat, and the two
savages, who both wore daggers in their girdles, took their
places before and behind me. They had only made one
or two strokes with the oars, when the one sitting behind
me, gave me to understand, by signs, that he wanted
money ; I quietly put my hand in my pocket and gave

Fire at Sea. 77
him a small coin, which he looked at for some time, evi
dently undecided what to do, and finally tied it up in the
corner of the girdle that he wore around his waist, and
then resumed his oars. When the other savage perceived
how his companion's request had been answered, he also
made the same signs; with the same coolness I drew a
small piece of money from my pocket and handed it to
him. He turned it over in his hand and seemed still more
undecided than his companion, whether he should take it
quietly or fall upon me. He might have overcome me
very easily, for I was unarmed, and I felt like a lamb
between two wolves. Heaven knows how my heart was
beating at that moment.
In the meantime, as the tide was ebbing we glided
quickly down the river, and were, about mid-day, on our
return, when the two natives commenced a conversation
which grew more and more earnest, and from which I
could only too clearly understand their murderous inten
tions. This threw me into such a panic that I actually
trembled, and I inwardly prayed most fervently that God
would instruct me what to do in this trying emergency.
Scarcely was my prayer ended when a voice within me
suggested that I should begin to sing. Although a cold
shudder was running over me, I began to sing immediately
with all my might, so that the forests which lined the
shore echoed again, and I discovered for the first time that
fear will drive a man to singing.
When my two guides heard me singing they broke out
into peals of laughter, and I read plainly in their faces
that they considered my conduct as a proof that I enter-

78 Fire at Sea.
tained neither fear nor suspicion. They were, however,
quite mistaken ; my state of mind was very different from
what they imagined it. I sung on without interruption,
and very soon the canoe came in sight of our vessel. I
arose and made a sign to some of my men stationed as a
guard along the shore ; they observed it and hastened
towards me. My courage rose, and when they were near
enough to lend me any assistance that I might need, I
commanded my two oarsman to land before me, for I
thought this the surest way of guarding against a stab
from behind; they obeyed me without the slightest hesi
tation, and thus I rejoined my companions in safety. The
savages, without betraying the least vexation at the des
truction of their plan, asked various questions as to where
we stayed and slept, and after I had satisfied them by
pointing out to them the vessel and some huts made
of the boughs of trees, they got into their pirogue and
rowed off.
The night passed without any disturbance, and we all
slept so soundly that we did not wake until long after sun
rise. When I heard that the men whom I had left behind
in the village, had not yet returned, I became uneasy and
began to fear that they might have met with some acci
dent. A few minutes afterwards, two natives appeared in
the distance, driving a buffalo before them ; as they came
nearer I observed that it was not the same that I had
bought the day before, and asked them, through a sailor,
who understood their language, why they had made an
exchange, and where our four men were. They replied
that they had found it impossible to bring the unruly ani-

Fire at Sea. 79
mal that I had bought, and that our men would soon
appear with another buffalo.
This answer somewhat allayed my apprehensions, and
as I saw that the creature that they were driving was very
fierce and unmanagable, I told one of my men standing
near, to take the axe and lame the beast, as we could not
afford to lose him.
The man obeyed, and the buffalo fell to the ground. At
the same moment the savages uttered a fearful yell, and at
this sign two or three hundred more rushed out of the
forest where they had been cancealed, and ran towards our
vessel, evidently with the intention of cutting off our
retreat to it. At first this gave me no uneasiness, and I
said coolly to my men, " Stand still and show no fear ; we
are quite strong enough to make our way through that
cowardly mob."
But scarcely were the words out of my mouth, when the
savages burst forth from all parts of the forest in such
overpowering numbers that it seemed as if the whole pop
ulation of the island were resolved upon our destruction.
They were armed with spears and shields, and made the
most frantic gestures.
" My friends," I cried, when I comprehended our danger,
" make for the vessel as quickly as possible. If they suc
ceed in cutting us off from it we are lost."
We began to run with all our might, and most of us
reached our destination in safety ; others sprang into the
stream and swam down the river. The savages were so
close behind us that, before we pushed off, several of our
people had perished by the spears of their blood-thirsty

80 Fire at Sea.
assailants. The sails were stretched out like a roof over
the deck, and it seemed almost impossible to draw up the
anchor. While working at it we fought bravely with our
two axes, and killed several of the savages, who boldly
attempted to get on board. Our ship-baker, a tall, strong
man, particularly distinguished himself by his courage in
using an old rusty sword.
" Now cut the rope," I cried to him, but his weapon was
not sharp enough. I sprang to his side, and drawing the
rope upon the deck, we quickly severed it, and pushed off
from the shore. The savages rushed into the water after
us, but they lost their footing on the steep bank, and were
obliged to give up the chase.
We now picked up our people, who were swimming
down the river, and, as a favorable wind was blowing from
the land, set sail. The breakers, which had nearly over
whelmed us in first approaching the shore, were passed
through now without much difficulty, and we thus defeated
the expectations of the savages, who were all collected
upon a projecting point of land, awaiting our destruction.
Our joy at our fortunate delivery from so imminent a
danger, was embittered by the suffering of our poor baker,
whose countenance now began to be much discoloured.
He had received a slight wound from a spear in his side, of
which at first he took no notice, but as the spear was
poisoned, it began to grow black, and inflamed in a few
moments. I cut out all the flesh that seemed to be affec
ted, but I gave him needless pain, for he died shortly after
ward in the greatest agony, and we threw the body into
the sea.

Fire at Sea. 81
When we numbered over our men we found that sixteen
were missing ; eleven had perished in our flight, the baker
and the four who had remained in the village, and who had
probably fallen victims to their imprudence during the
night. I had to thank them, however, for my safety, as
if all five had attempted to return, we should undoubtedly
have fallen a prey to the savages, from whom I had been
so wonderfully preserved. VI.
We now sailed rapidly along the coast, before the wind ;
the provisions which we had with us comprised only eight
fowls and some rice — rather a moderate supply for fifty
men. It was soon exhausted, and as the sea afforded us
no food, we were obliged to land in the first bay that we
discovered. Not far from the shore a crowd of natives
was assembled, but as they instantly took to flight, we
could not ask them for provisions. Meanwhile we found
excellent water to drink, which we were very glad of, and
on the shore of the bay quantities of small oysters, with
which, when our hunger was satisfied, we filled our pock
ets. A hatfull of pepper, which I had bought at our first
landing-place, stood us in good stead in helping us to digest
this food.
We soon pushed off again and held out more to sea, but
we had not proceeded far when the wind rose and soon
increased to a storm ; we drew in the sails, spread them
over the deck, crept under them, and resigned ourselves to
the waves. Towards morning, the storm abated, and we
set sail again. At day-break we discovered before us three

82 Fire at Sea.
small islands, upon which we determined to land, although
they appeared to be uninhabited. We reached the nearest
the same day and found fresh water, of which we stood in
great need. We saw here also, great bamboo reeds as
thick as a man's wrist. We cut these down, cutting
through one of the solid knobs at the bottom, filled them
with water and stopped them up with a cork at the top.
Thus we obtained quite a supply of fresh water ; but
although we explored the whole island, we' found no fruits
or living creatures, and we were obliged to contend our
selves with the cabbage-like leaves of the palm tree.
One day I left my companions, who were lying on the
ground at the foot of the mountain, and mounted to its
summit, to endeavor to discover some spot which might
be inhabited or have been visited before, for all the hopes
of the crew rested upon me alone. But as I had never
been in these seas before, and had no compass or any other
instruments so necessary to the mariner, I could not decide
what course we should take to arrive at Java. When I
had reached the summit, I saw around me nothing but sky
and sea, not a trace of land. As I always had in my
sorest need, turned to God, I did it now, fell upon my
knees and prayed him earnestly to open the eyes of my
spirit, that I might discover the true path of safety for
myself and my companions. I then arose to descend
again, and cast my eyes around me once more. Then it
seemed to me that some clouds on my right hand were
dispersing, and in a little while the atmosphere became so
clear that I could discern in the far distance, two high blue
mountains. I now suddenly remembered that at home I

Fire at Sea. »3
had heard a traveller from the East Indies, say that in
approaching Java from Europe, the island could be recog
nized by two mountains on its western extremity, which
looked blue in the distance. But we had come along the
left coast of Sumatra to the island where we now were,
and these mountains were upon the right. I saw distinctly
between them an empty space and could discover no land
in the back ground ; as I knew that the straits of Sunda sep
arated Java from Sumatra, I felt confident that I had dis
covered the right way, and descended the mountain, to
impart my discovery to Hein Rol.
"Your supposition," said he joyfully, "appears to me
perfectly correct; let us immediately collect the crew and
prepare to take the direction you propose."
We all hastened our preparations, and as the wind was
favorable, we set sail the same day, and steered directly
for the strait that I had discovered. At midnight we saw
in the distance a glimmering light, and thought at first
that it must be the signal light of some vessel, but as a
second soon appeared in almost the same place, we could
not but think that we were near the land. At day-break
the wind left us entirely, for we were already upon the
inner coast of Java. A sailor, whom I sent to the mast
head to look round, cried out, " I see a quantity of ships,"
and immediately counted thirty-three of them. We were
filled with inexpressible joy, and most of our men began
to spring and dance like children. As the calm continued,
they seized the oars and rowed to the place where the fleet
lay at anchor.
We soon recognized the Dutch flag, and thanked God

84 Fire at Sea.
that we were surrounded by countrymen. The commander
of the squadron, Frederick Houtman, of Alkmaar, was
standing in the prow of his vessel, and, attracted by our
curious sails, examined us through his spy-glass ; not being
able to understand the strange appearance, he sent a boat
out to us to know who we were, and whence we came.
The men in this boat had sailed with us from Holland in
another ship ; they instantly recognized us, and took Hein
Rol and myself to the admiral's vessel. He received us
most cordially, carried us into the cabin, and without delay
had the table covered with a hearty meal for us. When
I saw the bread and the other food, I was so much
affected that the tears rolled down my cheeks, and I could
scarcely eat. In the meantime my men had arrived, and
had been divided among the other vessels, where they met
with the greatest kindness.
After the admiral had listened with astonishment to our
adventures, he sent us in a yacht to Batavia, the capital
of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies. We arrived
on the following morning, presented ourselves before the
Governor-general, Jan Pieters Coen, and related the story
of our sufferings to him.
" Who can be blamed — it was a great misfortune," he
said drily, after he had heard us to the end without once
interrupting us. Then he asked us concerning several
incidents of our voyage.
" Who can be blamed — it was a great misfortune," he
repeated again, just as drily, after we had answered his
questions.

Fire at Sea. 85
Then he had a golden goblet brought to him, and said
somewhat more cordially :
" Captain, I wish better luck to you for the future, and
drink your health. You should remember, all your life
time, the mercy that has been shown to you, for the Al
mighty has repeatedly spared your life when you had given
yourself up for lost.'" Then drinking to the health of Hein
Rol, he added, " Remain as guests in my house u^til I can
provide further for you."
In the course of a fortnight he made me captain, and
Hein Rol the supercargo, of a vessel of thirty-two guns.
We thanked him most heartily, and were not a little
rejoiced that we two, who had stood by each other in mis
fortune, were again serving in the same vessel.

Ifj£ -Deseiri

On an uncomfortable evening, when the fog was so
thick that we could scarcely see the end of the bowsprit,
I was walking backwards and forwards on the deck of my
vessel, which was steering for the island of the Green
Mountains, to take' in a cargo of salt, oppressed by an
inexplicable terror which quite overcame my better judg
ment. No one on board was thinking of danger, and the
man at the helm was just calling " ten o'clock," when
retired to my cabin. Soon after I heard ominous sounds
among the men on watch, and as I hastened upon deck I
was greeted by a piercing cry. At first I thought of
nothing but a sudden gale of wind, and was about to issue
the necessary orders, when I perceived breakers foaming
and raging on our left. As none, however, were to be seen
ahead, I hoped to escape even this danger, and ordered the
anchor to be in readiness ; but this hope vanished utterly
when the vessel, was driven by the current and a mighty
wave directly towards the breakers, and I saw she must be
wrecked. We dropped our largest anchor, and drew in all
sail, but wave upon wave urged us forward and we were
driven upon the sand with such a shock that the crew
were prostrated upon the deck.
I knew now that there was no hope for the ship, which
must soon fill with water, and instantly I gave orders to
(86)

The Desert. 87
have all the provisions, that could be got at, brought upon
deck, and we then emptied several wine casks, that they
might hold the water drawn from the hogsheads on board.
The waves broke over our bows, and swept the forward
deck, but we succeeded in launching both the long and
small boat, and had loaded the former with five casks of
water, as many of wine, three casks of biscuits, and four
others with salt meat, besides books, charts, nautical instru
ments, and clothes, before the day dawned and allowed us
to discover our proximity to the land ; as I found it quite
near, I secured one end of a stout cable to the mast of the
ship, and the other to our small boat, into which I, with
one of the crew, descended on the side of the vessel where
the fury of the waves was broken. In pushing off we were
perfectly overwhelmed in the boiling, angry flood, and im
mediately driven forwards more than a hundred yards ;
the foaming breakers only now and then allowed us a short
breathing space, but at last we were with our boat hurled
upon a low sandy shore.
My first care, after recovering from the shock, was to
bale out the boat and drag it high up upon the shore. For
tunately, the cable was still secured to it, and we fastened
it securely by means of a part of the vessel which had been
already thrown upon the shore. Our ship lay at high
tide, about a hundred yards from the shore, and in order
to rescue the crew, a strong rope was tied to the cable,
which stretched from them to us ; we drew it over to us
and secured it firmly. This accomplished, two men got
into the long boat which was loaded with our provisions, &c,
and on the back of a huge wave, reached the land, but the

88 The Desert.
boat was dashed upon the shore with so much violence
that it broke. With the greatest difficulty we succeeded
in saving three casks of buiscuit and two of pork. For
the rest of the crew on board of the vessel, no means of
safety now remained but the tightly stretched rope, and I
immediately urged them, by signs, to avail themselves of
it. The boldest of the sailors threw off his jacket, seized
the rope, and began his perilous journey ; as soon as he got
beyond the protection of the wreck, the waves rose, each,
some yards above his head, and seemed to bury him in
their depths ; he, however, held on with the gripe of one
working for his life, and gained a little distance between
each wave, until one more powerful than the rest, tore the
rope from him and hurled him upon the shore, where we
rolled him over and over, until he came to himself. I
stood up to my chin in the water, although the waves
broke over my head, and gave all the assistance in my
power, to the men coming over on the rope, and I was so
fortunate as to receive the whole crew safe upon the land.
As we saw that we were upon a desert, barren coast, our
first care was to secure the casks of water and provision
that we had fished out of the breakers ; we then erected
with our oars and two sails a kind of tent, foolishly suppo
sing that no one would discover us in this inhospitable
country, and purposing to mend our boats with the wood
and planks that wrould be thrown on shore from the wreck,
so that we might put to sea in a calm, and with the help
of our compass, reach some European settlement or friendly
vessel.

The Desert. 89
II.
While were diligently occupied in the erection of our
tent, we perceived a human form emerging from behind a
sand-hill, and proceed to the shore to plunder our effects,
which were strewn about there. I approached the stran
ger with every sign of peace and amity that I could think
of; but he seemed very shy, and gave me to understand,
by signs, that I must keep myself at a distance, while he
continued to possess himself of our property. I then grew
angry, and as he was unarmed, approached until I was
within twenty paces of him.
Apparently, he was quite old, but still powerful and
agile ; the color of his skin was darker than that of a
North American Indian, and lighter than that of a negro ;
his clothing consisted of a piece of coarse woollen cloth
that reached from his breast to his knees. His hair was
long, matted, and stood out far around his head like a stiff
brush ; his face resembled more an ourang-outang than a
human being ; red, fiery eyes, a mouth stretching from ear
to ear, but filled with sound teeth, and a beard hanging
down upon his breast from his upper lip and chin, gave him
a frightful appearance and suggested forcibly to my mind,
the idea that those teeth had been sharpened in feasts of
human flesh. Two old women, of a like exterior, appa
rently his wives, soon joined him. Although they were .
not quite as repulsive as the old man, and wore their long
hair in braids, yet they were anything but attractive, for
their brown skin hung in flabby folds from their bodies,
and their eye-teeth projected like the tusks of the wild

90 The Desert.
boar. A girl from eighteen to twenty years old, who was
just not hideous, and six children of various size and sex,
entirely naked, completed the group ; they took what they
wanted, and carried the articles of clothing in-shore, where
they spread them out to dry. They emptied the beds of
their contents as they perceived the utility of the outside
only, and amused themselves with the blowing about of
the feathers by the wind.
All appeared perfectly satisfied with their booty, and
even the forbidding features of the old man brightened a
little when he encountered no opposition on our part. We
were, indeed, provided with no fire-arms or other effective
weapons, but it would not have been difficult to have
driven this mob away with some of the poles and planks
of the wreck. Some of the sailors were preparing to do
so, but I dissuaded them from it, as I saw clearly that in
our present wretched condition, the friendship of these
people was a matter of great importance to us. We qui
etly let them take what they wanted and determined to
defend our provisions only, to the last.
After spending the day in the erection of our tent, and
in mending our injured boat, upon which rested all our
hope of safety, we kindled a great fire and prepared an
excellent meal of salt meat, not suspecting that this would
be the last of our provisions that we should enjoy. When
we had thus refreshed ourselves, we set two of our men as
a watch, and stretched out our weary limbs upon the soft
sand. Night had already enveloped every thing in her
dark mantle, the savages were at a distance, and all was
still except the restless waves which broke upon the for-

The Desert. 91
saken wreck and dashed upon some rocks at no great dis
tance from us. Up to this moment, the exertion which
our situation rendered necessary, had so occupied my mind
as to banish all reflection, but now it broke like a flood
over my soul and the necessary sleep forsook my weary
frame. The crew relied for safety upon the miserably
mended boat, but I doubted if we could ever escape from
the coast through the raging breakers in such a frail skiff.
On land, danger menaced us from the wild, greedy savages,
who might be even now preparing to rob us, if not of life,
yet of freedom, dragging us away to a slavery worse than
death. I was distressed and despairing ; a thousand anx
ieties filled my mind. I was a husband and the father of
five little children, whom I dearly loved and whom I must
soon leave orphans. I shuddered, but at last was able to
say within myself, " Thy ways, 0 great Father of the uni
verse, are wisdom and goodness, and who am I ? A grain
of dust; shall I complain of thy decrees?"
I soon found consolation in the thought that my com
panions, who lay around me buried in the deepest slumber,
were still alive and with me, and I felt it my solemn duty
to exert all my power for their preservation and safety.
Occupied with such thoughts, the night passed slowly for
me ; at last day dawned in the east, not upon a cheering
prospect of rescue for us, but upon new scenes of misery.
It was scarcely light when the old man, with his wives
and children, and two young men whom I had not seen
the day before, came down to us. He brandished a long
spear above his head, as if he were about to throw it at us,
and signified by threatening gestures that we must retreat

92 The Desert.
to the wreck if we would not fall into the hands of some
of his people, whom I already perceived in the distance,
approaching us with a herd of camels. The women, at the
same time, raised a fearful shriek, and threw sand into the
air. When I ran towards the shore, to seize a plank lying
there, the old man ran like a maniac to our tent, chased
out of it, with a few pricks of his spear, the men who were
yet sleeping there, and so terrified them, by his gestures
and pointing to the drove of camels, that they all rushed
towards the little boat, whilst I kept the old man at a little
distance with my plank. They prepared to embark in such
confusion and disorder that the boat filled and sank. Then
we attempted to escape along the shore, leaving behind us
all our provisions, but the terrible spear was turned against
us, and we were surrounded by the women, screaming and
gesticulating like fiends. We now saw that no way of
escape was left for us ; they were forcing us to embark that
they might be rid of us without danger to themselves. I
therefore shoved the long boat into the water, and insisted
that the crew should get in at the stern one by one ; thus
we at last succeeded in escaping to the ship, which was by
this time half full of water. III.
The natives, as soon as we were no longer in the way,
collected around our tent, and, brandishing their weapons,
made their camels kneel down — loaded them with our pro
visions and other articles, and then bade their children
drive them off. The malicious old man cut open our wine
and water casks, and let the contents escape ; the other

The Desert. 93
articles, for which they could find no use, books, nautical
instruments, and charts, were heaped up together and
burned. Now that we had neither food nor water, no
choice was left us but to put to sea in our leaky boat, to
remain in the vessel all night and be drowned, or to die in
the hands of these cruel savages. These, we gathered
from their gestures, would shortly return with fire-arms ;
besides they could easily reach the wreck, for a sand bar
extending some distance into the sea, was even now visible,
and would be quite dry at low tide. We therefore deter
mined to make preparations for our departure as quickly as
possible; we fished up some pickled beef and bottles of
wine from the hold at the risk of our lives. We had no
water, and our biscuit was all ruined.
We rigged the long boat as well as we could, and were
about to set sail, when the natives, touched with pity, as
it seemed, for our wretched condition, approached the
shore, bowed to the ground, and beckoned to us, with every
sign of amity, to come again to the land. As we showed
no inclination to do so, the old man advanced alone into
the water up to his waist, with a leather bottle of water,
and invited us repeatedly to come and drink. As we were
not a little thirsty, I advanced towards him by means of
the rope which still stretched from the wreck to the land,
took the bottle and brought it to my companions. The
old man then signified to me that he wished to go on board
of the wreck, if I would stay on shore nntil his return.
Convinced that it was best to maintain a friendly under
standing with the natives, I accepted his proposition, and
returned to the beach again.

94 The Desert.
The young men, women and children, all nearly naked,
sat down on the edge of the beach, and repeated the
friendly signs, looking upwards, as if they called heaven
to witness that their intentions were honest. I placed my
self in the midst of them and they behaved in a very
friendly manner, putting their hands into mine, trying on
my hat, and feeling my clothes, and searching my pockets
most thoroughly.
When the old man had been taken on board by my peo
ple, I tried to make them understand that they must keep
him until I had been set free, but the roaring of the waves
prevented me from being understood, and after he had
examined every thing carefully, from the provisions swim
ming about in the hold, to the money, fire-arms, and what
ever else valuable was to be found, he was allowed to
return. I now attempted to rise ; but two of the strong
est of the young men who were sitting beside me, threw
themselves upon me like lions, and held me down, while
the women and children drew their daggers and knives,
which they had hitherto concealed, and pointed them at
my breast. Resistance would have availed me nothing,
I therefore, remained perfectly quiet and determined to
betray no fear. They now laid aside the hypocritical ex
pression of kindness from their faces, and their former
malignity appeared ; they gnashed their teeth and pricked
my skin with the points of their knives, while the old man
took up a sabre, seized me by my hair, and made as if he
would cut off my head. I was satisfied that my last hour
had come, and that my body was destined to appease the
hunger of these monsters, whom I firmly believed to be

The Desert. 95
cannibals. " 0 God, thy will be done," I mentally ejacu
lated, and resigned myself to my inevitable fate.
But all these threatening gestures were only meant to
terrify me ; as I showed no signs of fear, the old man
released my head from his grasp, after he had touched my
neck gently with his sabre. Then he made me to under
stand that if I valued my life I must immediately have
all the money that we had on board brought to land. My
people were about to come to my relief when the old man
released me, and I shouted to them to bring all the gold
from the vessel ; they were again prevented by the dis
tance and the noise of the waves, from hearing what I
added, that they must not give it up until I was perfectly
at liberty. In the hope of effecting my rescue, they col
lected all the money that they possessed, amounting to
about a thousand piastres, and putting it into a bucket,
slipped it along the rope to the shore. The old man emp
tied the bucket into his woollen apron, and commanded me
to follow him. The two young men led me along by
my arms, and held their long knives to my breast, while
the woman and children followed close behind me with
their spears and daggers. In this way we proceeded about
seven hundred paces ; then they sat down upon the ground
and the old man divided the money into three parts, one
he gave to the young men, and one to his wives, reserving
the third for himself. While they were thus busied, they
released my arms, and I thought to myself, " If I do not
now escape my fate is sealed." I felt sure that an unsuc
cessful attempt at flight would be followed by certain death,
but I, nevertheless, determined to attempt it, and seized a

96 The Desert.
moment for it when I thought the attention of all directed
from me. But one of the young men, observing my in
tention, struck a blow at me with his sabre, and although
I avoided it by falling back upon the ground, it cut through
my waistcoat ; he was about to repeat the blow, when the
old man commanded him to desist.
My tormenters now arose, and still holding me by the
arms, and threatening me with their knives, continued their
inland progress. I was in despair, when suddenly the
thought struck me of appealing to the avarice of these
savages. I signified to them that the crew possessed much
more money ; they received this communication with great
delight, and, sending one of the young men on With their
booty, they instantly returned with me to the shore, where
they seated me as before, and commanded me to have the
promised money brought on shore. Although I knew that
there was no more money in the vessel, I hoped that my
men would attempt my rescue, but they now saw clearly
the danger that threatened them, and were not inclined to
hazard the venture. I therefore waited an hour on the
beach, threatened every moment with instant death, and
finally became so hoarse with hallooing that I could not
make myself audible to those around me. At last one of
the sailors, whose humanity conquered his fears for his
life, came over upon the rope. The natives immediately
flocked around him, thinking that he had brought more
money with him; when they discovered their mistake
they struck him with their fists and the handles of their
daggers ; the children pricked him with the points of their
knives, and all appeared determined upon giving him up

The Desert. 97
to a slow, cruel death. He begged upon his knees for his
life, but they did not heed his prayers.
To free him from the fury of these monsters, I cried out
to him to make them understand by signs that there was
money hidden on the spot where we had erected our tent.
We had actually buried a purse containing four hundred
dollars there, which I just then remembered. They soon
understood him, and dragging him to the spot, made him
begin to dig. I sat upon the sand, my face turned towards
the sea, between the old man, who held his spear at my
heart, and the strongest of the young men, who held his
sabre just above my head. When the diggers find what
they are searching for, thought I, my guards will turn
their heads to see, for the place where they were searching
was directly behind us. I thought over my plan of escape,
and without exciting suspicion, drew my legs up under me,
that I might be ready for a spring at any moment.
Suddenly there was a shout behind us, and as I had
foreseen, my guards turned their heads around. Quick as
lightning I sprang from under their weapons, and fled
towards the sea ; my life hung on my speed, and in less
than a minute I reached the water. As I heard some one
close behind me, I plunged head foremost into the waves,
and swam under water as long as I could ; then I lifted
my head, and looked round at my persecutors. The old
man, up to his chin in the water, was only about ten steps
behind me, and in the act of hurling his spear through my
body, when a wave, rolling over me, rescued my life, and
hurled him and his companion upon the beach. I now
swam as quickly as possible towards the vessel, and spite
7

98 The Desert.
of the gigantic breakers that broke over me, I reached it,
and was dragged half unconscious into the boat by the
sailors. Completely exhausted, I could not see what ensued upon
the shore, but I learnt from my men that my pursuers
stood like statues at the water's edge until they saw me
safe in the vessel. Then they rushed upon the poor sailor,
pierced him through the heart with a spear, and withdrew
immediately with every thing they had found. When I
came to myself again, I saw the bloody corse of the sailor
stretched out upon a sand hill, and was indescribably
pained at the thought that perhaps I had caused his death
by my flight ; and although calmer reflection has convinced
me that my death would have been the ruin of my thought
less companions, still the remembrance of the murder of
the poor fellow, who owed his death to sympathy for me,
embitters my thoughts to this hour.
IV.
After this cruel murder, we no longer had the slightest
doubt that the savages would return in greater force, and
that we should all share the fate of our poor companion
as soon as they could succeed in overpowering us in any
way. The wind was blowing strong, and the waves broke
thirty feet high upon the wreck ; any hope of gaining the
open sea, in our frail boat, was more than doubtful, for
tossed about by the waves, now against the sand bank, and
now against the wreck, it was bent like an old basket, and
leaked so badly that two men could scarcely keep it empty
by the most diligent bailing. Still, as there was no other

The Desert. 99
possibility of escape, I determined to hazard an attempt,
and although I expected to be engulphed in the first wave,
drowning, I felt, was far preferable to a cruel death at the
hands of the savages.
While I sent one of the sailors on shore to procure our
two rudders, that were still lying there, I dived down into
the hold to see if I could not fish out a cask of fresh
water. I found just room enough between the water and
the deck to breathe, and sustain myself in the midst of
floating casks and planks. After much exertion I found a
tolerably full cask of water, and the men, who hailed it
with delight, immediately filled from it a smaller cask
holding about sixteen gallons ; and they had besides a good
drink all round. We transferred the water to the boat,
where we had already stowed our provisions, consisting of
some wine, some pieces of salt beef, a live pig that had
swam on shore when the vessel stranded, but had returned
to us again, and about four pounds of figs, that had been
several days in the salt water.
I endeavored to inspire the desponding crew with some
courage, and to convince them of the success which would
attend the undertaking, while I myself had but little hope.
" Let us," I said at last, " uncover our heads, my dear com
panions in misfortune." This was done, and I cried,
raising my eyes and thoughts to heaven, " 0 great Creator
and Sustainer of the universe ! Thou who seest our
misery, preserve our lives, we implore thee, and bear us
safely through the raging waves to the open sea ! But if
, Thou hast destined the ocean to be our grave, Thy will be
done ! We commend our lives to Thee, who gave them,

100 The Desert.
and, 0 Parent of all, be a Father to our widows and
orphans." As if by the command of Providence, the wind subsided
just at this moment; we quickly pushed off the boat, and
the frightful waves, which had reared their heads giant-high
only a short time before, lay quietly down before us in a
broad path, upon which we rowed along as upon a quiet
river, while the breakers were raging on both sides of us,
and scarcely twenty feet from our boat, with undiminished
fury. We sailed about a mile in this way, convinced that
we had been saved only by a special interposition of Pro
vidence. As soon as we had gained the open sea, we hoisted the
great sail, and although we had no compass, hoped that by
continuing our course in a southerly direction, we should
fall in with some vessel, or reach some inhabited spot.
Two of us were always bailing the boat, and yet we could
scarcely keep it above water. As, after mature delibera
tion, we had decided that it was better to keep to the open
sea than to trust ourselves upon the dangerous coast, we
stinted our rations for each day to a small piece of meat
and two figs for each man, a cup of water, and half a cup
full of wine.
The water was exhausted in a few days, spite of the
greatest economy; we, therefore, killed the half-famished
pig and divided the blood, which tasted excellently, as we
were tormented by a raging thirst. We devoured even the
bowels of the animal. Still no ship was to be seen, and
we had lost all sight of land. Night broke darkly over
us ; the heavens were veiled in clouds, and the air appeared

The Desert. 101
heavy with storms. The wind blew more fiercely from
the north-east, and about midnight the waves raged so that
that the -boat was half full of water. All hands were
occupied in bailing it out with hats and shoes and we
believed our last hour was at hand. The sea rushed
through the holes and seams of our craggy skiff and the
nails that I had driven in on shore appeared to keep their
hold only by the pressure of the water on the outside.
Sharp, blinding flashes of lightning darted through the
gloom and added to the horrors of our situation.
All courage now forsook the crew, and they declared it
useless to exert themselves to keep the boat empty, as it
must, in spite of all our labor, fill and sink. Some even
dipped their heads in the sea to find out what effect the
water would have upon them, and whether drowning were
really painful; others began to prepare themselves for
death, and to pray for forgiveness for their sins. This
hour of trial was fearful, and I was scarcely able, by my
entreaties and example, to induce them to continue to bail
the boat. Thus passed this dreadful night, in which our
burning thirst, increased by our exertions, was not the
least part of our misery, and we could only moisten our
lips with a few drops of wine.
The storm continued through the whole of the following
day, and even increased at night-fall, so that our boat was
tossed about most fearfully, and leaked even worse than
before. The next morning we were entirely exhausted by
hunger, thirst, and toil, and to add to our misery, the sun
sent its burning rays directly upon our uncovered boat.
No ship was in sight, and as our water was all gone but

102 The Desert.
two or three drops, and our strength was vanishing, I lost
all hope of rescue upon the open sea, and towards noon,
told my companions that I judged it best to steer again
for the coast. . All assented joyfully, and with great
patience continued to bail out the boat, although the wind
was still very high. Twice a day we moistened our lips
with a little wine, and devoured, at the same time, the
flesh, bones, and at last, even the skin of the pig.
The boat was in such a miserable condition that it could
scarcely hold together a day longer, and yet the coast,
which was much farther off than I had thought, was not
to be seen. Some of the men began again to despair;
thirst induced them to forget what they owed to their
companions in misery, and during the night they drank up
one of the two bottles of wine that was all our store.
When in the morning I asked for the missing wine, all
denied having taken it, each declaring that he should
consider such an act an unpardonable crime, and he who
should perpetrate it worthy only to be thrown overboard.
The vehemence of the protestations of the guilty ones
betrayed them to me, but the wine was gone, and nothing
remained but patience and stricter watchfuless for the
future. At last we discovered land at a great distance, and
directly ahead ; it appeared very level ; not the slightest
elevation was to be perceived, and I therefore judged that
we were approaching a sandy desert shore, where death
would soon put an end to our sufferings. But as we came
nearer we found it to be a coast, bordered by steep, upright
rocks, among which we could find no landing place ; no

The Desert. 103
path by which to ascend the steep heights. I therefore
advised passing the night on the sea, and searching in the
morning for a less perilous landing place. But all the men
opposed this plan, and I therefore steered for a place
between some high rocks, where a little spot of sand was
visible. A gigantic wave seized our boat and threw it j ust
upon the spot that I had chosen, but with such violence
that it was shattered to pieces. Every where around us,
great broken masses of rock projected from the water, upon
which the breakers dashed with fury, and we felt that we
had again been preserved only by the special care of Pro
vidence.

After we had recovered our scant remains of food from
the waves, I climbed the rocky shore, and found that we
were upon a high cape, which I learned afterwards was
called the White cape. As, however, the summit appeared
inaccessible from this side, and the night was falling, I
returned to my companions, who had, in the meantime,
prepared a sleeping place upon the sand between the rocks.
We were most miserable indeed; our meat was almost
eaten up ; our stiffened limbs refused their office, and our
parched tongues could scarcely articulate, although we had
exhausted our last bottle of wine before making an attempt
to land, lest we should lose it. However, we eat a little
piece of salt meat, laid' down to rest with a prayer of
thankfulness, and spite of our wretched condition, slept
soundly all night long^
Refreshed and encouraged by our undisturbed slumbers,

104 The Desert.
we arose the next morning determined to find our way
over the cliffs to the country beyond, where we hoped to
find water and some nourishing roots. The rocks rose
perpendicularly, over our heads, sometimes five and six
hundred feet high, and we clambered among them, just on
the edge of the sea, for the rest of the day, often up to our
necks in water, without finding any path to the summit.
We were often in imminent peril of our lives, for the least
false step would have plunged us into the fearful abyss
beneath us, where the foaming breakers would have dashed
us to pieces upon the sharp rocks. Our shoes were almost
cut to pieces, our feet torn and bleeding, the rays of a ver
tical sun scorched our emaciated bodies, and there was no
breath of air among the high cliffs to cool our boiling blood;
to complete the measure of our miseries, I had, in climb
ing, broken my bottle, which had contained two or three
drops of wine, and my tongue almost rattled in my throat.
When night came on we had scarcely advanced half a
mile ; entirely exhausted, we prepared our couch for the
night upon some soft sand, under an overhanging cliff close
apon the sea, and after taking a mouthful of beef, and
offering a prayer for succor, we laid down to rest.
The following day, although fatigue scarcely allowed us
to stand upright, we continued our journey, and soon dis
covered, not far off, a broad level shore of sand, upon which
the rocky wall appeared to be less steep, and to open a
path for us. We approached this spot with joy ; but when
almost there found ourselves cut off from it by a steep
fragment of rock, extending far into the sea, which, con
cealing the base of the rock, beat with great fury against

The Desert. 105
its head, fantastically shaped by the dashing of the waves
for thousands of years. To clamber over this rock ap
peared just as impossible as to go round it through the
water, and this last could not have been done quickly
enough to avoid the breakers, which would have seized the
unhappy man venturing such an attempt, and hurled him
upon the sharp rocks in the hollows of the cliff.
To press on any further in this direction, was to doom
ourselves to destruction, but to turn back would only in
crease our sufferings without affording us any aid. We
stood still in despair.
Fortunately, just at this moment, we discovered in the
sea, about half way around this steep cliff, a smaller frag
ment of rock, which had apparently rolled down from
above, and which, although it was concealed by every
breaker as it dashed upon it, was left bare when the waves
receded. In hopes of gaining this spot between the waves,
I rushed into the water as one was receding, and, reaching
it, clung to it for my life, while the next rushed over me
and broke upon the cliff. As this last rolled back, I
plunged again into the water, and reached the other side
of the cliff — clung there again until the next breaker had
spent its fury, when I clambered up out of the reach of
the water. My men followed my example, reached the
first rock as I had done, and thence the spot where I lay
stretched out on the sand, ready to draw them up. Al
though our limbs were not a little bruised and lacerated
by these exertions, we felt somewhat encouraged, and soon
gained the sandy plain.
Here we dug for water in several different places, but

106 The Desert.
every where found it salt. While my companions were
thus occupied, I endeavored, in the hope of finding water
or something green, to climb the wall of rocks before us,
and succeeded in doing so.
But what was my dismay when, on reaching the desired
summit, I saw nothing, as far as my eyes could reach, but
a barren sandy plain, with not even a bush or a green leaf
to be seen. Fainting with fatigue, I threw myself on the
ground; after some time I came to myself, and looked
around — despair seized me, and I was about to cast myself
from the rock into the sea, when the recollection of my
unhappy companions, who looked to me for advice and
encouragement, and of my wife and children, who depen
ded upon me for their support, brought me to my senses.
Instead of burying myself in the water, I only took a bath
in it, which refreshed me exceedingly, and I descended
again to my men with a lighter heart. As they had found
no water in digging, and had every where struck upon
rock, they desisted, and we determined to pursue our
weary way.
It was noon when we all stood before the steep height
which I had climbed in the morning, and which seemed
to us, in our exhausted state, perfectly inaccessible ; we
therefore laid down in the shadow of an overhanging cliff
to rest and to escape the rays of the sun, which had so
heated the air that we could hardly breathe. No breath
of wind was stirring, and a hot mist rose from the damp
sand. We were so worn out that neither thirst nor our
sad thoughts could keep our eyes open ; we were buried
for two hours in a death-like sleep, during which a soft

The Desert. 107
breeze sprang up from the sea that refreshed us somewhat.
We clambered up the rooks on our hands and knees : I had
prepared my companions for the sight of the desert above,
but the actual prospect of the immense waste so affected
them, that they involuntarily sank upon the ground,
crying out. "All is over with us: here we must breathe
our last, after such horrible snflering, such superhuman
exertions : we shall find here neither water nor food,
neither man nor beast, nothing can exist here." All the
moisture left in our bodies flowed over at our eyes ; but
when the salt tears rolled down over our cheeks, we could
not refrain from catching them upon our fingers, and then
moistening our tongues, which were now almost as dry as
tanned leather, so that we could with difficulty articulate
intelligibly. I urgently entreated my despairing comrades to proceed
slowly a little farther, as we might still find help. The
soil was very hard and s:ony, but at last we came upon
some bitter plants about the size of a man's finger, which
we dug up with some difficulty with our sticks. They
were very dry, but tasted welL and we only lamented that
we had no more of them. Towards evening we discovered
the traces of camels, with here and there human footsteps.
and after sunset we noticed the light of a fire not verv far
off. VTe were once more inspired with hope, but as we
were utterly unable to take another step, we took up our
quarters for the night upon a spot where the sand was soft,
firmly convinced that the next day we should reach some
huma- habitation. By sunrise the next morning, we con
tinued our journey, and had not gone far, before, on

108 The Desert.
ascending a sand hill, we saw right before us, on a level
open place by the sea, a drove of camels and a crowd of
Arabs, who appeared to be engaged in watering their
cattle. VI.
As soon as they observed us, a man and two women
hastened towards us ; I went to meet them with two of
my men, and bowed myself to the earth before them,
beseeching their sympathy by signs. The man held a
drawn sabre in his hand, and made as if he would cut me
down with it, but as I bowed in token of my entire
submission, he proceeded, without further delay, to tear
my clothes from my body, while the two women did the
same to my companions. In the meantime, about forty
Arabs with their wives came up, and stripping the rest of
my men to the skin, divided us among themselves, giving
us to understand that we were now their slaves and must
obey them. We were then led along, or rather, driven
with sticks to the place where the camels were feeding,
although we were so weary and wretched that we could
scarcely drag one foot after the other. As I, naked and
barefoot, could not walk as quickly as the woman who
was driving us desired, I showed her my mouth, which
was perfectly dry and quite white. She immediately
brought a great wooden basin of water, and placing it on
the ground, made us kneel down around it, and dip our
heads into it as if we had been camels. I now found out
how much easier it is to give good advice than to follow
it; I had often warned my men if they found any water,

The Desert. 109
after their long thirst, not to indulge in it too freely, but
now I drank huge draughts myself, and suffered torments
for my indiscretion for the next two days.
We begged the Arabs for something to eat, but they
were suffering themselves for want of food and appeared
to be very sorry that they could not satisfy our hunger.
They afterwards gave us some sour camel's milk which
tasted more deliciously than the greatest delicacies had
ever done before.
After our new masters had taken possession of us, on
the following day the caravan made preparations to con
tinue our north-easterly progress through the desert.
Each of us was mounted, amid the shrill laughter of the
women, on the back of a camel, and advised to hold on by
the long hair of the hump. The back of the animal upon
which I was perched, was as sharp as the edge of an oar,
while his body, distended with water, was so round that
my legs stretched out across it, could find no firm hold, and
I was afraid every moment of slipping off his steep back
behind. My unfortunate companions fared no better.
The rough gait of the camels, urged to their utmost speed
by the women, was like the laboring of a small skiff upon
a stormy sea, and so violent that the skin of the inner
side of our legs and feet was soon flayed off, while the
rest of our bodies was covered with blisters, caused by the
heat of the sun. Thus sore from head to foot, suffering
too from hunger and thirst, we rode all day long over the
level, stony plain. At last the night drew near, and as
the cool night wind congealed the blood that had hitherto
flowed from our feet, and rendered our wounds much more

110 The Desert.
painful, and as the women neither heeded our entreaties to
be allowed to alight, nor noticed our sufferings, we let our
selves down, at great peril, from the backs of the camels
while they were trotting at full speed, and endeavored to
persuade the women to give us a drink of water. But
they were not only deaf to our heart-rending cries, but
they urged on the camels so that we were obliged to run
as fast as we could to keep up with them.
My courage now left me again ; I cursed my unhappy
fate, and repented that I had not thrown myself into the
sea rather than have trusted to the mercy of such unfeeling
wretches. If I could have procured any weapon I should
have put an end to my life. I even searched for a large
stone with which to shatter my skull. But at last this fit
of madness passed away, and I reflected that my life be
longed to the power who had given it, and that in his jus
tice and mercy he would do with us as seemed to him best.
Quite resigned, and not even heeding the pains that racked
my frame, I again mounted my camel, and have never since
broken the resolution that I then formed of never lament
ing my fate, whatever it might be, and never losing cour
age. With this determination I also endeavored to inspire
my companions. We had hitherto entreated our guides
loudly that they would have compassion upon us, and as
we were silent, they feared to lose us in the darkness of
night, and saw that we were all well mounted again,
although they continued to drive the animals forward
with the same speed, until at midnight we arrived at a
spot where they encamped for the night. To shelter our
selves from the damp cold night wind, we crowded together

The Desert. Ill
as closely as possible, but in vain did we look for sleep,
which alone could soothe our pain, lying as we were, on
the ground, which was covered with small sharp pointed
stones. After the women had milked the camels in the night,
we each received about a pint of fresh milk, which warmed
us and appeased, in some measure, our hunger and thirst.
In the morning we again received a cup full of milk, which
hardly sufficed to moisten our mouths, and were instantly
ordered to prepare for moving on. I cannot even now
think without shuddering, of our wretched condition, espe
cially as to our feet ; but we rode patiently on and had
proceeded some miles when we saw some tents in a small
hollow, and joined our masters, who had ridden on before.
The rest of the horde appeared to be collected here, and
when they heard of the arrival of the strange men, the
women came curiously out of their tents to see us. Of
course, naked and covered with bruises, we could not but
seem to them wretched and disgusting, a fact of which they
made us sufficiently aware by distorting their ugly faces
and spitting.
Soon after noon the whole caravan was again in motion,
but towards evening halted again at a small oasis, where
a considerable number of men was assembled, who ex
pressed some sympathy for our sufferings, and induced our
masters to provide a tent for us, into which we all crowded,
not a little rejoiced to be again united. In the meantime
about a hundred and fifty people, of all ages, collected
around the tent, and placed themselves in circles of from
ten to fifteen each, with legs crossed under them, to discuss

112 The Desert.
us. After a long discussion, an old man approached me,
and asked me, in very bad Spanish, which he rendered
intelligible by signs, what my name was, whence we came,
.and how we had happened to fall into their power. As in
the course of the conversation he showed himself quite an
intelligent man, I related to him circumstantially our mis
erable story, and told him that my name was James Riley,
and that I was the captain of a North American vessel,
which had been wrecked upon their coast. He appeared
to understand perfectly all that I said. I also assured him
that he should receive a large ransom if he would carry
me and my men to Morocco, but he shook his head, and
intimated that Morocco was a great way off, and that no
food for the camels was to be found on the journey. After
this conversation he returned to his people, but I did not
entirely relinquish all hope of regaining our freedom,
although I endeavored in vain to inspire my companions
with a like trust.
Day after day we continued our journey with our mas
ters in this manner, without reaching the place of our des
tination; the desert always presenting the same appear
ance, very like the sea in a dead calm. Gradually the
provisions and water came to an end, and it may easily be
conceived that we poor prisoners suffered most severely.
Often we received nothing during a whole day but a few
drops of milk, and when we were driven to declare that
we were too hungry and tired to proceed, they drove us on
with blows and threats.
I vainly attempted to work upon the sympathy of the
women, and obtain a drink of water from them; they

The Desert. 113
laughed at and mocked me, and when I continued my
entreaties, drove me from the shadow of the tent, so that
I was compelled to lie in the heat of the sun at high noon.
To add to all this, a great negro slave, belonging to my
master, a coarse bully of a fellow, undertook to tease us
in every possible way, calling me "captain," with great
mock respect. His witticisms of this kind were greatly
applauded by my master's family, to please whom he
exerted himself in this way. Sometimes his jokes were
cruelly rough, and he even used to poke our wounds with
a pointed stick, to show the Arabs what miserable crea
tures we were, not to be able to endure even the heat of
the sun. My men determined often to give him a deserved
chastisement for his impudence, but I dissuaded them from
doing so, lest we should give our masters a pretext for still
more rough usage of us.
As my companions were more exasperated than I at the
conduct of the negro, they were also more tormented by
hunger, and resorted to the most horrible means to satisfy
it. Thus I was once obliged to tie the hands of one
of the men behind his back, that he might not gnaw his
own flesh, and another time I discovered, just at the right
time, that two of them had enticed a child of four years
old to some distance from the tents, and were about to kill
him with a stone and devour him. I rescued him with
difficulty, as they were burning with a desire for his blood.
"We will willingly die for it afterwards," they replied to
my entreaties and representations that we should all be
murdered cruelly by the Arabs, if they persisted. God be
praised, I was at last able to convince them that it was
8

114 • The Desert.
far more manly to die of thirst and hunger than to become
cannibals. VII.
Our affairs were in this wretched condition when, one
day, two Arabs with several well-laden camels, approached
our camp. They made their weary beasts kneel down,
dismounted, and seated themselves opposite my master's
tent. As the men were absent on a hunting, or rather a
marauding expedition, the women came out to receive the
strangers. As soon as the latter observed them, they rose
and greeted them with the words, " Peace, peace be with
you !" to which salutation the women replied in the same
words, and then went to work and erected a tent for their
guests, into which they carried their saddles and all their
baggage ; among this last were two skins of water which
they brought.
The strangers remained in the meantime sitting upon
the ground beside their weapons, for each had a good
double-barreled gun that shone like silver in the sunlight.
After finishing their work, the women seated themselves
beside the men, and asked them, as I gathered from my
small knowledge of Arabic, which I had been diligently
attempting to learn, whence they came, how long they had
been on the way, and what goods they had with them.
After their curiosity had been satisfied, an old woman, in
whom I had never before discovered a trace of sympathy
for us, came to me, and gave me to understand that Sidi
Haniet, one of the two strangers, came from the dominions
of the Sultan of Morocco, and could, if he would, buy

The Desert. 115
me and carry me where I might return to my wife and
children. As my master would soon return, I went without further
reflection to the strangers' tent, with a cup in my hand,
and begged Sidi Hamet, pointing to my parched lips, for
a little water. He looked at me, and asked if I were the
captain. I nodded assent, and he then requested his
brother to give me some water. But as the latter did not
appear inclined to obey, he took the cup himself, poured
about a pint of clear crystal water into it, and said, " Drink
captain !" I greedily emptied half the cup, called down
Heaven's blessing upon him for his humanity, and turned
to carry the rest of the water to the tent, where one of
our sailors lay, worn to a skeleton, suffering the last cruel
pangs of hunger and thirst. But Sidi Hamet signified to
me that I must drink the water myself. Still, when I told
him as well as I could of the misery of my unfortunate
companion, he kindly let me go. It was perfectly clear,
the first good water that we had tasted since we had
left our boat. It was a luxury indeed ; it gave the poor
sailor new life, and his sunken eyes flashed in their sock
ets. " That is magnificent water," he said, " and must
come from a better land than this ; if we were only there,
and could have a good drink, I might be saved, but now I
shall not survive to-morrow."
In the meantime our masters returned, sat down with
the strangers and conversed with them until dark, when
they all withdrew to their tents. For reasons unknown
to' me, I and my companions were not permitted to sleep
in our tents, but were thrust forth without shelter or cov-

116 The Desert.
ering, into the cold damp night air. About the milking
time, our master, quite an old man, brought us, not with
out some show of anxiety, a pint of milk for each one,
which was better than any we had ever had before, and
which saved my poor companion from death. It was the
first nourishment that our master had given us for three
days, and I gathered from his attention to us, that he was
unwilling to lose his property by death, and had hopes of
selling us to the strangers. That they would buy us' all
I very much doubted ; I therefore determined to use every
exertion to have the youngest of our sailors, who was
called Horace Savage, bought with me. He was the son
of one of my dearest friends, and had been entrusted to
me, after his father's death, by his mother, to whom I had
solemnly promised that I would care for him as I would
my own child. The fulfilment of this promise lay next
my heart at this moment.
The following day Sidi Hamet called me to him, made me
sit down beside him, and began to question me concerning
my country and my misfortunes, and I rejoiced that I had
made such progress in Arabic as to be able to make myself
intelligible to him. I told him that I was the father of
five children, and that my oldest son, Horace, was with
me in captivity. I described our shipwreck to him ; our
horrible sufferings in consequence, and mingled sighs and
tears, and every expression of love and despair in my nar
rative. I had a man of intelligence and feeling before me,
and although my story could not have been very exact or
clear, yet he understood me so well that he shed tears,
contrary to the custom of the Arabs, who consider all

The Desert. 117
weeping as womanish. Ashamed of his weakness, he said
at last that bearded men should shed no tears, and drying
his eyes he rose hastily and left me.
As I had succeeded in awakening his sympathy, I hoped
by liberal promises of money, to awaken his avarice also,
and to persuade him to buy me and my companions and
carry us out of the desert, as soon as I met him alone
again. I proceeded to carry out my plan, and promise him
a large ransom if he would buy me and my companions
and carry us to Mogadore or any other sea-port town in
Morocco, where Europeans or Americans were to be
found. " I cannot take the others," he said, after some hesita
tion, " but how much will you give me if I buy you and
take you to your friends ?"
" A hundred dollars," was my reply.
" Have you money in Mogadore, or do you expect to
wait there until you can receive some from your own coun
try ?" he asked further, by signs and words.
" My friend in Mogadore," I replied, " will certainly pay
you if you take me to him."
After some remarks betraying doubt as to whether I was
not deceiving him, he said at last, with great solemnity :
" Well then I will buy you, but if you are deceiving me
(here he made a very intelligible gesture with his hand)
I will cut your throat myself — remember."
In vain did I entreat him to buy Horace also, whom I
called my son, nor would he hear of purchasing any of my
companions, insisting that it would be impossible to carry
more than one through the desert. At the close of our

118 The Desert.
conversation he enjoined it upon me to tell neither his
brother, my master, or any other Arab, of his intention,
and then left me.
The next day the whole horde continued their journey
to the northwest, in company with the two strangers.
When in the evening my masters' wives erected his tent,
they always erected one for Sidi Hamet. As I was now
frequently with him, I lost no opportunity of entreating
him, on my knees, to buy my companions. I was soon so
happy as to see my purchase money, which consisted of
two coarse mats, a blue haick, and a bushel of ostrich
feathers, handed over to my old master, who seemed well
pleased with his bargain. The same day Horace came
with his master to our tent to bring something. I hastened
towards him, embraced him with tears, and shared with
him some snails which I had found in the morning, and
which were almost our only nourishment. Sidi Hamet,
who was present, doubted no longer that I was really
Horace's father, and told me that in two days he should
start for Mogadore, but that he had endeavored to buy my
son in vain, for his master would sell him at no price.
"Jf that is the case," said I, " leave me here, and take
my son to Mogadore; I will be a faithful slave to his
master as long as I live. You will receive the same sum
for him that you would for me, and will then send him to
his mother, whom I cannot see again without him."
" By Allah !" cried Sidi Hamet, " you shall have your
son."

The Desert. 119

VIII.

To effect this purchase the whole horde was collected
together ; the transaction lasted the whole afternoon, and
was several times so warm that blows and even sabre-cuts
were interchanged. In the evening I learnt that Horace
had been purchased at a high price, and his master had
been forced by his friends to give him up to Sidi Hamet.
I now redoubled my exertions to induce him to buy my
other companions, and promised him a large ransom for
them ; but he always refused, saying that our road lay
through a most unsafe part of the country, where, if he
had any quantity of slaves with him, he should be mur
dered for them by the wild robber Arabs. Nevertheless I
succeeded at last in persuading him to buy three more of
my companions. All further entreaties were in vain, for
Sidi Hamet declared that he had now invested his whole
property in us, and that if I had deceived him he was a
ruined man. I was therefore obliged, in the presence of
his brother, a surly, disagreeable man, whom Sidi himself
called a bad fellow, but who had assisted in purchasing us,
to repeat solemnly my promise, and the exact amount of
our ransom, adding that I would willingly give myself up
to death, if I should be found to have practised a fraud.
Refreshed and strengthened by the milk that Sidi
Hamet begged for me from my old master, and yet more
by the hope of a speedy deliverance, I felt like quite
another man, although we had very little food, and could
sometimes find nothing but snails with which to appease
our hunger. We were, therefore, not a little rejoiced when

120 The Desert.
Sidi Hamet determined to slaughter a camel for provision
for our farther journey. We obeyed with alacrity his
orders to collect a heap of dry brush during the day. To
wards midnight he showed us a hollow, where we could
make a fire, secure from the prying eyes of our neighbors.
My master and two others then led up an old camel, which
was too weak to follow the drove, and which they had
bought for a mat, and made it kneel down. They then
made a slip knot in a rope, which they put round his neck
just under his chin, and drawing his head to the left side,
fastened the rope to his tail. Then Sidi Hamet opened a
vein in the right side of his neck, and let him bleed to
death. The blood was caught in a copper kettle, and
boiled, being stirred all the time until it was about the
consistency of the liver of an ox, when they took it off the
fire, and handed it to me, saying " eat Riley !" I did not
wait to be bidden twice, but set to work with my compan
ions ; our enjoyment of food bordered on gluttony.
Although the night was far advanced and our business
had been conducted with the greatest secresy, several of our
hungry neighbors discovered it and came around us, to
assist, as they said, in the slaughter of the animal. Our
delicious food so attracted them that, spite of the prohibi
tions of our master, they possessed themselves of a con
siderable portion of it. They helped, very officiously, to
skin the camel and take out the entails ; then they cooked
all the bowels without washing them, together with the
lungs and liver, in the dirty water that they found in the
stomach of the beast, trying it every moment to see if it
was done, while half a dozen hungry men, who pretended

The Desert. 121
that their hospitality would not allow them to stand idle
while their guests were at work, cut up the camel, and
contrived in the darkness to carry off almost half of it.
Our masters, when they discovered the theft the next day,
let it pass without notice, for it is a law among the Arabs
to feed the hungry even if they suffer for it themselves.
In the morning we dried the flesh and packed it away,
but we baked the bones for our masters, who broke them
between two stones and sucked out the marrow.
Sidi Hamet provided us with some articles of clothing,
and after we had taken leave of our companions, with
heavy hearts, and held out to them the prospect of being
speedily set at liberty through our exertions, we set off,
taking a southeasterly course that we might find some
spring that would yield us a supply of water. Soon the
aspect of the desert changed, and instead of the hard soil
covered with stones, we saw around us now, nothing but
small burning hot heaps of sand, into which our feet sunk
at every step. We had preferred walking to the weary
riding, but the heat of the ground compelled us to mount
the camels, and from their high backs we discovered as
far as the eye could reach, countless high sandhills ; soon
we were in the midst of them. Terror seized us at the
sight of these mountains of loose sand which lay around
us on every side like drifted snow, sometimes several hun
dred feet high, and often threatened to bury our little
party alive. There was no path to guide us out of this
labyrinth, and the wind which had cooled us refreshingly
when almost fainting under the vertical rays of the sun
was now our most dreaded enemy. The sand, whirled

122 The Desert.
about by the wind, sometimes wholly impeded our pro
gress ; we could not even see each other in the thick
cloud of it that enveloped us.
So the days passed on amid the severest sufferings, for
a month ; Sidi Hamet provided for us as well as he could
under the circumstances, but his brother Seid was continu
ally threatening and maltreating us; the two brothers
were ceaselessly disputing about us, and their quarrels
increased as we approached nearer the Morocco boundary.
One day as I and my companions were wandering on, faint
and exhausted, only kept alive by a dim spark of hope in
our hearts, Seid suddenly commanded us to stand still;
Sidi Hamet, who was riding on a few steps before us,
noticed it and commanded us to proceed ; then Seid seized
upon Horace and one other of our company, declared that
they were his property, and that he was going to sell them
to an Arab who had been travelling with us for several
days. Then Sidi Hamet's anger was kindled ; he sprang
from his camel, rushed upon his brother and freed my two
companions. Like lions the two brothers now fell upon
each other, wrestling furiously, they attempted to throw
each other upon the ground. As this did not succeed they
seized their guns, retired a few paces apart in angry haste,
and took aim ; the least pressure of the trigger and both
would have fallen ; we stood dumb with horror.
" God in heaven !" I cried, " have mercy upon us and
upon these brothers, that they may not commit murder!"
At the same moment I heard two shots, and thought
they must both have fallen, but I soon saw that Sidi
Hamet, having quickly recovered his mastery of himself,

The Desert. 123
had fired both barrels into the air, while, baring his breast,
he advanced towards his brother with a firm step, and said
touchingly :
" I am now unarmed ; shoot if you wish to slake your
anger in your benefactor's blood ; your brother's heart does
not tremble before your ball."
Seid, overcome by this unexpected turn of affairs, laid
aside his gun, and both brothers seated themselves upon
the ground to decide the dispute in words. But they
could not agree, for Seid would not relinquish his claim
upon Horace.
" You shall not separate the son from the father," cried
Sidi at last, angrily. " I have sworn it !"
" Then I will destroy him !" shouted Seid ; raging, he
sprang up, seized Horace by the throat, and hurled him
with such force upon the ground, that he lay like one
dead. Overpowered by the most heart-rending anguish, I
sank down beside him; he soon recovered himself, and
though severely bruised, did not appear to have sustained
any further injury. Seid's anger was somewhat appeased,
and they postponed the decision of the dispute to a more
fitting time
We now continued our journey with all the expedition
possible, and although we were continually ill-treated by
Seid, and once very nearly fell into the hands of some
Arabs through his means, we at last reached Mogadore in
safety, where we were ransomed by the English consul, a
very humane man, supplied with every thing needful, and
sent to Gibraltar, whence we soon returned to our home
in an American vessel.

124 The Desert.
After I had seen and embraced my family, I hastened
to Washington, the seat of government, and took the
necessary steps for freeing my unfortunate companions,
whom I had left in the desert. They were all found, and
ransomed, after enduring the most incredible hardships.

In the great Gallery, at Paris, there hangs a finished
picture, by Gencault, one of the most famous of modern
artists, which no one can contemplate without horror and
deep emotion ; it represents the shipwreck of the French
frigate, " Medusa," which was wrecked on the African
coast in the year 1816. The artist has not drawn upon
his fancy for the details of his masterpiece, but has adhe
red strictly to the truth of the following narrative, which
we have heard from one of the survivors of the ship
wrecked crew.
On the 17th of June, 1816, the frigate " Medusa," of
forty-four guns, bound for Senegal, and having on board
the governor of the French possessions in that place, and
four hundred men, mostly soldiers, set sail with four other
vessels from a French port, and after a prosperous voyage
came in sight of the promonotory of Bogadore and the low
coast of the desert of Sahara. The captain, Chaumaneys,
one of those distinguished individuals who owe their posts
rather to the influence of their friends and relatives than
to any superior knowledge or merit of their own, joked
with the passengers, and amused himself with the sailors,
while an ignorant officer, who had gained his confidence,
governed the vessel in his place, and regarded the coast
(125)

126 Shipwreck and Starvation.
that they were approaching with indifference, although it
is one of the most dangerous on the face of the earth.
Some better informed officers on board, looked on with
dissatisfaction, and at last distinctly declared that they
should either run upon the coast, or be wrecked upon the
sand bank of Arguin, so dreaded by all mariners, but
they were laughed at for their fears.
During the night the ship that sailed nearest in our
company, made us repeated signs to be careful; but so
great was the negligence of our watch that they did not
heed them, and even when the light hanging at the mast
head went out, it was not lighted again. The following
morning the better managed vessel had vanished. A
young ensign who had hitherto attentively observed the
course of the frigate, now declared repeatedly that we were
already upon the shoals, but the conceited under-officer
refused to listen to the young man who pretended to be
wiser than he. In the meantime the color of the water
changed ; thick bushes and green plants were seen floating
along side, and the waves seemed to be mixed with sand.
The lead that they threw out at last, at first shewed only
eighteen, and soon after only sixteen fathoms ; the captain,
who was at last made aware of these suspicious circumstan
ces, gave orders to crowd sail and to turn and face the
wind ; but, unfortunately, it was too late, for while the
vessel was turning, the rudder struck; it was soon pushed
off, but a second and third shock followed and the vessel
remained sticking fast.
Although it was high tide, the lead showed only seven
teen feet of water ; universal dismay pervaded the whole

Shipwreck and Starvation. 127
vessel, and terror was exhibited in the strangest way;
here were fear-distorted countenances ; there, faces deadly
pale, but calm; some stood motionless as if turned to
stone ; others lay upon the deck without power to move.
Aroused from the first numbing fear, many broke out into
a shriek of despair ; others cursed aloud those whose igno
rance had caused the misfortune ; only a few were compo
sed, and among these, two women, the wife and daughter
of the governor, particularly distinguished themselves.
All exertions to get the vessel afloat were vain, as the
captain had neither self-possession nor knowledge, and the
crew, convinced of his want of capacity, were in no hurry
to obey his contradictory orders. On the 5th of July,
after we had lost a whole day in ineffectual exertions, as
night drew near, dark clouds appeared, and a stiff breeze
arose, which grew more and more violent, and raised huge
waves ; the vessel labored fearfully, and we expected its
destruction every minute. In the night it was wrecked
and the keel split into two parts. The rudder broke off
and only hung in the chains, where, tossed to and fro by
the waves, it struck against the stern of the vessel and
shattered the floor of the cabin so that the water had free
access to the hold.
At daybreak the water in the hold was already from
eight to nine feet deep, and it was determined to leave the
vessel, and to think only of the preservation of those on
board. But as it was impossible for the six boats that we
possessed to hold four hundred people, they constructed, by
the advice of the governor, an immense raft out of the
masts, poles of the sails, and other pieces of the wreck.

128 Shipwreck and Starvation.
It was to be loaded with two hundred men and provisions,
and then the boats were to take it in tow, and draw it to
land, where a caravan might be formed which could pro
ceed to the French possessions at the mouth of the Sene
gal. The plan was wisely conceived, and might have had
the most fortunate consequences, but, as we shall see, it
was not carried into execution.
The raft was completed the same day. Two great
masts formed the two long sides, other masts in the mid
dle gave firmness to the whole, and small pieces of wood
connected the layer; in front two poles were so arranged
as to make a pointed end, and the whole was bound
together by strong cables. But as the raft was scarcely
sixty feet long, and only about twenty broad, it was
impossible that it should hold two hundred people, still
less the necessary provisions.
They had, with praiseworthy foresight, made a list of
the people and provisions destined for each boat, and for
the raft; but as no one thought of obeying orders, the
embarkation was conducted in the most disorderly manner,
each endeavoring to rescue himself in the surest way.
The provisions, too, were dispensed in the most incon
siderate fashion ; the raft was provided with wine and
meal in abundance, but no meat or other provisions of any
kind ; a bag of biscuits, that was thrown down at last, fell
into the sea and was so drenched with salt water that the
contents were a perfect dough.
Towards evening the sign for getting on board was
given, but scarcely had fifty men descended to the raft
when it sunk almost two feet; they immediately threw

Shipwreck and Starvation. 129
the meal casks overboard, and retained only six casks of
wine and two of water. When the whole crew were on
board it sank again about three feet, so that those in the
back and front part of it stood up to their hips in water,
and were so crowded together that no one could move a
step. No one had thought of a mast, and the sail that was
thrown down to us, as we pushed off, was entirely useless,
as we had no rope to hoist it with. There were a hundred
and fifty people huddled together upon the raft, and among
them about a hundred and twenty soldiers, who were
armed only with swords, as from fear of a mutiny, none
but the officers had been allowed to carry fire-arms. The
boats were crowded full, and yet seventeen people remained
behind on the wreck, either because they would not trust
themselves to the frail, over-loaded skiff, that pushed off
last, or because they were too much intoxicated to think
of their safety.
At first we sailed along in the most orderly manner ; the
boats took the raft in tow, and the commanding officers in
them swore not to forsake us, but if no rescue were possi
ble, to die with us. The coast was about fifteen leagues
distant, and was seen from the boats before sunset. From
this moment those in them appeared to consider only their
own safety ; one after another they dropped the rope that
bound us to them, and finally even the last boat, which
contained the governor, followed this cruel and shameful
example. 9

130 Shipwreck and Starvation.
II.
We were now left entirely to ourselves, and our condi
tion upon the bare raft, with neither masts, sails, nor
rudder, was indeed a desperate one. But the officers soon
recovered themselves, and succeeded in inspiring the sol
diers and sailors with some self-confidence ; one of the
latter had in his possession a little pocket compass, which
we hailed with delight as a dear friend, but our joy did not
last long, for the compass was carelessly dropt into the sea
and lost. Our greatest distress now arose from the want
of food, as no one had eaten any thing since our departure
from the vessel ; some wine was therefore poured over the
salt-soaked biscuits, and this was divided among all the
men, who, somewhat strengthened by this refreshment,
exerted themselves to erect the half of a bowsprit for a
mast, and provide it with a sail, for which purpose they
used the fragments of the ropes by which we had been
towed along, which still hung to the raft. The sail caught
the wind very well when it came from behind, but in order
to approach the land we were obliged to take it from the
side, so that our raft was tipped up fearfully, one side
sinking into the water, while the other was elevated
above it.
In the mob of soldiers there burned a fierce desire for
revenge upon the boats that had left us in the lurch, and
could we have come up with any of them, a bloody scene
would have ensued. The day faded quietly away, and we
entertained the hope of reaching the coast in a few days
at least. In the evening we joined in prayer, and even the

Shipwreck and Starvation. 131
rough men, who had been filled with thoughts of revenge
only a short time before, learned to pray in this hour of
need. After prayer each experienced new faith, we all
felt our courage increased, and found consolation with
Him who is ever present and ready to befriend the unfor
tunate. We could not yet relinquish the belief that the boats
would row quickly to shore, disembark their crews, and
then turn back to relieve their unfortunate companions
whom they had left upon the raft. In this hope we saw
the day depart. After sunset the wind rose, and set the
waves in motion ; the raft was thrown hither and thither ;
the soldiers, unaccustomed to the sea, were thrown about
by every wave, and cried out fearfully, so that the sailors
fastened various ropes to the raft, to which the soldiers
clung, and some even lashed themselves down. At mid
night the wind grew fiercer, huge waves rolled over us and
threw the men upon each other. Their shrieks mingled
with the roar of the sea which now tossed the raft on high
and then hurled it down to the depths. Some shrieked
aloud ; some prayed, and others made vows, which they
were to fulfil after their rescue ; all prepared for death,
took leave of each other, and called upon God for mercy.
Towards morning the wind subsided somewhat, and the
sea became more quiet ; but a horrible spectacle was pre
sented to our eyes. Several unfortunate men had slipped
into the holes in the raft, and being unable to extricate
themselves, had miserably perished ; others had been lost
in the sea ; in all, twenty people were missing. Although
each was occupied with his own safety in this dreadful sit-

132 ' Shipwreck and Starvation.
uation, an instance of filial love drew tears from all eyes.
Two young men extricated an old man from under the feet
of the others and then recognized him for their father.
At first they thought him dead, and their grief was expres
sed in the most heart-rending cries ; but they soon found
that he yet breathed, and we used every means that were
in our power, to restore him ; he soon came to himself, to
the unspeakable joy of his sons, who clung to him and
covered his neck with kisses.
While this scene was enacting, two ship boys and a
baker calmly took leave of their companions, and commit
ted suicide by jumping into the sea, boldly as it might
seem, but in reality it was a cowardly and despairing act,
or perhaps the result of the insanity that had already
begun to appear among these wretched men. Some ima
gined that they saw land ; others, that vessels were coming
to our relief, and at any of these imaginary discoveries they
would burst out into shouts of joy.
The second day that we passed upon the raft was per
fectly clear, and the friendly aspect of the heavens inspired
us with fresh courage; most of us were firmly convinced
that the boats would soon appear. But when the evening
came and the comfortless night followed, all seemed
changed. Not only did all hope vanish, but the spirit of
rebellion reigned instead ; no one would obey orders and
our former prudence was turned to despair. Dark clouds
again veiled the heavens and the wind increased so that the
sea raged and foamed more fearfully than on the foregoing
night. Huge waves rolled over us, throwing us into heaps
upon one another; fortunately, we had the wind on our

Shipwreck and Starvation. 133
hacks so that the force of the sea was somewhat broken by
the swiftness of our course ; still the waves beat upon us
from before and behind, and carried off some men spite of
all their exertions in clinging to the masts that composed
the raft; all gathered together in the middle of our vessel,
as that was the point of least danger, and crowded so
closely that several were stifled. As the raft continually
turned its broadside to the wind, it stood almost upright,
so that in order to keep the balance, one was often obliged
to rush towards the side that was high in the air, spite of
the foaming waves.
In this extremity the rage of the soldiers awoke again,
and as they considered themselves lost, they determined -to
enjoy their last moments and to drink their fill. They
threw themselves upon the wine casks, cut great holes in
them, and filled their tin cups, which had been given to
them on board of the frigate, as often as they pleased with
the contents, utterly disregarding all the commands of their
officers. When the wine had increased their fury and they
were thoroughly intoxicated, they formed a plan of des
troying the raft and thus releasing themselves and their
companions from their misery. Scarcely was the plan
formed when they hastened to carry it into execution.
One of them, by birth an Asiatic, a gigantic fellow with
short curling hair and a broad flat nose, who had already
made much mischief by his rough and violent temper, step
ped to the edge of the raft, with an axe, and began to cut
the ropes that bound it together. We rushed towards him
to put a stop to this senseless project ; the maniac raised
his axe against the officer who endeavored to push him

134 Shipwreck and Starvation.
away, but instantly paid for his madness with his life that
was terminated by a sword cut. The mutineers now
seized their swords and knives and rushed upon us. All
who held their lives dear, seized also their weapons, and
another soldier who raised his sword against an officer, was
killed. This unexpected resistance somewhat surprised the
rebels; they grew quieter, but bidding us defiance, re
treated slowly to the end of the raft, to carry out their
intentions there. One of them pretended to stoop and cut
the rope through with his knife. As soon as we saw this
we rushed upon him, and threw him overboard, with
another man who attempted to defend him. Now the
fight became universal ; part of the mutineers cut and tore
up the sail, and then threw down the mast, which in
falling shattered the leg of an officer, and prostrated him
unconscious upon the raft. The soldiers immediately
shoved him overboard ; we drew him up and placed him
upon a cask, but he was pushed off again by the rioters,
who tried to put out his eyes with a pen-knife. Enraged
at the sight of such barbarity, we pressed upon the mon
sters, sword in hand, broke through their ranks, and killed
many of, them. After this second combat the fury of the
soldiers suddenly gave place to the most abject cowardice ;
many of them fell upon their knees and begged for mercy,
which was granted them.
It was now midnight, and as we believed that order was
finally restored, we returned to our places in the middle
of the raft, but were upon our guard, and did not lay
aside our weapons. About an hour afterwards the muti-

Shipwreck and Starvation. 135
neers, who appeared to be entirely beside themselves,
arose and rushed upon us again with swords and knives ;
those of them who had no weapons bit with their teeth,
so that several of us were quite badly wounded. We
numbered only fifteen, but we kept so well together, and
fought with such a scorn of death, that we once again
gained the victory over our opponents, although they were
five times as strong in numbers, and threw many of them
overboard. These superhuman exertions deprived many of us, even
those whom we had always considered as the most self-
possessed and collected among us, so entirely of all pres
ence of mind, that they scarcely knew what they were
doing. Sometimes, for a moment, indeed, the fearful reality
flashed upon them, like lightning from a thunder-cloud, but
they were haunted most of the time by the loveliest ima
ges. One imagined himself in the midst of the most
beautiful Italian landscape ; another said, very seriously,
" I know that the boats have forsaken us, but be com
forted, I have written to the governor, and in a few hours
help will arrive." There was need of the greatest self-
command to keep from being thus bewildered, for who
ever gave himself up to such fancies was lost. Thus it
was with most of the unhappy soldiers, for they were
restrained by no consideration. Some of them plunged
into the sea, crying, " We will soon return and bring you
help." Others aimed blows at the waves, as if in the
delirium of fever, not knowing what they were about, and
others fell upon their companions with their swords, call
ing loudly for their favorite dish, a roast fowl. The mad-

136 Shipwreck and Starvation.
ness was so universal that most of us did not know in the
morning whether a fight had really taken place in the
night, or whether we had only dreamed it. But all were
overcome with weariness and lamed in every limb.
III.
When the day at last broke, we found that, in this fear
ful night, sixty men had disappeared, so had the sword,
the ocean, and a desire for death raged among the ship
wrecked ; of our party only two were missing, but several
were wounded, and our clothes were all cut to pieces.
The deepest dejection was legible upon every counte
nance, and many shed bitter tears over their hard fate.
As the sun rose the sea became more calm ; we replaced
our mast, and did our best to steer for the coast, which we
several times thought we perceived.
The mutineers had destroyed, in their fury, two casks
of wine, and our whole supply of water, so that only a
small cask of wine yet remained, and the daily measure for
each man was of course diminished, at which a murmur
arose among the soldiers. We were all so weary with the
exertions of the past night that we could scarcely stand
up; and, although the raft had been so much lightened
that it did not sink as at first, yet it was still under water,
so that we could not lie down. Hunger tormented us yet
more ; we tried to catch some fish with the bent bayonet
of one of the officers, but in vain ; one fish bit at it, but
swam off again.
Hunger deprived the soldiers of all humanity, and they
resorted to the most horrible means to sustain their

Shipwreck and Starvation. 137
wretched lives. At a given signal they fell upon the
bodies of some of their companions who had either died or
been killed during the previous night, cut them in pieces,
and devoured them upon the spot. At first we shuddered at
the idea of this horrible repast, but at last, urged on by
the fiercest pangs of famine, we partook of it, and even
dried the pieces in the air to make them more palatable.
A few only could not bring themselves to any thing so
horrible, for a long time, and preferred devouring linen rags
or hat-felt ; any thing upon which there was any grease
or dirt ; but in the end the love of life prevailed ; all over
came their aversion, and took their portions greedily.
Our hope of rescue diminished every hour ; we looked
anxiously around every moment but could descry neither
shore nor ship. The day was fine, and we had not indeed
to contend either with our companions or with the sea. So
we took some rest, but rest that was worse than wakefulness,
for we were tormented by the most fearful dreams, and the
moans of those who were thus disturbed, waked those
standing near them from their stupor. The night was
calm also, but the water, reached to our knees and we were
obliged to sleep standing, and so closely crowded together
that we formed one immovable mass. When the fourth
day broke we found twelve more men dead ; the living,
who saw in them their own future fate, laid one body aside
for food and threw the rest overboard.
The evening of this day brought us a blessed relief ; a
quantity of flying fish fell upon our raft and were caught
in the holes in it. We fell upon them, and threw the
remainder, about three hundred, into an empty wine cask.

138 Shipwreck and Starvation.
In catching the fish we discovered in one of the holes of
the raft, a flint, some lint, and some powder, and we suc
ceeded by means of these and some linen rags, in making
a fire. An old cask served us for a hearth, after we had
covered it with some very wet articles to prevent its being
burnt through, and placed it upon another cask to be above
the water. We now cooked our fish and eat them with
the greatest relish; but as this meagre supply soon came
to an end, we again had recourse to the human flesh, which
lost some of its repulsiveness by being cooked. We were
soon obliged, however, to eat it raw again, for the bottom
of the cask was burnt through, and besides, we had no
more fuel. ,
The next night, as the weather was very fine, and the
sea smooth as a mirror, might have passed very quietly,
but another mutiny broke out in which several soldiers
took part, who had until now, befriended our party. This
outbreak was caused by avarice, a passion which one would
not dream could have existed among men in our situation.
We had collected our money and all our articles of value
in a bundle and hung them upon the mast. The muti
neers wished to possess themselves of this treasure, for a
negro among them had assured them that we were now
close upon the coast, and they determined to throw us into
the sea. A Spaniard gave the signal for the attack ; stand
ing by the mast, he drew a cross upon it with one hand,
while with the other he brandished a knife above his head.
Our faithful sailors immediately seized him and flung him
overboard, and another combat ensued, which was the
more dangerous as we did not know now who were for us

Shipwreck and Starvation. 139
or who against us. We, however, drove the rioters back,
and succeeded once more in restoring order. After the
cause of the mutineers was lost, a servant of one of our
officers, who had taken part in the mutiny, seized the only
remaining axe, and after in vain attempting to cut the rope
that held together the forepart of the raft, plunged with it
into the sea.
With intense longing we awaited the morning of the
sixth day, and when the sun rose, its rays fell upon only
thirty people yet living on the raft. We had lost five of
our faithful sailors in the last combat, and the remainder
were all wounded more or less seriously. We were besides
in a most wretched condition, the sun and the sea-water
had blistered the skin of our legs and feet, and many of us
were so covered with bruises and gashes that we were
shrieking with pain every minute ; only twenty at the
most were able to move. The wine, our last refreshment,
could, with the greatest economy, only last four days
longer, and even this nearly failed us. Two soldiers had
secretly tapped the cask and were drinking the wine
through a straw. They were, however, soon discovered,
and as it had been decreed beforehand that any one guilty
of such a deed, should be thrown into the sea, the law was
instantly executed.
Thus our number was diminished to twenty-eight, and
of these, thirteen were so seriously wounded that it was
more than improbable that they would live even a few
days longer. The remaining fifteen entered into a mourn
ful discussion and decided that even if the boats had reached
the French possessions and sent out a ship in search of us,

140 Shipwreck and Starvation.
several days must elapse still before it could reach us. It
was, therefore, all important to hold out as long as possi
ble, and when we considered that the daily allotment of
wine consumed by the sick, deprived us of our last means
of support, without benefitting them, we arrived, after long
consideration, in which despair guided us, at the horrible
determination of throwing our wretched fellow-men into
the sea that we might have a supply of wine for six more
days. Three sailors and a soldier undertook the cruel
business ; we turned away our faces and wept over the
fate of our unfortunate companions.
It was all the more frightful as every one saw clearly
what his own fate would be should he become disabled, for
now the law was proclaimed : " We must save those
who can be saved, and destroy all who are beyond the
hope of rescue." This law, in direct opposition to God's
law, saved us, however, from destruction, for when in six
days succor really appeared, only a very small quantity of
wine remained.
Had we retained all the sick on board, our supply would
have been consumed several days beforehand, and in our
weak condition we could not possibly have survived
twenty-four hours.
But we were all filled with such horror, that to ensure
quiet, we threw all our weapons into the sea, with the
exception of one sword, which we kept to take the place
of a knife or axe, if we should need one.

Shipwreck and Starvation. 141
IV.
The following day was a sad one for us, for even in our
sleep the remembrance of the cruel death of our compan
ions haunted us, and we often prayed Heaven to end our
lives also. Our condition upon the raft was much more
comfortable, for, by the great diminution of our members,
we gained more room, and as the weather remained calm
and clear, we could improve our accommodations some
what. We therefore exerted all our remaining strength in
tearing up some of the boards in the fore-part of the raft,
and constructing, by means of them, a kind of floor in the
middle, upon which we laid all the articles of clothing
that we could do without, to form a softer couch for our
weary limbs. This contrivance protected us somewhat
against the waves, which still broke over us continually,
and caused us great suffering, especially in our legs, which
were covered with bruises and wounds. Our worst tor
ment was a burning thirst, which the hot rays of the sun
increased. We tried to quench it with salt water, but this
only appeased it for a moment to cause it to return with
greater fury.
In this extremity one of the officers found, by chance,
a small lemon ; as he tried to keep it for himself, and was
not to be moved by our entreaties to share it, the indigna
tion of his comrades began to show itself at his selfish
behavior, and he would have fallen a victim to his
greediness if he had not yielded in time. We contended
just as seriously about the division of whatever we
could find that was eatable All these bickerings were

142 Shipwreck and Starvation.
accompanied by the most desperate threats, and blood
would often have been shed but for the interference of
those who were calmer and more self-possessed. One of
us discovered in his pocket a bottle of medicine for the
tooth-ache, which he husbanded very carefully, and would
only give us each a few drops in the hollow of our hands.
It was a mixture of all kinds of herbs, tasted quite pleas
antly, and quenched our thirst for some moments. Some
of us held a piece of tin in our mouths to induce a little
moisture by means of it ; others filled their hats with salt
water, bathed their heads and faces with it, and experi
enced from it a beneficial effect ; most of us sucked up our
portion of wine through a quill, and contended that in this
way our thirst was allayed for a longer time than if we
drank it at once out of our cups.
On the 16th we believed ourselves to be very near to
land, and three of the boldest of us agreed to endeavor to
reach it by means of a mast about thirty feet long, which
we broke off of the raft. Upon this we nailed little pieces
of board to prevent it from turning round, stuck into it a
pole with a little sail tied to it, and supplied it with a kind
of rudder that we manufactured with our sword, out of a
piece of an old cask. The attempt was to take place on
the following day, and our bold companions received their
whole portion of wine, which, for want of a better vessel,
was poured into a boot. After this machine was comple
ted, we made a trial of it, but it turned over when one of
the sailors stepped upon it, and showed us the folly of the
attempt. There was nothing left for us but to await death
calmly upon the raft. Night came again, and we were

Shipwreck and Starvation. 143
filled with the darkest forebodings ; we had scarcely three
measures of wine left, and we had for some time experi
enced such an unconquerable disgust at the human flesh
that we had soaked in salt water and dried, that the mere
sight of it caused a shudder.
On the morning of the 17th of July the weather was
quite clear ; at sunrise we all prayed devoutly, and were
drinking our wine, when suddenly an officer discovered a
ship in the distance, and with a cry of joy announced the
discovery. Although the vessel was so distant that we
could scarcely distinguish the tops of the masts, an indes
cribable delight filled our minds ; we considered ourselves
already safe, and gave thanks to the Almighty. But now
arose the question, how to make our low raft seen from so
great a distance. We immediately collected some sticks
of wood, to which we tied handkerchiefs and cloths, and
helped a man up the mast to wave these little flags. More
than half an hour was passed between hope and fear;
some thought that the ship gradually approached, and
others maintained that it receded ; the latter were unhap
pily in the right, for it soon vanished entirely. The deep
est dejection ensued upon our joyful anticipations, and we
envied the lot of those who had died at our sides.
After this bitter illusion we determined to await death
calmly, and erected a kind of tent with a piece of sail,
under which we were somewhat protected from the burn
ing rays of the sun. Here we conceived the plan of
scratching a short account of our fate, which should be
signed by all upon a board with the point of our sword, in
the hope that it might be picked up somewhere, with the

144 Shipwreck and Starvation.
fragments of our raft, and convey to the government and
our families some intelligence of our mournful fate. Thus
we passed about two hours, when one of us went out of
the tent to look round him once more, but instantly
returned with a loud cry. Joy beamed from his counte
nance ; he stretched out his arms towards the sea, and
breathing with difficulty, could scarcely stammer out the
word at last : " Saved ! a ship !"
We immediately left the tent, and even those whose sore
feet and legs had prevented their standing for some days,
managed to creep out to regale themselves with a sight of
the ship which, her sails all set, was bearing down upon us
at scarce a league's distance. We embraced each other
with a rapture that bordered on frenzy, and tears of joy
rolled down our wasted cheeks. Each seized some piece
of cloth and waved it that wre might be seen by the vessel,
which, however, must have seen us for some time, as it
approached us steadily. Our joy was increased when we
saw the French flag floating from the mast, and recognized
the vessel for the brig Argus which had sailed from France
for the Senegal in company with the Medusa.
The brig now lay to and put out a boat which took us
in and carried us on board, where we met others who had
been shipwrecked in the Medusa, and had deserted the
raft.11 Deep emotion was painted on every countenance
and tears of sympathy filled, all eyes. Imagine fifteen
wretches, almost without clothing, the skin flayed from
their limbs, their whole : bodies burnt by the sun, and
their faces fearfully emaciated ! Our hollow, wild-rolling
eyes, and long beards must have given us a frightful

Shipwreck and Starvation. 145
appearance; we were indeed only the shadows of men,
and ten of the fifteen could scarcely move. They gave us
excellent meat broth immediately, into which they poured
¦wine, to make it even more nourishing ; they tended us
most tenderly; our wounds were bandaged, and on the
following day several of those most severely ill among us
could set upright. Misfortune still pursued several of us,
for the room next to *the kitchen, where they lay, caught
fire and they would have perished in the flames if the fire
had not fortunately been extinguished just in time.
Some of the boats which had so shamefully deserted the
raft reached the coast on the following day, where the
crews landed to continue their journey towards the French
colony by land ; others directed their course directly to the
mouth of the Senegal, which they happily reached. The
brig immediately received orders to weigh anchor and
hasten to the succor of the shipwrecked; they coasted
along the shore, and supplied those who had landed
with provisions, but could not succeed in finding the raft.
They were already returning when on the morning of our
rescue the wind changed, and the captain had the vessel
turned round once more ; two hours afterwards they dis
cerned something from the mast-head and soon recognized
it for our raft. Another smaller vessel had gone to the
rescue of the seventeen people upon the stranded frigate ;
but contrary winds detained it and when, after fifty days,
it reached the wreck, only three men were found on it
alive. Each of these kept themselves secluded from the
others, and when in their search for food, which had been
soaked and spoilt in the salt water, they encountered
10

146 Shipwreck and Starvation.
one another they threatened each other with their
knives. We reached the Senegal the same day that we had been
found, and were received in the colony with great kindness
and sympathy, even the negro slaves wept bitterly when
they saw our miserable, reduced condition. Six of our
number died soon after, notwithstanding the greatest care ;
the nine who survived returned as soon as they were
strong enough, to their native country.
We add to this narrative of the shipwrecked sailor, that
most of his companions were ill for the rest of their
lives, and the captain immediately upon his return to
France, was tried before a court martial for his cowardice
and unpardonable negligence, and was judged unworthy
of his post and expelled from the service.

Ifye JLiftle fifties ftdbe¥)%es«

A large village in one of the most beautiful and fertile
valleys of the interior of Africa is my birth-place ; it must
be very far from the coast, for I do not remember ever
having heard, during my childhood, of the sea or of white
men. My parents possessed quite a large estate and a
multitude of slaves, and as I was the youngest of seven
children, I was naturally my mother's favorite, and she
took a great deal of pains with my education. From my
earliest youth I practised constantly, shooting with a bow
and arrow, and hurling the javelin. Thus I grew up to
my eleventh year, when an end was suddenly put to my
happiness. One day, when my parents had gone as usual into the
fields to labor with the slaves, and no one was left at home
but myself and one of my sisters, who was about a year
my senior, two men and a woman climbed over the wall
that surrounded the yard in which we were, seized us
both, gagged us so that we could not scream, and ran with
us into the nearest forest. Here they bound our hands,
and carried us on until the sun went down, and we reached
a little house. Here they unbound us, but stupefied with
fatigue and terror, we could not eat, and soon found some
relief from our cruel fate in sleep. The next morning we
(147)

148 The Little African's Adventures.
continued our journey, and arrived, after travelling all day
through a dense forest, at a place that seemed familiar to
me. I soon saw several people, and began to scream out
to them with all my might, but my shrieks produced no
effect except to cause our persecutors to gag us again, and
put us into a bag until we were out of sight of any one.
At night they again offered us something to eat, but we
refused it, and found a mournful satisfaction in crying in
each other's arms the whole night long. But alas ! even
this poor comfort was taken from us, for the next day they
tore my sister away from me, and carried her away, leav
ing me in a state of perfect despair. I wept and sobbed,
and for eight days eat nothing but what was forced down
my throat. At last, after travelling many days, they sold
me, in quite a pleasant country, to a wealthy herdsman.
This man had two wives, and some children ; they all
treated me kindly, and took great pains to console me,
especially the elder wife, who looked something like my
mother. Although I was far from my own home, these
people spoke my language. My master was, by trade, a
smith, and my heaviest labor was to manage the bellows
for him. I think the metal in which he worked was gold,
for it was of a beautiful light yellow color, and was worn
by the women upon their wrists and ankles.
I had not been quite a month with these people, before
they trusted me to go alone any where. I used this lib
erty to find out every thing that I could concerning the
road that might lead me to my home. I often went in the
cool of the evening, with the girls to the fountain, and
helped them to fill their jars with water, and I then

The Little African's Adventures. 149
observed where the sun rose and set, and learnt also that
my father's house lay toward the rising of the sun. I
intended to seize some fitting opportunity, and start off in
that direction, for grief for my mother and friends weighed
upon me, and my loye of liberty, always strong, was so
increased by my state of servitude, that I could not even
bear to sit down to eat with free children, although I was
treated in every way as their companion.
While I was meditating my plan of escape, a provoking
occurrence put an end to all my hopes. I used sometimes
to assist an old slave woman in the kitchen, and take care
of the poultry. One morning, as I was feeding the chick
ens, I thoughtlessly threw a pebble at one of them that
killed it on the spot. The old slave missed the chicken,
and when I told her frankly what had become of it, (for
my mother had taught me never to tell a lie) she flew into
a rage, said I should suffer for it, and went straight to tell
her mistress. I feared a whipping, and as I had never
been struck at home, the idea of such a disgrace was so
horrible to me, that I ran off and hid myself in a wood
near at hand. They searched for me all day long unsuc
cessfully, although they were several times so near my
hiding-place that I could hear them talking distinctly.
From what they said, I learnt that I could never succeed
in reaching my home, if I had attempted it, but would
certainly fall a prey to wild beasts, or into the hands of
slave-dealers. I therefore gave up my intention, and
when night came on, and I began to be afraid of the
snakes that I thought I heard hissing in the leaves around
me, I slipt back into the house, went into the kitchen, and

150 The Little African's Adventures.
as I was freezing with cold, lay down in the warm ashes,
fervently praying that death might soon end my woes. I
was hardly awake in the morning, when the old slave
came in, and was much surprised to see me again. She
promised to intercede for me with my master, who soon
made his appearance, and after administering a slight
reproof to me, told the slave to take good care of me.
But after this they all seemed displeased with me, and
soon sold me.
I was now carried again through frightful forests, where
I could continually hear savage beasts roaming around us.
The people who had bought me, when I was tired, carried me
sometimes upon their shoulders, and sometimes upon their
backs. From time to time we arrived at convenient, well
built huts, in which travellers and merchants could lodge
very comfortably. In this way we travelled many miles,
until one evening, to my surprise and delight, my dear
sister was brought into the hut where we were to lodge for
the night. When she saw me, she shrieked and rushed
into my arms. Neither of us could speak, and we em
braced silently. Our meeting touched the bystanders, and
they left us to talk together in perfect freedom. But this
delight only lasted until the next morning, when my dear
sister was taken from me, and carried off forever. I was
now more wretched, if possible, than before. The little
relief that her presence had been to me was gone, and my
own sufferings were increased by the fear lest her's might
be greater, and I should not be with her to soothe them.
The same day I was sold, and after journeying through
a quantity of small villages, arrived at last at a town that

The Little African's Adventures. 151
appeared to be very wealthy and was situated in the most
charming country I had ever beheld. There I ate, for the
first time, sugar cane and cocoanuts, which last I thought
more delicious than any thing I had ever tasted. The
money of the inhabitants consisted of little white shells
about the size of a finger nail, and for a hundred and
seventy-two of these coins they sold me to a rich widow
who had a son about my age and size. I was washed and
anointed with perfumed oils, and when noon came I sat
down to dinner with the son of my mistress in her pres
ence. This astonished me. I did not expect to be treated
so kindly, and my pleasant circumstances almost made me
forget that I was a slave. There were several slaves in
our household, and we practised shooting and hurling the
javelin every day. I spent two months in this pleasant
mode of life, so like what I had enjoyed in my dear home
that I was quite reconciled to my lot and began to forget
my former trials ; I even expected to be adopted as a son
by the rich widow, when suddenly the dear illusion was
dispelled. Without the least warning I was one morning
awakened, and while my dear young master and the rest
of the family were asleep, I was sold and hurried away to
new trials among strangers.
Hitherto, all the people that I had seen were like those
of my own nation in language and customs, but now I was
carried into the midst of a people differing entirely from
any of whom I had ever beard. They offered no sacri
fices, adored no deity, never washed their hands before
eating. They cooked their food in iron vessels, and had
European swords and muskets, which I had never seen in

152 The Little African's Adventures.
my country. The men used to adorn themselves with
great scars, and they filed their teeth sharp in front. They
tried to induce me to submit to this latter operation, but I
obstinately refused, for I hoped still to live again among
nations with more reasonable customs. At last I reached
the shore of a large river, which was covered with canoes,
in which whole families lived. At this I was greatly
astonished, for in my country I had never seen any quan
tity of water larger than a pond or a little brook, and I
was somewhat terrified when they put me into a canoe and
rowed down the stream till nightfall. We then landed
and some made a fire on the shore, while others remained
in the canoe all night long. I was not a little surprised
when I saw not only men but women plunge into the
water, dive to the bottom and then rising swim all about.
After breakfast the next morning we again embarked and
sailed down the stream. Thus, sometimes journeying by
land, and sometimes by water, through all kinds of country
and people, we arrived, six or seven months after I had
been kidnapped, upon the sea coast.
II.
The first object that greeted my eyes here was a slave-
ship that was lying at anchor waiting for its cargo. This
sight filled me with astonishment that was soon changed
into terror. It were in vain to attempt to describe my
sensations when I was carried on board the vessel. Some
of the sailors seized me and examined me so roughly to see
if I were healthy, that I felt sure that I had fallen among
demons who were about to kill and eat me. The color

The Little African's Adventures. 153
of their skin, so different from what I had ever seen before,
their long straight hair, and their strange speech, all con
firmed me in this belief. Actually, what I saw and feared
at this moment, threw me into such a state of agony, that
if ten thousand worlds had been at my disposal, I would
willingly have given them all for the power of exchanging
my condition for that of the poorest slave in my native
country. I looked around and saw a great kettle hanging over a
fire, around which many other negroes were standing with
an expression of pain and terror upon their faces ; I was
now sure that we were all to be cooked, and in my extrem
ity fell fainting on the deck. When I came to myself,
several blacks came to me and tried to comfort me, but in
vain. I at last summoned sufficient courage to ask
whether these white men with red faces and long hair were
going to eat us. They replied that I had nothing of the
kind to fear, and one of the crew handed me a glass of
brandy ; but I was so afraid of the man that I would not
take it from his hand ; one of my countrymen, who had
brought me to the ship, took it from him and handed it to
me ; I tasted a few drops, but instead of strengthening me
it made me more confused and frightened. My countrymen
soon departed, and left me alone in my despair.
All hope of ever again seeing my dear home, now more
than ever dear to me, was at an end. The uncertainty of
what misfortunes might be in store for me increased my
grief, but I was not left to myself long ; I was carried below,
where the air was so close and filled with such a disagreeable
smell, that, weakened already by the brandy, I called loudly

154 The Little African's Adventures.
for death to relieve me from such suffering. Two white
men now offered me something to eat, and when, disgusted
with all food, I refused it, one of them threw me down and
bound my feet, while the other beat me most unmercifully.
It was the first time in my life that I had ever been beaten
so, and dreadful as the water had seemed to me, I would
gladly have thrown myself into it if I could have got over
the side of the ship, but we were carefully watched when
we were not chained, and if any attempted to throw them
selves overboard or refused to eat, they were unmercifully
beaten, as I was several times.
Some days afterwards I found some of my nation among
the poor blacks on board, and this consoled me a little ; I
asked what was to be done with us ; they replied that we
were to be taken to the country of the white man to work
for them. This again gave me some comfort, for I thought
if there is nothing worse than labor in store for me there
is no cause for despair ; yet I still feared lest they should
kill me, for I had never seen anything so wild and fierce
as the aspect and behaviour of these people, and nowhere
had I witnessed such acts of barbarity exercised not only
towards us blacks, but also towards the whites. One day
while we were allowed to be on deck, I saw a sailor bound
to the mast and flogged so cruelly with a thick rope that
he died under the lash, and then was thrown overboard
like an ox. My fear of these monsters increased. I
expected to be soon treated in the same manner, and
expressed this fear to my countrymen, who said all that
they could to console me. I asked whether these people had
no homes, and whether they always lived in these great

The Little African's Adventures. 155
boxes, and was told that these were not their homes, but
that they came from a very distant country.
" But !" I asked further, " how comes it that we have
never heard of them in our country ?"
" Because they live so far away from us," was the
reply. I now inquired what made the ship go, but my country
men could not satisfy me on this point ; they supposed they
said that the ropes that we saw which tied the cloth to the
masts made it go, and the white men had a magical
instrument that they let down into the water when they
wanted to stop. I firmly believed that the white men were
spirits, and was more desirous than ever to escape from
them, but we were so closely guarded that such a thing
was not to be thought of. As long as we remained near
the shore we were allowed to be upon deck, and one day
to our great astonishment we saw a ship coming towards
us with spread sails. At sight of it the whites raised a
shout that filled us with terror ; the greater as the ship grew
larger as it came nearer. Suddenly it put out the anchor
and stood still; we were firmly convinced that this was
effected by magic. Then a boat was put out, the strangers
came on board, and the people on both vessels seemed very
glad to see each other. Some of the strangers shook us by
the hand and made signs to us, which however, we .did
not understand; probably they meant to tell us that we
should soon arrive at their country.
When at last our vessel had got on board its full cargo
of blacks, preparations were' made for departure with a
fearful noise, and we were all sent below, that we might

156 The Little African's Adventures.
not see how the ship was managed. Sorry as I was to
leave the deck, I could have reconciled myself to this had
not the air in the hold, where all the slaves were confined,
been perfectly pestilential. Imagine the heat of an African
climate in this small room crowded with blacks. It was
so unhealthy that many of the slaves became ill and died.
The shrieks of the women, and the groans of the dying,
combined to render the scene more horrible than can be
imagined. Fortunately I was soon so weak that I was
scarcely noticed, and was allowed to lie on deck, and as I
was so young they did not put me in fetters.
In this miserable condition I awaited daily the fate of
many of my companions, who were thrown overboard
while breathing their last, and I even longed for death
to end my sufferings, for every thing I saw of these
white men only increased my fear of them. One day
they caught a great quantity of fish, and after eating
what they wanted, threw the rest back into the sea, turn
ing a deaf ear to our entreaties that they would relieve
our hunger by giving us some. One or two of my com
panions were induced to steal some, but they were discov
ered and fearfully beaten. One beautiful day, when the
sea was calm, and we were all allowed to walk on deck,
two of my countrymen, who were chained together, seized
the^r opportunity and jumped into the sea. Another fine
fellow, whose chains had been removed in consideration of
his superior intelligence, followed their example, and many
others would have sought deliverance from their miserable
fate in the same manner, had not the crew been all called
on board to prevent them. The most discontented were

The Little African's Adventures. 157
immediately sent below, and the ship's course stayed, while
a boat was sent out to pick up those who had jumped over
board. Two were already drowned, but the third was
rescued and flogged most severely.
As I was effectually cured of all desire of throwing my
self into the sea, I grew somewhat more contented, and
employed myself in observing every thing around me.
The ship's charts and instruments, especially, provoked
my wonder and admiration, and when the men allowed me
to look through a spy-glass, and I saw the clouds approach
and vanish, I was overcome with amazement, and believed
most firmly that I was in another world, and that every
thing around me was supernatural. III.
At last we came in sight of land ; the whites on board
shouted loudly, and gave us to understand by signs that
they rejoiced greatly. We knew not what to think until
we ran into a harbor among quantities of vessels of all
shapes and sizes. Although it was evening, many people
came on board, and examined us carefully, sorting us out
into different groups. They made us leap, and sing, and
pointed to the land, signifying that we were to be taken
from the vessel. In our simplicity we imagined that these
monsters were now really about to eat us, and when we
were again shut up for the night, we commenced shrieking
and lamenting our cruel fate, refusing to desist until two
or three old negroes were sent to us from the land, who
told us that we should not be eaten, but would only be
obliged to work hard, and that we should find many of our

158 The Little African's Adventures.
countrymen on shore. This quieted us, and when we
landed on the following day, we found ourselves indeed
surrounded by negroes of every race and tongue.
We were immediately carried to the market house, and
shut up like sheep in a pen. As every thing was new to
me, I was filled with astonishment. The houses, built of
stone, and several stories high, struck me with wonder. I
had never seen such in Africa. But when I saw men on
horseback, I could scarcely believe my senses, and thought
that it must be the effect of the most skilful magic.
In a few days we were put up for sale. Notice was
given with drum and trumpet, and buyers flocked to the
market-place, and selected those that they liked. The
noise and confusion, and the evil expression on the coun
tenances of our purchasers, terrified us greatly ; we again
thought that our last hour was near. The purchases were
made without pity or consideration. Mothers were torn
from sisters, husbands from wives, friends from friends. I
remember the forcible separation of several brothers, who
had been always together during the voyage, which was
heart-rending indeed.
I did not remain long upon this island, which I after
wards learnt was called Barbadoes, but was shipped for
Virginia, with several others of my companions, who were
too weak and emaciated to find a purchaser. We were
much better treated than we had been on the voyage from
Africa, and had plenty of rice and fat pork. We landed
on the banks of a broad river, some distance from the
ocean, where I saw very few blacks, and none with whom
I cotild talk. I was set to work on a plantation, at weed-

The Little African's Adventures. 159
ing, and my companions were sent in different directions,
so that I was quite alone. There I was wretched, indeed,
for I could neither understand or make myself understood
by any one, and I did indeed long for death.
While I remained here, the master of the plantation
was taken ill, and I was sent for to fan him. When I
entered the room where he lay, I saw much to surprise
and frighten me. At the door I was met by a black girl
bringing his dinner, who was loaded with several strange
iron machines. Among others, she wore one on her head
that shut her mouth so closely that she could neither eat
nor drink, and could speak only with the greatest difficulty.
I afterwards learned that this ingenious invention was call
ed a jaw-basket, and was a punishment for talkativeness or
improper exclamations. I had no time to recover from
my astonishment, when they put a fan into my hand, and
bade me fan my sleeping master. When he slept soundly,
I looked around the splendidly furnished apartment where
every thing was so new to me. The first object that
enchained my attention, was a clock that hung over the
mantel-piece; the movement of the pendulum, and the
loud ticking, was inexplicable to me, and I was sure that
it would tell my master if I did any thing wrong. But I
was still more impressed by a portrait that was looking
steadily at me ; I had never seen any thing like it in my
life, and I believed that here, too, magic was in play. As
the figure remained perfectly quiet, I concluded that these
whites had discovered a means of preserving their great
men after death, that they might be offered up as sacrifices
to the good spirits. Awed and terrified, I sat still until

160 The Little African's Adventures.
my master awoke, and sent me away, to my great joy, for
I was but ill at ease with these* people, who appeared to
me to live in an atmosphere of unholy magic. At this
place they called me Jacob ; on board of the vessel they
had called me Michael, but my real name at home was
Olandah Equiand.
In this miserable situation, where I had no one to speak
with, life became every day more burdensome, and I should
certainly have died of grief if the Almighty had not
pleased to deliver me from such distress. A young man
came one day to see my master on business, and saw me by
chance in the house ; I pleased him, and he bought me for
about four pounds. He was, as I learned afterwards, a
lieutenant in the British navy, but was at present com
manding a merchant vessel, which was anchored further
down the river. An elderly negro immediately took me
before him on horseback — a new and most delightful way
of travelling to me, and carried me down the river's bank
to where the beautiful vessel lay at anchor. I was carried
on board, and we soon set sail.
My fortune had now taken the most favorable turn ; I
had a hammock, in which I slept, and had plenty to eat
and drink ; every one on board treated me kindly, very
differently from any of the other whites whom I had seen,
and I began to think that they were not all of the same
stamp. I had already learnt a few words of English, and
after we had been several days upon the sea, I inquired of
one and another where we were going. Some told me, either
to make sport of me or from a desire to please me, that
they were going to take me to my home ; this gave me the

The Little African's Adventures. 161
greatest delight ; I thought over all the wondrous things I
should have to relate to my father and mother. But 1
was soon undeceived and learned that we were sailing for
England, the birth place of my master. He named me
Gustavus Vasa, and although I remonstrated as well as I
could, and told him that I wished to be called Jacob as
before, he told me shortly that it was to be as he said, and
always called me Gustav. At first I pretended not to
hear and thus suffered many a box on the ear, but at last
I reconciled myself to being called Gustav.
The ship was delayed by contrary winds and the voyage
was uncommonly long ; of course the rations grew smaller,
and at last each man was restricted to a pound and a half
of bread, about as much meat, and a can of water. The
whole time that we were at sea we saw no other vessel,
and only once caught a few fish. Some of the sailors and
the captain said to me in joke, that they should have to kill
and eat me, and in my simplicity, I took it all for earnest ;
grew very melancholy, and feared that each moment would
be my last. While I was in this distress the sailors caught
a large fish, and I was delighted, for I felt sure that they
would eat it before they killed me; but to my consterna
tion, they only cut off a piece of the tail, and threw the
fish back into the water. I was now more anxious than
ever; I was indeed afraid that these whites, whom I could
not understand, would kill and eat me.
There was on board a young man about four years older
than I, named Richard. He was an American by birth, had
been very well educated, and was of a most amiable dispo
sition. Before I had been many days on board he showed
11

162 The Little African's Adventures.
quite a liking for me, and I became very warmly attached
to him. The friendship commenced on this voyage con
tinued as long as we knew each other, and never can I
forget the faithful friend who, at the age- of fifteen, pos
sessed a soul superior to prejudice, and did not disdain to
be the teacher and companion of a poor ignorant negro
slave. Once a man fell overboard in the night, and as they
stopped the vessel, such a noise and confusion ensued that
my great terror returned ; as I could not understand what
W'as going on, I felt convinced that they were about to
sacrifice me to the spirit of the waves, which were very
high and stormy, for I could never believe that these
whites were not arch-magicians. I did not close my eyes
through the whole night, and although I was somewhat
relieved when the daylight appeared, yet when ever I was
called, I imagined that I must prepare for death.
Soon afterwards we met several very large fishes, which,
as I afterwards learned, were called whales ; as it was just
beginning to grow dark when they came in sight, they
looked particularly frightful as they spouted up the water
so that the deck was sprinkled. I believed them to be the
rulers of the sea, and angry that the white men had made
no sacrifice. I was strengthened in this belief by a sudden
lull in the wind, which I was sure was occasioned by the
fishes, and fearing lest I should be immediately sacrificed, I
concealed myself on the forward deck. My friend Richard
soon came to find me, and I asked him what those fishes
^were, and what they wanted. As my English was very
imperfect I could scarcely make myself intelligible to him;

The Little African's Adventures. 163
still less could he comprehend me when I asked whether
they were about to offer a sacrifice to the fishes; he told
me that these fishes could easily swallow a man, and this
was enough to terrify me almost to death. Before I could
procure any further information the captain called Richard,
and they stood talking and looking at the fishes, while the
crew were busied setting fire to a tar barre*l, which they
were going to throw out to the fishes for sport. Richard
told the captain of the fright I was in, and I was called,
trembling and weeping, firmly convinced that my last hour
was at hand. They made game of me and my terrors for
a while, and then let me go, and threw the burning barrel
into the water ; as it was a very dark night the fishes
were attracted by the blazing light, and to my unspeaka
ble joy we saw no more of them.
My fears entirely vanished when at last, after a tedious
voyage of thirteen weeks, we came in sight of land, and
anchored at Falmouth. All on board rejoiced, and cer
tainly, no one more than I. The captain immediately went
ashore and sent us fresh provisions, which we were really
in need of. We fell to without delay, and a long feast
succeeded our weary fast. IV.
* When I arrived in England I was twelve years old ; I
beheld with astonishment the large buildings and paved
streets of Falmouth ; every thing that I saw increased my
wonder. One morning when I went on deck I found it
covered with white spots ; as I had never seen any thing
like it before, I ran to the helmsman and informed him that

164 The Little African's Adventures.
during the night some one had strewn the deck with salt.
He immediately perceived my ridiculous mistake, and
asked me to bring him some of the salt. I gathered a
handful of it, but felt a strange sensation of cold, and
when he asked me to taste of it, my amazement exceeded
all bounds. I asked him what it was, but could not under
stand when He told me snow. He inquired if we had not
the same in our country ; I said no, and curiously asked.
who made it ; he replied that a great man in heaven, called
God, made it, and I was again puzzled and in the dark,
especially as I now saw the whole air filled with the white
snow flakes.
Some days after our arrival, I went with several of the
crew to church, and as I had never been in such a place
before, my curiosity and wonder was unbounded. I asked
about every thing as well as I could, and was told that
here the God who made us and all things, was worshipped.
I asked a thousand questions, but most of them were unin
telligible, or so strange that they could not be answered.
My friend Richard always understood me best, as well
because I spoke to him freely and without fear, as because
he explained every thing to me simply and with the great
est pleasure. What he told me about this God pleased
me much, as far as I could understand it ; but I was par
ticularly pleased to see that these white people did not
buy and sell .each other, as is the custom with us blacks,
and I concluded that in this respect they were much hap
pier than the negroes. The superior understanding of the
whites, which did not escape me, filled me with admira
tion, and great was my astonishment when I saw that they

The Little African's Adventures. 165
never offered sacrifices to their God, and ate with unwashed
hands. The slender form of their women struck me; I
did not like it and thought my country women much
handsomer. I had often seen my master and Richard reading, and I
was very desirous to be able to speak with books also, and
learn from them about every thing in the world. I often
took a book when I was alone, spoke to it, and then held
it to my ear to hear its reply, but as it was always per
fectly silent, I was extremely disappointed
My master was staying in Falmouth, at the house of a
friend, who had a little daughter six or seven years old,
who took a violent fancy to me, so that we were together
all day long, took our meals together, and had the same
servants to wait upon us. They treated me so kindly in
this family, that I was often reminded involuntarily of the
happy days that I had passed in Africa with my good
little master. After I had been in this house some time,
they took me again on board of the vessel, which was
about to sail again with a fresh cargo, but the child wept
so bitterly at my departure, that I was carried on shore to
pacify her. I now began seriously to fear that they would
marry me to her, and when my master asked me if I
would stay with the little girl, I began to cry, and begged
him so earnestly not to leave me behind, that they carried
me on board again secretly by night, and on the following
day we sailed for the island of Guernsey, on the coast of
Normandy, whither our cargo was destined.
As I now lived among a people who neither disfigured
their faces with gashes, nor filed their teeth to a point, as

166 The Little African's Adventures.
some of my former African masters had done, I was glad
that I had not complied with these foolish customs. At
Guernsey I lived at the house of our pilot, who had several
little boys and girls, and with them I passed many happy
hours. I often noticed that the mother washed the chil
dren's faces, which then looked red as a rose, and I tried
repeatedly to produce the same effect upon my face by
washing it, but in vain. I was vexed that I never suc
ceeded ; I was as black as ever. The wife of the pilot
treated me very gently and kindly ; she taught me as she
did her own children.
I remained several months in this pleasant home, until
my master, who had received an appointment as first lieu
tenant on a man-of-war, came for me, and carried me to
London. We had scarcely got to the mouth of the
Thames, when the boat of a man-of-war came alongside to
take away our crew, for it is the custom in England, as I
afterwards learned, when there is need of soldiers in time
of war, to provide for it in this unjust manner. This
business is called pressing, and the officers and men enga
ged in it a press-gang. Every one on board hastened to
conceal himself. I was terribly frightened, and could not
understand what it was all about, but I immediately crept
behind a chicken coop ; the press-gang came on board with
drawn swords, pulled the men out from their hiding-places,
and threw them into the boat. At last my turn came ;
the man who discovered me held me up in the air by my
legs, and they all made game of me, while I screamed and
shrieked until the helmsman heard me, and came to my

The Little African's Adventures. 167
rescue. He did every thing to soothe me, but I was not
satisfied until the boat rowed away.
Soon after, to my great joy, our master carried us on
board of his vessel, which was called " The Gazelle," and I
was again amazed at the multitude of men and cannons
that I saw here, but as I gained in experience, my wonder
at what I saw decreased, and I soon lost entirely all terror
of the white people. I went to the other extreme, and
instead of being frightened at the fire-arms and weapons
that I saw, I longed for nothing more fervently than a
conflict with the enemy. All anxiety of any kind van
ished from my mind. I was well contented with my lot.
There were many boys beside myself on board, and we
were continually together, and passed most of our time in
play. One day all the boys were assembled on board,
and divided into couples, that they might measure their
strength by wrestling for the amusement of the officers.
It was the first time that I ever received a bloody nose. I
was greatly excited, and fought for more than an hour
with my opponent, until we were separated, when thor
oughly exhausted. I now joined repeatedly in these trials
of strength, and the captain and officers used to encourage
me in every way to do so. V.
I had learned much of a sailor's duty, and could fire off
a cannon very readily, but- had never had the good fortune
to assist in a battle, although we had coasted along the
French coast for a long time, and had captured seventeen
ships, which surrendered without any resistance. We now

168 The Little African's Adventures.
returned back to Portsmouth harbor, and my master, to
my great delight, carried me with him to the capital,
which I had long desired to see. But my curiosity was
destined not to be satisfied, for I had been seized with very
painful chillblains in the cold climate to which I was so
unaccustomed, and they grew so much worse that I had to
be carried to a hospital, where the evil increased to such a
degree that the physicians feared mortification, and tried
to persuade me to have my leg amputated ; but I obsti
nately refused to submit to the operation, declaring that I
would rather die. My leg grew better at last without it,
but just as I began to recover, I took the small-pox, and
was obliged to keep my bed again.
I grew quite well, however, in a few months, and went
to my master, who had been appointed first lieutenant on
board a ship of war of fifty guns. A few days after we
had set sail, an event occurred so sad in its warning, that
it is yet indelibly impressed upon my memory. A young
man, who was looking from the mast head one morning,
for some trifle, cursed his eyes in the usual thoughtless
way common on board of the ship. Scarcely had the
curse left his lips, when a little grain of dust flew into his
left eye ; by evening it was violently inflamed, the next
day it was much worse, and in a week he had lost it
entirely. Our vessel now joined a large squadron, and I saw my
long cherished desire to witness a sea-fight about to be
gratified, for one morning, we discovered a division of the
hostile fleet several miles before us. Although it was
greatly our superior in strength, we immediately gave

The Little African's Adventures. 169
chase, and came up with it in the afternoon. Our vessel
sailed directly past the whole hostile fleet in order to come
up with the admiral's ship, which was at the head, and
carried eighty-four guns. Although we were fired upon
repeatedly, we could not return the fire without the cap
tain's orders, but were obliged to lie down flat upon the
decks, until we came opposite to the admiral's ship, when we
sprang up and gave him a broad-side. Our fire was imme
diately returned, and a fierce battle ensued, which lasted a
long time. Deafened by the roar of the cannon, I stood
still, trembling, and saw my companions falling on all
sides ; at last the line of the enemy's fleet was broken and
the victory was ours. This was announced by a loud
" huzza" from our men. We captured three vessels ;' the
rest crowded sail and took to flight ; we followed and drove
them on the coast of France where they were wrecked.
The admiral's ship took fire and blew up in the night
with a frightful noise. I never saw a more terrible sight ;
for the space of one minute, the dark night was changed
to clearest day, and a rolling crash, louder and more dis
tinct than thunder, threatened to overthrow and shatter
every thing around us. My post during the fight was on
the middle deck, where it was my duty to supply one of the
cannons with powder. Fortunately, I escaped unwounded,
although the balls fell thick around me, and some of my
companions fell by my side, literally cut to pieces. My
master had been wounded and carried down to the physi
cian, and although I was most anxious about him and
longed to go to his assistance, I dared not leave my post,
where I was for more than a half an hour in danger of

170 The Little African's Adventures.
instant death. In many cases the bottom of the cartridge
boxes was rusted through, and the powder from the maga
zine was all over the deck, so that we could scarcely pre
vent it from taking fire. My duty exposed me more than
any other to the enemy's fire, for I had to run nearly the
whole length of the ship to bring powder. At first I was
as prudent as possible, and only ran just after the enemy
had fired, but I soon found all precaution useless; the
thought that the hour of my death was as certain as the
hour of my birth, relieved me from all fear, and I contin
ued my dangerous employment with renewed courage.
As our vessel had suffered greatly in the battle, and we
had many wounded on board, we returned to the Thames,
where I again stayed with my master in the family of one
of his friends. I had now become quite a different per
son; the manners and customs of my new fellows no
longer filled me with fear and dismay. I no longer re
garded the whites as spirits, but as mere human beings,
and I was very anxious to resemble them as much as pos
sible. I had long wished to be able to read and write, and
had often endeavored to learn, but I had not made much
progress. Now that I was living in London I made known
this desire to the family with whom we were staying, and
they immediately sent me to school. As the ladies of this
family were continually telling me that I could never get
to heaven if I were not baptized I became very anxious
again, for I had a very dim idea of a future state. I at
last disclosed my anxiety to my master, and requested that
I might be baptized ; this he refused me for a long time,
and his consent was only obtained at last through the

The Little African's Adventures. 171
intercession of one of the family, to whom he considered
himself under great obligations.
The cause of this singular behaviour was soon clear to
me, and destroyed the good opinion I had formed of the
whites. Hitherto, it is true, my master had treated me with
great kindness, although as it now appeared, from motives
of self-interest. As soon as peace was concluded, he tried
to sell me for the highest price he could procure. One day
he took me on board of a ship which was about to sail for
the West Indies, and carried me to the captain in the cabin.
The captain asked me whether I knew him, and when I
replied in the negative, said, "Well, you are my slave
now." I declared that my master could not sell me either
to him or to any one else.
" How so ?" he asked ; " did not your master buy
you?" " Certainly," I replied, " but I have now been several
years in his service, and he has in his possession all the
prize money that I gained in the war. I have never had
a penny of it ; besides I am baptized, and according to
the laws of the land no one has any right to sell me."
The captain told me that any one who had put such
nonsense into my head, had been making game of me, but
I answered boldly that it was strange if other people did
not know what law was as well as he. Then he told me
roughly, that I talked too much, and that if I was not
quiet and obedient, he had a quick way of making me so.
I was too well convinced of his power over me to doubt
what he said ; the horrors that I had formerly endured on

172 The Little African's Adventures.
board of the slaver, occurred to my mind, and made me
shudder. I said that I knew well that there was no jus
tice for me among men, but, that I hoped to -find it in
heaven, and then left the cabin, plunged in the deepest
grief. My master then took from me my only coat, and
without deigning even to look at me, got into his boat and
sailed away. I followed the retreating boat with a tearful
gaze, as long as it was in sight, and when it vanished from
my gaze, I threw myself upon the deck, and gave myself
up to the utter despair that filled my soul.
Thus far we have the poor negro boy's recital written by
his own hand. He made many voyages to the West In
dies, and other countries, under various masters, and at
last succeeded in saving money enough to purchase his
freedom. Then he retired to London, where by unceasing
industry and enterprise, he became quite a wealthy man.
At his death he left his considerable property to be devo
ted to the education of kidnapped negro children.

IN THE TIME OF THE CIRCASSIAN WAR.
The Caucasus, a chain of high, rugged mountains, whose
summits are covered with eternal snows, extend from the
Caspian to the Black sea, a distance of one hundred and
fifty miles. In wild and romantic scenery, calculated to
awake admiration of nature in her most picturesque as
well as sublimest form, they surpass the better known
Alps and far-famed Pyrenees. Between their snow-clad
summits are stretched immense fields of ice, and from the
glaciers foaming cataracts dash down upon the rocks below,
and losing their icy coldness as they proceed, the torrents
are at length changed into calm brooks that wind like a
thread of silver through the smiling vallies at their base.
The steep declivities are clothed with dark and tangled
forests, with many a fruitful valley spread between
For the protection of travellers on the highway which
passes through1 these mountains, the Russians have estab
lished a chain of fortresses at certain distances along it;
without this precaution there could be no escape from the
marauding exactions of the robber chiefs, who dwell upon
their rocky borders. No one journeys singly, but as in
lands farther to the east, each one delays setting out until
(173)

174 An Adventure.
a caravan is ready. Accommodating their day's march to
reach one of these forts by night, where they remain until
morning, when they set out guarded by a convoy of
mounted Cossacks, and a band of foot soldiers, until they
reach the next, where the same routine is observed. The
road at first winds through narrow passes and deep defiles,
where on one side the turbid Terek roars and rushes, while
the steep rocky walls of the other are clothed with dark
woods, between the trees of which frowning cliffs, beetling
over the flood, threaten every moment to hurl their rocky
masses into its foaming waters. The frightful sounds of
the torrents as they dash from one precipice to another,
and the mountain brooks as they burst through every
obstacle that opposes their progress, the gloomy shadows
of the forest through whose interlacing branches no sun
beam ever reaches the earth, or illumines the dreary
mountain pass, the hoarse roar of the river as he urges
his wild flood in rapid progress over rock and fallen tree,
the shriek of ravenous birds, and the dread of a lurking
enemy, fill the traveller's mind with terror and sad fore
boding. At length the ascent begins ; he leaves the dusky
valley and the frightful Terek; the forests becorae less
frequent and less dense, and rising to a higher region, he
finds himself in a wide amphitheatre encircled by rocks.
The higher he ascends, the grander the prospect becomes,
chaotic confusion tells of the wonders of nature, and shows
to man his own insignificance. Huge blocks of mountain
stone are piled upon each other, pillar-like, as if to reach
the clouds; some looking loose and far from perpendicular,
seem almost to waver in the air, threatening to crush the

An Adventure. 175
hapless passer by. Near the summit these rugged features
give way to the glacier and ice field, that stretch like an
illimitable sea around him, and if so happy as to pass them
safely, the remainder of the journey is then pleasantly
pursued through the valley that forms the entrance to the
blooming and fertile land of Georgia, As he continues to
descend, the air grows milder, the vegetation more luxuri
ant. Meadows clothed with richest green, gardens bloom
ing with flowers, and fruit-laden orchards, cheer the eye
of the traveller who less than twenty-four hours previous
had been encompassed by icy winter, and spreading out a
landscape of glowing beauty, fill his soul with rapture.
The countries bordering on these stupendous mountains
are inhabited by a warlike and freedom-loving people, and
although living under separate governments, are known by
the general name of Caucasians. They are, however, the
subjects of different dynasties, the most powerful among
them being the Circassians. They are remarkable for
beauty and strength of person, but disdaining the drudgery
of agriculture, their favorite pursuits are robbery, the
chase, and war. In open fight they are dangerous ene
mies, from their unerring aim as marksmen ; in the clefts
of the rocks, or gorges of their native hills, they are invin
cible. The Russians, since adding the whole region of the
Caucasus to their vast empire, have been attempting to
subdue them ; although many years have passed the effort
has been in vain. All they have been able to accomplish
is the exaction of a mere form of submission, and by those
fortresses along the road, where strong garrisons are con
stantly maintained, to keep guard over travellers, and

176 An Adventure.
shield the agricultural community from the aggressions of
these indomitable children of the soil.
Among the Circassian chieftains, no one was more dis
tinguished for intrepidity and daring than Mansur Bey.
One of his relations had been taken prisoner by a party
of Russian soldiers, and carried to one of the fortresses,
where he was treated hardly. He sought to escape, but
was recaptured, and put to death. When Mansur Bey
heard what had been done, he swore a fearful oath that he
would exact blood for blood ; nothing would satisfy him
but to kill the commander with his own hand. Placing
himself at the head of a small troop of followers, he sal
lied forth, and attacked the fortress. But owing to its ad
vantageous position, and the strength of the garrison, it was
almost impregnable ; it was impossible to take it by storm,
and the Russians kept too close a watch to be overcome by
any stratagem. The besiegers were obliged to retreat with
great loss. Mansur Bey, still more embittered by the
failure of his project, renewed his oath, and set all his wits
to work in order to decoy the commandant from the
strong-hold. His plan was certainly a most daring one,
and fraught with danger to himself, for he staked his own
life on the game he was about to play, but he was willing
to risk every thing rather than forego his determination
of revenge.
After disclosing his plan to his followers, he again ap
proached the fortress, fired several shots against it and
then rode off at full gallop. He next pretended to reel in
his saddle, and at last fell from his horse, thus making
it appear that he had been wounded by one of the many

An Adventure. 177
bullets sent by the besieged in answer to his own. His
military bearing, his rich equipment, his garments of mail,
and the boldness with which he acted throughout the
whole of the war, induced the Russians to suspect — for
they did not know him—that he was some distinguished
chieftain. No sooner was he seen to fall than the com
mandant of the fortress, against all rules of prudence, came
forth with a few riders, and dashed boldly up to the sup
posed wounded man, in order to take him whom they sup
posed to be a prize, prisoner. As they came up to the
spot where Mansur Bey was lying, he raised himself up
and with a sudden spring mounted up behind the Russian
officer who was foremost of the party. Seizing him by the
throat and tearing the bridle from his hand, he guided the
animal with his prisoner to the place where his compan
ions were in waiting. All this was done so quickly that
before the Russian soldiers had time to think, it was too
late to attempt the rescue of the commandant; before
they recovered from their astonishment the Circassians
and the prisoner had disappeared. After a rapid ride of
some miles, they made a halt. Mansur Bey ordered the
Russian commandant to be brought before him, reproached
him with the murder of his kinsman, heaped terms of
obloquy upon" him, and ordering him to be disrobed,
with one stroke of his sword severed his head from its
trunk. He carried this bloody trophy of his cunning and
bravery, back with him to his fastness in the mountains,
leaving the body to be torn to pieces by the wolves and
jackals. Such audacity on the part of the Circassians, drove the
12

178 An Adventure.
Russians on their part, to deeds of similar boldness, such
as in another war they found it hard to meet. Therefore,
when the Russians fell into the power of this ruthless and
vindictive enemy, made much more bitter by successful op
position, they knew a horrible lot was sure to be theirs, and
so they on their part shunned no medium, however cruel,
to avoid being taken prisoners. A few years ago, an offi
cer bearing despatches of importance, was sent to the near
est fortress; a detachment of Cossacks accompanied him.
They passed over the first part of the road without meet
ing with any thing to disturb them ; but scarcely had they
entered the next defile, when many shots were fired from
a party under covert, upon the Russians. " I had just
called out to my men," said the officer, in relating the
occurrence, " to follow me, when a ball struck and wounded
me, breaking both arms. I looked around and saw most of
my Cossacks lying dead on the ground, and the others flying
in wild confusion. My horse, frightened by the continued
shots fired from all around me, was completely unmanage
able, and ran off at full gallop. My arms being powerless,
I sought to seize the bridle that lay on his mane, with my
teeth, but I could not accomplish it; nothing, therefore,
remained for me but to hold as fast as possible by the sad
dle. My horse dashed on towards tne fortress, when to
my great dismay, I saw a large tree with all its branches
lying across the road a few yards before me. It was not
possible that my horse could pass this barrier without
stumbling, and in this case, I must be thrown out of the
saddle. It was as I feared ; his hind legs became entangled
in the branches and he fell to his knees ; with a strength

An Adventure. 179
lent me by despair, I struck him with my spurs ; he started
up, fell again, and only after repeated efforts made himself
free. How I, with my broken arm and pain from many
wounds, was able to maintain myself in the saddle, is a
mystery I cannot even now comprehend. I succeeded,
however, in reaching the plains ; my horse somewhat aba
ted his speed, but owing to the great loss of blood I was
sustaining, my strength was fast diminishing, and I felt
near to fainting. In vain I mustered up whatever ener
gies I possessed, to combat the sickness that was beginning
to overpower me. My head swam, my eyes grew dim, yet
I did not fall.
How long I continued in this situation I cannot tell ; I
only remember that a feeling of coldness at my feet resto
red me in some sort, to consciousness. My horse was
standing in a river, into which he had plunged, that he
might drink. The water which came up to my knees was
so grateful that I was greatly tempted to dismount and
bathe, and it is probable I should not ultimately have been
able to resist it, had not my horse began scraping with his
feet, preparatory to lying down. I was sensible of the
danger that threatened me; once more I gave him the
spur; he dashed through the river, brought me in safety
to the opposite bank, and then kept on at a rapid trot. I
passed the next hours in indescribable bodily anguish ;
the hot rays of a summer's sun poured furiously down
upon me and filled my veins with fever, the torment of
which was increased by the recollection of the cool water
I had left behind. I looked around in vain efforts to find
out where I was ; not a single feature of the country was

180 An Adventure.
familiar ; a thick cloud seemed spread before me, through
which my eyes were too dim to pierce. In a little while
I lost all consciousness ; my limbs gave way, and I fell
from the saddle. But some one caught me, and as they
did so, the pain of my broken arms forced from me a loud
cry ; I stammered forth, as they afterwards told me, a few
unintelligible words. They bathed my head and face with
cold water; I recovered from my fainting fit, and as I
looked up, saw with inexpressible joy, that I was sur
rounded by my own countrymen. My noble, faithful horse,
as though possessing reasoning powers, had brought me on
the right road to the fortress. They carried me to the
hospital, where by good nursing and the skilful treatment of
a young physician, I recovered entirely, and without losing
either of my arms, as it was at one time feared I should.

Among the many tribes of the Mongolian races which
inhabit the dreary wastes of Siberia, are the Tschutski ;
entirely independent of Russia, by paying a small tribute
of feus and sea calves, they live under their own laws and
maintain the customs of their ancestors. Some of them
live in wooden houses on the coast of the Northern ocean,
and live by catching seals and sea dogs, whose flesh serves
to nourish them, while they drive a profitable traffic with
the skins and teeth, selhng them at the fairs, where a
ready market is sure to be found. Another portion draw
their sources of subsistence from their hordes of reindeer,
having no permanent dwelling place, wandering from place
to place, like the Tartars and carrying all their possessions
with them. Their tents, however, are more roomy and
convenient than those of the other Nomadic tribes ; they
are made of the dry skins of the reindeer sewed together,
consisting of two apartments, one a kind of kitchen where
a cooking kettle is always hanging over the fire ; the other

* The Techuks or Tsehuski, a hardy race, who in their rude retreat, have re
tained their independence, inhabit a peninsula jutting out on the North Pacific
ocean, separated from America only by Behring's straits. — Te. (181)

182 The Tschutski.
is a sleeping room which they call a polog. The latter is
larger and made of better skins, also sewed together and
fastened down with wooden pins, but so low that a grown
person cannot stand upright within, and not the least
opening is left to admit light and air. In order to enter,
one must lift up the skin at one end where it is not sewed
together, and then creep through on all fours. A large
pot, in which a quantity of train oil is burning, round a
wick made of dried moss, stands in the middle of the tent,
and serves to give both light and warmth, and so great is
the heat it sends forth that the inmates require very little
clothing. A Russian officer gives the following description of a
visit he made to a Tschutski family :
" I was invited by one of the most refined of these No
madic chiefs, to visit his family, and I was rejoiced to have
an opportunity of seeing the inside of a tent and thus
learn something of their house keeping-arrangements. I
crept into the polog, but scarcely had I done so before I
had reason to repent of my curiosity. Just imagine a
narrow unventilated room, filled with the smoke of rancid
train oil, which was burning in the lamp, and the odors
exhaled from eight human bodies. The impure air nearly
suffocated me, but retreat was impossible. The mistress of
the tent and her two daughters brought in a kind of trough
full of the roasted flesh of the reindeer, over which, in order
to make it more palatable, they poured a quantity of train
oil, and then invited me by words and signs to help myself
without ceremony. A shudder passed over me at the
thoughts of partaking of food so revolting, but rather than

The Tschutski. 183
offend my kind hosts, I forced myself, although in danger
of strangling, to swallow a few mouthfuls.
" My entertainer, in the meantime, stowed away great
masses of meat, and a proportionate quantity of its oily
gravy, all the while expatiating in broken Russian on his
wife's skill in the preparation of this, his favorite dish.
When at last I was able to take my departure, on leaving
the smoky tent, with what delight I inhaled the fresh air ;
but in spite of all airing and brushing, the abominable
odor of the Polog remained in my garments for many
days." The Tschutski differ from the other Nomadic tribes in
Siberia by their greater bodily size, exhibiting more fear
less courage and daring, possessing besides an unconquera
ble love of hberty. Although honest, woe to the traveller
whom they meet when out on some warlike expedition.
They will rob him, without mercy, of money and clothes,
and he may account himself happy to escape with his bare
life. A Russian officer gives an account of an encounter
which took place as he was returning to Europe, on one
of the most remote borders of Siberia, where he had been
stationed in garrison for many years. He thus writes to
a friend :
" The Tschutski are a wonderful people. A tent "made
of skins, which they carry with them, is their home ; their
herds of reindeer serve to clothe, feed, and carry them
from place to place. An unconquerable love of liberty
distinguishes them from all other Asiatics. When assem
bled in the evening, round their blazing fire, their favorite
and almost only recreation, after the fatigues of the day,

184 The Tschutski.
is to talk over the maintenance of their independence, or
to counsel how to attack or meet a common foe. All their
neighbors, the Yakuts, Turgasians, and the rest of the
Nomadic tribes that are scattered on the snowy wastes of
Siberia, have become civilized ; that is, they dwell in one
place, are subject to poll-tax, and a Greek priest and tax
collector come to look after them once a year. The
Tschutski say the one blesses and sprinkles them with
holy water; the other robs and gives them the knout.
They may die then of hunger, if they choose, for oftimes
the spring fishing brings no profit. Entirely different is
it with the Tschutski.
" If a party of these bold adventurers, clothed in their
hairy garments of reindeer skins, start up from among the
furze of their native moors, and attack a caravan, they
spare none who may live to tell the tale. The travelling
packman of Siberia, the Cossack from the Ural mountains,
or the European wandering in search of discovery or nov
elty, all tremble before them ; they would rather meet a
troop of polar bears from Nova Zembla.
" When my time of service in Kamschatka was expired,
and I was about to begin my long journey homeward, as
our commandant gave me his blessing he said : ' Against
the cold thou art well provided, thou hast Kamschatkan
boots, a cap for head, nose, and beard ; thy sledge is lined
with furs, and I have given thee two dogs to lie on thy
feet to keep thee warm ; I have provided thee againsl
every thing except the Tschutski; I can do nothing ta
shield thee from them.'

The Tschutski. 185
"'Well,' I answered, 'perhaps God will guard me, so
that I can reach my Fatherland in safety.'
"And with this confidence in His unbounded providence
that watches above all, I began my wanderings over more
than ten thousand versts. Our caravan consisted of thirty
men, and one hundred dogs. We were divided into eight
sleighs, to each of which twelve well-trained Siberian dogs
were harnessed. A Kamtschatdale, in snow shoes, ran
before us to pilot the way. The position of the sun by
day, or the stars at night, was his only chart to steer by,
for upon this ocean-like plain of frozen snow, no tree nor
hillock is to be seem Did we stop to refresh ourselves
and dogs, or to sleep, we pitched a tent, where we boiled
some tea and ate frozen fish, but when it was high holiday
with us, we added a bit of rough reindeer's flesh ; the dogs
that drew the sledges were very well contented with dried
herrings. " For many weeks that we traversed this dreary snow
region, we saw no human habitations except a few mis
erable huts occupied by peasants as miserable looking as
their homes. After leaving the last hovel, under whose
hospitable roof we had been refreshed, and thawed our
half frozen limbs at its cheerful fire, we saw no dwelling,
nor met any living creature for fifteen days. The cold
was piercing, and vapors such as we see only on our most
wintry days, arose from the snow, threatening such parts
of our faces as we left uncovered. No sound interrupted
the silence that reigned over the illimitable expanse, save
that at times some solitary dog, half buried in snow,
howled his complaint to the moon. Our monotonous

186 The Tschutski.
journey was, however, one day rendered more lively by
the sight of our Kamtschatdale pilot returning at full
flight. The caravan made an instantaneous halt ; the
Cossacks, seizing their weapons, sprang from the sledges,
and drew up in military array, as if ready to give battle,
and the dogs laid down on the snow howling piteously. I
thrust my head through the opening in front of the sleigh,
and glanced over the snow-blinding plain ; nothing but
glare and glitter met my eyes except at one point, where
a dark spot, looking like a swarm of birds, seemed to be
hovering over the waste.
"'What is the matter?' I at length inquired of our inter
preter, who was running about wringing his hands.
" ' Nothing, at present,' he answered in a tone of des
pair ; ' but there will be before long. All is over with us ;
there are the Tschutski !'
"A sudden thrill passed over me, but I thought 'may
God's will be done,' and so I resumed my former position
in the sledge, determined calmly to await the issue. In
the meantime the dark cloud came nearer, still growing
larger, until at last a large troop of reindeer dashing over
the snow, together with a number of men armed with
javelins, were plainly visible. As near as I could guess,
they numbered two hundred. Our Cossacks, although at
first very valiant, and eager for battle, at sight of an enemy
so disproportionate, lost all courage, and concealed their
weapons, some of them trying to hide themselves by creep
ing under the sledges. The Tschutski, after raising a
piercing yell enough to deafen us, and making a few
arrows whistle round our ears, fell upon the caravan, and

The Tschutski. 187
with pointed lances threatened immediate destruction.
Every one believed his last hour had come, and com
mended his soul to Heaven. Our leader still retained so
much presence of mind as to endeavor to conciliate them ;
he offered, through the interpreter, a large present of glass
beads, tea, and tobacco, but they only laughed at him as
though they would have said, ' You offer us gifts of that
which is our own ; does not the whole caravan belong to
us,' and then began at once to plunder, and in due form.
They bade our people lay down on their faces ; then ran
sacked the sledges, dividing all our stores of tea, brandy,
tobacco, fish, weapons, merchandize, whatever we had,
among themselves. When they came to my sleigh, they
seemed surprised at the coolness with which I had been
watching their proceedings ; but my equipments, particu
larly my sleigh and clothing, which were of more costly
workmanship than those of the rest, made such an im
pression on the Tschutski chief, that he asked the inter
preter who I was. The latter, a pretty shrewd fellow,
hoping to move his compassion towards the whole party,
replied that I was a royal prisoner, who had suffered a
great deal during a long banishment to Siberia, and the
term of exile being expired, I was now on my return to
Russia. The warriors listened attentively to the inter
preter's story, and the chieftain asked many questions as
to my life, offence, and future destiny, still manifesting, as
I could plainly see, greater interest as the interpreter pro
ceeded in the recital. Calling some of the oldest warriors
aside, they consulted for a while together, and then com
municating the result of their deliberation to the band, in

188 The Tschutski.
a few minutes the booty was restored to the several places
from whence it had been taken. Our Cossacks ventured
to lift up their heads and look round, then gradually ari
sing, from their prostrate position, the whole caravan
resumed its former order, and without having been des
poiled of the least article, was soon in readiness for our
onward march.
" But our adventure was not yet at an end, for the sor
cerer of the party, without whom they never travel,
approached quite close to me, scratched a few strange
characters on the snow, spun round them in a circle on
one leg, keeping time to the movement with strokes on a
drum. Having thus worked himself into a frenzy, with
foaming mouth and every feature distorted, he fell to the
earth, muttering a form of conjuration that filled me with
horror, for he looked like one into whom an evil spirit had
entered and was tormenting. After this by no means
pleasant ceremony was ended, came another particularly
flattering to me ; the whole party of the Tschutski, with
their leader at the head, advanced in rank towards my
sledge, muttered a few words which I did not understand,
and kissed their hands to me. This, the interpreter
afterwards told me, was done in consequence of the orac
ular prediction of the sorcerer, who, according to the
custom of the Shamans, had used the above mentioned
incantation to know whether the fates were propitious,
and so foretold that I should reach home in safety.
" Before we separated, the Tschutski presented me with
some fine skins of reindeer and the Siberian fox; and I on
the other hand, delighted that they had not harmed one of

The Tschutski. 189
us to the value of one hair, fully indemnified them by gifts
of tobacco and packages of coral and strung glass beads.
At last we parted, the horde of wanderers retracing the
way to their own bleak steppes, we pursuing ours towards
civilization and Europe, whose borders we reached without'
further adventure or molestation."

Ifje J^fr of ^l^l ^obogoh^.*
Nishni Novogorod, situated at the junction of the Oka
and Wolga, and on the highway from Moscow to Siberia,
is a city containing thirty thousand inhabitants, but at the
time of the fair it becomes the assembUng place for more
than three hundred thousand persons, who flock thither
from all parts of Europe and Asia. As but a compara
tively small number of those strangers find lodgings in the
city, and also the magnificent bazaar, with its three hun
dred shops, is by far too small for all the merchandize
brought thither to be exhibited, temporary houses and
booths, made of boards, bark, or mats, are erected without
the gates, and stretch like a long street for miles along the
plain. The banks of the rivers are lined with boats, that
serve for shops and magazines ; and between the different
selling places are innumerable eating houses, wine, beer, and
brandy shops ; theatres, menageries, and other places of
amusement offer their allurements to the passers by.
It would be impossible by words, to give a true picture
of the varied figures and scenes that appear at this fair,
which bears a likeness to none other in the whole world.
One may form some idea of the huge piles of merchandize
* The fair at Nishni Novogorod, in the south of Russia, is said to be the
first in the world as to the amount and variety of the articles exhibited annu
ally for sale. The quantity of goods sold at this fair are said to amount to
ninety-four millions of rubles, about fifteen million pounds sterling.
(190)

The Fair of Nishni Novogorod. 191
which for six weeks are offered for sale in this busy mart,
when we are told that the actual proceeds amount to more
than a hundred millions of rubles. Every thing that
could possibly be wanted, is to be found here, from the
most expensive article of luxury to the most common
which may be needed by the lowliest peasant. Business
is carried on at this season on the most gigantic scale, and
it is only to pass along the row of shops that you may be
at once provided with all that is necessary either for com
fort or superfluity. Old leather and costly furs, wooden
chests and the finest mahogany furniture, Circassian cover
lets and India shawls, boots and Brabant laces, old clothes
and robes of costly embroidery, casks of brandy and dia
monds, barrels of salted herrings and perfumes from Arabia,
are all mingled together. In short, every thing which one
would have trouble to procure even in a large city, is col
lected in this wonderful market. Here a German, from
the black forest, is exchanging a cuckoo clock with a
ragged Cossack for a few rubles, whilst his neighbor, a
smoking Italian, is flattering a haughty Bucharian in gold
embroidered robes, into the purchase of a watch set with
diamonds, which he values at hundreds of ducats. A Si
berian is bartering several thousand hundred-weights of
iron for a few pearls, and a Frenchman beside him is
trading off some casks of wine with a merchant from
Moscow. If, then, this strange admixture of merchandize presents
such a singular appearance, how much more so that of the
persons who exhibit it, with all their variety of physiog
nomy, dress, and speech. Natives of every country of

192 The Fair of Nishni Novogorod.
Europe and Asia here mingle promiscuously, amongst
whom the Russian, Greek,' Turk, Jew, Persian, Bucharian,
Circassian, Indian, and rude Baschkiran, plainly to be dis
tinguished either by peculiarity of feature or national
dress ; and a confusion of tongues, speaking the different
languages of' the world, reminds the auditor of the dis
traction at the building of the tower of Babel.
The most remarkable shops are those occupied by fur
and pearl merchants. In the first nothing is to be seen
but a few rough chests made of fir, each one containing
the worth of several hundred thousand rubles ; in the
latter the Indian trader is seated on a wooden bench, with
a few small packages, done up in gray paper, before him,
in each of which strings of pearls are enclosed, valued at
from eight to ten thousand rubles.
Not less singular is the contrast presented by the rough
fixtures of the booths, where shawls are sold, and the
costly Cashmeres that are found within them ; many small
bundles lying upon the floor, are each worth a hundred
thousand rubles. Far more inviting are the shops for
wooden ware. Row after row of buckets, tubs, bowls, or
even drinking cups, make a cheerful and varied display ;
some white, some painted in gay colors, and many of the
last-named articles artistically ornamented with bands
of gold or silver. The trunks and boxes brought from
Siberia, are very beautiful ; some stained or painted, and
varnished, others covered with red Russia leather, and
more costly than either are those ornamented with pol
ished iron and steel, showing great skill of workmanship
in their construction.

in , iivr »f » '

PERILOUS INCIDENTS

is

He JLibes of §^IJoi*s s^d If^beJiei^.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAK OF DR. PH. H. KNELB,

£jj n &ty.

WILLIS P. HAZAKD, 178 CHESTNUT STKEET,
PHILADELPHIA;
1854.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by
WILLIS P. HAZARD,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Slote & Moonet, Stereotypers.

Goijf eijfs.

FAGB
Pirate Life, --------- 5
Captivity Among the Japanese, ----- 37
A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast, - 91
A Winter in the Frozen Ocean, - 125
The Shipwreck, -------- 150
Voyage to the East Indies, b 165
home-slckness oe a siberian, ----- 189

(Hi)

' /

ADVENTURES.

fl^k JLife.
I served as assistant pilot on board the merchant vessel
Dolphin, bound from Jamaica for > London, which had
already doubled the southern point of the Island of Cuba,
favored by the wind, when one afternoon, I suddenly
observed a very suspicious-looking schooner bearing down
upon us from the coast. I climbed the mast, with my spy
glass, and became convinced that it was a pirate. I di
rected the captain, who was taking his siesta, to be awaked
instantly, showed him the craft, and advised him to alter
our course, that we might avoid her. The captain, a man
of unfortunate temper, whose principal traits of character
were arrogance, avarice, and obstinacy, scorned my coun
sel, and insisted that we had nothing to fear, as we were
perfectly well protected by the English flag.
We sailed on, while the schooner drew nearer, for about
half a league, when we observed that the deck of the
strange vessel swarmed with armed men, and her people
were busy in getting out their boats. Upon seeing this,
our captain was not a little frightened, and ordered a
change in the course of the ship; but it was too late, for
(5)

6 Pieate Life.
we were already within reach of the pirate, who soon
hailed us, commanding our captain to come on board of
his vessel, and- as his commands were not obeyed, fired a
broadside into us, which, however, did us no injury. At
the same time a boat, containing nine men, pushed off
towards us. They presented a most ferocious appear
ance, being armed with guns, swords, and long knives.
They boarded our brig, as we offered not the least resis
tance. They then commanded the captain, the ship's carpenter,
and myself, to enter their boat, and sent us with an armed
escort of four men, who handled us most roughly, to the
schooner, where the pirate captain received us with deep
curses. He was a gigantic, powerful, well-formed man, of
a pale, sallow complexion, large prominent eyes, a hooked
nose, and a huge mouth, and glossy hair and beard. He
might be about thirty years old, and spoke broken English
with a Spanish accent.
" Have you specie on board ?" he asked.
"None at all," answered our Captain, thoughtlessly
enough, for we had only too much of it, and unfortunately
the papers refering to it lay upon the cabin table.
" The devil," cried the robber, " do you take me for a
child? All home-bound vessels have money on board;
give up yours quietly, and depart in the devil's name
whither you will."
The captain repeated his silly denial, and enraged the
pirate still further.
" Well," he said with frightful calmness, " if you will
not give up the money, I will throw your cargo overboard,

Pirate Life. 7
and search for it myself. If I find it, I'll lock you in
your cabin, and burn your vessel with every man on
board." After this threat he walked up and down the deck, and
said more quietly, turning to me :
" You must remain with us, for there is no one among
my men who thoroughly understands a helmsman's duty,
and I must give myself more rest, I am not well."
One can imagine my sensations. In the meanwhile
supper had been prepared, and the pirate officers, six or
seven in number, invited us politely to partake of it ; we
accepted, as we did not wish to displease them. The
meal consisted of onion soup with bread, tolerable fish, and
a very good ham, with plenty of excellent Cogniac and
Bordeaux wine. During supper the schooner approached
the Dolphin, and lay alongside. It was now perfectly
dark, and they showed us a place close by the cabin door,
where we could sleep.
The following morning we were invited to break
fast, which consisted of coffee with goat's milk, broiled
fish, smoked pork, very good biscuit, and sweet brandy.
After breakfast we were sent back to the Dolphin, which,
as the captain still persisted in his obstinate assertion that
there was no money on board, was being emptied of her
contents by the robber captain's commands. First of all
I slipped into the cabin to look after my chest ; it had
been broken open and robbed of all articles of value,
among which were two diamond rings. Some suits of
clothes, and some shirts, were all that remained. In
unloading the vessel they began first with the cow ; then

8 Pirate Lefe.
they threw over the poultry, and all the other provisions,
and then the wine and brandy casks. They next came to
the actual cargo of the brig, out of which only what was
very valuable was preserved, for there was no room to
stow any thing away in the pirate ship. Thus they
worked until towards evening, when we were again invi
ted to supper, and again shown to our sleeping place.
The sailors had already become intoxicated, and were
singing and rioting upon deck, without either officers or
captain daring to check them, for on board such ships
discipline is not to be thought of.
The next day, right after breakfast, the pirate called
the captain to the after deck.
" I speak now," said he, " in kindness to you, for the
last time ; give up your money, or tell where it is con
cealed. Do it, or, God d — n me, the Dolphin, yourself,
and all on board are lost."
The captain answered as before, that there was no money
on board.
" Well then," cried the captain in a rage, " you shall
find out who you have to deal with. Ho there !" he cried
to his men, " down with him into the hold, tie up the pumps,
and bring fire !"
The command was instantly obeyed, and a quantity of
dry wood was heaped up around the unfortunate man,
which they were just about to kindle, when his agony
wrung from him the confession that under a board in
the cabin floor there was a box containing about five hun
dred doubloons. He was unbound, and the gold was
found.

Pirate Life. 9
" Well," said the pirate, " that is something. But you
have more — I know it ! Give it up, or by all the devils,
you shall be burnt."
The captain now swore, with tears, that he had not a
penny more, but the pirate would not believe him.
" I will refresh your memory," said he, " rely upon it.
Bind up the pumps again, and kindle the fire quickly !"
The poor man was again bound fast, and the light wood
around him was kindled ; the flames licked his clothes
and hands, and his eye-brows and hair were already singed,
but he renewed his protestations and commended himself
to God's mercy. The pirate at last believing his asser
tion, let the pumps .play and extinguished the fire.
" Well," he said in a milder tone, " I will set you at
liberty, and you may sail whither you please, except to
any Cuban port, for if I find you again in these waters I
will scuttle your vessel and leave you to your fate."
He supplied the Dolphin with water and provisions for
ten days and loosened it from the schooner. I was obliged
to remain upon the pirate ship while the brig set sail, and
had soon vanished from our sight. As a thick mist arose
we anchored on the edge of a sand-bank, and remained
there over night ; at break of day we again set sail and
ran into a small, concealed, but very safe harbor on the
coast of Cuba. II.
We had scarcely cast anchor when a whole fleet of large
and small boats pushed off from the snore and sailed
towards us. The pirate knew with whom he had to deal,

10 Pirate Life.
and made ready for them. Two officials and several other
gentlemen and ladies now stepped on board, and were salu
ted with fifteen guns. After the guests had congratulated
the robber upon his successful expedition, refreshments
were brought, and the whole company commenced dancing
on the deck, where some black musicians were playing.
The merriment lasted far into the night, and all left the
vessel, delighted with the rich presents of silks and jewels
that they had received, while they promised to send pur
chasers to the sale of the pirate's booty, which was to take
place on the following day. As soon as we were alone
again, the pirate captain informed me confidentially, that
he maintained the friendliest relations with the govern
ment, and that he had no dread whatever of any hostile
attempts against him.
" I can easily settle all that with these people," said he,
" with presents."
On the following morning the deck was swept and pre
parations were made for the sale, and a crowd of ladies and
gentlemen soon appeared ; the captain and I received them
on board, and conducted them under the blue canopy with
silver fringe that had been erected for their accommoda
tion. At a signal from the ship's bell the sale began. As
many articles were sold by weight, I presided over the
scales, that were placed near the mainmast. The purcha
sers stood around me in a semi-circle, and as every one of
them bought either a whole or half a hundred weight, it
was immediately shoveled into the bags and baskets they
had brought. Some attendants, in the meanwhile, handed
round wine, cakes, and biscuit, and the wine had its effect ;

Pirate Life. 11
the sale was very lively, and before three o'clock in the
afternoon, our casks and barrels were almost empty.
The captain now invited the whole company to dinner,
and the further sale of silks, linens, and ornaments, was
postponed until afterwards. He then called me aside, and
gave me a peculiar commission; he ordered me to con
coct a drink which should be no less intoxicating than
pleasant. "After the guests shall have partaken of it," said he,
" they will bid high enough, and I shall have an excellent
sale. Call it English punch and they will like it all the
better." I had to promise him to do my best, and go to work at
once ; as we had a good store of all kinds of intoxicating
liquors on board, I could choose what I pleased. I mixed
together, Bordeaux, Madeira, Rum, Arrac, Geneva, Cog-
niac, and Porter ; dissolved in it half a hat-full of sugar
and threw in about two dozen oranges, and as many sweet
lemons. It certainly tasted most excellently, and even
the smell of it affected my head. After dinner, when the
dessert was about to be placed upon the table, I called six
sailors, and providing each with a large bowl of my mix
ture, they marched into the cabin in procession and placed
them on the table ; then I informed the company that the
mixture was a new kind of English punch, and filled their
glasses for them.
The delicious drink was very popular and even the
ladies sipped it with delight. The effect was immediate ;
after the first two glasses, all grew very loquacious ; two
more glasses and the gentlemen were thoroughly intoxi-

12 Pirate Life.
cated without being stupified. At this moment the sale
began, and all rushed on deck, and proceeded to purchase
in such a wild, excited manner, that the worst article that
we had, sold for twice its real value. When the business
was nearly concluded, a frightful noise arose on the for
ward deck ; the crew had received a double allowance of
rum and brandy, and very naturally, a quarrel had arisen
between two of the most excited, in which one of them
was stabbed in the breast. As I understood something of
surgery, I was called upon to dress and bandage the wound,
and whilst I was thus engaged the company departed in
the boats, the gentlemen in a high state of excitement and
much pleased with their bargains.
When all was quiet on board, the captain called to him
the man who had escaped from the combat unhurt, and
inquired into the cause of the bloody fray. And now a fear
ful secret came to light. The man revealed a conspiracy
against the captain, headed by one of the officers, which had
been in progress for a month. The officer who commanded
it had asked leave of absence, and was at that time on land,
engaged in perfecting his plan, which was, to fall upon the
captain and murder him with the greater part of the crew.
The wounded sailor had belonged to this conspiracy, which
was frighful enough, and so angered the captain that he was
almost beside himself with rage. He forthwith called to
gether the whole ship's company and made known to them
the plot he had discovered. He had scarcely finished speak
ing when fierce cries for revenge arose among the crew ;
they rushed below, and in a few minutes dragged up the
wounded sailor, hacked off his arms and legs, plunged

Pirate Life. 13
their knives into his body, and threw it overboard. They
then dragged out his chest; destroyed and tore to rags
every thing in it, and in a perfect frenzy of rage, threw it
into the sea also. Then the watch was trebled and set ;
all sharpened their daggers and knives, and prepared for
an attack. But the night passed and nothing occurred.
On the following afternoon, a sail appeared, which
steered towards us ; the captain took the spy glass, and
instantly recognized the boat which had carried the
treacherous officer and part of the crew on land the day
before. " Here come the conspirators," he cried, with a fearful
curse, " we'll give them the welcome they deserve. Thirty
of you load your muskets and be ready."
When the boat was within a short distance of us, it
stopped and hoisted a white flag in token of peace ; the
captain did the same, and the boat then approached per
fectly unsuspiciously. When they were within musket
shot, the captain ordered his men to fire. Five men fell
dead, a sixth sprang into the sea, and the rest turned and
rowed away. The captain sent a boat out after the un
happy wretch who was in the water, and in less than five
minutes they dragged him on board. He was wounded in
the arm and was bleeding freely. But, notwithstanding,
his clothes were, by the captain's orders, torn off, and he
was exposed naked to the burning rays of the sun. When
he had suffered thus for an hour, the tyrant went to him
and asked with suppressed rage :
" Now traitor, will you confess ?"

14 Pirate Life.
" I am innocent," replied the half-dead wretch, " I know
of nothing."
" Here," cried the captain to his savages, " take him
and row him into the inlet; there leave him in the
swamp ; we'll see whether the gad-flies will not help his
memory. You," continued the captain, " go with them,
and give heed to this example."
Five of the pirates, armed with pistols and swords,
bound the wretched man, hand and foot, threw him into
the boat and rowed into the inlet. Just at the mouth of
it there was a morass filled with gad-flies and other poison
ous insects. Into this dreadful ditch they threw their for
mer comrade, and then withdrew to a short distance to
jeer at and mock him. In about an hour they drew him
out again ; he was still living, but his body was so covered
with blisters that he looked like nothing human. In this
condition he was taken to the ship again.
" Has he confessed ?" shouted the captain to us as we
were approaching.
We replied in the negative.
" Then shoot him down like a dog."
Two of the robbers seized him, one presented a pistol
to his forehead, another to his breast ; they were both dis
charged at the same moment, and the unhappy man was
bathed in his own blood. As he gave no further sign of
life, they hurled him overboard.
What a deed of horror ! I passed a fearful night, for I
could not close my eyes when I thought of the probable
fate that awaited me among these miscreants.

Pirate Life. 15

III.

The next morning I went sadly enough to my labor,
which consisted in cutting and making a new sail, when
at about ten o'clock, the watch at the mast-head, cried
out : .
"A sail! a sail!"
I went aloft, and saw that it was a large merchant ves
sel. The captain weighed anchor, sailed down upon her
and when he supposed himself sure of his prey, fired off a
cannon; the brig hoisted the English flag and lay to.
This unexpected manoeuvre seemed very suspicious to the
captain ; he began to believe that he had to deal with
a man-of-war; changed his plan, and determined upon
boarding the strange vessel; he gave orders to have two
boats manned with the bravest of his crew, which should
attack the ship upon both sides at once, and commanded
me to head the expedition. Such an order terrified me
not a little.
" What," I cried, " must I fight thus shamefully with
my countrymen. If I am taken prisoner what can I
expect but the most shameful death. No, Senor, I can
never obey your orders."
" Who are you," he answered fiercely, " who think your
self so much better than me and my men ? Do we not
expose ourselves to death every hour of the day ? My
vessel shall never be taken, for when I can no longer de
fend it I will blow it up. Obey me instantly or I will
have you shot in the twinkling of an eye."

16 Pirate Life.
• " Do it," I coolly rejoined, " I do not fear death, but I will
never obey your orders."
"Well then," he cried furiously, "to death with him.
Bandage his eyes. Five minutes respite only, and let
three men aim at his head and three at his heart."
The pirates obeyed instantly, and I commended my soul
to God. When the five minutes had gone, the captain
asked :
" Are you ready, helmsman ?"
" Yes, Senor."
" You persist then in your obstinacy."
" Yes, Senor."
" Attention ! Make ready ! Fire !"
The men fired, but I remained unhurt; a burning cork
flew in my face, but made no wound. The captain had
intended to frighten me, and his men had only loaded
with blank cartridges.
" Well, helmsman," he cried, " are you mortally wound
ed ? Have you had enough ?"
" I am not wounded, Senor," I replied, " but I am not a
boy to be trifled with ; if you are going to kill me, do it
quickly, for I will never disgrace myself by obeying your
orders." " So be it then," cried the pirate, foaming with rage ;
" bind him to the main-mast ; unbandage his eyes ; let us
have plenty of tinder; lay a train of powder, and to the
devil with him !"
His orders were obeyed ; I closed my eyes and awaited
death for the second time. In about ten seconds I heard
a terrible explosion, which stunned me for some minutes.

Pirate Life. 17
When I recovered my consciousness, I felt a terrible pain
in my lower limbs ; my hands were bound, and my clothes
on fire.
"Shoot me upon the spot; why do you torture me
so?" But the captain and his men only laughed ; and when
my stockings were entirely burnt, he gave orders to pour
water over me and unbind me, saying composedly, as if
nothing had happened :
"You provoked me or I should not have done it; now
go below and get cured."
But the moment I was unbound, I fainted away, and
when I came to myself I lay upon a matrass in the cabin,
and felt the most intolerable pain in all my limbs, but par
ticularly in my legs. On a chair beside me sat the cook ;
he told me that lemonade had been prepared for me ; I took
some of it, and asked him to support me, that I might
look at my legs ; they were frightfully burnt ; in some
places the bone was exposed. While I was examining
them, the captain appeared, looked at my horrible wounds,
and said, with a show of compassion :
" Helmsman, ask for whatsoever you want, and you,
cook, see that he has it. Make haste and get better ; by
heaven, I hope you'll get over it."
With these words he left me. I called for a better
bed, the medicine chest, lint, and bandages ; every thing
was instantly brought, and I did my best to soothe my
sufferings. I inquired of my officious attendants where
we were, and learnt, to my surprise, that wTe were again
at anchor in the harbour. The captain had decided that
2

18 Pirate, Life.
the brig was an English man-of-war, and had made a hasty
retreat to a place of safety.
After dinner, the cook made his appearance again, and
as he had nothing else to do, remained with me. He in
formed me that the captain, a naturally quick-tempered,
tyrannical man, was a perfect tiger when he was in a
passion, that he had already shot and stabbed twenty of
his men with his own hands, and begged me to be
upon my guard, for I had not a man, but a monster, to
deal with.
" Whatever you want," he added, compassionately, " let
me know, and be assured that I mean you well."
With this comforting assurance he departed, while I
prepared a cooling salve and bandaged my wounds neatly.
I drank quantities of lemonade and broth, and felt that
as the afternoon wore on, the heat in my limbs was sub
siding. Towards sunset, the kind cook again appeared, to
see how I was, and to inform me that the captain was
raging like a maniac on deck, for a coasting vessel had
brought him news that my former captain had sailed
straight for Havana, and had there made all sorts of com
plaints with regard to the robbery that he had sustained.
While he was speaking the captain himself rushed into
the cabin.
" See," he cried, " what rogues your countrymen are !
Spite of my commands, that traitor sailed directly for Ha
vana, and entered a complaint against me. But I know
how to deal with him ; I have sent four bold fellows after
him ; he is a dead man if he lingers two days longer, and
to make all sure, I shall send a fifth this evening, who

Pirate Life. 19
understands his business well, and will despatch him with
out mercy."
With these words he left the cabin. " What a monster,
what cruelty!" I thought, but borne down by fatigue, I
soon fell asleep.
I had been sleeping about two hours when I was roused
by the captain.
"You must come on deck," he said, rather anxiously,
" we are in trouble."
Four sailors seized me, and immediately carried me
above, sick as I was. Here I learned that a boat was
approaching in the darkness, and that preparations for
defence were being made.
" Hail it in English," said the captain.
I did so, but received no answer.
" Now let me try," he continued ; " we'll see if they un
derstand Spanish."
They answered immediately as friends, and announced
that they came with important news for the captain.
The partisans of the officer, who had formed the before
mentioned conspiracy, maddened by the death of their
comrades, had sworn to be revenged. They had tracked
the fifth assassin, who had been sent off this evening to
the house of one of the government officials, who was in
friendly connection with the pirate captain, and our infor
mants assured us that if timely aid were not rendered
him, he would certainly be put to death. This informa
tion had a most distressing effect upon the crew, and no
one offered to go upon such a dangerous errand. But the
captain did not lose courage,. gave the men quantities of

20 Pirate Life.
rum and brandy, and promised four pieces of gold to each
volunteer. Ten of the boldest then came forward, got
ready immediately, and were fully provided with weapons,
as well as biscuit and wine. Before the end of a quarter
of an hour, they rowed ashore in company with the other
boat. The captain commanded the whole crew to remain
on deck, and doubled the watch. Every thing was quiet,
and prepared for any emergency. I was carried down into
the cabin again, but could not close my eyes ; the door
was open, and I heard every thing that passed on deck.
About midnight our boat returned, but only with five
men, who gave the following account of their adventures
to the captain.
After they had landed, and proceeded a few steps, they
came upon a servant of that honest official to whose house
the fifth assassin had been tracked, and who was to have
furnished him with a pass. This man informed them that
the assassin had actually fallen into the hands of the con
spirators, and that he was lost if they did not instantly
hasten to his rescue. They made a circuit to avoid their
enemies, and succeeded in surprising a few stragglers, from
whom they extorted the information that a considerable
number of the conspirators were making merry in the
house of the officer, where they had taken their comrade
prisoner. They immediately proceeded to this house,
where they commenced a most destructive fire through
the doors and windows, not taking any aim or making any
discrimination between friend or foe. They then entered,
killed the wounded, and took some prisoners. Unfortu
nately the good old host had received two serious shots,

Pirate Life. ' 21
and now sent to the captain to request him to send to his
relief the Englishman in whom he placed such confidence.
With regard to the assassin, he had been found bound
hand and foot, but uninjured, and having been provided
with a passport, had proceeded to Havana.
" Helmsman," cried the captain, now entering the cabin,
" it cant be helped. You must go on shore, and look after
the old gentleman's wounds, for he is my best friend, and
I cannot treat him with too much consideration. Put a
mattrass into the boat," he continued, " that he may lie
comfortably upon it, and when you get to land carry him
as carefully as possible."
They let me down into the boat in an arm-chair, laid
me upon a mattrass, put a cushion under my head, and
covered me with a silken coverlet. The moon was just
rising, and it was about one o'clock. The current was
against us, and we were almost an hour in reaching the
shore. After we had taken something to eat and drink in
a little ale-house, not ten steps from the beach, I was
placed on a bamboo litter, furnished with an abundance
of soft cushions, and put upon a horse. We journeyed for
about an hour through a high mahogany forest, until we
arrived comfortably at a small town, and before the door
of the mansion of Don Toribios, as the conscientious offi
cial was called. I immediately examined the old man's
wounds, which proved to be not at all dangerous, extracted
the balls without difficulty, and left him to the' care of his
wife and daughter. We returned slowly to our boat, and
reached the schooner before sunrise.
The sailors rendered an account of their expedition, and

22 Pirate Life.
each received as a reward a double allowance of brandy,
and they were told that the prisoners they had taken had
been tortured and then shot. The captain asked me par
ticularly, concerning Don Toribios, and as I was able to
give him favorable replies, he was greatly rejoiced, and
loaded me with praises.
" You must go on shore to him every morning or after
noon," said he, " for this man is my best friend. But now
go and rest, you seem very weary ; you shall be called
when the breakfast is ready." I was indeed rejoiced to be
able to rest. I bandaged my wounds afresh, stretched
myself on my couch, and fell asleep immediately.

After dinner, I was about to go on shore, in accordance
with the captain's orders, when, just as they were letting
me down into the boat, a large vessel appeared in sight.
I was immediately assisted to the mast-head, and com
manded to report what vessel it was. I examined it for a
quarter of an hour through my spy-glass, and was at last
convinced that it was a large Dutch merchantman. The
captain then had me brought down, and communicated
my discovery to the crew, who received it with a loud
" huzza." " These Dutchmen," said he, " are rich prizes ; they are
sure to have cash on board."
Instantly we weighed anchor, and the chase began. But
the Dutchman was suspicious, and tried every means of
avoiding us ; it was too late, however, for we sailed twice
as fast as he, and besides had the advantage of the wind.

Pirate Life. 23
To deceive him, we hoisted the English flag, and fired a
shot. He then turned towards us. Our captain supposed
that he would offer resistance, and accordingly, when he
came within shot, sent a ball into him from our forty-four
pounder, which struck the water by the side of the vessel,
and then hoisted the blood-red pirate flag.
"Send the captain, with his papers, on board," he shou
ted through the speaking trumpet. As the fulfilment of
this command seemed tardy to the pirates, they enforced
it by discharging a dozen muskets. This produced the
desired effect; the captain and supercargo immediately
came on board ; they were both pale as death, and trem
bled with fear. The pirate snatched their papers from
them, and threw them to me saying, " There ! translate
those things for me." Although I understood very little
Dutch, I managed to make out that the vessel was bound
from Antwerp for some Mexican port, and that it was
freighted with wine, cheese, hams, cloths and linens. The
pirate was not a little rejoiced to hear this, and ordered
me to ask the amount of cash on board. The Dutchman
assured us that he had none.
" We will soon see for ourselves !" said the captain, and
taking with him the pilot and four sailors, he went on
board of the merchant-man. In half an hour he called
out to the schooner to come alongside. This was done,
and the Dutchman was again sent on board of his vessel,
where he was greeted with a blow from the flat of a sword
that stretched him on the deck. The inquiries concerning
the money now began afresh, accompanied by the threats
of burning both ship and crew, if money should actually

24 Pirate Life.
be found on board. Then the Dutchman was placed in
confinement, while the crew were sent on board the
schooner, and down into the hold. Both ships sailed into
the harbour at sundown, that they might spend the night
in safety. I received permission to retire to the cabin, and
there found a neat little supper that the care of the
benevolent cook had provided for me. The salve that I
had prepared for my wounds had an excellent effect, and
I was now quite free from pain.
The next morning the freight of the captured vessel
was transferred to the schooner, and I was again obliged
to assist with my small knowledge of Dutch. After din
ner I was sent on shore again, to dress Don Toribios'
wounds. As they were healing rapidly, and the fever had
quite left him, I soon returned, his daughter having pre
sented me with a box of Havana cigars.
As night had not yet set in, they proceeded vigorously
in transferring the cargo of the Dutchman, and the goods
were piled up high on the deck of the schooner ; they
were not to be sold, as before, but taken by a coasting ves
sel to Havana, and disposed of there. The next morning
the coaster appeared, and the transfer of the cargo began
again. While all were thus busied, the captain drew me
aside, and said to me in an unusually confidential tone, " I
must accompany this coaster some distance ; we shall be
gone four or five days. Therefore, go on shore once more,
and carry to Don Toribios as much physic as he will want
during this time, but be sure to be back before sunset."
I immediately obeyed, fulfilled my commission, and
returned at the appointed hour ; the captain was making

Pirate Life. 25
merry with the coaster, and as I would take no part in
their excesses, I retired to rest, but could not sleep. The
door of my cabin opened gently, to admit the cook; he
sat down by me, and said as softly as possible :
"While you were on shore to-day, the captain called
together the crew, and told them that during the course
of four weeks they had all learned to know the captive
Englishman, and must be aware that he was most useful
in every capacity. ' But,' said the captain, ' he is not to
trusted ; I see that he meditates escape, day and night,
and if his plans should succeed, which is not impossible,
the first English man-of-war that he meets will have the
secret of our retreat here, and all will be over with us. I
have, therefore, formed a resolution that will certainly
seem right to you all. We will let him finish the sails
that he is now at work upon, and then get ^rid of him.
Some evening I will get up a dispute with him ; you will
gather around us and take sides, and in the heat of argu
ment I will plunge my knife into his bosom, and you will
finish the business.' The crew consulted together, and
opinion was divided; only a few of the most bloody-
minded agreed to the thought of your murder ; at last it
was determined to have you closely watched, and not to
allow you to go on shore any more."
" Have it so then," cried the captain, angrily ; " you
will see what will come of it."
" Now my friend," concluded the brave fellow, " now
you know every thing. I fear the captain has not given
up his intention ; therefore, take your measures accord
ingly. If I can assist you in carrying out any plan that

26 Pirate Life.
you may form, rely upon my desire to serve you. God
grant, that if you escape, I may accompany you."
With these words he bade me good night and left me.
What were my sensations. " Am I then," I said to my
self " to be thus cut off in the midst of my youth ? No !
I will balk these monsters. I must attempt to save my
self even if the attempt cost me my life." These thoughts
occupied me during the night, and I did not sleep until
towards four o'clock in the morning.VI.
At sunrise the schooner weighed anchor, in order to
accompany the coaster. Towards noon we discovered an
English brig, which proved to be a merchantman, and the
customary pursuit and capture ensued. The cargo con
sisted of rum, for the vessel was bound for Liverpool from
Jamaica. The English captain, who was an old acqaint-
ance of mine, offered to ransom his vessel, and begged me
to make the arrangement for him ; this I gladly did, and
the brig was ransomed for four hundred doubloons and
eight casks of rum. The Englishman, who had a con
siderable amount of cash on board, pressed upon me, at
parting, twenty doubloons.
Towards evening the skies were covered with black
clouds ; the sea began to rage, and every thing indicated
an approaching storm. We therefore ran into a little bay,
sheltered by high rocks, and passed a very quiet night,
although a fearful storm was raging on the open sea, and
the rain fell in torrents. The next morning we set sail
again and conveyed the coaster almost to the place of her

Pirate Life. 27
destination. On our return voyage we captured a French
vessel, but it was also ransomed, and on the evening of
the fourth day we reached again our old station, where the
Dutch brig had been left under the command of the pilot.
The Dutch captain and a great part of his crew had
accompanied us.
The pirate was very well pleased with his short, profit
able trip, and gave orders to the steward to prepare a mag
nificent collation, to which he invited his officers, the
Dutch captain, and myself. As it was too warm in the
cabin the table was laid on deck ; the steward had done
his best, and when the wine had begun to take effect, the
Dutchman informed me that he had a proposition to make.
He spoke in Dutch, and that no suspicion might be
excited, I immediately informed the captain of what he
had said, and offered to carry on the negociation. This
was agreed to, and the Dutchman then informed me that
he had concealed upon his person, a heavy gold chain, a
gold watch set with brilliants, and two diamond rings, and
that he would give them all if the pirate would release his
vessel and allow him to depart, with provisions for eight
days. I translated all this to the captain as well as' I
could, and his countenance immediately beamed with the
friendliest expression.
" Tell the captain," he replied mildly, " that I accept
his offer, and if he will hand over to me the articles in
question, I swear by the holy virgin, that he shall depart.
to-morrow morning early, with eight days' provisions, and
sail whither he pleases."
I interpreted this to the captain, who hastened, joyfully,

28 Pirate Life.
into the cabin, and returned in a few minutes with the
jewels, which he laid before the captain, on the table.
" Done," said he, " reaching his hand and filling his
glass; "join me captain and gentlemen all. By heaven,
I will keep my word ; you are all witnesses."
We remained at table until eleven o'clock, when all
retired ; my thoughts kept me awake during the whole
night. Immediately after sunrise, the Dutch vessel was
supplied with the promised provisions, besides six casks
of water and two of Geneva. The captain took leave of
us all ; put several pieces of gold into my hand, and betook
himself on board of his own ship. In half an hour he
set sail, and with a favourable wind was soon out of sight.
Towards eight o'clock, a boat appeared from the shore,
and brought two calves and two sheep, just killed, and a
quantity of fowls, vegetables, and fruit, as a present for the
captain, from Don Toribios and the other officials. They
announced their intention, also, of paying us a visit with
their wives, in the afternoon, whereat the captain was
much pleased. Preparations were instantly made for
their reception, and the steward was busy enough; at
half-past two the little fleet appeared, and the guests
arrived on board, where they were served with refresh
ments. They talked, laughed, joked, played the guitar,
and sang, until near sunset, when the air grew cooler.
Then the seats and benches were cleared away ; the old
people betook themselves, with their wine, to the cabin,
and the young ones danced until they were called to sup
per. The time was passed most pleasantly, and I almost
forgot that I was on board a pirate vessel. Don Toribios,

Pirate Life. 29
too, was very friendly, and called out as soon as he saw
me, " Going on excellently ! all healed over !" I exami
ned his wounds and found it actually so. The old gen
tleman then applied himself industriously to the wine,
! and appeared determined to make up for the abstinence
of two weeks. My warning, to be prudent, was not
regarded in the least.
The company found the entertainment so much to
their liking that they remained three hours longer on
board than they had at first intended ; the moon was in
her first quarter, but shone brighter than even the full
moon in England. A little after nine, the guests took
leave of the captain and entered their boats ; the little
fleet rowed away in the glorious moonlight, and every
thing was restored to order on board of the schooner.
The captain was unusually gay and friendly ; had three
bottles of Bordeaux brought, and called to me : " Sit
down; we will drink another glass together. Fill for
yourself. I see you are a brave, fine fellow, and if you
conduct yourself well, you shall have such wages as you'll
get on no ship of the line, I can tell you. Come, drink ;
here's to our noble profession !"
I was obliged to join him, and drank in this way almost
a bottle full. I succeeded, however, in allaying all his
suspicion of me. Towards midnight I threw myself upon
my bed, but could not close my eyes, my thoughts were so
busy with plans of escape. Where shall I be, I asked my
self, in one — two weeks — in a month ? If my plan suc
ceeds, I shall be upon my way home ; but if not, where

30 Pirate Life.
then? Of this last alternative I would not think, and
towards two o'clock I fell asleep.VII.
The next afternoon I sat working at my sails, when a
boat with three negroes in it, pushed off from the shore,
and approached the schooner. The man at the helm had
a large basket, covered with black, before him? and the
usually white aprons of the negroes were black. This
indicated a death, and I was very anxions to know which
of yesterday's company had so quickly had their joy turned
to mourning ; in the meanwhile the boat arrived, and the
chief negro came on board.
" Master dead !" he said, in his broken Spanish. "Don
Toribios dead ! last night ! Here a letter and presents for
Senor captain and Senor helmsman."
With these words he handed the captain four bundles
of Havana cigars, as many baskets of fruit, and two great
pastries, besides four jars of sweet-meats. This giving of
presents is customary in Cuba in case of any death, and
I also received the due proportion of gifts. The negro was
dismissed with a present in money.
When the captain, after dinner, had taken his siesta, he
made known to the crew the death of Don Toribios, and
ordered preparations to be made for paying the last honors
to his deceased friend. A hundred bottles of wine, torches,
crape, and whatever else is necessary upon such occasions,
were put into the long-boat, into which the captain entered,
with ten sailors, six musicians, and myself. We found
horses and mules waiting for us on the shore, and we soon

Pirate Life. 31
reached the house of death, before which a great many
tar barrels were burning, and in the centre stood a bier,
upon which the coffin was placed. A number of mourn
ers, among whom were twelve or fifteen ladies, now
greeted us. We returned their salutations and entered
the brilliantly lighted saloon, hung with black, where sat
the mother and daughter of the dead man, dressed in the
deepest mourning. We expressed our sympathy for them ;
refreshments were handed round, and all were provided
with torches. The procession was then arranged. Our
sailors carried the coffin; the musicians commenced a
mournful march ; the priest, with the choristers, led the
way and the others followed in pairs; the captain con
ducted the mother, and I the daughter. Our sailors sent
up some rockets, and at this signal the schooner fired
minute guns for a half hour. After the conclusion of the
solemnity, we went to the funeral supper, and the guests
indulged in all kinds of gayety.
Midnight had past, when we broke up; towards two
o'clock we got on board the schooner and retired to rest.
The next morning I returned to my sails, but thought
incessantly of my plan for escape, and how it could be
most prudently carried into execution, for the danger of
such an attempt was immense. I believed that I could
possess myself of one of the boats, but where could I find a
companion to be depended upon ? Yet such an one was
absolutely necessary. I could never row alone for five or
six leagues, which was the shortest distance that would
place me out of reach of the pirates. Whether I should
confide in the steward, I could not exactly decide. Ima-

32 Pirate Life.
gine my astonishment when the honest fellow came to me
while the captain was taking his afternoon's nap in the
cabin, and began gently to whisper in my ear.
" My friend, we must fly. In a few days there will be
horrible work on board here ; a new conspiracy has been
formed against the captain, and his death is inevitable.
We must seize the first opportunity to get away. I know
these waters well, for I was born upon the Cuban coast.
You know that quantities of fishing boats come every
evening to exchange their fish for brandy, and their
owners often remain all night on board, while their boats
are floating by the side of the vessel. My plan is to get
into one of these about midnight, and trust ourselves to
the wind and the current, until the next morning, when
we can find our way to Havana."
" Well, my honest friend," I replied, " I agree with you
entirely ; in this way we cannot fail to succeed. We will,
therefore, hold ourselves in readiness any day, and God
will not forsake us in our hour of need."
Thus we separated.
When the captain awoke he complained of violent pain
in his limbs, and I saw clearly that a fever had attacked
him. With his consent, I opened a vein and took from
him thirteen ounces of blood. His bed was placed on the
forward deck, and an awning spread above it, for the cabin
was too close and hot. I left him for the night and pre
scribed almond milk and orange flower water.

Pirate Life. 33

VIII,

It was about sunset, the weather was sultry, and
towards the south masses of clouds were forming, which
betokened a storm. The sea, too, began to be disturbed.
Two fishing boats, that had ventured too far into the open
sea, came alongside and asked to be allowed to lodge on
board for the night. The lieutenant granted their request,
after conferring with the captain, and told them to make
fast their boats to the stern of the vessel. They did so,
and came on board, bringing with them a large basket of
the fish that they had caught.
After they had presented the captain and lieutenant
with the two finest fish in their basket, they exchanged
the rest for rum and brandy.
They took two of the dozen great bottles they received
to treat the crew with. The captain, who had no appe
tite, gave up his fish to the crew, and the lieutenant invi
ted his comrades and me to share his with him.
When the steward came to receive the fish, I said to
him, with peculiar emphasis :
" Well, steward ! now or never ! display your art !"
He understood me perfectly.
"Yes, indeed, Senor," he replied, significantly, "I will
make an English sauce for the gentlemen, such as they
cannot find in all Havana."
He went out, and I went to inquire after the captain.
" I feel much better," he replied to my inquiries ; " only
give me something strengthening."
I retired to the cabin, wrote down what I wanted upon
3

34 Pirate Life.
a card, and sent it to the steward. I soon received two
dozen oranges and sweet lemons, a great bottle of Canary,
half a loaf of bread, a pound of sugar, three spoons full of
East India cinnamon, and a bottle of old Malaga wine.
From these I prepared most artistically, a strong, delicious
drink. I mixed with it, finally, one hundred and fifty
drops of opium that I took from the medicine chest. The
dose was rather large, but I had to do, not with men, but
with beasts. After I had poured it all into a large bowl,
I carried it to the captain, who immediately took ten or
twelve spoons full of it, and was quite delighted ; I told
him that he might drink as much of it as he pleased.
" Well," he said, kindly, " since you are so skilful, go
and get two dozen bottles of Bordeaux; you can share
them with the officers." ,
I thanked him and turned to go.
" Stop !" he cried, " if I am well my men shall feel well
too; they have been grumbling for several days; I'll
moisten their throats with rum ; we're perfectly safe here ;
tell the steward to roll a barrel on deck ; they shall drink
until they can't stand."
The storm had, in the meantime, blown over; the sea
was placid, and the full moon was rising gloriously. The
table was already spread ; I hastened to the cabin, taking
with me the laudanum bottle from the medicine chest, out
of which I poured a stupefying dose into the rum-cask
and into every bottle of Bordeaux, except the one destined
for my own use, which I marked by a cut in the cork.
Then I gave the captain's orders to the steward, who im-

Pirate Life. 35
mediately obeyed them, and the crew expressed their
gratitude by three cheers and a " Long live the captain !"
I now placed the bottles of Bordeaux upon the table so
that the one I had marked stood by my plate. Eight
o'clock struck during these preparations; supper was
brought and we immediately took our places. The crew
lay about on the deck, and seemed very good humored.
When the keenness of their appetite was appeased, they
began to drink, and the officers broke the necks of the
bottles of Bordeaux.
I did not neglect the captain meanwhile ; he was very
well content, for he had already emptied half the bowl.
I perceived that the laudanum was taking effect upon all,
and when I returned to the officers I found them all very
much excited. They were relating their various exploits
so noisily that scarcely a word could be heard. On deck
the wildest confusion reigned, and the sailors were shouting
their horrible pirate songs. The noise lasted about a half
an hour and then grew fainter and fainter till it ceased
entirely ; the opium had done its duty ; all lay buried in
profound slumber, just where they had been drinking.
The steward and I delayed not an instant in taking
advantage of this favourable moment. We immediately
put into one of the fishing boats, a cask of water, a brandy
flask, a ham and some other provisions, and then provided
ourselves with the necessary clothes. I put on my over
coat, into which I had sewed a considerable number of
gold-pieces ; took a pocket compass, and a good spy glass,
and was in the boat in less than five seconds. The stew
ard threw down a bundle and followed me immediately.

36 Pirate Life.
We quickly cut the rope that fastened us to the hated
schooner, put up the sail, and as the wind was favourable,
were soon out of sight of her. We got into the current
and shot along like an arrow. I was rather terrified when
the moon set, but the stars shone brightly, and the stew
ard was indeed well acquainted with those waters. When
the sun rose, we were not more than five leagues from
Havana, and as the wind and current continued to be
favorable, we sailed into port a little after nine o'clock,
heard the bells ringing, and the great city with its threat
ening fortifications and forest of masts lay before us. We
landed, and before a half an hour had elapsed, were in the
house of the English consul, relating to him our won
derful escape from the pirates, whom I had served, much
against my will, for more than a month.
Two days afterwards, an English frigate set sail for
home. I took my passage in it, and after a short, pros
perous voyage, landed at Plymouth, my native town.

On the fifth of July, A. D., 1811, the Russian sloop of
war, Diana, approached Kumachir, one of the most south
erly of the Kurile islands, belonging to Japan, for the pur
pose of seeking shelter in one of its bays against an
approaching storm. They were received, on their arrival,
by a shower of balls from a fort which commanded the
bay. As no one, however, approached the vessel, its com
mander, Vassillii Golownin, considering this hostile recep
tion as the natural consequence of former deeds of violence
perpetrated by his countrymen in those waters, did not
return the fire, but endeavored, by means of signs, to
make the natives understand that his intentions towards
them were friendly, and that he wished to land merely to
fill his water casks. After a protracted negotiation, a
nearer conference was agreed on, and Golownin was im
prudent enough to fall into the snare set for him. But we
will let him describe the dangers and sufferings he under
went, in his own words :
After we had cast anchor, says he, in the spot designated
to us, I landed with midshipman Moor, the steersman,
Chleb Nikow, four sailors, and Alexis, a native of the
Kuriles, who acted as interpreter. So deceived were we
by the apparent friendliness of the Japanese, that we took
no arms with us, except our swords. In order to destroy
(37)

38 Captivity among the Japanese.
any distrust they might feel towards us, I ordered our boat
to be partly drawn on shore, and left a sailor to watch it.
The rest of the men, by my orders, carried after us some
chairs, and the presents we intended for the natives. As
I entered the fort, I was astonished to find that a large
crowd had collected in it. There were at least four hun
dred soldiers, armed with guns, pikes, and javelins, drawn
up in an open space to the right of the gates. Opposite
to them was a tent made of striped cotton stuffs, into which
we were conducted. The commander of the fort, a stately
man, dressed in a complete suit of armor, and wearing two
sabres by his side, rose on our entrance, and when we had
saluted him, politely begged us to be seated on some
benches which were set ready for us. We thanked him
for his courtesy, but preferred taking our seats on the
chairs which we had brought with us. When we were
seated, they served us with tea without sugar, which they
carried on lacquered wooden waiters. According to the
Japanese custom, the cups were only half full. After we
had partaken of it, they supplied us with pipes and tobacco,
and the conference began. They first inquired the name
and rank of each of us, and then asked repeatedly, and in
an insidious manner, where we came from, whither we
were going, and why our countrymen had formerly ravaged
their nothern coasts. When we had returned guarded
answers to these questions, they wanted to know how
many men were in our vessel. As I thought it prudent to
magnify our strength, I replied " a hundred ;" but Alexis
could not translate this number, and I was obliged to make
a hundred marks on a piece of paper, with a pencil, and

Captivity among the Japanese. 39
let the Japanese count them. Whilst they were thus em
ployed, midshipman Moor observed that naked sabres were
being distributed among the soldiers, and immediately
advised me of the fact ; but as we had been so kindly
treated, I thought little of the circumstance, especially as
they were preparing for us a feast, consisting of rice, fish
served up with a green sauce, and many other delicacies,
the names of which we did not know. After we had par
taken heartily of these solids, and for a drink been given
a kind of beer called " Sagic," I declared that we could
not stay any longer, and begged them to tell us the price
of the meal, which we designed paying for. To this
request of mine, they returned very evasive answers, and
when they saw that we were tired of the useless and
fruitless questioning we had undergone, and were making
preparations to depart, they suddenly threw off the mask
they had hitherto worn, and by their threatening gestures
showed plainly enough what their intentions were. Their
chief, who, until the present moment, had spoken in a
friendly and pleasant manner, now raised his voice, and
pronouncing the name of the Russian who had ravaged
their coasts, made a long speech, during which he often
fiercely struck his hand on his sword, and ended by
swearing that the Emperor would have him cut in two if
he suffered a single Russian, who was in his power, to
escape. As soon as Alexis, in whose anxious countenance
we discovered coming evil, had translated these words to
us, we sprang to our feet, and made for . the door. The
Japanese immediately set up a loud and threatening cry,
but did not attempt to seize us. contenting themselves with

40 Captivity among the Japanese.
throwing oars and blocks of wood in our way, in order that
in running we might stumble over them and fall. When
we had almost reached the entrance of the fort, they fired
a volley at us, but fortunately hit no one, although the
balls whistled most unpleasantly near to our heads. We
were lucky enough to get out of the fort, and had almost
reached our boat, when I saw to my horror that it was
lying high and dry on shore, for in our absence the tide
had ebbed. As our pursuers were well aware that we
could not float it again, and had also made themselves
acquainted with the fact that there were no weapons in it,
they grew bolder, and surrounded us on all sides, brand
ishing their huge sabres, which they held in both hands.
As resistance in such a case would be little less than mad
ness, we surrendered ourselves to them as their prisoners.
They seized me by the arms, and dragged me back to the
fort, together with my unhappy companions. On the way
a soldier struck me with a small iron rod, but an officer
angrily ordered him to desist, and no more blows followed.
They took us into a large builing resembling a barrack,
which stood on the shore, and having forced us to kneel,
bound us with cords of the thickness of one's finger. Over
these they lapped thinner ones, which gave us great pain.
The Japanese are perfect masters of this art, and we were
excellent specimens of their skill. We had about us just
the same number of ropes and knots, and were tied in
precisely the same parts of our bodies. Cords ran round
our breasts and necks, our elbows nearly touched each
other behind our backs, and our hands were tied fast
together. A long rope was fastened to us, one end of

Captivity among the Japanese. 41
which a Japanese held, and on the least intimation of
flight, had only to pull it, and our elbows were painfully
pressed together, whilst the ropes around our necks were
so tightly drawn, that we were nearly choked. But as if
this was not enough, they bound our legs together above
the knees and ancles, and then making slip-knots in the
ends of some ropes, they put them over our necks, and
tied them to the rafters of the building, pulling them so
tight that we could not stir. They then searched our
pockets, and having taken from them every thing they
could find, very coolly lit their pipes and sat down to smoke.
Whilst they were binding us, the chief came in, and
taking his station in front of us, made a speech, during
which he frequently pointed to his mouth, with the inten
tion probably of intimating to us, that at present they had
no intention of starving us. In this pitiful and agonizing
position we remained for an hour, not knowing what was
to be our fate. When I saw them put the ropes over the
rafters, I concluded, of course, that their intention was to
hang us, and never have I so despised death as I did in
that moment; my only wish was, that they would finish
the murderous work as soon as possible. But the Japa
nese, it seemed, had no idea, whatever, of taking such a
step. Their sole design and object was to render futile
any attempt at escape on our part. After a while they
unbound our ancles, loosened the ropes about our knees,
and leading us out of the building, conducted us through
some cultivated fields into a wood. We were so tightly
and skilfully bound that a boy ten years of age might have
conducted us in perfect safety, but these anxious and care-

42 Captivity among the Japanese.
ful people did not think so, for each of us had an especial
watchman who held the rope, and an armed soldier to
walk by his side. From a hill we saw our vessel for the
last time, and with bleeding hearts, bid it and our native
land, a long farewell. II.
We walked along in single file, and had proceeded on
our journey for about half an hour, when we heard the
distant thunder of cannon, and concluded that our vessel
must have attacked the fort. I was so tightly bound,
especially about the neck, that my face became swollen,
and I found that my breath was fast leaving me. I could
scarcely swallow, and only with the greatest difficulty,
articulate. We repeatedly begged our guards to loosen a
little the cords which bound us, but the noise of the can
non had thrown them into such paroxysms of terror that
they took no notice whatever of our entreaties, but kept
looking back, and urging us to go on faster. Life, at this
moment, appeared to me a most intolerable burden, and I
made up my mind to get rid of it, by leaping into the
next stream of water we came to. But this determina
tion of mine, I found, was easier to be made than carried
out, for whenever we passed over a stream of the smallest
size even, our suspicious guards held us tightly by the
arms. At last, unable to proceed farther, I sank exhausted
and senseless to the ground. When I recovered, I found
that blood had flowed from my mouth and nostrils, and
that I was sprinkled with water. For the first time, the
natives now listened to our entreaties, and loosening our

Captivity among the Japanese. 43
bonds, greatly relieved us, enabling us to proceed on our
way with renewed strength.
After walking for about three hours longer, we arrived
at a little village, which is situated on the shores of the
strait separating Kumachir from the island of Jesso. Here
we were led into a house, and rice bread offered us, but as
our appetites were entirely gone, they took us into another
room, and made us lie down near the walls, so that none
of us could communicate with the others. The ropes by
which we had been led along, they tied to iron spikes,
which were driven into the floor, and they drew off our
boots, and again tied our legs as before. When our
guards had thus disposed of us to their entire satisfaction,
they seated themselves in the middle of the apartment,
round a pan of coals, and began to drink tea and smoke
tobacco. One would imagine that men might rest in
peace even among lions, if they were bound as we were,
but the Japanese did not seem to consider themselves safe
even now, for they carefully examined our bonds every
quarter of an hour or so.
Letters were very often brought to the captain of our
guards, which he read attentively, and then communicated
their contents to his companions. They conversed, how
ever, in such a low tone of voice, that we saw very well
they feared our hearing what they said, though on that
subject they might have made themselves perfectly easy,
for we did not understand a single word of the Japanese
language. Towards midnight they made preparations for
departure. A wide board was brought in, to the four cor
ners of which ropes had been attached ; through these

44 Captivity among the Japanese.
ropes a pole was put, by means of which they raised it
from the ground. They now laid me on the board, and
carried me away, which made us fully believe that they
were going to separate us, and that we now saw each
other for the last time. We, therefore, took leave of each
other like dying men, our eyes filled with tears. The
farewell of the sailors, which they sobbed aloud, cut me to
the heart, for I felt that my imprudence was the cause of
all their misery. I was carried to the shore, and laid on a
mat in a large boat, and to my joy and surprise they
brought down my comrades, one after the other, and laid
them near to me. This was so unexpected, and so grati
fying, that for a moment I almost forgot my sufferings,
They then covered me and my companions with moss, and
an armed guard having taken his seat by the side of each
of us, they pushed off from the shore. During our jour
ney by water that night, the Japanese kept perfectly quiet.
They spoke not a word, and turned a deaf ear to all our
lamentations and complaints.
At the break of day we arrived at a little village on the
coast of Jesso, where they placed us in several smaller
boats, which they drew along the shore by means of ropes.
From time to time they offered us rice-broth, and roasted
fish, and if any of us wanted to eat, they put the food into
his mouth by means of slender sticks, which, in Japan,
are used instead of forks.
The good people who had bound us in such an unmer
ciful manner, from a fear only that we would escape from
them, or commit suicide, now showed themselves to be
any thing but cruel, for they were even careful to brush

Captivity among the Japanese. 45
the flies from us with green bushes, which otherwise would
have plagued us sadly. After they had carried us along
the coast in this manner, for the space of two days, the
boats were dragged upon the land, and shoved along by
the aid of a large number of people, without either we or
our guards being obliged to leave them. They pulled us
through thickets and woods, and at last we found ourselves
on the top of a high hill. We could not conceive what
possible object the Japanese could have in drawing across
the land, with so much trouble, boats of no inconsiderable
size. We concluded, at last, that they must have seen our
vessel, and feared lest they should lose their prize. But
the solution of the riddle was soon apparent, for When
they had got the boats up to the top of the hill, they
allowed them to slide down the other side by the force of
their own gravity, and then launched them on a small
stream, which, after having navigated for two days, we
left in, order to continue our journey by land. They loos
ened the bands from our legs, and having drawn on our
boots, asked us whether we would walk or be carried in
fitters, by which name they designated boards, some four
feet in length, fastened_ to ropes, by which they were borne
along. We chose to walk, and accordingly the chief
formed the procession. First walked two of the natives,
side by side, with red staves in their hands, who pointed
out the way. After them came three soldiers, and then
myself. On one side of me walked a soldier, and on the
other a servant, who, with a green bush, brushed the flies
from me. After me walked a guard, who held the rope
that bound me, and then followed people bearing my fitter.

46 Captivity among the Japanese.
In the same manner, Moor, Chleb Nikow, and the sailors,
were led along, and the procession closed with soldiers and
a crowd of servants, who carried the baggage and provi
sions. Each one of the latter had fastened to his girdle
a small wooden tablet, marked so as to designate to which
of us he was attached, and what was his duty. During
the whole of the journey, the Japanese preserved the same
order, and the day was spent in the following manner :
At dawn we prepared to start, breakfasted, and set out on
our march. At the villages through which we passed, we
generally stopped to rest, to drink tea, and smoke tobacco.
At noon we dined. An hour after dinner, we started
again, and two or three hours before sunset halted for the
night, generally in some village, or where a garrison lay.
Immediately on our arrival, we were led to the chief's
dwelling, and seated on benches, until that magnate re
viewed and mustered us. We were then taken to a house
appropriated to us, and bound fast to iron clamps. After
wards they pulled off our boots, and washed our feet with
salt and water. We ate regularly three times a day ; in
the morning, at noon, and in the evening. Our food
varied very little, consisting of rice-broth, instead of bread,
with salted radishes, instead of salt, a mess of greens,
balls of pastry, or roasted fish. Sometimes we received
mushroom soup, and a hard boiled egg. The food was not
measured out to us, but each one was at liberty to eat as
much as he pleased. Our drink was generally bad tea,
without sugar, and sometimes, though rarely, beer. In
this manner we were taken to our place of destination,
which was as yet unknown to us.

Captivity among the Japanese. 47
By degrees they loosened the ropes, which had been
put round our necks, and when, after a time, a man of
higher rank took the command of our party, he permitted
our hands to be untied, so that we could feed ourselves.
Only when we were carried across some strait or river, did
they bind us so unmercifully tight, and this did not hap
pen often, nor last long. Our conductors were very careful
of us, and carried their caution and watchfulness so far,
that for a long time they would not puffer us to approach
the shore. However, as we pleaded hard to be allowed
to do so, because we could walk so much easier on the
wet sand, they at last gave a reluctant consent, taking
care to keep between us and the water, even where they
were obliged to wade in it. When, also, they allowed us
to smoke pipes, they held them with both hands, or
fastened to the mouth-pieces wooden balls of the size of
hen's eggs, for they seemed to imagine that if we were not
restrained, we would choke ourselves with them. We
laughed heartily at this proceeding, and made them under
stand, by signs, that it was much easier to strangle our
selves with these balls than with pipe-stems. At ^this
they laughed too, but told us that they had most positive
orders to prevent us in every possible way from commit
ting suicide. They were so very anxious about our health,
that they watched us from the tops of our heads to the
soles of our feet, carried us across the smallest brooks or
puddles, and asked us every morning how we felt.
On the eighth of August, we arrived at Khakodade, a
large town, which they told us was to be our abode for the
present. An immense multitude came forth to meet us.

48 Captivity among the Japanese.
The road was lined on both sides with spectators, but they
behaved themselves very soberly, none of them betraying
in their looks, as I saw to my satisfaction, either hatred,
scorn, or malicious pleasure ; still less did they attempt
to annoy us with either mockery or outrage. After we
had passed through the town gates, and a long and very
narrow street, we turned into a by-lane, and saw on a high
piece of ground before us, which was surrounded by an
earthen wall and thick-set hedge, and guarded by armed
soldiers, a building which was, perhaps, to be our prison
during life.
As soon as we entered we were mustered by an officer,
according to the instructions given him by the captain of
our guards, and then led farther into the court, where we
saw a large, dark shed, in which stood cages made of
strong bars of wood, and resembling bird-cages in every
thing but size. After the Japanese had taken counsel
among themselves for some time, as to how they should
dispose of us, they led me along a passage, and forced me
to go into one of the little apartments, which was parti
tioned off by means of wooden posts. I looked around for
my companions, and judge of my horror, when I found
that they had vanished. After the guards had taken off
my bonds, and also, taken off my boots, they fastened the
door bf my cage, without saying a word, and left me to
myself. The thought that I was separated from my com
rades, overcame me, and I threw myself on the ground in
despair.

Captivity among the Japanese. 49
III.
I had lain there, almost unconscious, for some time,
when I perceived a man at the window, who, by signs,
invited me to approach him. As I did so, he handed me
through the grating, a couple of little sweet cakes, and
signified to me that I was to eat them quickly, without let
ting any one see me do so, for if that was to happen it
might be all the worse for him. Although at this moment
I felt a positive aversion towards all kinds of food, yet
with a great exertion, I gulped them both down, because
I did not wish either to anger or injure him. He now left
me, with a pleased countenance, promising to provide me
in future, with the same kind of food. I thanked him as
well as I was able, and wondered not a little, that a man,
who to judge from his appearance, was of the lowest rank
in life, should possess so much goodness of heart, as to
resolve on comforting a stranger, at his own peril. Pretty
soon they brought me food, but as I had not the least
appetite, I sent it back untouched, as I did again in the
evening. One object now wholly occupied my thoughts, and that
was my escape from imprisonment. With this view I
examined my cage very carefully. It was six feet long,
about as broad, and some eight feet high. Tolerably thick
beams separated it from the passage, and in the wall were
a couple of windows, having on the outside, a strong
wooden grating, and within, paper curtains which could be
rolled up or let down. From one of these windows you
looked out on a wall about two feet distant, but the other

50 Captivity among the Japanese.
commanded a beautiful view of mountains, fields, and the
sea. All the furniture which the apartment could boast
of, was a little bench, so small that one could hardly lie
down on it, and some mats spread out on the floor.
I was thoroughly convinced that with the aid of an
ordinary knife, it would be very easy to cut through the
wooden grating of the window, and that in a dark night, I
could, with very little difficulty, find my way into the
court-yard and over the wall. But then, where was the
knife to come from, when they had not trusted us with
even a needle ? And suppose that I was lucky enough to
escape, whither could I turn my steps ? The fear too of
aggravating the already hard lot of my companions,
turned aside any ideas which I might have entertained of
attempting a flight. Moreover, our guards were not by
any means remiss in their duties. During the whole
night, I heard very plainly, people walking round the
walls, and striking the hours by means of a couple of dry
sticks. My attendants too came very often into the entry
with a light, in order to see what I was doing. Before
night set in, they brought me a thick cotton covering, and
a night-gown, wide and wadded, but which smelt so badly,
as it was old and dirty, that I threw it aside into one
corner of my cage.
On the following morning, whilst every thing was yet
still, I heard, to my great joy, some Russian words very
plainly pronounced. I sprang up from the bench on which
I was lying, and going to the window, which looked out
on the next building, heard midshipman Moor in conver
sation with one of the sailors. Most fervently did I thank

Captivity among the Japanese.' 51
God for this unexpected discovery, for I now knew that
my companions not only were under the same roof, but
were not imprisoned in separate cells, and had, therefore,
opportunity for comforting each other, and making the
time appear shorter. After several days, during which
the tedious and solitary life I led had well nigh driven me
to despair, there walked into my cell a Japanese officer,
whom I took to be of some rank and importance. After
lamenting that they had thus far been obliged to confine
me by myself, he agreeably surprised me by asking which
of the sailors I would like to have as a companion ? I
replied that they were all equally dear to me, and that I
wished to have them all with me in turns ; he immedi
ately gave orders to have my wish attended to. I asked
him if the Japanese intended to treat us always in this
manner ?
" No," answered he ; " in future you will all live to
gether, and after a while be sent home."
" Will this soon happen ?" I asked.
" Not so very soon," replied he, shortly, and left without
further explanations.
Men who find themselves in a situation like ours, catch
up every word, and meditate on it closely. Had he said
"soon," I would have regarded his words as a mere
attempt at consolation ; but now I believed him, and grew
more contented. Hardly was this officer gone, when one
of the sailors was brought to me. The man was not a
little astonished to see what a pleasant apartment I had,
and feasted his eyes on the objects he saw from my win
dow. My prison seemed a paradise compared to the cells

52 Captivity among the Japanese.
in which he and the rest had been put. These cells, it
was true, were built like mine, but far more narrow and
penable, and they stood one on the other in a kind of
shed, so that there was' a free passage all round them. In
stead of a door, they had an opening so low that you had
to creep through it. No friendly ray of light ever pene
trated to them, and they were surrouded by gloom and
darkness. The conversation I held with the sailor invigorated, in
some degree, the sorrow I felt, and I now ate the food
that was brought to me for the first time since our arrival
at Khakodacle. Our food now was worse by far than
when we were on our way to the town. They gave us by
turns, rice-broth, warm water, with grated radishes, but no
herbs, finely cut leeks, boiled beans, salted cucumbers, a
soup with balls of meal, made from beans and spoiled
fish. Our drink was generally warm water ; sometimes,
but seldom, they gave us poor tea, without sugar. When
we complained of this wretched fare to one of the officers
of the guard, he promised us meat, butter, and milk, but
excused himself afterwards, when we reminded him of his
promise, by jocosely telling us that the cows were still at
pasture. When, in order to accomplish our purpose in
another manner, we feigned illness, he asked us, in a sym
pathizing manner, what the Russians did when they were
sick ? and what they ate ?
" All that the physician prescribes," answered I ; " most
commonly chicken broth."
Immediately he demanded of us a detailed account of
how chicken broth was prepared, and when we gave it, he

Captivity among the Japanese. 53
wrote it down on a piece of paper. But it seemed as if
this were done merely from curiosity or derision, for the
chicken broth was never mentioned afterwards. Once he
treated us to beer, and in return wished to see us perform
a Russian dance. When I remarked to him that no one
could compel us to dance, in such a situation as ours, he
said, composedly :
" That's true ; a Japanese, in such a case, would neither
dance nor sing."
As I could not obtain any materials for writing, I inven
ted, in order to note daily occurrences, a diary of a peculiar
kind. If any thing pleasant occurred, I tied a knot in a
white thread, which I pulled out of my shirt. When any
thing unpleasant happened to us, I tied a knot in a black
silken thread, from my cravat. If any thing note-worthy
took place, either pleasant or the reverse, I tied together
the ends of a green thread, which T drew from the fining
of my uniform. From time to time I reckoned over these
knots, and recalled to my mind the circumstances they
were intended to denote.
On the tenth of August, word was brought to us that
the commander-in-chief of the town wished to see us, and
that at noon we were to be presented to him. Accor
dingly, at the appointed time, they took us singly from our
cages, bound ropes round our bodies, and led us by them,
under a strong escort, through a long and wide street,
which ran through the town and was filled with people,
to a castle surrounded by an earthen wall, at the gates of
which stood a numerous guard. Having taken us into the
court yard, they made us take our seats on benches and

54 Captivity among the Japanese.
mats, and treated us to good tea, sugar, and tobacco. We
might have sat there about an hour, when a voice was
heard calling, " Captain Khovorin !" which was the way
the Japanese pronounced my name. Two soldiers, who
stood by my side, immediately led me through a door,
which was hastily closed behind me, into a large hall,
through the paper curtains of which came a dim light.
On the walls of this apartment hung irons, with which to
fetter criminals, cords, and other instruments of punish
ment, which made me conclude that I was in a chamber
devoted to the torture. In the middle of the hall, sat the
commander-in-chief, on a kind of raised platform. He
was surrounded by several officers and scribes, each of
whom had before him his paper and inkstand, and at his
side a dagger and huge sabre. After the other prisoners
had been led in, a most tedious and insignificantly minute
examination was commenced, concerning our names and
ages, our parents, and places of birth ; also as to the Rus
sian Empire, its power on land and sea, the ship we arrived
in, and the object of our journey. The answers we deemed
advisable to give, were, as well as the interpreter could-
understand them and translate them into Japanese, noted
down with the greatest exactness.
At last the commander-in-chief asked, with particular
emphasis, if the religion of Russia had not been lately
changed, as an ambassador who had formerly been in
Japan, had worn a long cue, and hair thickly powdered,
whilst we had it cut short. When we told him that in
our country, the style of wearing the hair had nothing
whatever to do with religion, the Japanese laughed in a

Captivity among the Japanese. 55
contemptuous manner, and wondered not a little, that we
had no fixed laws on so important a subject. As it was
now nearly dark, we were led back to our cages.
Afterwards, we were several more times taken into this
hall, where the same questions were put to us, though in
a different form, that they might entrap us. They com
pared the answers we now gave, with those formerly
given, and on the slightest difference appearing, made the
most diffuse inquiries about it. Finally, on the twenty-
seventh of September, they took us from Khakodale to
Matsmai, the capital of the island, which is situated on
the southern coast, where we were immediately immured
in a strongly fortified building, which stood on a hill.
IV.
At the first look which we took of our quarters, we
thought that we had seen the sun for the last time, for
although without, the day was clear and bright, yet within
almost total darkness reigned.
Imagine a four cornered shed, five and twenty paces
long, fifteen wide, and some twelve feet high, three sides
of which were walled up without the smallest opening,
and the fourth covered with a strong wooden grating made
of bars placed about four inches from each other. In the
grating was a door and little gate, but both securely
bolted. In the middle of the shed stood a couple of cages,
likewise made of wooden bars, and separated from each
other .and the wall, by narrow passages. One of these
cages was six feet square and ten high ; the other was of
the same heighth and breadth, but only eight feet high.

56 Captivity among the Japanese.
In the latter were the sailors, and in the former, Moor,
Chleb Nikow, and I. The entrance to each of them was so
narrow that one was obliged to creep through it. The
door was made of thick beams and fastened by means of
a strong iron bolt, over which was a little opening through
which they put our food, when they gave it to us. The
wall of each cage, which was opposite that of the other,
was made of boards, so that we could not see the sailors
nor they us. Outside of the grating which formed one
side of the shed, was a sentry box, in which two soldiers
kept a continual watch. They could see us all, and did
not take their eyes off us for a single moment.
During the night they entered the shed every half hour,
walked around our cages and looked in through the bars.
From sunset until the break of day, numerous watchmen
went the rounds with lanterns, and struck the hours with
a couple of sticks.
At night our prison was still more dreary, for we had
neither light nor fire. A lamp set in a paper lantern,
burned in the guard-house, and threw a pale, sickly light
into the shed, which it would not have been sufficient to
illumine, under any circumstances. Except the scanty
portion which the rays of this light fell on, all the shed
was shrouded in impenetrable darkness. The rattling which
ensued from the opening and shutting of doors, whenever
the guards visited us, broke through the deep silence of
night, and added to the discomforts of our situation. It
was out of our power to enjoy a calm refreshing sleep, for
besides the noise, frightful phantoms of every kind drove
it away.

Captivity among the Japanese. 57
The shed, cages, guard-houses, and hedges, by which
they were surrounded, were all quite new, and had so
lately been finished, that the chips and shavings had not
yet been carried away. The building, which was large,
and made of beautiful wood, must have cost the Japanese
government no trifling sum ; greater indeed, we imagined,
than they would have devoted to such an object, had their
intention been soon to set us free. For a sojourn of two
or three years, they might easily have found some suita
ble building already constructed, and the security and
arrangements of this place, seemed to denote that it was
to be our abode for a long while, perhaps during life.
These reflections tormented us fearfully. For a long
while we sat silently gazing at each other, considering our
selves as victims to our own imprudence. On the fourth
day after our arrival at Matsmai, the Japanese took us
out of our cages, in order, as they told us, to present us
to the governor. We went bound in the old way, with
soldiers holding the ropes. The road to the fort was
through a dirty street, which they had povered with
boards, and as it commenced raining, they held umbrellas
over our heads. We were led into a roomy court-yard
within the fort, which was covered with pebbles, and were
placed in a row on a bench which stood within a small
building. After we had remained here about an hour, a
door was opened, and we were taken through a second
court into a third, where the soldiers who accompanied us,
laid aside their sabres, daggers, and the straw sandals
which they wore instead of shoes, and at the same time,
pulled off our boots. We were now taken into an immense

58 Captivity among the Japanese.
hall, the floor of which was covered with magnificently
worked carpets. The doors and windows were made of
beautiful wood elaborately carved. On the curtains which
according to the Japanese custom, formed the partition
walls between the rooms, and could be removed at pleas
ure, were paintings set in golden frames, and ornaments
representing beasts and birds. On both sides of the room
were seated Japanese officers, armed with swords and
daggers. They laughed and joked among themselves
until a noise was heard, and a voice cried, "Hush!"
when a deep silence prevailed.
A servant now entered the apartment, kneeled down at
the door, laid the palms of his hands on the ground, and
bowed his head. The governor then made his appearance,
clad in a plain black robe, on the sleeves of which was
embroidered his crest, as is customary in Japan. At his
girdle hung a dagger, but his sabre was carried by a ser
vant, who had it rolled up in a cloth, that his hands might
not touch it. After the governor had taken his seat, the
Japanese all made him a reverence, laying the palms of
their hands on the floor, and bowing so profoundly that
their foreheads touched it, in which position they remained
for several seconds. He replied to their salutation by
bowing low, his hands placed on his knees. We also
saluted him, in the European fashion, and he nodded his
head to us, smiling all the while, as if to assure us that
his intentions towards us were friendly.
He now drew from his bosom a sheet of paper, and
called over the names of each one of us, according to his
rank. We replied singly, by a bow, and each time he

Captivity among the Japanese. 59
bent his head. He then spoke to a man who was sitting
by his side, and who held the post of interpreter, and
commanded him to translate to us what he was about to
say. But this individual did not seem to have the slight
est knowledge of the Russian language, and began with
the words :
"lama man, thou art a man, another is a man, tell me
what kind of a man ?"
When we, astounded at the fellow's impudence, managed
to explain to them that we did not understand in the least
what he was trying to say, and the officers, after some
trouble, had made him confess that he did not know even
the commonest phrases in the Russian language, they
began to laugh, drove him away, and made use of our
interpreter, Alexis, who had hitherto remained a prisoner
with us. After an examination, during which the same
questions were put to us as had been formerly asked by
them, the governor, or " Bunjo," as the Japanese term him,
told us that if we had any request to make, we might
now do so.
"We wish only for two things," we replied-, "either to
return to our native land, or if that is impossible, to die."
At this unexpected declaration, the governor made a
long and earnest speech, in which he laid particular em
phasis on the fact that the Japanese were men, and had
feelings like the rest of mankind, and that, therefore, we
need not doubt them, nor have any fear, for as soon as it
was proved that it was not by the command of the Rus
sian Emperor, that our countrymen had committed violence
in Japanese territory, but of their own accord, we should

60 Captivity among the Japanese.
be sent home, abundantly supplied with all things neces
sary. Until that time, they would take care that we
wanted for nothing, and if we needed clothes or any thing
else, we must not be ashamed to ask for them.
The Bunjo then left us, and we returned to our cages
with the hope, at least, that through favorable circumstan
ces we might escape from our imprisonment.

From that day our food was greatly improved, for besides
the rice broth, and salt radishes, which they had hitherto
given us, we now received very good fresh and salt fish,
roasted or boiled in poppy-oil, soups made from different
kinds of savory herbs, or sea-muscles, and when the snow
began to fall, they shot sea-dogs, bears, and rabbits, for us,
and prepared under our direction, sometimes, a Russian
dish, namely, fish eaten with thin grits, and little barley-
cakes. Our food was brought to us three times a day.
For drink, we received warm and strong tea, and after any
fatiguing examination, they gave us two glasses of warm
beer, which they did also in cold weather. They also fur
nished us with furred coats, and night garments, and when
they found that it was not customary in Russia to spend
the night on the ground, they made us benches to sleep
upon. This amiable behavior, on the part of the Japanese, em
boldened us to ask one of the officers, who visited us,
whether it was not possible to have a window cut in the
back wall of the shed, so that we might be able to see the
sky and the tops of the trees. He did not refuse our

Captivity among the Japanese. 61
request, but examined the wall, asked us where we would
like to have it made, praised our choice, and went away.
We, of course, believed that our entreaty would be com
plied with, but we were very much mistaken, for when, a
few days afterwards, we repeated our. request, the officer
replied that the Japanese were very anxious about the
state of our health, and feared lest the north wind would
give us a cold; therefore, they deemed it more prudent
not to make a window.
As the autumn came on, and it grew more and more
unpleasant to hive in an open building, the Japanese, at
our earnest solicitation, pasted paper over the lattice work,
and made a window in the roof, which could be opened
and shut by means of ropes. Through this window we
saw the sky at times, which, in a situation like ours, was
a great comfort. Moreover, when it grew colder, they dug
a couple of holes in the ground, about two paces distant
from the cages, and having lined them with flag-stones,
filled them with sand. During the day they burnt char
coal on these hearths, and by sitting close to the grating,
we could warm ourselves without being within reach of
the coals.. After a few days, they gave us pipes with very
long stems, to the middle of which they tied wooden balls,
which were too large to be drawn through the pales. In
this way we could smoke the pipes, which they filled for
us, as often as we wished, without having the power to
draw them into our prisons. This mistrust of us, raised
our indignation to the highest pitch ; but when we expos
tulated with them, and told them, in the strongest terms,
what a horror and aversion the Europeans entertained for

62 Captivity among the Japanese.
suicide, they merely laughed, and appealed to their laws,
which enjoined on them the necessity of keeping from
their prisoners every thing with which they could hurt
either themselves or others. For this reason they would
never trust us with needles to mend our clothes, nor even
with a pair of scissors to cut our nails, obliging us to put
our hands through the bars of our cages, that the soldiers
might perform the operation for us.
In the beginning of our captivity, they had not allowed
us even to change our clothes or wash our shirts, but now
they provided us with water for that purpose, which
relieved one of our most pressing necessities. They also
invited us to get into a tub, in which water was warmed
by means of a pipe connecting with a little oven, and
wash ourselves. I took the lead, and we found that we
had all to bathe in the same water. This arrangement
displeased us not a little, as we held it to be treatment
unworthy of the commonest criminals. But we soon
were silent on this point, however, for to our great aston
ishment, we saw the soldiers who guarded us, follow our
example, and without adding a drop of fresh Water, use
the same that we had bathed in ! and these soldiers did
not by any means hold a low rank in society, but were
highly esteemed by their countrymen.
We had, in the meantime, by the command of the gov
ernor, by whose orders we were supplied with pen and
ink, and with the aid of several interpreters, prepared a
written defence which, when finished, we sent to him.
On the fifteenth of November, we were again led into the
fort, but this time with great rejoicing, and with the assu-

Captivity among the Japanese. 63
ranee that our affairs were prospering, and that our inno
cence was beginning to be universally acknowledged. The
Bunjo too declared that after our assertions, and written
defence, he now viewed the attack made on Japanese
property by the Russian vessel, in an entirely different
light, and that he was fully convinced of our entire inno
cence. It was true that he had not the disposing of us ;
that remained with the Emperor, but he would do all in
his power to bring our affairs to a happy termination. In
the meantime we must not be discouraged, but pray to
God. This reference to God, which the Bunjo never failed
to make when he examined us, always gave us pleasure,
for by it we recognized with joy, that the people into
whose power we were fallen, had at least some notion of a
Supreme being who cared for man.
After this the ropes were taken from us, at which all
the Japanese heartily rejoiced ; indeed, some were so much
moved as to have tears in their eyes. We thanked the
Bunjo and officers for their kindness, and for the first
time, returned unbound to our prison, where we found
every thing so altered that it was unaccountable to us,
how the Japanese had accomplished the work in so short
a space of time as that during which we were absent.
The lattice work of i our cages had been removed, and the
gloomy passage was transformed into a roomy and cheerful
apartment, in which we could all move about conveni
ently. Round a hearth on which was boiling tea in cop
per kettles, they had made a kind of wooden frame, on
which each of us found a cup, pipe, and tobacco pouch,

64 Captivity among the Japanese.
and instead of the oil lamp which had formerly given us
light, we were now treated to candles.
Hardly had we somewhat recovered from our astonish
ment, when some of the officers came with their children
to pay us a visit. They congratulated us on this happy
change in our condition, sat down with us by the fire,
smoked and chatted. In a word, we were no longer
treated as prisoners, but as guests. Our supper was now
brought to us, not as usual, in cups, but on new and hand
some plates. They gave us also, plenty of beer. The
hopes of again seeing our native land was awakened
within us anew, and this night was the first since our
imprisonment, in which we enjoyed a calm sleep.
But, alas our joy lasted only a few days. Old suspic
ions reviving, gradually made our situation worse and
worse. Our food was changed back to what it was for
merly, and nothing remained but the new dishes on which
they brought it to us. In the place of candles, the old
oil lamp went into service again, and the guards once more
hung up before our eyes the ropes which they had only a
little while before removed. Gradually we observed many
other indications that our affairs were again assuming a
serious aspect since the commander of Kumachir, who had
originally made us prisoners by treachery, arrived in
Matsmai. Our suspicions soon became certainty, for the Bunjo
ordered us to instruct a Japanese in the Russian language,
as they could not trust the interpreter whom we had for
merly employed. We refused for a long while to under
take this tedious task, but were at last obliged to do so, as

Captivity among the Japanese. 65
they told us very plainly that on it depended the possi
bility of our liberation. The Japanese had now an oppor
tunity of satisfying their curiosity, through our very
docile scholar, a scribe of the Bunjo's. They took unlim
ited advantage of this opportunity, to our great disgust
and vexation, Avhilst from them we could not get a word
as to the intention of their government towards us, nor
even whether a Russian vessel had arrived at Japan during
our absence, to demand our release. Every day our con
viction grew stronger, that nothing was further from their
thoughts than to liberate us, but that they were striving
by every means in their power to conceal from us our sad
fate, and we came to the conclusion that nothing was left
to us but flight.
VI.
We were, however, diverted from these thoughts by the
announcement that we were to change our quarters as
soon as the fine weather set in. Accordingly, on the first
of April, we were removed to a house which was some
distance off, and not far from the coast. Yet this was not
by any means the commencement of our final liberation,
but of a still longer imprisonment, though it was to be in
a milder form and more healthy place. At any rate, we
thus interpreted the remark of the commander-in-chief,
that we must now look upon the Japanese as brethren and
countrymen. However, we had so little desire to claim
any relationship that we set to work in earnest to make
preparations for a flight. The first thing we did was to
examine into the condition of our new abode.
5

66 Captivity among the Japanese.
The house in which we now found ourselves, lay near
the southern gate of the fort, between a wall and a steep
rock, at the foot of which lay the town. It was sur
rounded by a large court-yard and a high wooden fence.
Another fence divided the yard into two parts, of which
the one nearest the house was set apart for our own use.
As there were three or four trees in this enclosure, the
Japanese, when they were pointing out to us the advan
tages of our new residence, dubbed it a garden, but we
found that if we wished to get along without wounding
their vanity, we must call a pool of water that was in one
corner of it, " a lake," and a heap of mud in this pool,
"an island." This so-called garden was connected with
the other court, by means of a little door, which was
always kept shut, except when the captain of the guard
visited us, or we were permitted to take a walk, which
now frequently happened. A gate which was kept care
fully closed during the night, led from the second court
into the street. Our house was divided into two parts by
a lattice work which ran through it in the direction of the
fence separating the two court-yards, with one of which
each division was connected. In the first of these divis
ions were three chambers, separated from each other by
screens, which were appropriated to our use, and in the
second dwelt soldiers armed with guns, javelins, swords,
and daggers. In this way they could easily watch us, and
their commander generally sat by the lattice and looked
into our rooms. A gallery ran round our apartments,
from which we could look out upon the sea, and a shore
which lay opposite.

Captivity among the Japanese. 67
Our present habitation was in reality far better than the
former one, for we could now at least enjoy the sight of
the heavens, walk round the court-yard undisturbed, and
inhale the fresh air and cool breeze. Our food, also, was
much improved. Yet when we came to reflect on the last
words of the governor, we knew not whether to rejoice or
be sad. He had told us, in the plainest terms, to consider
the Japanese as brethren and countrymen, without striving
to cheer us, as he was wont to do, with the prospect of
returning to our native land. What could this mean, but
that we were now domiciliated in Japan, and must in
future give up all thoughts of returning home ? Yet we
were now more determined than ever, either to free our
selves by force, or escape on some favorable opportunity
offering. After mature deliberation, we determined on
attempting flight, hoping that ere our absence was dis
covered we should have time to reach some mountains,
in the north of the island, where we could lie concealed
until an opportunity offered of seizing some kind of a
vessel along the coast, in which we could make a journey
from island to island, and so reach the nearest Russian
port. Having thus made our plans, the first thing we
determined to do was to divert the attention of the Japan
ese from us, by assuming a cheerful demeanor, and suffer
ing no complaint to escape us. To our great joy, we were
successful. It is true that the soldiers, who mounted
guard, did not sleep at their posts during the night, but
they troubled themselves less about us than formerly, and
sat round the fire, smoking their pipes and playing at
draughts. The officer still went the rounds every half

68 Captivity among the Japanese.
hour, with his men, but he then sat down in a corner, and
amused himself by reading. In the meantime, we sought
to provide ourselves with such things as were indispensable
to our flight. Every day we put aside some of the rice
broth, which continued to be our usual food, and having
dried it during the night, put it into bags, which we tied
to our girdles, or under our arms. One day, whilst we
were walking outside of the town, one of the sailors found
a fire-steel. He immediately put his foot upon it, and
stooping down under pretence of pulling up his stocking,
slipped it into his pocket. We stole some flints from our
attendants, and made tinder by burning an old shirt.
" Necessity is the mother of invention," says an old prov
erb, which, in our case, spoke truly, for by untiring perse
verance we succeeded in constructing a compass, which,
though of course imperfect, answered every purpose. Af
ter many entreaties, we procured from our attendants a
couple of needles, under pretence of mending our clothes.
Pretending that we had lost them, we devoted them to the
manufacture of our compass. Through repeated rubbings
on a magnetic stone, which Chleb Nikow had found, and
which we kept carefully concealed in a corner of the yard,
we succeeded in rendering one of them magnetic, and then
fastened it to a little sheet of copper, which we loosened
from the roof of our house. We undertook, besides this,
to manufacture some weapons for our defence, in case of
need, and in this attempt fortune again favored us. We
found, among the grass in the court-yard, a large and
sharp chisel, which, most probably, the carpenters had
used in the construction of the house, and forgotten. We

Captivity among the Japanese. 69
put it carefully by, in order that we might fasten it to a
pole, and use it in the moment of our flight as a spear.
We found, also, a spade in the court, which we hid, that it
too might serve as a weapon. Besides this, the sailors, on
the night when we made the attempt, were to arm them
selves with some long poles, which had been used in dry
ing our clothes.
After we had finished our preparations, we noted care
fully, whenever we took a walk, the road and foot-path
which led to the mountains. On the twenty-third of
April, having gone farther than usual, we induced our
attendants, under the plea of curiosity, to show us a tem
ple, which lay directly in the way we must take in our
flight. Whilst we were gathering, as usual, leeks and
herbs for our own use, we observed accurately the whole
neighborhood, and then set out on our way home. When
we arrived there, we went to bed. A half an hour before
midnight, two of the sailors, who had taken a couple of
knives from the kitchen, which adjoined our rooms, slunk
into the garden just after the guard had made the twelfth
round," and hiding themselves under the steps, began dig
ging a hole under the hedge, whilst we put a bundle of
clothes into each of their beds, that it might appear as if
they were still there.
After they had happily finished their task, without
being discovered, we all went out, and one after the other
crept through the hole. When it came to my turn, I
stumbled, but got through, striking my knee, however, as
I did so, against a small post, which was nearly buried in
the ground. The blow was violent, but the pain soon dis-

70 Captivity among the Japanese.
appeared. We now found ourselves in a very narrow
footpath, between the hedge and the wall of the fort,
which we followed, and after some trouble, reached the
principal street of the town. We hastened along, keeping
among the trees, and at the end of a half hour found our
selves at the foot of a high mountain, which we were
obliged to ascend. VII.
We immediately began to climb up the hill, and en
deavored, as far as possible, by means of the stars, our
only guides, to direct our course due north. By the time
we had reached the first eminence, I felt a stinging pain
in my knee, which suddenly swelled up so much, and put
me into such agony, that I could proceed only with the
greatest difficulty. My companions, therefore, to my great
vexation and concern, were obliged to halt every little
while, that I might recover myself, and ease my injured
limb. Our intention was to reach, before day-break, that por
tion of the hill which was covered with trees, in order to
secure ourselves against the first attempts which the Jap
anese, who we now considered as our mortal enemies,
might make to capture us. In our walks through the
valleys which surrounded the town, these woods had not
appeared to us to be very far off, but we saw now how
much we had been deceived. One of the footpaths which
we had remarked during the day as leading directly to
them, we were unable to find in the thick darkness, which
shrouded from our view objects only a few paces distant.

Captivity among the Japanese. 71
The only resource left to us was to keep ascending,
which the unevenness of the soil, covered as it was with
brushwood, rendered tedious and difficult. After three
painful hours passed in this way, we came at last to the
highest ridge of the mountain, and now imagined that we
could go forward on the high level ground, without any
great exertion. But fate had many obstacles and much
trouble in store for us, that we knew not of. We had now
got to a part of the mountain which in many places was
covered with snow, and as we did not wish our trail to be
visible to the Japanese, we were obliged to go first to the
one side and then to the other, and often had to retrace
our steps. In this way we expended our strength, and
made very little progress. An hour before day-break, we
struck on a broad road, which led towards the north, and
which was firm and almost free from snow. As we knew
that we could now go on without the fear of leaving our
foot-prints visible, we rejoiced not a little, and redoubled
our speed. I still felt much pain in my knee and leg, but
as we were now on level ground, it was not to be com
pared to what I endured whilst ascending the mountain.
We believed that we must now reach the wood in a very
short time, and had made up our minds to rest in one of
its thickets, when suddenly a sailor who chanced to look
back, exclaimed, " They are coming after us on horseback,
with lanterns !" and immediately sprang into an opening
by the road side. Startled by this exclamation, we looked
round, and perceived some lights which seemed to be sap-
idly approaching us. Seeing that there was no time to be
lost, we followed the sailor's example. For a long way

72 Captivity among the Japanese.
the road led us down the mountain, without their being
either tree or bush to afford us shelter, or screen us from
our pursuers. Soon the day began to break. If there
had been more light at that moment, the Japanese must
inevitably have seen us from the surrounding heights, as
there was nothing which could hide us from their sight.
At length we reached the bottom of the ravine, which
was surrounded by naked rocks. Deep snow covered it,
and we could not find a single place where we could hide.
It was now broad day, and we stood still for a moment,
looking vainly in every direction, and much perplexed to
know what to do. At length we discovered in the rocks
an opening, which on examination, turned out to be a
cave, but so small as to be hardly able to contain us all.
Close to it was a water-fall, which coming down from the
mountain, had hollowed out in the snow, directly before
the entrance, a pit some ten feet deep. By the aid of a
little tree we climbed into this cave, in which, however,
we could not sit down, but were obliged to stand upright,
squeezed together in a most uncomfortable way. As the
bottom of our hiding-place was shelving, and covered with
loose stones, we were obliged to change our positions with
the greatest caution, for fear of rolling out, and in order
to rest ourselves, we leaned first on one elbow and then
on the other. However, we were now tolerably secure,
for the cave could not be seen by any one who was not
close to it.
We remained in this position until sunset, consulting,
with drooping courage, on the best way to save ourselves.
The day was clear and warm, but the rays of the sun did

Captivity among the Japanese. 73
not penetrate into the ravine, and the water-fall made the
air so cold that our teeth absolutely chattered. We heard
plainly the strokes of an axe in the surrounding forest,
and as we ventured out in the evening, saw people on the
mountains. Suddenly we heard a rushing sound as if
some one was sliding down the mountain towards us. It
came nearer and grew louder, and we thought that we
should now soon see the soldiers who were seeking us.
We prepared ourselves for a struggle, when behold a wild
stag appeared, and as soon 'as he saw us, dashed quickly
away. As soon as the stars began to appear, we left our incon
venient hiding-place, and climbed up a high mountain,
which in many places was overgrown with brushwood.
' My situation was now really dreadful. While in the cave
I had held my leg in one position, and consequently, felt
no great pain, but it returned as soon as I began to walk,
and soon became almost intolerable. As we had still to
cross many mountains, and in our case great haste was
necessary, I saw clearly that I was keeping back my com
rades, and most likely would be the cause of their re-cap
ture. I, therefore, implored them to leave me to my fate,
and think only of their own safety. But my entreaties
had no effect on them whatever, except to render them
most determined not to leave me. They swore they
would stay by me whilst life remained, and that they
were perfectly willing to rest whenever I wished it. More
over, Makarov, the strongest of the sailors, entreated
me to let him help me along, which he could do, if I would
go behind him, and hold fast to his girdle. On hearing

74 Captivity among the Japanese.
this I determined to remain with my companions and
allow myself to be dragged along by them.
After we had gone some distance from them, over rocky
cliffs, and through deep ravines, we came to a couple of
huts, from which came a whistling noise, such as, with us,
the people use to charm quails, in order to capture them.
We stooped down among the grass, and listened for a long
while, in order to find out whether it came from a bird, or
whether there were people in the huts. As it was not
likely that many persons dwelt in such an out of the way
place, we took courage, and went up to them ; but when
we drew near, we found out that what we had taken for
huts, were in reality two heaps of wood. As we had not
been able to gain a moment's rest during the preceding
day, we laid ourselves down on this spot, where we were
protected from the wind and cold, and slept for two or
three hours. Greatly refreshed, we started again on our
journey, and by daybreak reached the top of a high moun
tain, which was covered with thick brushwood, and which
far out-topped the surrounding hills. Here we determined
to pass the day. As at sunrise a thick fog covered the
tops of the mountains, we ventured to make a fire among
the bushes to warm our limbs, stiffened with wet and cold.
We placed on it a tea kettle, which, however, was not for
the purpose of preparing tea, a luxury by no means within
our reach, but to warm our dry and mouldy rice, in order
to render it palatable. We searched, also, for wild herbs,
but nothing eatable was to be found any where, for on the
heights winter reigned despotic. We melted some snow
for a drink, and made a meal of our rice, which was

Captivity among the Japanese. 75
already nearly putrid. In the meantime, black clouds
were rising in the east, the wind howled through the trees,
and every thing indicated that a storm was fast approach
ing. As we concluded that none of the Japanese would
venture among the mountains in such weather as this, we
determined not to wait for the approach of night, but to
continue our journey during the day. After we had passed
through a deep ravine, and waded through a stream of
Water, the road again led us up the mountain, and we had
already reached a tolerable height, when suddenly a high
and steep rock towered up directly in front of us, which
could not be ascended without great difficulty and danger,
and yet there was no way of avoiding it. Up we went, I
holding fast to the girdle of Makarov, who had nearly
reached the top, when he was obliged to free himself from
my grasp, in order to climb up a very steep part of the
rock just at the top. I braced the toes of my uninjured
foot against a projecting stone, wound my right arm round
a young tree, which curved up from below, and in this
position waited until Makarov had reached the summit,
from which he could assist me to mount up to him. But
this Hercules of a man was now so fatigued and overcome
that he had hardly strength to swing himself to the top of
the rock, where he lay as if dead. At this moment the
stone, against which I was resting, gave way, and rolled
down the mountain, leaving me swinging by one hand, and
totally unable, on account of the smoothness of the rock,
to get a resting place for my feet. The other sailors, it is
true, were not far from me, but they were all so fatigued
as to be totally unable to come to my assistance. In this

76 Captivity among the Japanese.
fearful situation I passed several minutes, and my hand
began to pain me so intolerably that I was tempted to let
go my hold, and have my sufferings ended by being dashed
to pieces on the rocks, a hundred fathoms below me.
But at this moment Makarov recovered himself, and
seeing the danger I was in, prepared to help me. He
braced his left foot- against a stone, which projected from
the rock directly opposite to my breast, grasped the
branches of the tree to which I was clinging, and let me
seize his girdle with my unoccupied hand. Then, with a
great exertion of strength, he dragged me to his side, and
again fell back almost senseless. Had the stone, on which
he stood, given way, or the bough he grasped broken, we
should both have been inevitably dashed to the ground.
After we had rested for some time on the top of the rock,
we continued our fatiguing journey until nightfall. We
then encamped on a part of the mountain which was over
grown with reeds, and immediately made a fire to prepare
our evening meal, which this time consisted of wild leeks
and other herbs, collected along the banks of the stream
we had waded through. We then dried our clothes, and
lay down to rest in a tent hastily constructed of reeds.
Want of sleep, and the great fatigue we had undergone,
soon closed our eyes, and we slept soundly. After a few
hours I awoke, and found the hut so uncomfortably hot
that I went out into the open air. I leaned against a tree
which grew near by, and thought over our probable fate.
The sublime picture of nature first attracted my atten
tion. The sky was clear, but below us and among the
mountains rolled dark masses of clouds ; it was most prob-

Captivity among the Japanese. 77
ably raining in the valleys. The snow which lay on
the mountains glittered brightly in the distance, and never
before had I seen the stars shine forth so clearly as they
did on that night. A death-like silence prevailed, or was
broken only by the sighing of the breeze as it swept softly
by. But the beauty and sublimity of this spectacle sud
denly vanished, as the thoughts of our situation came
thronging upon me, clothed with the most fearful shapes.
Six men on one of the highest of the Japanese mountains,
without sufficient food, clothing, or even weapons to defend
themselves from the attacks of wild animals ; possessing
neither knowledge nor ability to construct any kind of a
vessel in which they might escape, and one of them, more
over, with a wounded leg, which at every step, pained him
dreadfully. When I thought of this, our helpless posi
tion, my feelings bordered on despair. Whilst I was occu
pied with these sad thoughts, some of my companions
awoke, and their sighs and prayers affected me so deeply
that I forgot myself, and shed scalding tears. In this way
an hour passed by, but the cold night air finally forced me
to seek shelter in the hut, where I lay down, but not to
sleep. VIII.
As the road over these high mountains was filled with
difficulties and danger, we now determined to direct our
steps towards the coast, creeping along during the day
and hiding by night in the woods and among the hills.
As we were descending from the heights we suddenly
caught sight of some mounted soldiers, who were on the

78 Captivity among the Japanese.
same road which we were travelling, and coming directly
towards us. We immediately crept into a hollow, and
hid among some bushes. The soldiers, fortunately, rode
by without perceiving us, but we now saw plainly enough
how vigilant our pursuers were. We grew bolder, how
ever, and on the following night, passed through a village,
in order to take a look at a couple of boats which we saw
lying on the shore near to it. We found 'that they were
in good condition, but much too small for us to trust our
selves in on the open sea.
During the day as we lay concealed in a thicket, we
prepared every thing that was necessary for the success of
our anticipated flight. We sewed two of our shirts
together for a sail, and made all the necessary rigging of
some ropes, which we had brought with us. From one of
our hiding-places we remarked at one time, that a large
Japanese vessel, which was sailing along the coast, had cast
anchor near to a neighboring village, and we determined
to surprise and capture it during the night. By good for
tune we passed through the village undiscovered, and were
close to the vessel, when suddenly it weighed anchor and
sailed away. We gazed after it for a while, and then sor
rowfully pursued our way along the shore.
After having ventured into the village for several nights
without accomplishing our purpose, we were at last dis
covered on the morning of the first of May, as we were
returning rather late, by a woman who was standing on
one of the surrounding heights. She immediately beck
oned in every direction to give notice of the discovery she
had made. We saw immediately that no time was to be

Captivity among the Japanese. 79
lost, and fled into a ravine that we might hide ourselves
among the bushes. Unluckily, before we could reach a
place of concealment, we found ourselves surrounded by a
crowd of people who raised a loud cry. I and Makarov,
my inseparable attendant, took refuge in a thicket, but soon
being unable to go farther, we lay down and waited the
result of the affair. To our great astonishment, instead
of our pursuers being the country people, as we imagined,
we perceived several well armed soldiers, and an officer
on horseback.
Our companions were immediately surrounded and forced
to surrender, and from our hiding-place we could plainly
see how the Japanese bound their hands behind their
backs, inquired from them where we were, and led them
towards the shore, whilst some of them commenced an
active search after us.
" What shall we do now ?" asked Makarov, trembling
with fear.
" Perhaps," replied I, " the Japanese will not find us to
day, in which case, as soon as it grows dark, we will steal
along the coast, capture a boat, and sail from island to
island, until we reach the nearest Russian port."
Makarov agreed to my proposition, but we did not
reflect that every thing necessary for such an undertaking,
which we had prepared with so much trouble, had fallen
into the hands of the Japanese, with our companions.
Whilst we were yet discussing the possibility of flight,
four of our pursuers, two of whom were armed with
spears, and the other two with sabres, came directly
towards us, searching even nooks and corners, where a dog

80 Captivity among the Japanese
could hardly hide. I now took in my hand the pole with
the chisel fastened to it ; but Makarov, with tears in his
eyes, begged me not to defend myself, or injure any of the
Japanese, for if I did so I would ruin not only us two, but
all my companions, whilst by a voluntary surrender, we
might all perhaps be saved. These words made such
a deep impression on me, that I immediately struck
my spear in the ground, and walked out followed by
Makarov. The Japanese were so startled at our sudden appear
ance, that they stept backwards a few paces ; but when
they saw that we were unarmed, they grew bolder, ad
vanced towards us, seized us, bound our hands behind our
backs, and led us towards a house which stood on the sea
shore. Here we found the rest of our party, who had
already been taken. Our captors now treated us to rice-
broth, herrings, radishes, tea, and sago. Not the slightest
injury did they do us, nor even bestow a single invective
on us, either whilst they were taking us to the house, or
after we got there. On the contrary, when they remarked
that I limped and walked with difficulty, two of them took
me by the arms, and assisted me over the hills and dan
gerous places. After resting here for an hour, they bound
our hands, as they had formerly done, and led us along
the sea shore under a strong escort, back to Matsmai.
We remarked that the Japanese had stuck little staves
in our footprints, wherever we had gone during the night,
and we learnt from them that they had never once lost
sight of our trail. Indeed, they had often seen us, and
had watched us when we slept or took our frugal meals.

Captivity among the Japanese. 81
Why they had never seized us, we could not imagine.
Perhaps, with their well known cowardice, they feared
lest we might defend ourselves, and kill some of them. As
often as we passed through a valley, the inhabitants flocked
out of their houses to see us, but to their credit be it
said, that we never received from them the slightest injury
nor even a mocking word. They all regarded us with
pity, and some of the women, who gave us food and drink,
wept ! So much good feeling was displayed by a people,
that we enlightened Europeans consider rude and inhu
man ! The leader of our escort, however, was far less
obliging and polite to us than the Japanese officers had
formerly been. Although there was no lack of horses in
the neighborhood, we were obliged to walk, and were no
longer carried over streams of water, but forced to wade
through them. When it rained, too, they did not hold
umbrellas over us, but covered us with mats. We soon
became very much fatigued, especially I, for the pain in
my leg grew more violent every moment. During that
night, which was unusually dark, they led us along with
the greatest caution. We walked in single file, and before
each of us, as also before the leader of the band, a lantern
was carried. Men, too, with lights in their hands, went
before, and came after the procession. Near steep cliffs,
and deep ravines, a crowd of people, who had been sum
moned from the neighboring villages to attend us on our
journey back to Matsmai, shook out bundles of straw,
which they carried, and set fire to them, so that it was as
bright as day. Had an European seen our train in the
distance, he would have imagined that we were carrying
6

82 Captivity among the Japanese.
along the mortal remains of some distinguished man.
On the third of May, we arrived at Matsmai, and halted
before the gates of the town. An imperial officer immedi
ately made his apppearance, and without saying a word
began thoroughly to search us. We remarked to him that
he might save himself the trouble, as he would find
nothing on us.
" I know that very well," replied he, coolly, " but the
laws of Japan require it."
As soon as he had performed his duty, the soldiers who
accompanied us put on their city clothing, and with slow
and weary steps we took our way back into the town.
The officer who had taken us prisoners, rode a horse richly
caparisoned with silk, and looked round on all sides with
the air of a proud victor, returning laden with the spoils
of conquest, and who, for his heroic deeds, claimed laurels
and thanks from his countrymen. The crowd of specta
tors was immense, and as it rained, and they all carried
umbrellas, the sight was a strange one.
IX.
We were taken directly to the castle. Formerly we had
always worn our caps until we entered the court, but now
we were obliged to take them off at the castle gates. After
being taken into an ante-chamber, and treated to rice-broth,
salted radishes, and tea without sugar, they led us into
the judgment hall, where the officers had already assem
bled, and where the governor soon afterwards made his
appearance. There was not the slightest change visible in

Captivity among the Japanese. 83
his countenance ; he seemed as pleasant and unruffled as
ever, and showed no displeasure at our behavior. As soon
as he had taken his seat, he inquired, with his accustomed
good humor, what were the motives of our flight ? I re
marked to him that I wished, first of all, to declare that I
alone was responsible for the course we had pursued, and
that it was against their will that my companions had
obeyed my orders ; if they had refused to do so, they
would be liable to severe penalties, if we ever returned to
our native land. Therefore, though the Japanese should
kill me, they ought not to harm a hair of their heads.
The Bunjo replied, in the coolest manner possible, that if
the Japanese considered it necessary to take my life, they
could so without my putting them in mind of the fact ; if,
on the contrary, they did not deem it advisable to do so,
all my entreaties would avail nothing. He then repeated
his question.
" We fled," replied I, " because we had not the slightest
prospect of ever being set free ; on the contrary, every day
showed us more clearly that the Japanese were determined
never to release us."
"Who told you that ? Have I ever hinted to\ you that
we would always hold you prisoners ?"
" The orders from the capital," replied I, " forboded no
good." " Whence do you know that ?"
" The officer here present, whom we instructed in the
Russian language, gave us good ground to suppose so."
The governor now addressed several questions to this
officer, which we understood no better than his answers ;

84 Captivity among the Japanese.
we saw only that he was not a little embarrassed, and
grew red and white by turns.
The governor now turned to us again and commanded
us to give him the history of our flight, without omitting
the most trivial circumstance. We were obliged to tell
him where we were each day, and make a sketch of several
localities, concerning which he seemed to be in some
doubt. After he had demanded of us whether some of the
guards and servants had not been privy to and aided our
escape, he inquired in an earnest manner, what was the
precise object of our flight.
" To return to our native land," replied we.
" How would it have been possible to have carried out
this project ?"
" We intended to capture a boat somewhere along the
coast, and venture in it to the nearest Russian port."
" Could you not have guessed that as soon as your escape
was known, orders would be given immediately, to watch
the coast and especially all vessels."
" Yes, we expected that, but in the course of time our en
terprise might have succeeded when we least expected it."
" But," continued the governor, " you saw in your for
mer journeys, that the land was covered with mountains,
among which it is very difficult to travel, and that along
the coast lie numberless villages, which would render
escape almost impossible. Your undertaking was thought
less and childish."
" And yet," replied I, " for six nights we wandered
along the shore, and through these villages, without being
discovered by any one. At any rate, we would leave no

Captivity among the Japanese. 85
plan untried, let it be as thoughtless, or even desperate as
it may, to escape from our miserable lot, and as we had
an eternal imprisonment hovering over us, we determined
either to reach our homes, or find a grave among the
mountains or beneath the waves."
" Why was it necessary to go into the woods or on the
sea in order to die, when, you could do it very easily here ?"
" That would have been suicide, but if we venture our
lives to win our freedom, we could rely on the aid of God,
and perhaps gain our end."
"Had you succeeded, what would you have said in
Russia, concerning the Japanese ?"
" All that we have heard or seen, without adding or
concealing any thing."
" Do not you know that if you had escaped, the gov
ernor, and several other officers would have lost their
lives in consequence."
" We could well imagine that the guards would not
have escaped punishment, as that is customary in Europe, ,
but we were not aware that the Japanese laws were so
cruel as to condemn innocent persons to death."
" Is there a law in Europe which allows a prisoner to
escape ?"
" There is certainly no written law, but if he has not
pledged his word of honor, it is allowable for him to seize
on any favorable opportunity for flight."
With this equivocal explanation, the examination
ended, and the Governor now made a long speech, in
which he said : If we were Japanese, and had secretly left
our prison, the consequences for us would have been very

86 Captivity among the Japanese.
serious; but as we were foreigners, and not acquainted
with the Japanese laws, and had, moreover, no object in
view which was injurious to the Japanese, but were influ
enced solely by a desire to see again our native land, which
is dearest to every man ; therefore, his good opinion of us
remained unchanged. It was true that he could not
answer for the light in which the government would regard
our flight, but he would still hold himself devoted to our
interests, and endeavor to get permission for us to return
to Russia ; but until our affairs were settled, we must,
according to the Japanese laws, return to prison, and be
more carefully guarded than before.
After the governor had finished his speech, he left the
hall, whilst we were immediately bound, and led to a
prison, which, like our former ones, consisted of cages. I
was put into a small one, whilst my companions were con
fined together in one of a large size. They stood, how
ever, so near together, that we could converse very easily.
Our food was now given to us with a very sparing hand,
and the sailors continually complained of hunger. After
supper, which we ate about four o'clock, our prison was
shut up, and as the walls were made of boards, instead of
lattice work, not a ray of light reached us after that hour.
As soon as it struck six o'clock, the guards came to exam
ine us, which they did very thoroughly, and if we were
asleep woke us, to answer to our names. On the fourth
of May, we were again led into the hall, at day-break,
where, as I received many hints, something very import
ant was this time to be determined. When we had taken
our places on the benches, which were prepared for us,

Captivity among the Japanese. 87
they unloosened our hands, but did not remove from our
waists the rope, which we were led by. The governor
now repeated the questions he had before asked us, and
had the answers we gave, carefully explained. But now
came the most important question, which was, whether I
considered my conduct as right or wrong, and whether I
thought I had acted properly towards the Japanese or not.
" The Japanese," replied I, " forced us to the course we
took, by first taking us prisoners by stratagem, and then
refusing to give credence to our assertions.'
The governor appeared very much astonished at my
words ; the capturing of us, he said, was now a by-gone af
fair, about which it was useless to say any thing ; he merely
wished to know whether I considered myself innocent or
guilty, as in the former case he could not lay our case
before the Emperor. All the objections I made, did no
good ; they only made him angry, and he kept repeating
the same question. At last as I began to see what he was
aiming at, and that he only had our interests in view, I
frankly confessed that we had not acted rightly, and that
our conduct merited punishment. He seemed very well
satisfied with this confession of mine, and we were told
that our affairs were prospering.
We were now led back to the house, where we had
dwelt before our flight, and treated. very well. Besides
our usual fare, they gave us tea, and very good tobacco,
and provided us, too, with combs, handkerchiefs, and also
curtains, to protect us against the gnats, which were very
troublesome. Besides these marks of good-will, they gave
us some Russian books to read, and pens, ink, and paper;

88 Captivity among the Japanese.
but when we expressed a wish to learn to write the Jap
anese tongue, they told us that their laws expressly for
bade them to teach Christians their language. We never,
however, received permission to take walks again, but in
order that we might enjoy the fresh air, the governor
ordered the doors of our dwelling to be left open from
morning until evening.
In this manner, with all our wants gratified, but with
time hanging heavy on our hands, we lived until the sixth
of September. On that day we were again conducted to
the castle, and received the joyful intelligence that the
Diana was again at Kumachir, and treating with the Jap
anese government for our liberation. Our joy, however,
was of short duration, for we received information in a
letter from the commander of the vessel, that in order to
satisfy the Japanese, he was obliged to return to Russia to
procure from the government the required avowal, that the
acts of violence perpetrated in Japanese* territory, was done
without their knowledge or consent. We were, therefore,
obliged to remain for another year, but during that time we
were treated with the greatest consideration.
In September following, word was brought to us that
a Russian vessel had again arrived in the Japanese wa
ters, and a few days afterwards we were informed that the
negotiations had been successfully terminated, and that
we would soon begin our journey to Khakodade. From
this time forward, we were most hospitably entertained.
Several officers, with their children, visited us, and heart
ily wished us joy at our liberation. The mayor of the
town, also came to see us, and presented us with a beauti-

Captivity among the Japanese. 89
fully lacquered casket, filled with confectionary, as a token
of remembrance. On the following morning, amid the
rejoicing of the inhabitants, we left Matsmai, and after a
journey of three days, reached Khakodade, where the
Diana soon afterwards arrived, accompanied by a multi
tude of Japanese boats, tastefully ornamented.
On the morning of the fifth of October, an officer, in the
most respectful manner, presented me with my hat and
sword, which, during our imprisonment, had been care
fully preserved. I was, however, obliged to dress myself
as the Japanese wished, namely, in a jacket, and wide
breeches of costly silk, which had been made expressly for
the occasion- The hat and sword must have made this
dress appear strange enough in the eyes of Europeans, but
as it was all the same to the Japanese, and since they had
returned our arms, they had ceased to regard us as pris
oners. I willingly complied with their wishes, and deter
mined to present myself before my countrymen, in a
costume in which they would have some difficulty in recog
nizing me.
As every thing was ready for our departure, we went
down to the shore, accompanied by the governor and all
the officers. Here we found a magnificently decorated
barge waiting for us, in which we embarked, after having
taken leave of a crowd of people, who wished us a pleas
ant journey. A multitude of boats, laden with every
thing belonging to us, and numerous presents besides, shot
from the shore, and accompanied us to the vessel.
On board the Diana, the officers and men received us
with a joy which only brothers or bosom friends feel under

90 Captivity among the Japanese.
such circumstances. As for ourselves, when after an im
prisonment of two years, two months, and twenty-six
days, we again found ourselves on board an imperial ves
sel of war, and surrounded by our countrymen, we felt
what can only be felt, and not described. On the tenth
of October we weighed anchor, and with a favorable wind
left the land of our sufferings, whose inhabitants, never
theless, we had learned to esteem and love.
So ends the narrative of Golownin. He resumed the
command of his vessel, sailed for Kamtschatka, and from
there went to St. Petersburg, where he and his rescued
companions were richly rewarded by the Emperor.

By the orders of the British government, I cruised for
a season in the Cuban waters, for the express purpose of
aiding in the suppression of the slave trade, which, in
spite of all treaties and efforts to put an end to it, was
still carried on with the most unblushing boldness. I had
under my command a small, but well armed schooner, with
a crew of picked men, and sailed for my destination with
the most positive orders to sink or capture all suspected
vessels. We cruised about for some time without making
any prizes, and the weary and monotonous life I led,
became almost unbearable to me, driving me from the
cabin to the deck, and from the deck to the cabin, seeking
in vain for some relief from the ennui I suffered.
One very dark evening, it might have been about eight
o'clock, I went on deck depressed in spirits, and completely
out of sorts. Here I found Timothy Tailtackle, who had
the watch, gazing into the surrounding darkness so intently
that he did not perceive me until I was standing close to
him. " Any thing in sight, Master Tailtackle ?" asked I,
eagerly. " Not exactly, sir, but I have just been begging for your
glass. See there ! once, twice ; but it is as dark as pitch.
(91)

92 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.v
Pray, sir, tell me how far are we from the Hole in the
Wall?" The Hole in the Wall is a very remarkable rock form
ing the southern promontory of the island of Abaco, one
of the Bahamas. As its name signifies, it resembles,
either, from the action of the waves, or from the cannona-
dings it has received, a perforated wall. It rises some
forty feet above the surface of the water.
" We are ten miles distant, at least," said I.
" Then," cried Tailtackle, in a sharp tone, " there must
be a sail to windward, and not far off either." ,
" Where ?" asked I, eagerly ; " quick, get my glass."
" Here it is, sir."
" Let me see, then."
I looked through the glass until my eyes ached, but as
I could perceive nothing, I resumed my walk on deck,
satisfied in my own mind that Timothy had been mis
taken. The latter, however, continued to look through
the glass, and when I approached him, a few minutes
afterwards, said :
" Well, sir, now that it brightens a little, I see what it
is that has been puzzling me."
" The deuce you do ! give me the glass." In a moment
I saw it also.
" By Jove, Tailtackle, you're right. Send the men to
their posts, get the long guns ready, and clear the deck for
action." These orders of mine quickly changed our hitherto
quiet vessel into a scene of bustle and confusion. I kept
my eyes steadily fixed on the object which had attracted

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 93
the watchful gaze of Timothy Tailtackle, but all that I
could make out was that it was a strange sail. On account
of the distance, and unusual darkness of the night, I could
distinguish neither its size nor rig. All this time a fine
breeze was driving us rapidly towards the coast of Cuba.
" Give the glass to the boatswain, Master Tailtackle,
and come forward here."
The long gun was now swung round, and the other
pieces run into the opened ports. They were all double
shotted and carefully primed, and the whole crew, even to
a negro we had on board, stood at their posts ready for
action. " I see her now, sir, plain enough," cried Tailtackle.
" Good ! What does she look like ?"
" A large brig, sir, hard up against the wind. You can
see her now without the glass."
I looked in the direction indicated by Tailtackle, and
sure enough, there was a dark mass towering above the
surface of the water, dim and black like a spirit from the
deep. " She's a large vessel, sir," said Tailtackle, " there's no
doubt of that ; there goes her lower sails, and now they're
furling her top-sail ; ha ! she's crossing our bows ; look
out, sir, here comes a shot."
" The devil !" ejaculated I. I now saw the vessel plain
enough, scudding before the wind.
" Keep her close to the wind — ease her a little — that's
right — now give that fellow a shot across his bows — we'll
find out what he's made of. Eeefpoint," continued I, to
one of the midshipmen, " show our signal."

94 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
" Aye, aye, sir."
The shot was fired and the lights shown, but still our
ghostly friend remained silent and dark.
" Scarfemwell," said I to the gunner, " go forward to the
long gun ; Tailtackle, I've no great liking for that chap,
open the magazine."
The stranger had now neared us considerably, and he
shortened sail ; but when he found that his endeavors to
cross our bows in order to rake us, were unsuccessful, as
we ran with him before the wind, broadside to broadside,
he hastily let go his topsail, as he was now not more than
a cable's length from us. At this moment, Tailtackle, in
his shirt, pantaloons, and shoes, put his head out of the
hatchway, and said :
" If I might advise, sir, I think we had better keep our
hatches down ; that fellow is not honorable, depend upon
it, sir."
"Very well, Tailtackle, very well. Forward there,
Master Jigmaree; give him a shot, if he won't speak,
right between the masts, sir. Do you hear ?"
" Aye, aye, sir," answered the boatswain.
" Fire."
The gun was discharged, and immediately we heard the
crashing of timbers on board the stranger, accompanied by
a piercing cry, such as a negro makes at the death of his
companions, and then came a long and doleful howl.
"A slaver, sir, and our shot has struck him," cried
Handlead, the gunner.
" Then we shall have a little sport," remarked I. Hardly
had I spoken, when the brig again shortened sail, and fired

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 95
a shot from her bows ; then came another, and another,
and another.
" She shows a good set of teeth," cried Jigmaree ; " nine
on a side, as I am a living sinner '."
Three of the shots struck us, mortally wounding a
sailor, and injuring the poor little midshipman, Eeefpoint,
who was hit by a splinter.
" Steady, men — aim low — fire !"
Again the long gun was discharged, together with two
smaller pieces. But our friend was too nimble for us ; he
crowded on sail, and escaped in spite of our efforts to over
take him. In less than an hour we lost sight of him.
" Crowd on sail, and after him, Master Jigmaree," said
I ; but as I feared lest he might lead us too near the coast,
I went down into the cabin to consult the chart.
II.
In the cabin I found Wagtail, Gelid, and Bangs, three
British officers, stationed at the West Indies, capital fel
lows, who finding their time hang heavy on their hands,
had procured leave of absence, and accompanied me in my
cruise, which though somewhat dangerous it is true, still
offered occasional opportunities of amusement. They were
sitting round a small table, smoking, and before them
stood glasses of brandy and water.
"Something of a fight, eh?" said Paul Gelid, a long-
limbed Creole from the Bahamas, but a warm-hearted,
honorable fellow, with a drawling voice. " Not very
pleasant in the evening, I should say."
"You're a pretty fellow," retorted Aaron Bangs, "to be

96 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
plaguing us with your chatter at such an unseasonable
moment as this."
> Bangs had been an active and brave officer, but ease
and comfort was every thing to him, and when he could
not fight, he did not like to hear it spoken of.
Pepperpot Wagtail was a little round fellow, of an irri
table temperament, but great goodness of heart, and very
scrupulous in his dealings with mankind. He had been
sick and had come on board in order to recruit his health.
I do not know how to describe his appearance better than
to compare him to an egg, to the large end of which, his
little feet were fastened.
" My dear sir," he said to Bangs, " reach me that cursed
biscuit." Bangs gave him the bowl, throwing into it some pieces
of biscuit which were as hard as stones.
All this time I was occupied with my chart. Wagtail
took a piece of the biscuit and put it into his mouth.
" Zounds ! my dear Aaron," cried he, ironically, " what
dentist are you in league with ? Gelid has just broken off
his favorite tooth, and now you want" —
" Bah !" replied Bangs, " don't frighten yourself; but
what the deuce is this ? Wagtail, Gelid, my dear fellows,
look here !"
A sailor, who was followed by the ship's surgeon,
brought down on his back, the poor fellow who had been
wounded, and laid him on the table. I must here remark
that the captain's cabin in small vessels is sometimes used
as a cockpit, as it now was.
" Your pardon, captain and gentlemen," said the surgeon,

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 97
"but I must, I fear, perform an ugly operation on this poor
lad, and I think it better that you should go on deck."
I had now an opportunity of seeing what kind of mettle
my friends were made of.
" Doctor," said Bangs, " pulling off his coat, " I can be
of use, I know very well — no skill, but firm nerves."
" And I," cried Wagtail, " can tie a bandage, although I
am not a surgeon."
Gelid said nothing, but when it came to the pinch was
the most useful of all. The wounded lad Wiggins, a fine
young man, was weak and very pale; but bold as a lion.
A cannon shot had shivered the bone of his leg just above
the knee. Round his thigh was a tourniquet, and in con
sequence he did not bleed much.
" Captain," said the poor boy, I shall get over this. I
have no great pain, sir ; I have not indeed."
All this time the surgeon was cutting his pantaloons
from his leg, and now a shocking sight presented itself to
our view. The foot and leg were blue and shrivelled, and
connected with the thigh by only a small ligament ; the
knee pan too was shattered. The doctor made the young
man swallow a glass of brandy, containing a strong dose
of opium, and then began to amputate the limb above the
knee. As long as the knife was used, Aaron remained
firm, but when the saw grated against the bone, he mur
mured with a shudder :
" I'm going on deck captain : I can't stand this — I'm
sick as a dog."
He was so weak that I released him and took his place,
holding Wiggins in my arms. Wagtail, too, was soon
7

98 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
obliged to beat a retreat, but Gelid remained firm as a
rock. The leg was amputated, the arteries tied, and the
surgeon busy in loosening the tourniquet, when suddenly
the thread which bound the principal artery, gave way,
and a stream of blood gushed forth, as if driven by an
engine. The poor fellow. had hardly time to cry "Take
away that cold hand from my heart !" when his eyes grew
dim, his lower jaw fell, and in a minute it was all over
with him.
" Dead as Julius Cassar, captain," said Gelid coolly.
Dead enough, thought I, and left the cabin to go on
deck. At the foot of the companion-ladder, I stumbled
over something.
" What the deuce is this ?" growled I.
" It's me, sir."
" Me — and who's me ?"
" Reefpoint, sir."
'•' Gracious God ! what are you doing here youngster?
You're not wounded, I hope."
" A little, sir ; a scratch from a splinter, sir. The same
shot that tripped up poor Wiggins, sent a splinter after
me." " Why don't you go to«£he doctor, Reefpoint ?"
" I was waiting until he had finished with Wiggins,
sir, but as it is all over with him now, I'll go and have my
wound dressed."
His voice grew weaker and weaker, until I could hardly
understand what he said. I took him in my arms, carried
him into the cabin, and undressed him. I found that he
was wounded in the right side just above the hip. Bangs,

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 99
who in the meanwhile had got over his weakness by the
aid of a glass of water, lent his aid, and the natural good
ness of his heart now made itself appa, ent.
" What, Reefpoint ! little reefer," he cried ; " you are
surely not wounded, my dear friend — such a little fellow ;
why I should as soon have thought they would have shot
at a fly."
" Indeed, I am wounded, Master Bangs ; look there."
Bangs examined the wound, holding the poor little mid
shipman in his arms.
" God bless me !" he cried, with an outbreak of the
most heartfelt grief; "you seem more fit to be in your
mother's nursery, than to be knocked about in this way."
Reefpoint sank fainting into his arms.
"With the captain's permission you must have my
bed," said Aaron to him, whilst he and Wagtail undressed
the boy with the greatest care and tenderness, and laid
him in the hammock.
" Thank you, sir," sobbed little Reefpoint, "if my mother
were here, she would thank you too."
III.
My duty called me on deck, and I heard no more.
The night was very dark, and I could see nothing of the
stranger, but I steered as near as I could in the direction I
believed him to have taken, hoping to catch a glimpse of
him at daybreak. After a little while Bangs came on
deck. " Well, captain, now that the little reefer is asleep, what
do you think of this business ? A pretty large vessel, eh ?

100 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
We nearly had a brush with her. I'm not particularly
sorry, though, she has taken herself off, especially as the
wind has gone down."
" Ah, but my dear sir," replied I, " I don't think that
we have done with her yet. I hope to have a brush with
her at daybreak."
"Now, captain, you're jesting; you don't wish that
really and truly, do you ?"
" Really and truly, my dear fellow, and the only thing
which troubles me, is that you and your friends will
thereby be exposed to danger."
" Bah ! don't bother yourself about that, but reflect
before you engage with this slaver, how is it possible to
gain any advantage over him ? Remember that he has
twice as many men as we have, and eighteen guns to our
three." " Time will show," replied I, smiling ; " but I must and
will fight, if I can only get alongside of him. And now,
my dear friend, as the surgeon has left the cabin, I advise
you to go down to your hammock — good night. I fear
that I must remain on deck."
" Good night, captain. Heaven guard you. I will go
down and comfort my friends."
He went below, and I continued my walk on deck,
stopping every moment to look through the night-glass,
until my eyes ached. The long night was at last over,
and the light of day found me leaning against the mast,
sleeping soundly. The noise made by the sailors, in holy
stoning the deck, woke me, and I discovered our friend of
the previous night, under full sail, about four miles to

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 101
leeward of us, and evidently striving to reach the coast of
Cuba. During the night, however, we had sailed faster
than he had expected, and as we were now between him
and the island, his purpose was frustrated. When he saw
that he was thus cut off from the land, he hoisted his lower
sails, fired a gun, and run up the Spanish flag, as if he had
been a vessel of war. It was now bright day, and Wag
tail, Bangs, and Gelid, were all three on deck, washing
themselves. I, myself, was standing forward by the long
gun, when Pegtop, Bangs' black servant, came to me, and
said :
" Scuse me, massa captin ; could ye gibe me some guns ?"
"Some guns," replied I; "certainly, a half dozen of
them, if you wish it."
" Jist de number massa told me to fotch him ; tank'e,
massa captin."
Pegtop was very fond of this word, "massa," and could
never get accustomed to any other title used by the whites.
" Listen, friend," said I to Pegtop, " now that you have
got the guns ; is your master really going to fight?"
The negro stood still, rolling his eyes, and expressing in
his countenance the greatest astonishment.
" Massa Bangs fight ! Golly, massa, you jestin? Massa
Bangs fight ? Why yer doesn't know him. Ye ought to
see de way he fotches down de ducks and snipe, and a man
isn't so hard to hit as dem."
" Granted," said I; " but a snipe has not a loaded gun
in his claws, like a Spaniard, friend Pegtop."
" Makes no difference, massa," replied Pegtop, decidedly.
" Saw massa Aaron, myself, fight robbers, and helped him

102 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
to kill de debbils, too. Massa Aaron fight ? Don't say
nothin' more about dat.'
" Very well," said I ; " and is Master Gelid going to fight."
" B'lieve he will ; fust rate friend of massa Bangs — good
at shootin' ducks, too — guess he'll fight."
"Ah," said I, "your friends are all heroes, Pegtop.
Will Master Wagtail also fight ?"
Pegtop came closer to me, and said in a low, mysterious
voice :
" Aint so sartin about him, massa ; nice little fat man,
but tinks too much of his belly. Not 'zactly sartin if he'll
fight or not."
With these words, Pegtop and the two other blacks,
Chin-Chin and Zampa, Wagtail's and Gelid' s servants, took
a couple of guns apiece, and providing themselves with
the necessary ammunition, went aft, and began carefully
cleaning and oiling the weapons. I had expected that the
wind would blow fresher at daybreak, but I was mistaken.
Well, thought I, we might as well sit down to breakfast,
which we accordingly did.
The wind soon died away entirely, and I ordered out
the sweeps, but I soon found that we had no chance of
overtaking the slaver in that way, and it was just as much
out of the question to attack him with our boats. Besides,
as we did not know at what moment we might ourselves
be attacked, I was unwilling to fatigue my men by com
pelling them to row under a burning sun, whilst the enemy
could man his oars with lusty slaves, and not use a single
man of his crew. Accordingly, I ordered the men to
desist, and remained all day on deck, watching the brig,

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 103
which was gradually leaving us. At noon I ordered the
boatswain to pipe to dinner. When the men had finished
their meal, they came on deck again, and as the calm still
continued, and there was no prospect of a wind springing
up, we sat down to dinner in the cabin. Very little was
spoken by any of us. My friends were brave men, but
still they could not help feeling glad that they had escaped
an engagement, which would bring them danger without
profit. As for myself, my feelings were of a mixed nature,
for though I was determined to use every endeavor to
bring the enemy to an engagement, yet I confess that my
heart would not have been broken had he escaped us.
But this was not to be, for we had hardly ordered our
meal, when the rush of the water past the vessel caught
my ear, and I knew in a moment that we were once more
in motion. At this moment Tailtackle appeared at the
cabin door, and announced that the wind had sprung up
again, and that the strange vessel was bearing down upon
us. I immediately rushed on deck, and sure enough, there
was the slaver, some two miles from us, his deck crowded
with men, and evidently prepared for action. As soon as
I saw the state of affairs, I busied myself in putting every
thing in order, on board our vessel, for a fight. Wagtail
and Gelid had followed me on deck, and were now assist
ing their servants in putting the muskets in order. Bangs
alone remained in the cabin, and when I went down, I
found him swallowing the last morsel of his meal. He
had on his fork some very respectable pieces of cheese.
Before I left the deck, I saw clearly enough that a combat
was inevitable, and as the disparity between the two

104 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
vessels was very great, I confess that I had serious mis
givings as to its prob blearesult. That I felt excited and
uneasy at the prospect before me, I cannot deny ; it was
the first time I had commanded a vessel, and on the result
of this action rested all my hopes of promotion. God
bless me ! I was but a boy, not more than one-and-twenty
years of age. A strange and indescribable feeling came
over me at this moment — an irresistible desire to open my
heart to the excellent man I saw before me. I sat down.
"Halloa, captain," cried Bangs, putting down his coffee
cup, "what's the matter with you? You look infernally
pale, my dear fellow."
" I was up all night," replied I, somewhat embarrassed,
"and have been running about all day. I am very tired."
As I pronounced these words, a shudder ran through
my frame, and a strong emotion, which I could not
account for, kept my tongue tied.
" Master Bangs," said I, at length, "you are the only
friend in whom at this moment I can confide. You know
my circumstances in life, and I feel that I can with confi
dence ask you to do the son of my father a favor."
" What is it you wish, my dear fellow — speak out."
" I will speak. In the first place, I am very much
worried that I have exposed you and your friends to so
much danger, but I could not foresee it; on that score my
conscience is easy ; the only thing I ask of you all is to
remain below and not expose yourselves unnecessarily. If
I should fall," — here I involuntarily grasped Bang's hand —
" and I doubt if I shall see another sun-set, for we are
going to fight against fearful odds."

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 105
" Well," interrupted Bangs, " if the enemy is too strong
for you, why didn't you leave him to himself, my dear
fellow, and take to flight ?"
" A thousand things, my worthy friend, prevented me
from taking such a step. I am a young man and a young
officer, and must win my character in the service ; no, it
is impossible to fly ; an older and more tried seaman than
myself might have done so, but I must fight ; if a shot
finishes me, will you, my dear friend, deliver this port
folio to my poor mother,, whose only support I am ?"
As I uttered these words, the scalding tears rolled in
torrents down my cheeks. I trembled like a leaf, and
firmly pressing my friend's hand in mine, I fell on my
knees and fervently and silently prayed to that God in
whose all-mighty hand my destiny lay, that he would
give me strength on this day, to do my duty as became an
English sailor. Bangs knelt by my side. Suddenly my
tears ceased to flow and I arose.
" I am not ashamed to have shown so much feeling
before you, my friend."
" Don't mention it, my dear boy, neither of us will fight
any the worse for it."
I looked at him in astonishment.
"Are you going to fight ?" I asked.
" Of course I am," replied he ; " why not ? I have no
longer either mother or wife. Fight ? Of course I will
fight."

106 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.

IV.
" Another shot, sir," cried Tailtackle, through the open
cabin window.
All was now noise and confusion, and I hastened on
deck. Our opponent was a large brig of at least three
hundred tons burthen, a low vessel painted black. Its
sides were as round as an apple, the yards were unusually
large, and it was evidently filled with men. I counted
nine guns on a side and prayed silently that they might
not prove long guns. I was not a little horrified to find,
on looking through the glass, that the deck was covered
with naked negroes. That the vessel was a slaver, I had
not for a moment doubted, and I had also imagined that
its crew might number fifty men, but that the captain
would resort to such a dangerous expedient — dangerous to
himself as well as to us — as to arm the slaves, had never
entered my mind, and it startled me not a little to find
that he had done so, as it showed that I must expect the
most desperate resistance.
Tailtackle had pulled off his jacket, and was standing
by my side. His belt was tightly drawn round his waist,
and his cutlass hung from it. The rest of the men were
armed in the same manner ; some of them had also,
muskets, and the others stood at their posts, near the
guns. The grapnels were loosened, and tubs of wadding,
and boxes of cartridge stood ready for use. In short, all
was prepared for action.
" Master Tailtackle," said I, " your post is in the maga-

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 107
zine. Lay aside your cutlass ; it is not your duty to lead
the boarders."
" Master Timothy," said Bangs, " could you do without
one of these pikes ?"
" Certainly, sir," replied Timothy, laughing, " but you
do not intend to lead the boarders yourself, do you, sir ?"
" How do you know that ?" returned Aaron, with a
grim smile, " since I have been fool enough to trust myself
in this dancing cork of a vessel;" as he spoke he laid aside
his coat, unsheathed a cutlass, and bound a red woolen
cloth round his head.
The slaver, who was now hardly a cable's length from
us, suddenly put up his helm with the evident intention
of running under our quarters, but at this moment we
poured a broadside into him. I could see the white
splinters fly from his side, and again there rang in our
ears a sharp piercing cry, followed by that long, melan
choly howl already described.
" We have hit some of the poor blacks again," said
Tailtackle, who was still on deck.
But we had no further time for observation, for the
Spaniard returned our broadside with the same cold
blooded precision as before.
" Down with the helm and let her swing round," cried
I — " cross his quarters — forward there — out with the
sweeps, and hold her steady — that's right — now run over
a gun and let him have it — steady boys — aim well — fire !"
We now lay directly across the stern of the slaver,
hardly thirty feet from him, and although he defended
himself with great determination and courage, pourings

108 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
upon us a perfect shower of musket balls from his rigging
and cabin windows, yet I saw very clearly that in conse
quence of the skill with which our helm was managed,
enabling us to retain a raking position, that our fire was
making terrible havoc on board of him.
"Hurrah ! his foremast's down. Well done, boys; pep
per him well, whilst he is in confusion. There goes his
gaff and flag, but don't stop firing on that account ; it did
not come down with his consent. I told you so — he has
run it up again. Good, my lads ; you have shot the main
yard away now, and he can't escape us."
Nimbly as monkeys, two sailors clambered up the rig
ging to repair the injury done. Had they succeeded in
their object, the slaver would again have got under way
and escaped from our fire. All this time, Bangs and Gelid
had been firing at the enemy with the most murderous
precision. They lay behind the bulwarks, and their black
servants were in the cabin busily engaged in loading their
muskets for them. Wagtail, who was not much of a shot,
sat on deck and passed the weapons up and down.
" For heaven's sake, Master Bangs," cried I, " pick off
those two men in the rigging. Down with them."
" What ! those two chaps at the end of the long pole?"
asked Bangs, turning to me with the greatest coolness
imaginable. " Yes, yes — down with them."
He raised his musket as deliberately as if he were
shooting at a target.
" I say, Gelid, my boy, take the one this way, will you ?"
" Certainly," replied Paul.

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 109
They fired, and the seamen fell, and after struggling in
the water for a moment like wounded birds, sank to the
bottom, leaving on the surface of the sea, pools of blood
to mark their graves.
" Now," cried I, to the man at the wheel, " run her
alongside of the Spaniard. Out with the grapnels, men ;
that's right. Hurrah ! she's ours."
" Follow me, ye boarders !" I exclaimed as soon as I had
collected my people, and in the excitement of the moment
I sprang on the slaver's deck, followed by eight-and-
twenty men. But the enemy was ready for us, and we
were received by a shower of musket balls that sent four
of our tars into the next world, and wounded three more.
Spite of this warm reception, however, we reached the
quarter-deck, where the Spanish captain with about forty
men, armed with swords and pistols, presented a formida
ble front. We attacked them ; Tailtackle, who as soon as
he heard the cry of " boarders," had rushed out of the
magazine and followed us, split the captain's skull with
his cutlass. The lieutenant was my bird, and I had
nearly finished him, when he suddenly drew a pistol from
his belt and shot me through the shoulder. I felt no pain
except a sharp twinge, and then a sensation of cold, as if
some one had poured water over my neck.
Our fellows fought with the accustomed bravery of British
sailors, but for some time the chances of the combat were
doubtful. At last our opponents began to waver, and finally
gave way; but at this moment some fifty blacks, armed with
muskets, sprang suddenly upon deck, and rushed to the aid
of the Spaniards. I now gave up all as lost. My men, dis-

110 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
heartened at this accession to the number of their foes, began
to give way, whilst the Spanish crew fought with renewed
courage. Moreover, we found that we were now fighting
not for glory, but for life itself; for, on looking round, we
saw to our horror that the grapnels had been loosened,
and thus all retreat cut off. Our vessel was no longer
lying alongside of the brig, but across its bows, so that the
bowsprit of the latter crossed its deck. We could not,
therefore, reach it, since the Spaniards had possession of
the forecastle of their own vessel. At this critical moment
we received unexpected aid in the shape of a shower of
grape shot from our schooner, which swept away many of
the negroes, besides wounding a large number of them,
whilst at the same time a new party of combatants sprang
on deck to our rescue. V.
When we boarded the slaver, we left on board our vessel
the helmsman Peter Mangrave, the black quarter-master
Pearl, five negroes who were on board as passengers, little
Reefpoint, who was wounded, and Bangs, Gelid, and Wag
tail. At the moment when I had given up all as lost,
honest Pearl sprang on deck, his cutlass in his hand,
accompanied by the five blacks and Peter Mangrave,
whilst behind him came no less a person than Aaron
Bangs, with the three negro servants, whom he had armed
with pikes.
" Now Pearl, my beauty," cried Bangs, waving his cut
lass, " give them a touch of their own lingo."
Immediately the black quarter-master called out :

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. Ill
" Coramantee Sheik Cowloo kokemoni pepulorum fir."
Which I afterwards found out meant, " See the Sultan
Cowloo, the great ostrich, with a feather on his back as big
as a palm leaf; fight for him, you dogs."
Immediately the blacks joined Bangs' party, and com
menced so fierce an attack on their former masters, that
they soon drove them down the hatchway, leaving half
their number on the bloodjr deck, dead or dangerously
wounded. But, driven to desperation, they still resisted,
firing up the hatchway, and paying no attention to my
repeated demands to them to surrender.
" God in Heaven !" cried Jigmaree, " that is the sound
of hammers ; they are freeing the blacks."
" If you unchain the negroes," cried I, in the Spanish
language, " by the Heaven above us, I will blow you into
the air, if I have to go with you. - Stop, Spanairds ! think
madmen, what you are doing."
" Cover the hatches," cried Tailtackle.
But the covers must have been lost overboard, for they
were nowhere to be found. The firing from the hold still
continued. " Loosen the gun, and load it with grape," cried I. "For
ward with it, and fire down the hatchway."
The shot struck among the closely packed slaves, and a
fearful, heart-rending cry rent the air. Oh God ! I shall
never forget it. Yet still the madmen continued their fire.
" Load, and fire again."
My men were now mad with rage, and fought more like
devils than human beings.
"Once more, my lads," cried I; but this time they

112 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
pushed the gun so madly forward, that both it and the
carriage were precipitated with a fearful crash into the
hold. At the same moment a cloud of smoke burst forth
from the hold.
" They have fired the brig," cried Jigmaree. " Back to
the schooner, or we shall be blown into the air like onion
peels." But the schooner had got loose, and was fast leaving us.
Gelid, Wagtail, and Reefpoint, were on board ; the latter,
though badly wounded, had crept out of his hammock,
and on deck. They made us understand, by signs, that
they could not hoist the sails, and that, moreover, the
rudder was shot away, and the vessel unmanageable in
consequence. " Up with the foresail, men," cried I ; " hoist the fore
sail, and get the brig under way, or we are lost."
My men obeyed my orders with the calmness of des
peration. I took hold of the wheel myself, and in a few
moments we lay alongside of our vessel once more. It
was high time, for already some hundred and fifty
unfettered slaves had rushed on deck, and we had hardly
time to spring on board, to escape the furious charge they
made on us from the hinder part of the vessel. The mur
derous fire of grape shot they had endured, had made them
perfectly mad with rage, and had they been able to get at
us we should undoubtedly have been torn to pieces.
But the fire was quicker than they. The smoke, which
rose like a pillar of clouds through the hatchway, was now
mingled with red tongues of flame, which, like fiery ser
pents, twined themselves round the crackling masts and

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 113
rigging, that shrivelled in their hot embrace. The sea,
too, vied with its fierce . brother element in destroying the
ill-fated vessel. Either through our shots, or from the
falling of the gun into its hold, some of the planks had
been started, and the water rushed in in torrents. The
flames increase, the guns become heated and go off, and at
last the ship suddenly sinks from our view, whilst the
loud and awful death-cry of five hundred helpless beings,
imprisoned in the burning vessel, rings in our ears, curd
ling our blood, and seeming as if it would burst the very
vault of Heaven with its appalling tones. It was a fitting
knell to be rung over the slaver's grave.
And now the brilliant rays of the setting sun, stream
ing brightly over the waters, gild with an unearthly glare
the whirling clouds of smoke, that rising towards the blue
sky, grow fainter and fainter until they are lost in the
clear ether. The sea no longer dances and flashes in the
red light, as if exulting with the glee of fiends at the
mortal agony of its victims. Calm and smooth as a pol
ished mirror, it lies spread out over the spot where the
slaver sank.
Suddenly a huge cloud of thick black smoke rises from
the bosom of the deep. It mounts upward until it rivals
in height our vessel's masts, and then it spreads itself over
the scene like a sable pall, as if it would prevent the
fumes of such unclean and hideous offering from rising to
Heaven, and hurl them down on our accursed heads, as
witnesses of the wrath of that Being, who has said :
"Thou shalt not kill." And now for a moment all is still
as the grave, and it seems to me that the air is too hot
8

114 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
and close to breathe ; it stifles me, and I feel like a second
Cain. At this moment a crowd of slaves, men, women, and
little children, who had been drawn down by the sinking
vessel, appeared struggling on the surface of the sea. The
strongest cried like very devils in their despair, whilst the
women and children, the weak and the helpless, gasped
vainly for breath, and worn out by their efforts to sustain
themselves above the water, sank at last to the bottom
with a look of mute agony I shall never forget. Among
the whole number, we did not see one of the ship's crew.
Like desperate men, they had sunk with their vessel. We
fished up about one half of the unhappy blacks, but the
direst necessity compelled us to leave the rest of them, as
it was impossible for us to take them on board. Oh that
I could for ever blot this scene from my memory !
It chanced that among those saved, was a young and
pretty girl, who, weak and exhausted, was lying on deck,
her head resting on a block of wood. A powerful negro
swam to that part of the vessel where she lay. Seeing
him in the water, she sprang up and held out her hand to
him, to help him on board. As he was about to grasp it,
he was struck in the breast by a shot, and mortally
wounded. With a shriek the poor girl sprang overboard,
clasped him in her arms, and they sank together.
" Oh, woman, woman," said Aaron, " whatever may be
the color of thy skin, thy heart is always the same."
Soon all was still again ; here and there a wounded
negro still struggled for a moment ere he sank into his
watery grave. A few spars from the ill-fated vessel, were

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 115
yet tossed about on the surface of the sea, whilst the blood-
red rays of the setting sun poured a flood of light over the
bloody deck, shattered hull, and torn rigging of the
schooner, lighting up the faces of the dead with an
unearthly glare. At this moment some drops of rain fell
from a passing cloud, like tears from the pitying eyes of
an angel, who, sailing through the skies, had stopped for a
moment in her flight to look down sorrowfully on the scene
of desolation which man, the worm of a day, had caused
in a moment of power and savage madness.
On a gun-carriage, close to me, sat Aaron, whilst the
surgeon bound up a cut in his neck. He looked solemnly
at me for a moment, and then pointing towards the bril
liant luminary, which, as it sank beneath the waves, lit up
the western sky with a crimson and golden light, said :
" Remember this morning, captain, and thank the Al
mighty, who whilst sending so many poor creatures to
their final account, has in his great mercy permitted us to
see the end of this fearful day. Oh, thank him, captain,
that you have once more seen the sun set."
VI.
The wound in Bangs' neck, which had been made by a
boarding pike, was not deep, but still it was an ugly cut,
and if, as he himself expressed it, he had not been bull-
necked, it would have gone hard with him.
"Captain, my boy," said he, when the surgeon had
finished dressing his wound, " I'm pretty well patched up
now, and feel as good as new, except a Httle stiffness, but
I'm very thankful I have such a strong bundle of muscles,

116 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
or some of the arteries would have been in danger. Come,
and get mended yourself now, and I will hold the light."
A calm had fallen on the sea, which rendered all work
unnecessary at present, and the cabin, which was again
used as a cockpit, was filled with poor fellows waiting to
have their wounds dressed. When it came to my turn I
took off my clothes and seated myself on a tub. The
pistol bullet which had struck me, was sticking in the
fleshy part of my left shoulder, just below the skin, and
• made a small protuberance resembling a sloe in form and
colour. The collar bone which it had first struck, but
glanced off from, to bury itself in the muscles of the arm,
was somewhat injured, and my breast was not a little bruised.
The opening in the skin, caused by the bullet, was so
small that one could hardly introduce a pea into it, and
scarcely any blood flowed therefrom.
"It is a very simple thing, sir," said the surgeon, as he
introduced a small probe into the wound ; putting a finger
on each side of the ball, he pressed them together, causing
it to fly out.
" It is a lucky thing, captain," said Bangs, " that your
collar bone can bear something, as well as my neck, but
this bruise on your breast is of more consequence ; you
must go to bed, and take care of yourself."
But there was no bed on which I could lie down. The
cabin was filled with the wounded, and the surgeon had
plenty of work before him, for out of our little crew of
forty-two men, nine were killed and eleven wounded.
Accordingly I had a tent erected on deck, in which I and
my friends determined to take up our quarters for the night.

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 117
It was now eight o'clock. I could only remain in the tent
until I saw my friends provided for, for my presence was
constantly required to direct the repairing of the injuries
we had sustained. The greatest part of our rigging was
shot away, and the tired sailors were busy in mending it
as well as they were able. Our mainmast was much
injured near the deck, and we were obliged as well as cir
cumstances would permit, to steady it with wooden props.
Our foremast had fortunately come off with a whole skin,
but we had received thirteen shots in our hull, three of
them between wind and water.
When all was done that skill and the most determined
perseverance could do, I returned to our tent. Not far
from it, near the stern of the vessel, sat Wagtail, preparing
our supper with the help of the cook. This meal, as you
may imagine, was uncommonly simple — salt beef, biscuits
and cold grog, but I doubt if any of us before or since,
ever partook of a meal with such an appetite as we did
then. The beef disappeared as if by magic ; the bones
were polished off until they were as white as ivory, whilst
the rum sank in the flask like the quicksilver in a barome
ter, on the approach of a hurricane.
" Holloa captain," cried Bangs, when he had stopped to
take breath, " how do you feel, my boy ?"
" Well, not as easy as I could wish for ; this day has
been a day of fearful responsibility to me."
" Just so," replied he, " I shall sleep with a heavy heart
myself, for though I am no butcher by profession, I have
this day shed the blood of more than one fellow creature ;
it is a dreadful reflection, and what was it all for, captain ?

118 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
You meet a large vessel in the night, and sing out ' heave
too.' The large vessel says ' I won't.' You say 'You
shall.' The large vessel replies ' I'll be damned if I do.'
And immediately you take measures to make the large
vessel heave to, and thereby some five hundred human
beings, who a few hours ago were in possession of life and
health, are now food for fishes."
I felt hurt. " I had not expected this from you, sir,
and  "
" Hush !" said he, " I do not blame you. You have done
right ; but why will not the government at home take
some decisive measures to put an end to this horrible
traffic, and so prevent scenes like this from occurring ?"
We spoke for some time on this subject, and my friends
grew so warm that many bitter speeches were made, and
the conversation became unpleasant.
" Well, gentlemen," said I at last, " I don't know how
you feel, but I am completely knocked up ; fortunately it
is now calm, and I think we shall sleep well, and so,
good night."
We went to bed, and the sun was already some distance
above the horizon when we awoke on the next morning.
It had been perfectly calm during the night, and we found
ourselves still so near the scene of the preceding day's
combat, that several corpses were swimming around the
vessel. As I went forward I was not a little alarmed to
see the number of black faces that were there.
" Master Tailtackle, how many of these poor creatures
have we on board ?"
" Fifty-nine in the hold, sir, and thirty-five on deck."

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 119
At this moment Bangs walked out of the tent and
approached the spot where I stood. Hardly was he
perceived by the blacks, when the cry of " Shiek Cowloo,"
rent the air. Bangs was greatly startled at this unex
pected salute, for he had forgotten his heroic deeds of
yesterday, and did not know what to attribute it tO; at last
¦¦ the cause of it seemed to strike him, for he rushed back
to the tent with a roar of laughter. I went down into the
cabin and sat down to breakfast with Gelid and Wagtail.
Suddenly we heard Bangs cry out, " Pegtop ! come here,
Pegtop — do you hear ? Help me to tie my cravat — that's
right. Now I will go on deck."
Here Pearl, the black quarter-master, was impatiently
waiting for him.
" Well Pearl, my boy, what is the matter ?" and then
before Pearl could reply, "I say, Pearl, go to the other
end of the vessel and tell your black friends that it was
all a humbug — that I am neither the Sultan Cowloo, nor
have a feather as big as a palm leaf on my back, of which
I can easily satisfy them if they wish it."
"Oh, sir," said Pearl, bowing, "I think the less we say
about that the better, because we have not half enough
fetters for the savages, and if they were undeceived, they
could easily rise, as our crew are much diminished, and
murder the whole of us."
" The devil !" muttered Aaron ; " well then go and tell
them that I am a bigger ostrich than ever, and that I will
very soon astonish them; they may take my word for it."
" Pegtop, you rascal," continued he, " come here. I say,
Pegtop, bring me my uniform — that's right — now my

120 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
sword — never mind the pantaloons, I want them to see
that it's all fudge about the feather — now my hat — that's
right — now go before me, and fan me with the lid of that
box of herrings."
Pegtop did as he was bid, and Bangs followed him,
affecting the most majestic walk and gravest look. But
hardly had he left the tent, when the blacks again set up a
wild cry, and those who were not chained, flocked around
him, dancing and shouting, and whilst some of them rub
bed their flat noses and wooly heads against him, others
seized hold of his clothes, so that after several vain attempts
to shake them off, he took to his heels and fled back to the
tent, amid the laughter of the whole crew. Bangs laughed
louder than any of them.
" I say, captain," said he, lying down on the deck and
looking through the window into the cabin where we were
just beginning to breakfast, " how the deuce am I to get
down there ? If I stir outside of the tent, these black
barbarians swarm round me. Ah ! I see  "
Without further reflection, he put his legs through the
small hatchway which was directly over the breakfast
table, in order to get into the cabin in that way, but
unluckily he trod in a bowl of broth, with which Wagtail
used always to begin his breakfast. The broth happening
to be broiling hot, he jerked his foot out of it, striking
Gelid in the face as he did so.
" Oh ! oh !" cried Paul, whilst Wagtail threw himself
on the sofa, and roared with laughter. But the next
moment Bangs gave another kick, and this time Pepper-
pot got a sound blow on the side of the head, whilst down

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 121
came the great ostrich, clattering among cups and dishes,
and making an awful havoc amongst them. After indulg
ing in peals of laughter for a while longer, we collected the
fragments of our breakfast, and ate it with undiminished
appetites. About this time a light breeze sprang up, and we crept
slowly forward to the place of our destination.
VII.
" Land ahead !" cried the look-out, from the mast head.
" What does it look like ?" asked I.
" Low hills, sir, and now I see houses on the highest
peaks." " Hurrah, New Providence, Fort Nassau, ho !"
Soon we saw the shores of the British island, New
Providence, but the wind lulled, and we were soon nearly
becalmed again.
" I say, captain," said Bangs, " we must be your guests
for this night at least, and trouble you for lodgings on
board your nut-shell. No hopes, as I see, of getting into
port to-night, and if we did it would be too late to land."
He was right, and we sat down to our rude and homely
meal in the little broiling hot cabin. We were all in a
very good humor. I flattered myself that my conduct in
our late combat with the slaver, would advance me several
steps up the ladder of promotion, whilst my friends were
overjoyed at the thoughts of soon being on terra firma
once more.
" Captain, my boy," said Bangs, " I honor your profes
sion ; but, nevertheless, have no great desire to belong to

122 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
it. I am satisfied that no persuasion or bribery can ever
induce me to make my home on the deep ; and, indeed,
viewing the thing closely  "
" By the . mark two fathoms less three quarters," called
out the leadsman.
We ran into the harbor of Nassau, where we saw the
glimmering . of lights, but as it was too late . to land that
night, we dropped anchor, and after taking a parting glass
of grog, went to bed. As I was convinced of the perfect
security of the harbor, I ran the schooner, as she needed
repairing badly, quite near to the. shore, in order to be close
to the dock-yard. During the night the little vessel softly
touched the bottom. The shock woke me and several of
the men, for though a seaman is accustomed to the swell
and motion of the heaving ocean, yet the slightest touch
of any hard, opposing substance, rouses him quick as
lightning. I could hear, through the thin partition, the
officers in earnest conversation.
" We are aground," said one.
" Well, what of it," said another ; " there is no sea
here ; all is still and calm, and shut in by the land."
However, we were all soon snoring again, for during
the last few days we had over-tasked our strength consid
erably, and since the late action had deprived us of the
services of one half of the crew, the other half had had
still harder duty to perform, and were almost exhausted.
It might have been about four o'clock in the morning,
when I was suddenly roused by the sound of voices in the
apartment next to the cabin. I heard one person call to
another, and then a cry of murder reached my ears.

A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast. 123
Pretty soon Wagtail, who was sleeping on a mattrass
below me, coughed loudly and hastily. A heavy splash
followed, and immediately some of the men in the fore
castle called out :
"The vessel is full of water — water up to our ham
mocks." " I am drunk" roared Wagtail, who with might and
main was rolling about his little . bed. " Captain, I am
drunk — Gelid, Bangs, we are all drunk."
"To the pumps !" cried Tailtackle, who had hastened on
deck. "It is useless," said I, springing out of bed, and sinking
up to my knees in water. " Bring a light, Tailtackle, one
of the planks must have started, and as the tide is rising,
get out the boats, and put the wounded into them. Don't
be alarmed men, the vessel is aground, and as it is nearly
high tide, there is no. danger."
The sailors, were now quiet, and busied themselves in
putting bedding, and provisions into the boats belonging to
the vessel, and those which, on hearing the ¦ alarm given,
had come from the shore to our rescue. As there was no
immediate danger, I returned to the cabin, wading through
the water, which rose to my body. Bangs was sitting up
in bed, busily engaged in putting on his breeches, which
luckily he had put under hi^ pillow. The rest of his own
clothes, and those of his friends, were swimming about the
cabin, saturated with water. Gelid, who during all the
tumult had slept soundly, was now awake. He put one
of his legs out of bed, with a view of rising, and plunged
it into the water.

124 A Sea-Fight on the Cuban Coast.
" Heavens ! Wagtail," he exclaimed, " the cabin is full
of water — we are sinking ! Ah ! it is deuced hard to be
drowned in this puddle, like potatoes in a tub."
" Captain, captain," cried Bangs, looking over the side
of his bed, " did you ever see the like of that ? There,
just under your light — look at it ; why it's a bird's nest,
with a thrush in it, swimming about."
" Damn your bird's nest," growled little Pepperpot, " by
Jove, it's my wig with a live rat in it."
"The deuce take your wig," said Paul ; " Zounds ! take
care of my boots."
" Hang the wig and boots, too," cried Bangs, " there
goes my Sunday coat. Captain, who has sunk the ship ?"
Here his eyes met mine, and a few words served to
explain our situation ; the only question now was, how to
get ashore, as nothing could be done until daybreak. My
determination was soon made. I put my friends into one
of the boats, which were lying alongside of the schooner,
gave their wet chests into the care of their black servants,
and let them find a lodging as well as they could. Then
the wounded, and afterwards the rest of the crew were
put on board a couple of merchant vessels lying near us,
and as their captains were obliging fellows, I easily per
suaded them to take the schooner between them, at ebb
tide, and raise it with the flood. When it was pumped
out, and afloat again, I took it into port, where it received
a thorough overhauling. As there remained nothing more
to be done, I put on dry clothes, and towards evening went
ashore. Thus ended my first cruise.

2t Slftyfeir ty ftye Frozen) Oce^j.
One stormy winter's evening, in the year 1579, Ger
hard de Ver was sitting in the warm and cheerful parlor
of his plain but comfortable dwelling, in the city of Am
sterdam. He was a pleasant, good-natured man, but
evidently weak, and suffering from hardships recently
undergone. As he sat before the fire, in his easy chair,
his eye rested, with evident satisfaction, on a group of
young sailors, who were accustomed to visit him, both to
show the sympathy they felt for the sufferings he had
undergone in the service of his native land, and to gain
information from his rich store of experience. After a
lively conversation, in which they had now and then, to
their no little joy, succeeded in bringing a smile to the
care-worn face of their patron, they began to converse
together in a low tone of voice, and to show by their
manner that they were about to prefer a very unusual
request. "Father Gerhard," at last began one of the party,
" you are well aware that nothing would give us greater
pleasure than the restoration of your health, and that with
you we are impatiently waiting for the moment when you
shall be able to leave your room again, but we know well
enough that when that moment arrives, the irresistible (125)

126 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
desire of being useful to your native land, will drive you
to distant parts of the earth, and separate us for a long
time again ; do not, therefore, consider it indiscreet if we
now remind you of a promise formerly made to us, and beg
you to relate the history of your last voyage to the Frozen
Ocean, which must certainly be as astonishing as instruc
tive ; indeed, the reports which circulate among the neigh
bors concerning it, are so incredible that we find it almost
impossible to believe them, without having them confirmed
by yourself."
"Truly," replied Gerhard, "you could have chosen no
more appropriate time to remind me of my promise than
this evening. The storm, which now sweeps through the
street, and drives the snow against the windows, brings
most vividly to my recollection the wretched hut in which
I and my unhappy companions, of whom few ever saw
their homes again, passed the most miserable portion of
our lives, tormented by hunger and sickness, and in con
tinual dread of the fierce and ravenous polar bears; shut
up in that distant part of the world, where the winter lasts
for eight months., and there is unbroken night from the
beginning of November to the end of January; where the
cold is so intense that it is impossible, even when wrapped
up in thick furs, to remain in the open air for any length
of time ; where the breath is changed to rime ; where one's
hands, nose, and ears, freeze if exposed to the air for a
moment; where brandy is quickly congealed, and quick
silver becomes hard enough to be struck with a hammer."
" You have roused our curiosity so," remarked - the
young man, when Gerhard, who had betrayed considerable

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 127
warmth of manner, suddenly ceased speaking, " that it will
really be an act of kindness to satisfy it ; therefore, pray
commence, at least this evening, a. recital of your adven
tures, but steer your course so as not to fatigue yourself too
much ; sail along gently, for a day's journey, more or less
you know, is of little consequence. But heave the anchor,
Father Gerhard, if it please you."
" In God's name then," said Gerhard, and commenced
as follows :
"You all know the difficulties and dangers of a voyage
to the East Indies, but you do not know what wealth may
be gained by a commercial intercourse with those distant
regions, or that, as is very natural, men for a long time
have had their attention turned to the discovery of a
nearer route than any one at present known of. At first,
repeated attempts were made to find out a strait which,
as many still believe, divides the continent of America, but
as the voyagers met with no success whatever, their atten
tion was drawn to the. Arctic Ocean, which washes the
northern coasts of Asia and Europe. The enterprising
merchants who had been 'engaged in former expeditions,
now resolved to send one to that part of the world which
though so near to them was so little known. It is true
that a small squadron which was sent out for the purpose,
and with which I sailed, failed in reaching its destination,
owing .to the advanced state of the season, but it was found
that the northern coast of the continent ran off in a south-
easternly direction, and great hopes were entertained that
an expedition sent out at a more favourable season, would be
attended with the happiest, results. Although many who

128 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
had engaged in enterprises like these, had lost both money
and courage, yet, induced by the accounts which we
brought home, and by my advice, the city of Amsterdam
resolved to make another and final attempt. It fitted out
at its own expense, a couple of vessels, and having provi
ded them with all things necessary, entrusted them to the
care of myself and three others, viz : Jacob Heemskerk,
John Cornelius Ryp, and William Barents.
" On the 10th of May, 1569, we left Amsterdam, accom
panied by the good wishes of the whole town, and as a
favourable wind filled our sails, we made our way so rap
idly towards the north, that by the 5th of June, we encoun
tered vast floes of ice, which covered the sea as far as the
eye could reach. Four days later, we discovered land,
which was not noted down on the chart ; it proved to be
an island some four miles long, and evidently hitherto
unknown. Some of the men took one of the boats and
went ashore; they found many gull's eggs, and had a
narrow escape from losing their lives. They ascended a
hill of snow which was as solid as a block of marble, but
in attempting to descend, they found themselves obliged
to slide to the bottom, and were in imminent danger of
being hurled upon the sharp rocks by which it was sur
rounded ; happily, they received no injury. The next day
we had a hard struggle with a polar bear, for dangerous as
these creatures were, we always felt desirous of attacking
them, and we now undertook to take one alive. Accord
ingly, seeing a big fellow not far from us, we took a boat,
and set out with the intention of capturing him, by throw
ing a noose over his head, but when we came near to him

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 129
we did not dare to attack him, on account of the ferocity
he exhibited, but returned for more men, muskets, and
pikes. Ryp's people were coming to our aid ; we went after
him again, but we were obliged to fight for more than four
hours, as our shots did him very little harm. After having
received a blow in the back with a hatchet, which was
wielded by such a strong arm that it remained sticking in
him, he attempted to swim off, but a cut on the head
finished him. We took the carcase on board Ryp's vessel,
and stripped off the hide, which measured twelve feet
in length. The flesh we cooked, and some of us liked it
as well as beef. In consequence of this adventure we
named the island ' Bear's Island.'
" After remaining here for a few days, we continued our,
journey towards the north, and after sailing for ten days,
through a sea blocked up with masses of ice, we arrived
at a coast which ran off in an easterly direction, where we
determined to cast anchor. We imagined it to be a part
of Greenland, and as it was formed of sharp pointed hills,
we gave it the name of ' Spitsbergen,' (pointed mountains.)
We were not a little surprised to find an active vegetation
existing in this high latitude, and went on shore to gather
sorrel and scurvy grass, which are excellent preventatives
against the scurvy, a disease which, as you know, breaks
out with great violence on board of vessels going so far
north, and is occasioned by a want of fresh meat. We
saw also a great many bears, foxes, and reindeers, and also
immense flocks of wild geese, which we drove from their
nests in order to procure their eggs, which we found
excellent. 9

130 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
"As the wind remained unfavorable, and the masses of
ice continued to press closer together, we were obliged to
give up our plan of reaching the most northern point of
Spitzbergen, and then sailing towards the east, and return
to Bear?s Island. The two captains now differed in their
opinion as to the best course to be pursued ; Ryp persisted
that if we were to keep on towards the north, we would
Without doubt, reach an open sea, while Barents thought
we were already too. far north ; so it was finally determined :
that each should go his own way. Accordingly, on the
1st of July, the two vessels parted company, Ryp sailing
for Spitzbergen, whilst we steered towards the south coast.
From this moment commenced all the suffering and dan
ger, which we experienced on our adventurous voyage."
II.
" After having with great difficulty and danger, worked
our way between huge blocks of ice, for two weeks, we at
last, on the 16th of July, at noon, came in sight of Nova
Zembla, a spot very frequently visited by whalers, and
steered our course along the western shore, as our object
was to sail round the island, in order to make our way
towards the east. But although it was now the middle of
summer, we were much impeded by floating masses of ice,
which covered the sea in every direction, as far as the eye
could reach, and obliged us to wait until an opening offered,
through which we might sail. We arrived at last at an
island which from the number of crosses the whalers have
there set up, is called the " Isle of Crosses." Here we
anchored to take in a supply of fresh water. Heemskerk

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 131
took one of the boats and went ashore to visit the crosses.
I accompanied him, and we were walking along, not
dreaming of danger, when suddenly we came upon a couple
of bears, who were hid near by. As we were totally
unprovided with weapons, we were not a little alarmed at
the sight. The bears, as is customary with these animals,
raised themselves on their hind legs, to find out what was
going on, as they can smell further than they can see. As
soon as they became aware of our presence, they came
running towards us. Our hair now actually stood on end
at the frightful danger we ran, and we started off for our
boats as fast as we could go. But Heemskerk, who had
far more presence of mind and courage, stood still, and
swore that he would put a boat hook he held in his hand,
into the first man who attempted to fly. ' If we run
away one by one in this way,' cried he, ' some of us will
most assuredly be torn to pieces, but if we stand still and
raise a shrill cry all together, the bears will be frightened
and retreat.' We followed his advice, and it turned out
exactly as he predicted, so that whilst the bears stood stu
pified, we regained our boat. This shows how good a
thing presence of mind is ; fear always rushes into danger
sooner than courage.
" After much suffering and danger, we at last reached
the northern extremity of the island, and began to double
it. Some of the men, who had been sent on shore to
ascend a mountain, and report what was visible from it,
surprised us with the joyful information that they believed
the sea to be free from ice towards the east. But, alas, the
next day showed how much they had been deceived ; we

132 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
had not sailed but a few miles further, when we encoun
tered a huge, bank of ice, which rendered further progress
in that direction impossible. As the snow storm every
hour raged more fiercely, and the cold grew more intense,
we determined to retrace our course along the eastern
shore, in order to reach the continent, there in some secure
harbor to wait for more favorable weather. But we had
only gone a short distance in this direction, when the ice
closed in all around us, and on the twenty-sixth of August
we remained firmly fixed in it. All our endeavors to float
our vessel again, were in vain, and we very nearly lost
three of our best men in the attempt ; the ice on which
they were standing suddenly gave way, but fortunately
they were near the vessel, and very active, so they seized
hold of the ropes which hung down from the yards, and
clambered on board. It was an anxious moment for all
parties, for they would most assuredly have been driven
away with the ice and lost, had they not been saved by
the aid of God, and their own activity.
" The ice was often in motion, but did not break up ;
but masses of it piled themselves up in all directions. In
consequence of this, our vessel was hoisted up as if by
pulleys, and then thrown on its side with such a fearful
crash, that we expected every moment to see it go to
pieces. We found it necessary to bring the boat and
shallop to land, as in case of the ship's going to pieces, we
depended on them for our safety. We also stored away,
under a tent hastily constructed of sails, provisions, am
munition, and useful tools. The sea was now covered with
ice as far as the eye could reach ; part of it swam about

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 133
in huge masses, whilst the rest was smooth and firm as a
frozen mill-pond. The cold was now so intense, that we
found it impossible to keep ourselves warm under the
upper deck, where the kitchen was, but were obliged to
remove the stove to the hold, and were almost smothered
by the smoke in consequence.
" Some of the men, who had been sent further into the
country, to ascertain its character, brought back the wel
come news that there was a stream of excellent fresh
water not far distant, and that along its banks lay piles
of drift wood. As we considered it possible, after this
discovery, to pass the winter here, we gave up the despe
rate plan we had formed, of making our way back to the
continent in our two miserable boats, and commenced
erecting a roomy and substantial hut. While thus occu
pied, we were much troubled by the increasing cold, and
the hungry bears, who lay in wait for us in every direc
tion. In order to give you a correct picture of our hard
ships, and miserable life, I will endeavor to relate to you
the most note-worthy events as they occurred day by day,
and in this way to keep the thread of my narrative
unbroken. " September 1st. — This day we began to build our hut,
and transported to it, on sledges, sufficient drift wood to be
used for fires during the winter, which we piled up in con
venient places. Whilst part of the men were occupied in
this arduous task, the rest remained on board the vessel to
prepare the meals, and keep a watch for the safety of
those on shore. One day we received a visit from three
huge bears ; two of them came towards the ship, but the

134 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
third remained hidden behind a piece of ice. It happened
that a tub of salt meat, which we intended to soak in fresh
water, was standing on the shore ; one of the bears ran
up to it, and putting his muzzle in, was about to help him
self to a piece, when a shot struck him in the head so
cleverly that he fell dead without a groan. It was curious
to see how the second bear stood gazing at his motionless
companion, with a stupified look, and then walked round
him, trying to discover what was the matter with him.
When he found that he could make nothing of him, he
left him, and went away. But we had no idea of trusting
the fellow, and as we wished to go ashore, we armed our
selves with muskets and pikes, in case he should come
back, which he pretty soon did. He raised himself on his
hind legs, in a threatening manner, but one of us shot him
in the stomach, which caused him to sink down with a
howl on all fours again, and make off as fast as he could
go. We now took out the entrails of the dead bear, and
placed him on his legs, in order that he might be frozen,
and so preserved until spring, when we intended to take
him home with us. Some time afterwards, one of the men
was chased by a bear, and happened to come by this spot.
His pursuer was close on his heels, but as soon as he saw
his immovable companion, who was covered with snow, his
front paws alone being visible, he stopped short, and
approached him. In this way the sailor gained sufficient
time to reach the ship, and alarm us with the cry of ' a
bear ! a bear !' We hastened on deck, but not one of us
could see, so much had our eyes suffered with the thick
smoke in which we had been obliged to remain during the

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 135
bad weather, in order to escape being frozen. Our aid,
however, was not needed, as the bear, when he saw the
number of his opponents, made off in great haste.
" September 24th. — On this day we began to put up the
beams of our hut, as the idea of being obliged to pass a
winter here, filled us with great anxiety ; but as the vessel
was now firmly embedded in the ice, and we saw no pros
pect of getting it free again until the return of fine weather,
we were obliged to make a virtue of necessity, and submit
quietly to our hard fate. We tore up a part of the deck
of our vessel, and made a roof for ouir hut of it ; then we
plastered the walls with pitch, and when, on the second of
October, the building was finished, instead of putting on the
roof, as is customary, a pole or bush, we erected a kind of
staff, made of hard snow. We now took our sleds, and
drew tools and provisions to it ; but the cold was so intense
that the beer casks burst, and their contents became a solid
mass of ice. After we had, for greater security, drawn
the boats on shore, and turned them upside down, we
betook ourselves to our hut, and arranged every thing
within it as well as we were able. •
III.
" With the beginning of November, the cold became so
intense, that we could venture out into the air for a very
short time only, long enough merely to collect what fuel
we needed, and to set the traps which we had placed round
the hut to catch foxes, which I assure you were considered
quite a dainty by us poor wretches, greedy as we were
after fresh meat. On the 4th of November, the sun was

136 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
no longer visible, and a long and dreary night set in. All
the light we had came from the moon, aurora borealis, and
the lamps which we hung around our hut, and fed with
bear's fat. The only consolation left us was that with the
sun the bears had left us, and we could now leave the hut
without danger of being devoured. The cold still con
tinued to increase hourly, and we were obliged to distribute
our stock of clothing among the men, in order to protect
them better against the frost, yet in spite of every precau
tion, hands and feet which were wrapped up in thick furs
and cloths, became- stiff and numb, when only a few paces
from the fire. The best protection against the cold, we
found to be heated stones. We felt the want of spirituous
liquors sadly; those we had, froze, and when thawed lost
both strength and flavour. Our health, however, was
much better than we had reason to expect, when our mode
of life is taken into consideration ; but this, I imagine was
owing to the good advice of the surgeon to bathe daily,
which we always did. One morning, towards the end of
November, one of us wishing to leave the hut, found the
door tightly closed by- the snow, and was obliged to dig
through it. This work we had to repeat daily, or other
wise we should have been completely buried. On the 16th
of November, we found that we had used all the fuel that
was in the hut, and were therefore, obliged to dig out of
the snow the rest of what we had gathered for use, and
bring it into our dwelling. We worked alternately in
couples, and had to make all the" haste we could, for in
spite of fox-skins and extra clothing, we were not able
to endure the cold long. Until the 29th of December, we

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 137
experienced dreadful weather; snow fell in abundance,
and for three days we were unable to leave the hut. On
the evening of the fourth day, it moderated somewhat, 'and
one of the sailors ventured to make a hole through the
wall, near to the door, and creep through it in order to see
how things stood without. He came back pretty soon and
told us that the snow was piled up higher than- the hut,
and that it was just as cold as ever ; he said that if he had
not returned, his ears would have been frozen. On the
29th of December, some of the men dug the door free
again, and made a kind of a tunnel through the snow, out
of which we emerged as from a cellar. But all our trouble
was in vain, for the next day another fall of snow blocked
up the door, and made us prisoners again. Stormy days
were the- more unendurable, as the fire would not burn, but
filled the hut with smoke. At such times we commonly
lay in our beds, which like the walls of the hut, were
covered with a thick coating of ice, whenever the fire did
not burn brightly. Whilst in this unpleasant situation,
one of us happened to remember that there was a good
store of coals on board the vessel, and the most hardy of
the party immediately made an attempt to bring them to
the hut, and after great exertions, succeeded in their
attempt. We immediately kindled a good fire, and for the
first time an agreeable warmth spread through the room.
In order better to retain it, we stopped up the hole we had
made to let the smoke escape, and merrier than usual,
went to bed and began chatting together ; but soon, giddi
ness and then stupefaction attacked us, and had not one
of the party had the presence of mind to crawl to the

138 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
door and open it, we would soon have been suffocated by
the poisonous gas which came from the coal. Thus
ended the year 1596. The next year commenced with the
same unpleasant weather, so that we were obliged to pass
New Year's day in the house. We had now used up all
our split wood, and on account of the cold, were unable to
go out to procure more. On the 5th of January, the
weather at last moderated, and we got the door open,
cleaned the house out, and split some more wood, as we
were afraid that we should again be buried by the snow.
After working hard all day, we began in the evening to
talk about home, and it occurred to us that our country
men were at that very moment celebrating one of their
merriest festivals, namely, that of the Three Kings. We
determined, therefore, to forget our sad lot for a while, and
prepare a little feast. Each one of the men put by some
of his biscuit, and the captain gave some wine. We now
made a good wine soup, and prepared also some pancakes,
which we made of a couple of pounds of starch which had
been taken on board for the purpose of pasting cartridges,
and some oil ; the biscuits we soaked in wine. We now
celebrated the evening in fine style, and for the time, for
got our sad lot, and imagined ourselves once more sur
rounded by our friends and relations. In this way we
enjoyed our humble meal as much as if it had been a
sumptuous feast. We got into such a good humor that we
chose a king, as it is customary to do on such occasions,
and saluted him by the title of " Lord of Nova Zembla,"
a kingdom which though of considerable size, is not very
well provided with either inhabitants or revenue.

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 139
" On leaving the hut next day, we found the air a little
less keen, and felt that since the snow had ceased to fall,
the cold had somewhat abated. We could now hope to see
the sun before long, and on the 8th of January we really
perceived a faint glimmering in the sky, at which we
rejoiced not a little. Eight days later we perceived a red
dish tinge, which we hailed as the harbinger of the near
approach of the sun. We perceived, also, a slight warmth
in the wind, which, joined to the heat of our fire, partially
melted the ice on the walls of the hut, which, until now,
had remained perfectly solid. As the glimmering light
grew stronger every day, we at length ventured, well-
armed, to the ship, which still remained in the same posi
tion as formerly, but had been frequeutly visited by bears,
as their footsteps in the snow plainly showed. We took a
light, and descended into the hold, where we found the
water a foot in depth, and frozen perfectly tight.
" As the weather remained fair, we went out into the
open air daily. Our usual resort was a hill about a half
mile distant, from which we brought stones to our hut, and
heated them, in order to warm our beds. It now grew
brighter every day, and we were soon able to amuse our
selves by shooting with a cross-bow, using for a mark the
top of our snowy flag-staff, which, until now, we had been
unable to see. Indeed, we took exercise in any way pos
sible, and endeavored by throwing, running, and other
gymnastic sports, to restore strength and supleness to our
half frozen limbs. The foxes, in capturing whom we had
formerly been so busily engaged, now suddenly vanished,
a sure sign of the re-appearance of the bears. These dan-

140 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
gerous beasts soon visited us again, and the war against
them was renewed ; they evidently came from some more
southerly climate, where they had been passing the long
winter, as they were very fat. They often endeavored to
break open the door of the hut, and one of them even
clambered upon the roof, and endeavored to get inside
through the hole we had made to allow the smoke to
escape ; it required the united energies of all of us to
defeat his intentions.
" The 27th of January was a sad day for us, for on it one
of our party died. He had been sick at the building of
the hut, and we had been obliged to convey him to it on a
sled. We buried him in the snow, with a prayer, and held
a funeral feast to his honor ; but we soon recovered our
wonted flow of spirits, as we were now confidently expect
ing a speedy release from the wretched situation in which
we had been placed.
" The cold continued unbroken for three months longer,
although it was not so severe as formerly. Our provisions
now gave out, and on the 3rd of May we cooked our last
piece of pork. During the latter part of May we began
to make preparations for our journey, and as we found our
ship was no longer sea-worthy, we dug out the shallop and
boat, which had been protected by the deep snow. We
spent all the month of May in mending and fitting out
these two vessels. Whilst we were prosecuting this work,
we were more than once in great danger of being torn to
pieces by the bears. We shot a great many of them, but
it happened we found them more dangerous when dead
than when alive. Being greatly in want of food we cooked

"'£-!¦.¦

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 141
a liver of one of them, and found it very palatable, but all
of us fell sick in consequence, and some were so very ill
that their lives were despaired of; they were covered from
head to foot with a loathsome eruption. However, they
f at last recovered, for which we thanked God most sin
cerely, for had we lost them, the rest of us would not have
had sufficient strength to launch the boats. In spite of
this warning one of the men was imprudent enough, one
day, to bring a pot of bear's liver to the fire, as he was
hungry; but Heemskerk, who was standing by, threw it
out of the window.
" The weather often grew milder, and the sea began to
be free from ice, but a single north wind brought back the
most intense cold, and the sea was again covered with ice.
In the meanwhile we worked hard to get out of our leaky
vessel all that was necessary for our dangerous voyage, but
suddenly we experienced a more dreadful storm of snow,
hail, and rain, than had yet overtaken us, and which we
did not expect at this time of the year. The weather was
so bad that we were obliged to leave every thing and
retreat to the hut. But we found this in a miserable con
dition, for we had used the boards, of which the roof was
composed, to mend our vessels, and a piece of sail, which
had taken their place, answered its purpose so badly that
the hut was full of water. Often and often did our cour
age sink, and we give up in despair, but Heemskerk always
cried, ' If you do not wish to remain in Nova Zembla, and
dig your graves in the snow, you must exert all your
remaining strength to equip the boats, on which depend
all our hopes of safety.' These words acted like an elec-

142 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
trical shock on us, and spurred us on to do what seemed
almost impossible.
" In the beginning of June, we dragged the two boats to
the vessel, in order, when all was ready, to take them from
there to the edge of the ice and launch them into the sea.
Suddenly another storm arose unexpectedly, and we were
in constant dread lest the ice should break up, and all our
property be lost. In that case there would be no hope for
us ; but Providence watched over us, and the storm passed
by, and did us not the slightest harm. We had now to
perform our last but most difficult task, viz : to open a
passage through the ice from the ship to the open sea,
through which we might take the shallop. This, after
incredible toil, we accomplished, and loaded our two boats
with the tools and provisions we had just taken from the
wreck, which consisted of thirteen casks of biscuits, and
several more of bacon, oil, and wine. Then being all
ready, we started on our voyage on the morning of the
14th of June, 1597. IV.
In high spirits and full of courage, we now began a
voyage, which certainly was the most remarkable ever
undertaken. Crowded together in two wretched, open,
and heavily laden boats, we had to cross a space of not
less than two hundred miles, in order to reach the nearest
shore, and this in a climate where the middle of summer
is as cold as our severest winters, and upon a sea covered
with huge masses of ice, which at one moment are station
ary, and in the next hurled together by a storm, with

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 143
terrific force. Besides, we were weak from our previous
exertions, and had not really the strength to strive suc
cessfully against the dangers which threatened us.
" As the eastern shore of Nova Zembla appeared to be
hound up with unbroken ice, Barents, with admirable pru
dence, had advised us to steer towards the north, so that
having passed round the northern point of land, we might
reach the western coast, and from there run for some Rus
sian port, where we might hope to meet some vessel bound
for the Netherlands. We had not gone far on this pro
jected route, when we found ourselves so hemmed in by
ice-bergs, as to be totally unable to make any further pro
gress. Such an unpropitious commencement would have
disheartened many men, but fortunately, we were accus
tomed to danger and disappointment in every shape ; so we
kept up our spirits, and cast anehor in order to wait until
the breaking up of the ice should afford us an opportunity
of proceeding on our journey again. In the meantime we
employed ourselves in seeking bird's eggs for our sick, of
whom we now had several, and in melting snow by the
fire for drinking water. On the 15th of June, the ice in
which we were embedded, broke up, and a favorable wind
springing up, our men handled their oars so well, that by
the 17th we had reached the most northerly point of the
island. But, unfortunately, on the same day the iee-bergs
were put in such violent agitation by a storm, and struck the
boats with such force, that the boldest grew disheartened.
We took a last farewell of each other, and expected every
moment would he our last. In this fearful : extremity we
held a consultation as to what was best to be done; na

144 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
other means of safety could we see, than to work our way
out of the floating ice, and get upon some iceberg. But
all our endeavors to get alongside of one of these were in
vain, and unable to endure longer the lamentations of my
companions, I caught hold of the end of a rope, and leaped
like a frog from one place to another, until I reached the
firm ice. As the rope was fastened to the two boats, they
were quickly drawn to the spot I had reached, when the
.men took out their cargoes and pulled them upon the ice.
We found they were so much injured by striking against
the ice, as to need a thorough overhauling, which we set
about without delay. The driftwood, which lay along the
shore in considerable quantities, now stood us in good need,
as by means of it we were enabled to boil our pitch and tar.
" For four long and dreary days had we lain among ice
and snow, when a south wind sprang up, and once more
opened a passage for us. We hastily launched our boats
again, and put their cargoes into them ; but hardly had we
commenced to row when we found ourselves surrounded
by masses of ice again, and were obliged to pick our way
out of them with great difficulty ; at last we reached the
open sea once more, and were able to continue our voyage
until the 25th of June, when we were obliged to cast
anchor again near a field of ice. At the same time a
violent storm arose, and drove our miserable crafts to sea,
where they were tossed about in great danger of being
dashed to pieces against an iceberg, or upset by the wind.
Our men now employed what little strength they had left
in striving to get back to the land, but as this could not
be done by simple rowing, we ventured to hoist a small

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 145
sail, which we had scarcely done when the foremast of the
boat I commanded suddenly broke in two places, and I
found myself obliged, in order to keep up with the shallop,
to raise the mainsail, which, however, I had to lower again
immediately, or my boat would have been inevitably
upset. "We now deemed our destruction inevitable, as the
storm of wind, which had hitherto blown from the south,
suddenly changed to the north-east, and drove us from the
shore. In the meanwhile the shallop had vanished, and
we sought for it in vain for a long time, owing to a thick
fog which covered the sea. At last I ordered some shots
to be fired, and to my great joy they were answered by
others from the shallop. I afterwards employed this
means of finding the whereabouts of our comrades with
great success on all such occasions.
"On the 28th of June we were again shut in, and obliged
to anchor alongside of an iceberg. As we were much
fatigued by the incessant tossing about of the boats, we
erected a tent on it, and determined to pass the night
there ; but that we might sleep in safety, we set a watch,
and it was a happy thing for us that we did so, for at mid
night we received a visit from three immense bears, who,
had we not been on our guard, would most assuredly have
made a comfortable meal off of some of us. At the cry
of ' Bears ! bears !' we seized our muskets, and although
they were loaded with shot merely, fired them at the
animals, who were so stupefied at the inhospitable recep
tion their friendly visit met with, that they allowed us
time to load with ball. One of them had fallen at the first
10

146 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
fire, and the two others made off in all haste. Pretty
soon, however, they changed their minds, and coming
back, dragged their dead comrade away with them for a
short distance, and then set to work to devour him. As
soon as we remarked this, we let them have another shot,
and this time they ran off in earnest. Four of us now
went to look at the carcass of the dead bear, and found to
our no little astonishment that they had devoured half of
it. The wind, on this and the two following days, blowing
from the same quarter, we were obliged to remain where
we were.
" The night of the 1st of July, was one of the most fear
ful and dangerous that we had as yet experienced. The
storm gradually increased in violence, and at last by hurl
ing the floating masses of ice against the firm bank on
which we were encamped, broke off that portion of it
which held our- boats, so that they got loose and were
driven away. Many bundles and casks fell into the sea,
and it was with great difficulty, that by springing from place
to place, we succeeded in securing our boats, in which were
the sick. After the storm was somewhat abated, we endea
vored to collect our provisions and tools together, but alas,
missed a great many which were very necessary for the
completion of our voyage. Whilst one half of the men
were thus employed, the others went over the. ice to the
land, in order to get a tree that they might mend the broken
mast of the shallop. They found not only what they sought,
but also, wedges for splitting wood, and wood already split,
from which we j udged that men had been in this place before.
"About this time we lost two of our men, who had been

A Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 147
sick for some time, having been obliged to be carried from
our hut to the boat, when we started on our voyage.
When Barents, who had also been ailing, heard this, he
assured us that his end too was approaching, but as he at
the same time regarded with attention, a chart of that part
of the country which we had seen, which I had prepared,
we did not believe he was so ill, and paid but little atten
tion to his Words. Pretty soon, however, he laid down
the chart and asked for water; but hardly had he drank,
when suddenly he bowed his head and died, to the great
grief of all of us. We lost in him a brave comrade and
intelligent man, on whose skill rested most of our hopes
of again seeing our native land.
"Sorrowing deeply, we continued on our journey, and
at length, on the 4th of August, reached the Russian coast,
after having suffered much from the cold, and also from
the scurvy, which on account of the want of fresh provis
ions, had broken out among us. We landed to try and
find some signs of life, but could see no habitations, and
the ground produced nothing but wild shrubs. Some of
the party proposed that we should continue our journey by
land; but as we 'could easily lose our way, and fall into
great danger, in a desert, which was very likely filled with
wild animals, the majority decided in favor of continuing
along the coast. But we could not hold out much longer,
for our provisions were reduced to a few mouldy biscuits ;
the most of us, tormented as we were by hunger and sick
ness, would have welcomed death as a happy release.
Happily, however, we discovered a Russian barque coming
towards us under full sail ; when she reached us, Heems-

148 A Winter in the Frozen Ocean.
kerk went on board, and taking some money in one hand,
pointed with the other to a cask of fish which stood on deck.
The Russians understood him, took the money, and gave
him the fish, together with some little cakes. Half starved
as we were, we rejoiced greatly at this purchase, and
hastened to refresh ourselves with the food.
" We now very often met Russian vessels, and they
sold or gave us, very readily, a part of their scanty stock
of provisions. By the 20th of August, we reached the
western shore of the White Sea, and by good luck arrived
at a spot where some little houses were standing. We
entered them and were received with great kindness by
their owners, who were poor Russian fishermen. They
led us into a warm room, where we could dry our wet
clothes, and gave us a meal of good fish and soup.
" After continuing our journey for several days more,
we were obliged, by a storm, to land again, and found a
hut where three men dwelt. They cordially welcomed
us, and when at their request we had told them our story,
informed us that a vessel from the Netherlands was at
anchor at Kola, a Russian port not many miles distant.
We entreated them to go with one of our party to Kola by
land, but as they could not go themselves they sent a mes
senger, who in a few days returned without our comrade,
but with a letter, through which we learnt to our joy and
astonishment, that Ryp himself, the commander of the
other vessel, from whom we had separated at Bear's Island,
had arrived at Kola in safety, after seeking for an eastern
passage in vain.
"It. was not long before he arrived himself, in a boat

A .Winter in the Frozen Ocean. 149
loaded with provisions, and after a warm greeting we took,
for the first time since many days, our usual food and
drink. Favored by the wind, Heemskerk soon brought us
to Kala, where the Russian governor listened with great
sympathy to the history of our adventures and sufferings,
and ordered our two boats to be preserved as memorials of
our wondrous journey.
"On the 18th of September we set sail, and after a
prosperous voyage entered the Meuse. From there we
went to Amsterdam, and doubtless it is still fresh in your
memories, how we were conducted into the town, dressed
in the fox skins we had worn at Nova Zembla, and fol
lowed by the acclamations of the whole population."
Father Gerhard ceased, speaking, and for a while the
young people kept silent too, so much had they been
astonished by the recital of such strange adventures.
Most did they marvel at the calm resignation of the voya
gers to their sad fate, and they hoped that in the voyages
which they themselves might hereafter make, that they
should have as excellent and brave companions.
They now thanked their patron for the trouble he had
taken to gratify them, and with a hearty squeeze of the
hand wished him good night.

Ifye Sfyiptofecif.

A few years ago a company of one of the English regi
ments of infantry, consisting of eleven officers and two
hundred soldiers embarked in a large, strongly built ship,
to sail from Quebec to Halifax. Besides the troops, there
were forty-eight passengers on board, most of them women
and children, and the whole number of persons, including
the sailors, amounted to upwards of three hundred.
On the evening of the tenth day, when they were clear
of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and a brisk wind had driven
them out many leagues to seaward, the pilot who, for the
greater security of the troops had been kept on board,
directed the course of the vessel to the westward, hoping
on the next day to run her into Halifax. From the wind
ward side of the otherwise clear heavens a dark cloud
showed itself on the horizon, and in a short time after
wards the ship was enveloped in one of those dense fogs,
which make a voyage along these coasts so perilous, during
the greater part of the year. They had now come within
that space of the ocean in which it was usual to hold a
ship's course in sailing from England to the West Indies ;
torrents of rain increased the thickness of the fog, and
fearful gusts of wind increased the danger, and the officers in
charge of the troops, thought it expedient to hold a consul-
(150)

The Shipwreck. 151
tation with the captain, as to what course was best to be
pursued in the present circumstances. The result of this
conference was a determination to keep on the course
deemed expedient by the pilot, but with as little sail set as
possible. For their further safety a watch was stationed
on the foredeck, with the company's drums which they
beat from to time, and taking besides every other precaution
against their coming into collision with another vessel.
Among the officers, was a lieutenant named Stewart, a
young man of uncommon steadiness and bravery, and who
in his zeal for the comfort of the soldiers and the discipline
necessary to be observed for maintaining order in the ship,
had during the whole voyage, limited his own hours of
rest to the smallest possible number. One night, com
pletely worn out, he was about to betake himself to his
hammock, when the colonel requested in view of the
danger that every moment threatened, that he would
remain all night upon deck. Stewart rallied his remaining
strength, and conquering the importunate demands of
sleep, he took his station with ten men on the foredeck,
whilst the captain, with eight soldiers, kept watch at the
stern. The rain poured down in streams, squalls of wind
and angry waves caused the good ship to reel and turn
like one drunk, and to add to the horrors of their situation,
the night was so dark they could not see half the length
of the ship before them, and the fog enshrouded them in
its oppressive vapor. At ten o'clock, the watch on the
bowsprit called out to the lieutenant on the foredeck, and
directed his attention to a clear spot which he declared to
proceed from a light- Stewart at once proceeded to the

152 The Shipwreck.
stern where he found the pilot seated on the rudder, appa
rently watching the same appearance, but when he inquired
of him what it meant, he received a very short uncourteous
reply, together with a command from the captain who wa3
by, to go back to his post. He did so, and not long after
the man on the bowsprit once more called out, that not-
withstan ding the thick fog he saw a light distinctly ; Stewart
looked in the direction the sailor pointed out, and plainly
saw the glimmer of the friendly beacon, and knew it at
once as the signal placed to warn ships from approaching
too near the cliffs which lined the shore. Notwithstanding
his first repulse, he approached the pilot a second, time ;
but he met with a second repulse ; — he was answered —
" Sir, I have been royal pilot on this coast for twenty-five
years, and I ought to know where I am." The captain
too, in a sterner manner then before, commanded Stewart
to return to his watch. The lieutenant dared utter no
further remonstrance, but with a heart, heavy with sad
forebodings, busied himself to keep up the failing spirits
of his men who were as apprehensive of the threatened
danger as himself. And his sad foreboding was only too
soon fulfilled, for whilst the pilot imagined his vessel to be
sailing on the open sea, she was already among the rocks
that lay but a mile and an half from the coast, but yet
were sixty distant from the roadstead by which they were
to enter Halifax.
By midnight, Stewart felt himself so fairly exhausted
by cold and long watching, that he left the quarter deck,
and went below to snatch, if possible, a few minutes sleep.
He had been in his cabin only long enough to change his

The Shipwreck. 153
damp clothing for dry, when a fearful crash told him the
ship had struck upon the rocks. In a moment he was
back on the quarter deck. He found that a surging billow
had struck the hinder part of the ship, tore off part of the
sheathing, and carried away the watch-house in which two
women were sleeping — all efforts to rescue them were in
vain. Whilst the storm-tossed ocean raged and foamed
around the devoted ship, and night shrouded all objects in
her veil of impenetrable darkness, wild shrieks and cries
arose from the women and children, increasing the horrors
of the moment, and filled the stoutest hearted among the
mariners and soldiers with dread and despair. Among the
soldiers all discipline was at an end, and in many families
this hour of terrors had loosed the bonds of affection and
dependence, that until now had subsisted for years. The
men forsook their wives in the endeavour to save their own
fives ; their wives and children were entreating the help
from strangers denied them by husbands and fathers, and an
officer who had heretofore been considered not only as a most
courageous soldier, but had showed himself a kind and
affectionate husband, now turned a deaf ear to the prayers
of his wife,. and intent only on his own deliverance, climbed
up into the rigging of the mainmast, left her to her fate
below, whatever it might be. In the meantime, the cap
tain had ordered the ship to be examined, he found that
she had struck upon a hidden rock, and the waves beat
ing over the quarter deck had already filled all the rooms
with water. Several men had been washed overboard
as they rushed from their hammocks to the deck at the
moment of the ship striking, but the greater number had

154 The Shipwreck.
reached the foredeck where they crowded closely together,
awaiting in painful anxiety for what the morning would
bring. At length the dappling clouds in the east proclaimed
the hour of dawning — the day struggled into existence,
and showed to the great joy of the shipwrecked, a rock
about fifty yards distant, which raising its dark head above
the foaming sea, promised present safety if it could be
reached, although the white waves broke furiously against it.
But how were they to reach it ? The only hope — and it was
a weak one — was if they could succeed in passing a rope
from the ship to the rock, and fastening it there so firmly
that by its aid all might be able to leave the wreck. But
who was the adventurous one to carry it thither ? The
most experienced officers on board, declared it impossible
for any one to brave those angry breakers successfully, and
the best and most resolute of the sailors, who, perhaps,
would have ventured encountering such a risk, had broken
into the spirit room and were now lying drunk, seeking
to drown the bitterness of death w hich they were so certain
of meeting, by steeping their senses in oblivion.
In the meantime, Lieutenant Stewart with folded arms
and thoughtful mien, stood on the foredeck, measuring
with his eyes the distance between the wreck and the rock.
After some minutes spent in deep consideration, he threw
off his coat, fastened a rope round his body, and plunged
into the boiling surf. The soldiers looked on in anxious
silence — for the bold swimmer had almost immediately
disappeared from their view — a wave had buried him deep
in its bosom — but again his head was seen above its foam-

The Shipwreck. 155
ing crest, and with strong arms he parted the angry waters
as he swam boldly forward, like one determined to battle
with and conquer fate. His. strength would not have
sufficed to enable him to accomplish his aim, had not a
huge wave borne him onward, and dashing powerfully
against the rocky ledge left him "behind as it retreated.
Stunned by the violence with which he was thrown, he
lay for some moments deprived of all consciousness;
his senses at length returning, he rose hastily and mus
tering all his strength, essayed to climb the steep and
rugged rock, the difficulty of the assent being increased by
the slippery sea grass with which it was covered. After
many toilsome efforts he reached the top, where he suc
ceeded in fastening his rope. But as it was impossible for
him to be seen from this height by those on the wreck, on
account of the thick fog, he was obliged to descend to the
shore, where, as he was nearer the ship, he hoped he might
be visible, and thus relieve part of their anxiety. On the
side next the ship the breakers dashed so violently that he
dreaded making the attempt, and venturing on the other,
he fell from the steep and slippery path down into the sea.
Benumbed with cold, and sorely wounded by the sharp
edges of the rocks, he was at first scarcely able to move,
but still he managed to keep his head above the water,
and after an half hour spent in a vigorous struggle with
death, a rushing wave once more carried him to the shore,
where bruised and bleeding he lay on his back like one
dead. He felt like giving up the contest, but he saw the
sinking ship and his doomed companions — with great effort,
therefore, he raised himself, gave the appointed signal to

156 The Shipwreck.
show that he had succeeded in fastening the rope, and a gleam
of joy shot through his heart as he heard the loud cheers
with which the news was hailed on board.
In less than a minute, the only boat belonging to the
ship was let down, and manned with but one stout sailor.
Slipping along by the rope which Stewart had drawn he
guided his frail craft to the rock, to which he fastened a
stronger one, brought with him for that purpose : this being
done, he returned to the wreck in order to bring off the
passengers. It was determined to send away the women
and children first, and accordingly two grown females or a
mother with several children were bound together and sent
off, the little boat which was guided by two sailors being
too small to hold any more.
Stewart assured that the slippery surface of the rock
where he had stood when fastening the rope, would not
afford sufficient space for all on board, even to stand upon,
was half in despair, but just at the moment however, that
the boat containing the colonel's wife, her two children,
and the surgeon of the regiment, pushed off from the ship,
the fog lifted and parting at the coast, showed another
rock of greater height and broader extent a few yards
distant from the one on which he stood. The boat almost
touched the one first reached — he gave the sailors a sign
—it was understood, and they rowed to the second rock
where the surf was much less dangerous, and the breakers
small in comparison with those that beat against the other.
A better landing was to be obtained here, and without the
loss of a single life or any untoward occurrence, the women
and children reached this place of safety if not of comfort.

The Shipwreck. 157
Whilst this was being done, they made a running noose to
slip along on the rope that Stewart had fastened to the rock
on which he now stood, which rope as we before have said
reached to the ship. By this contrivance the officers and
most of the soldiers attained the smaller rock, and in the
course of two or three hours all on board were safely
rescued. By a merciful Providence the ship groaning,
creaking, tottering, and gradually sinking, just kept above
the water until the last man was taken off; then a surging
wave dashed over her, and she was seen no more — a few
circling eddies alone showed the spot where she went
down. When the men who, as we have said had landed on the
smaller rock had assembled, they found it incapable of
holding so many — all could not stand in the narrow space
its surface afforded, and too closely crowded, they could not
resist the pressure of the waves that sometimes broke over
it. The higher rock where the women and children were
landed showed that there was still room for many more of
the shipwrecked ; the colonel, therefore, proposed that the
officers should be rowed thither in the boat, but to this the
soldiers would not listen. With death staring them in the
face, they declared all subordination was at an end — that
preference on account of rank and birth was not to be
thought of — all were now on an equality, life was as dear
to the meanest soldier as to the highest in command ; no !
no preference should be given — it must be decided by lot, who
should go, and who remain. All efforts to still the angry
tumult that now arose among the excited troops was
in vain, and the little island whose rock-covered surface,

158 The Shipwreck
lifted for ages above that boiling flood, where wave con
tended with wave, and had never before been pressed by
the foot of man, now became a scene of strife and con
fusion. In the midst of the crowd who could thus strive with
each other in the very presence of death, lay Stewart,
senseless and covered with the blood that flowed plentifully
from his wounds. All believed him to be dying, and only
a few cared to trouble themselves about the noble young
officer, to whose disinterested daring the whole crew owed
their lives. His strong constitution, however, soon tri
umphed over his temporary exhaustion, and he awoke to
consciousness, just when the oaths and outcries of the
striving soldiers was at the loudest. Slowly and painfully
he arose on his stiffened limbs, and supported on the arm
of one of his own men from whom he learned the cause
of the tumult, he approached and commanded silence.
This in the presence of his superior officers was out of
place, but distinction was at an end, and beloved as he was
by all the soldiers, the command was obeyed at once.
" My friends," he began, " death, inevitable death awaits us
all alike, both on the other rock and here where the angry
waves beat over us, if we do not soon obtain help. Our
only hope for deliverance is by means of the boat, through
which we may, perhaps, obtain it from the land, which
cannot be very distant. Let the officers and sailors then
go over to the other rock, where there is more room than
on this, and the surf being less violent and itself nearer to
the coast, they can better venture to seek the help, without
which we must all perish. We will remain here in peace

i The Shipwreck. 159
together, awaiting the issue whatever it be ; I will not
leave you, but am ready to share every danger, and as I
was the first to spring into the foaming sea, to try what
could be done for the salvation of all, so I will be the very
last to leave this rock."
His words were answered by a cheer ; the true heroic
spirit which breathed from his words — the magnanimity
of his whole proceedings since the first moment of the
common danger, flashed upon the memories of these rude
men, and wrought an instant change. The soldiers calmed
and encouraged, no longer objected to the departure of the
officers and sailors for the other rock, and the boat at once
began to ply between. As it would not carry but two
persons at once, it took some time before the specified per
sons had passed over. At the last voyage there was but
one to go. This officer as he took his place on the seat
beside the rowers, called out to Stewart to" " come along,
for the flood was rapidly rising on the rock, and his staying
behind would do the soldiers no good." The lieutenant
however refused the invitation, with the words that as he
had promised the soldiers to remain with them, he was
determined to do so, whether the issue was life or death.
So, while the officers with the pilot and sailors were borne
to a place of comparative safety, Stewart stood with his two
hundred soldiers upon that naked rock that gradually grew
less from the rising of the encroaching waters.
Not without good ground for apprehension, had the last
departing officer warned the lieutenant of the danger that
threatened from the advancing tide. The rock on which
two hundred human beings were now crowded, hoping to

160 The Shipwreck.
escape or gain a respite from death, was one which in nau
tical phrase is called a sunken reef, that is only above
water at ebb tide, while at flood, except when swayed by
a sweeping north wind, the sea buries it in a depth of ten
or fifteen feet.
The pilot knew this well, and having made it known to
the colonel, this knowledge was the occasion of his heart
less proposition, that the officers should be saved, leaving
the soldiers to perish.
But when men deal treacherously with the unfortunate,
or seek to ruin the unsuspecting, it is then that a kind
Providence watches over them — it~is then that the hand
of the Most High is stretched forth for their protection ; —
throughout the whole of this day, the only wind that held
the flood tide in check, namely the north-east, swept over
the still angry ocean and restrained its perilous advance.
Soon after the ship went down, the sea became covered
with boxes and barrels, together with many other articles
of the stores on board which had been floated from the
hold ; the confined air between the decks had caused an
explosion, and burst the vessel in every part. This was
providential, if those casks of provisions would only flock
toward the rock, they might be able to secure enough to
support them until help could be obtained either by a pas
sing vessel, or from the shore.
In the meantime, the still rising water had encroached
so far upon the rock that but one dry place was left ; here
the soldiers clustered, standing close to one another, for the
confined space admitted but little movement. In order
to judge of the rapidity with which the tide was rising,

The Shipwreck. 161
Lieutenant Stewart ordered two large stones to be placed
on a rocky projection, whose surface at this time was just
even with the water. Leaving the spot and returning after
a time, they found them completely hidden. They then
placed two others on a spot somewhat higher, and turning
away, scarce daring to hope that they should see them
again. But what was their joy on returning, to find not
only the two last dry, but the first two entirely out of
the water ; they were thus assured the tide had reached
its highest mark.
But now another trouble arose which threatened every
moment to increase the sufferings of the shipwrecked. As
the waves dashed over them for many hours, they had
swallowed a large quantity of sea water, this created a burn
ing thirst, that was increased by their clothing being
entirely saturated with salt water. Whilst thus suffering,
an object was seen floating on the surface of the water,
and approaching the shore, which promised help in this
moment of due necessity. One of the sergeants was the
first to remark it, and hastening to Stewart, remarked that
a cask was being washed by the waves to the edge of the
rock, and that he was sure it contained rum. The lieu
tenant, who dreaded the effect of strong drink on the men
as the greatest possible evil, bade the sergeant to sink it as
soon as it reached the shore. The cask came nearer — a
huge wave lifted it high and dry upon the rock. The
sergeant could not obey Stewart's order — the soldiers at
once clustered around it, and having been slightly broken
as it was dashed upon the rugged resting place, to their great
delight, discovered that it held — not rum, but pure sweet
11

162 The Shipwreck.
water, and in such quantity that all could drink to their
satisfaction. Thus delivered from dread of being washed away and
the torment of thirst, new hope and increased courage
sprang up in the breasts of the shipwrecked, and beginning
to think over how they might better their condition, their
first act was to prepare a comfortable place for their wounded
lieutenant, who seemed to be rapidly sinking from loss of
blood and the effect of his severe exertions. One corner
of the rock, the highest above the sea, presented a smoother
surface than the rest ; they cleared the slippery sea grass
from the spot, and wrapping a cloak round him, laid him
down. Two soldiers, one on the right hand, the other on
the left, lay down near to screen him from the cutting sea
breeze, some others lay across these, thus forming a pyra
mid of bodies that secured to the wounded a shelter from
wind and rain. The rest of the soldiers threw themselves
on the rocky surface, whereon they could find a place, and
in a few moments were as sound asleep as if reposing in
the most luxurious chamber.
The day closed in, but the fog still continued ; the rain
poured down in torrents on those half naked men, and the
piercing north-east wind made them shiver as it swept
over them in their thin and sea-soaked garments. At last
all desire for sleep was banished, and rising from their
uncomfortable lodging places, each one looked out into the
darksome night in hopes of discovering a delivering ship.
Sometimes the silence that brooded over the little island
was interrupted by the joyful cry of " a ship ! a ship !"
but directly after, some foam-crested billow rising high

The Shipwreck. 163
above the surrounding waves, showed what had caused
the delusion.
The sufferings of the unhappy men after this one short
alleviation again increased, the tide rose higher than before,
for the wind had now chopped round to the west, there
was no restraining influence from it as at first. The sea,
as if claiming the rock as part of his domain, advanced
higher and higher, until at last only one dry spot remained
upon which the soldiers clustered so closely, that those who
stood in the middle could scarcely breathe. All believed
that death was approaching — all hope of deliverance had
faded from each heart, and every one of the seemingly
doomed party who could control his thoughts in that
dreadful hour, summoned his last effort to be expended in
prayer. As they stood there in silence with hearts darkened by
the utter extinction of hope, a red light was seen above
the rolling waves — its ruddy glow as it glanced upon the
white-capped billows caused those sunken hearts to beat
with renewed activity — they gazed far out upon the sea,
but no man spoke ; in a moment more the form of a ship
was seen, dimly but certainly in the enveloping fog. The
loud and joyful huzza that burst from the shipwrecked
soldiers proved to those on board the vessel sent to their
rescue, that the rock was still unsubmerged, and that life
was there, and they returned the cheer with great good
will. It appeared afterwards that some of the sailors had
attempted to reach the shore in the jolly boat ; that they
encountered great toil and danger, but were at last so for
tunate as to come up with two fishing vessels. One of

164 v The Shipwreck.
these had already taken the officers and women from the
larger rock and landed them on the coast; the other
turned about to look after the soldiers, although the cap
tain of the wrecked vessel declared it was folly to expect
to find any of them living, for he was convinced that the
" sunken reef" had long ere this been hidden beneath the
foaming waters.
For fear of the ship being injured by the rocks, they
could only approach within a certain distance, and with
only one small boat. Stewart called through a speaking
trumpet to the sailors, and inquired how many they could
take at one time in the boat. They answered, " twelve,"
at the same time recommending to the shipwrecked to
embark quietly, and not rush in such numbers as to peril
their own safety. Stewart, exhausted as he was, enforced
the necessity there was for this caution, and marshaling
his men as well as was possible in the narrow space, he
divided off the first twelve, and his command was obeyed
with promptness and without confusion. In the mean
time, the little boat had reached the rock, and the embar-
cation began, and without the least disorder. The night
came on, but nineteen times the boat made its way through
the darkness, from the ship to the now nearly submerged
rock, still bearing its living freight in safety, and it was
only at the last voyage that they shipped the two last
soldiers, and the noble hearted, heroic Stewart, whose soul
was full of blissful feelings at the thought that by his ,
courage, obtained through confidence in God, he had saved
the lives of three hundred men.

Soon after embarking, and wearied by the exertions I
had been obliged to make for the last few days, I betook
myself to my cabin and to rest. When I again ascended
to the deck, I looked towards the shore we had left, but
nothing was to be seen, but a long gray stripe that lay like
a dim cloud along the distant horizon. It was the last
sight of my native land, and gradually its faint purple
outline faded until it was lost in the foam-crested waves.
On all sides of me was the wild waste of waters ; as far as
the eye could reach, it rested upon moving masses like fields
of sea-green. Above us was the blue and vaulted heavens
that were now illumined with the burnished rays of an
August sun, that was even now dipping his broad disk into
the waves that formed the distant horizon.
All around was life and motion ; ours had not been the
only ship that had taken advantage of a favorable wind to
put out from Cuxhaven to the open sea. Four or five
other ships were sailing along side, and as they spread
their snowy sails, on which the bright rays of the summer
sun was playing, they skimmed like white-winged sea-
mews over the dark green waters.
And now one of the pilot boats that lie here at anchor,
yet tossed year in and year out by the restless waves, send-
(165)

166 Voyage to the East Indies.
ing on board both to the homeward and outward bound a
skilful guide, to steer the ship through the perilous shoals
and sand banks that lie on this coast, approached, to take
up the pilot that had steered us safely into the open sea.
He took charge of all our letters — from those written to
parent, friend, or lady love left behind, to the tender lines
penned by the least shipboy, taking a long farewell of the
mother who standing on the pier, waved her hand to her
child whose home was henceforward to be on the deep,
until long after we sailed. The pilot thrust them all into
his great leathern bag, held out his sea-hardened hand to
bid each one farewell and gave us his sailor-like greeting :
"Farewell, and a lucky voyage to you." He jumped into
the boat, four lusty rowers sat on the benches, and it flew
over the glancing waters with the speed of a bird until it
reached the one-sailed craft he called his pilot ship. This
was our final adieu to the homes we had left, for with the
departure of the pilot from on board, the last link that
unites the sailor to his native land is broken, and it is then
the traveller feels how really every rolling wave increases
the distance between him and the fireside joys he has left
behind. Light winds soon drove us into the English channel,
where we saw the chalk cliffs of Dover skimmering in the
bright sunshine on one side — the coast of France like a
soft blue cloud dipping into the sea on the other. We
approached so near to the British shore, that we could
distinguish the buildings and light-houses plainly. Near to
Dover, and on a rocky precipice, stands an old fortress of the
middle ages, looking out threateningly with bristling canon

Voyage to the East Indies. 167
on the town and over the sea that breaks and murmurs at
its rocky base.
As it become dark, numerous beacon lights blazed from
the watch-towers, some speedily vanishing, others twinkling
and glancing like meteors that beguile the wanderer from
his way, but many with clear and steady ray, shone brightly
over the face of the deep and guided the sailor on his
adventurous course. The first were the so-called fire
drakes, covered partly by metallic plates which turn, and
thus is caused the appearing and vanishing of the light so
speedily, the latter is the steady beacon of the light-house,
which distinguishable from all others by its brilliancy and
the color of its flame, enables the seaman to direct his craft
safely through the channel. Hundreds of other lights
were glancing everywhere, like the fire flies of the tropics
upon the face of night, those were the burning lanterns
carried at the prow of the steamboats, warning each other
of approaching too near, and giving the same intelligence
to ships.
On the following morning we found ourselves in the
neighbourhood of the Isle of Wight, and vainly looked out
for some compassionate fisher boat, that for a flask of
brandy or some salted fish, would carry our last letters to
some port, from whence they might be forwarded to our
homes. A few days later, and we lost sight of the English
coast ; and with it the last land in Europe faded from our
eyes. We found ourselves on the open sea, and with lightly
swelling sails, steering for the Cape de Verd Islands. Of
the many vessels which we hailed or passed in the British
channel, not one was to be seen ; here every ship held

168 Voyage to the East Indies.
silently on her own monotonous way, without troubling
herself about the fate of another ; and here instead of the
life and bustle to be met with on a coasting voyage, nothing
was to be seen, but the dark blue waves of the broad
Atlantic and the bright resplendent sky.
To enjoy a sea-voyage one must have entirely over
come the severe ordeal of sea-sickness, and then with the
high health that generally follows the departure of this
disagreeable visitant, life on the ocean is not without a
beauty and variety of its own. In a fortnight one becomes
sufficiently versed in the laws of equilibrium to maintain
his place in his hammock from a sudden lurching of the
ship in a squall or night of tempest, or so skilfully to bal
ance himself and his plate at table, that neither shall be
thrown to the right or left. By degrees, too, one becomes
accustomed to the slovenliness of the cabin servants, and
the dusky appearance of stained and soiled table cloths,
and at last even ceases to miss the newspapers and the
absence of cream in his coffee. t
During the first part of our voyage we had most beauti
ful weather ; the deep blue sea upon which the foam-
crested waves chased each other as if at play, and the
bright heavens where thin and transparent clouds were
floating like veils of gossamer, filled the heart with glad
ness and disposed it to profitable musings. Light winds
filled the sails that swelled beautifully on their masts and
drove the ship, that under a cloud of white canvass looked
like a stately queen, onward. Sometimes she would lie
motionless on the waves for a time, then urged by the
breeze she would glide forth like a capricious beauty, cut-

Voyage to the East Indies. 169
ting the water at the rate of more than four miles an
hour. So gentle was the motion, that in the cabin one
could scarce hear the murmur of the waves as the ship
kissed them with her bowsprit, or raised a track of foam
as she divided them with her sharp keel or directing rud
der. It may seem strange, but it is nevertheless true, that on
the land, the Sabbath never speaks to man with such sol
emn voice as it does in beautiful weather on the deep blue
sea. Then it seems as if wind and wave and sun and sky
were all holding sacred festival, and Nature, such as she
appears on that wide and wonderful expanse, invited man,
the favored creature, to worship with her in her grand and
sacred temple. On week days, with the perpetual indus
try usual on board a ship, the bustling of the sailors
as they pursue their several avocations, the call of the
boatswain, the noise of the carpenters' hammer that can
not be excluded from the cabin, contrasts vividly with the
calm brought by the solemn stillness of the Sabbath, — its
influence is visible on all. No tar-bucket is seen on deck,
no paint-pot stands in the way, the sailor intermits his
weekly task of mending the sails, and the ropes that are
to be repaired are laid aside. The deck is scoured white
and smooth with sand; everything is clean, even the
cabin-boy and the table-cloth, two articles that on week
days seem to hold themselves privileged to be dirty.
The sailors indeed, that is only some of them, take
advantage of the time bestowed by the Sabbath, to mend
their jackets and stockings, or patch up old boots and shoes;
others lie stretched out on the deck with a book in their

170 Voyage to the East Indies.
hands or a cigar in their mouths, murmuring something to
Which the waves are the only listeners ; others are down
in the forecastle looking over their chests and coffers, the
sight of their,, humble effects, or perhaps some cherished
keepsake, recalling thoughts of loved ones at home. But
in whatever business engaged, the influence of the Sabbath
is seen on all, for there is no countenance but speaks the
calm and quiet content, which this blessed day, so wisely
ordered as a respite from toil and care, brings to all, whether
on land or sea.
We were out four weeks without having seen anything
but sky and water, when one day we saw the rugged crest
of a high mountain rising above a pile of thick gray clouds.
It was the high hill of the island of St. Anthony, the most
westerly of the Cape de Verd group. Little by little the
low-lying clouds ascend like a drawn up curtain, and the
whole island lay spread out, a living panorama, to our
view. But alas ! we passengers were not permitted to
leave the ship, and as soon as we had taken in provisions
and water, the anchor was lifted and we held on our way
towards the south.
As in all lands lying in the warm latitudes, the works
of nature are found in greater and more vigorous beauty
than beneath our colder and melancholy skies, so also do
the tropical seas present appearances never seen in the
northern waters. If a storm arises, the whole creation
seems to be dissolving. No words can be found adequate
to describe the scene, or in any measure to convey the
frightful experience the sailor has to undergo. But on the
other hand, in clear and calm weather, the tropical sea

Voyage to the East Indies. 171
presents an aspect of gorgeousness and grandeur, with
which the loveliest natural scenery of a northern climate
cannot compare. Here the rising of the sun from his bed
of waves, presents a spectacle that fills the heart with
reverence and awe at the same time that it swells with rap
ture of the purest kind. The thick clouds that rested like a
veil of darkness upon the illimitable surface of the sea,
at the coming of the god of day, disperse in their vapors.
The twinkling stars grow paler as he approaches, the dark
.gray color of the water changes to a cheerful blue, and
streaks of clear purple are seen in the east, increasing each
moment to a varied hue, and as the horizon brightens,
darkness flies far from the bosom of the waters. Suddenly
rays of glorious light break forth from heaven and pour
their golden glory on the sea, the sun rises in his glowing
strength above the bank of purple clouds, and as they dis
perse themselves over the azure firmament, various are the
shapes, whether beautiful or grotesque, that they assume.
One can imagine he sees towns, hills, castles with tall
towers, ships, and a thousand other objects in their flitting
shapes, but yet scarcely formed ere they lose their evanes
cent beauty both of form and color, as the sun mounts
above the horizon.
The animal kingdom of the tropical ocean is extraor
dinarily rich and varied. The sea birds are distinguished
by their size, and beauty of plumage, and greatly surpass
those that belong to the north. Thousands of flying fish
spring above the surface, in order to escape some lurking
enemy below, only to find their death on the deck of the
ship, but oftener to fall an easy pray to some rapacious

172 Voyage to the East Indies.
bird. Nothing can equal the gay colors of the Bonito and
Dorado, a smaller kind of ravenous fish peculiar to the
Southern seas, and which are always found in close pursuit
of their neighbors, the flying fish. With what enchant
ment does the astonished spectator fasten his gaze upon
the lightly moving waters. His eye penetrates the depths
that lie far below the crystal surface, and is lost in wonder
at beholding the myriads of living creatures with which
the mighty ocean teems ! Not a moment but what pre
sents some new and interesting subject for inquiry or con
templation, thus breaking in pleasantly on the otherwise
monotonous current of sea life.
So the day passes over, full of interest, if man will only
take the trouble to secure it ; and the sun that here regu
larly measures his diurnal course in twelve hours, is
declining to his setting. Again the attendant clouds, that
at" times assume the appearance of burning volcanoes,
gather around him, as though to curtain him as he sinks
to rest, but as his glancing rays reflected on the smooth
water are refracted in gushing vapors, thousands of fire
balls seemed to rise as from a crater, and streams of burn
ing lava to flow into the ocean. At length the sun is
hidden beneath the waves ; for a few minutes the western
horizon is like a sea of glowing purple, and then night
comes, shrouding all in her darksome veil. ' But there is
no gloom ; thousands of stars far brighter than those of
northern lands glitter in the firmament, and are mirrored
in the chrystal waters ; fiery meteors dart through the
heavens, and the whole surface of the ocean is covered
with luminous insects.

Voyage to the East Indies. 173
Pleasant as is life on shipboard, even in a slow voyage,
when with sufficient wind, which is mostly the case in this
latitude, to keep the vessel moving, bringing refreshing
coolness to the sailor, and spreading life and healthful
motion over the sea ; not less uncomfortable is the condi
tion of a vessel when becalmed, as is not seldom the case
for many weeks together. With heavy heart the mariner
sees the breeze that so lately rippled the waves, gradually
die away, and leave the bosom of the ocean calm as a
slumbering lake. The sails hang flapping from the yards,
the sea is motionless, presenting a dull expanse of water
as far as the eye can reach, and no zephyrs float through
the atmosphere to give relief from the burning rays of the
sun. The ship lies like a log on the water, the discontent
and murmurs of the crew increase every day, and in vain
do they try to drive the tedium away by practising all
sorts of diversion. But the night brings some relief, not
only in her calm beauty, but cooling dews refresh the
heated atmosphere, and the moon and stars shine forth in
unsurpassable glory in the cloudless heavens.
On the first of October, we passed the equator. Nep
tune, as is his custom with all ships, honored us with a
visit. With the early twilight, we heard a deep bass voice
that seemed to rise up out of the waves, hail the ship in
true nautical style. The helmsman answered through his
speaking trumpet, to the usual questions of where we were
bound, and from whence we had sailed. Two of the ship
boys were listening with all their ears, and peering curiously
but vainly over the bulwarks in order to get a sight of old
Neptune. At length the voice from the bowsprit made

174 Voyage to the East Indies.
itself more audible, and in the following manner. " I see
that there are a few on board that have never before been
in my territory, and must submit to the regulations I
demand, as it becomes them to do." As the last words
were uttered a gigantic figure, his head covered with a
periwig of knotted sea-grass, with a false nose, and his face
painted in various colors, now ascended the ship's side,
and clambered on deck. He carried a speaking trumpet
of three feet long in his right hand, under his left arm was
a few thick books, and from the leg of his boot a huge
wooden compass protruded itself. A masculine woman in
whose soot-begrimed lineaments I, with some trouble, recog
nized those of our boatswain, personating Amphitrite,
followed the god of the sea, carrying a long lubberly boy
in her arms, wrapped up in an old sail. They were intro
duced to us by Neptune as his wife and son. Having
advanced to the after deck, where the sailors were assem
bled, he opened one of his colossal books and spread an
old sea chart out upon the deck. "Hallo, helmsman,"
he inquired, "what is your latitude and longitude ?" The
answer being given, he grumbled something as he pulled
his huge compass from his boot, and having carefully
measured his old chart, at last struck a hole in it, as he
exclaimed, " Here you are — all right — what course are
you steering ?" " South, south-east !" " You must go four
degrees to westward — you will have a better wind," growled
Neptune, and therewith he doubled up the chart, and stuck
the compass in his boot again. "I must see after my new }
circumnavigators," he added in the same gruff tone as he
turned his eyes on the two before-mentioned boys and one

Voyage to the East Indies. 175
old sailor who, although he had followed the sea for twelve
years, had never, until now, crossed the equator; "we
must make a nearer acquaintance."
The name, birth, and age of each being inquired into,
and duly registered in one of the large books, each one
after having his eyes blindfolded, was led by the sailors to
the forecastle and* seated on a plank, under which was
placed a large tub of water. The next operation was to
shave them, and accordingly their faces were smeared over
with a horrible mixture of shoemaker's wax, train oil and
soot, most ungently laid on with a coarse painter's brush.
Neptune then performed the office of barber himself, taking
a long piece of iron which had once served as the hoop
of a tun, he scraped their chins in the most unmerciful
manner. No sooner was this operation ended, then they pulled
away the props of the plank on which the three tyros were
seated, so that they fell over head and ears in the tub of
water below, and thus received what the sailors call a
" genuine Neptune's baptism." After all these ceremonies
he turned as if to go, but the young sea-god at this moment
set up a most fearful outcry — he bawled as loud and lustily
as any mortal. " Just listen," said Neptune ; " now I can
not go back to my cave in peace, but that cub will roar
and bellow the whole night, so as to disturb all the waves
below, — nothing even quiets him but a stiff glass of grog,
for he likes that far better than sea water."
The captain understood the hint ; he laughed and nod
ded to the steward. Young Neptune continued his lamen
tation nearly a quarter of an hour ; I saw one of the cabin

176 Voyage to the East Indies.
servants carrying a smoking bowl of punch to the fore-
deck, and the joyful shouts and loud hurrah that attested
how welcome was its reception, reached us who were in
the cabin below.
On the following day as the ship, driven by a light
wind, moved lazily through the waters, we observed two
large sharks following in her wake. The sailors were at
great pains to take them, but greatly to the vexation of
themselves and the passengers who entered quite as eagerly
into this sport as themselves, the cunning fish disdained
the bait and swam slowly away. To my enquiries of why
they had not seized upon the meat thrown out as lure,
sharks having always been represented as voracious and
greedy, one of the passengers answered,
" It all depends on whether or not they are hungry. In
some soundings, where fish abound, I have seen sharks by
the hundred, which not only refused the bait, but did not
injure the men who went into the water to bathe or acci
dentally fell overboard. Nevertheless, like yourself, I
wonder that these creatures did not bite, for the sharks of
the Atlantic are considered particularly greedy."
"I can tell ye," said the boatswain, who was standing
close by, " why they did not take hold of the bait. It is
because we are just in the track of the Brazilian slave
ships ; they throw many of the niggers overboard, for many
die, and there's no doubt but the creatures find richer
morsels than a bit of salt beef."
" Are there not several species of sharks ?" I inquired of
a passenger who seemed well acquainted with natural
history in all its variety.

Voyage to the EAst Indies. 177
"A great many," he answered, "and the largest and
most rapacious is the white shark, to which class those
that have just left us belong. He moves through the
Atlantic as if it was his own realm, but is seldom seen
beyond the solstitial point, preferring the latitude within
the tropics; he is also found in the Mediterranean sea, and
also in the gulf of Lyons, where he is peculiarly savage.
The blue shark, seen in the English channel, is seldom
dangerous; others, larger but less harmless, infest the
northern seas, and are often pursued by the whalers merely
for sport. Then there is the spotted or tiger shark, not
very large but exceedingly rapacious ; the hammer shark,
which derives its name from the peculiar shape of its head,
and the ground shark, which is the most to be dreaded of
any, since he lies deep down in the water, and rising sud
denly, seizes his prey without any one suspecting his
vicinity." " Suppose a man is so unfortunate as to fall overboard,
' and a shark is in the neighborhood," said I, " what can he
do to save himself? Is there no hope of escaping from his
dreadful jaws ?"
" The best means I have seen tried," he replied, " and
with good effect is, if a man is a good swimmer, to throw
himself on his back, splash the water with his feet, and
shout with all his strength. The shark is a great coward
and easily frightened — noise will always drive him off.
When I was on a voyage to the West Indies, two or three
years ago, I had a Newfoundland dog with me, who was
accustomed to spring into the water from any height, and
after anything. I was greatly attached to the animal, and
12

178 Voyage to the East Indies.
you may imagine my alarm as, one day we were lying
becalmed off the West India islands, I saw him jump down
and with loud barkings, as if delighted with the sport, swim
after a large shark that was playing around the ship. I
expected nothing else but to see him devoured in an
instant, but to my astonishment the monster turned and
swam vigorously, evidently frightened by the barking of
the dog who continued to follow him, until a boat was let
down and himself brought back by the sailors.
" A singular method," continued my learned fellow-pas
senger, " is practised by the divers who collect pearls on
the coast of Cejdon, They often let themselves down an
hundred feet in order to reach the mud banks where the
pearl oysters are to be found, and whilst they are filling
their baskets they must watch carefully on all sides lest a
shark fall upon them. If they see one near, they stir up
the mud, and then while the enemy is blinded by the turbid
water they rise as quickly as possible to the surface. Many
escape in this manner, but many also fall victims. Fai
ladies as they adorn their persons with these costly ornp
ments think little of the suffering by which they a
obtained, — the arduous adventurous life, or of the unfor
nates who are annually swallowed by those savages of
deep. When one considers how often those poor Ind
must dive to the bottom, to say nothing of the loss of
before a string of pearls can be obtained, we may cc
dently assert that every necklace has been purchased Dy
at least the life of one human being."
Scudding now before a fresher wind, we steered towards
the south and soon found ourselves in a colder climate.

Voyage to the East Indies. 179
The flying fish played lively as ever around the ship, and
one night so many fell on deck as to furnish an excellent
mess for breakfast. Black dolphins, the greatest enemy
of their flying neighbors, tumbled playfully about in the
rippling water, and at times encircled the ship in great
numbers. Their motion is swift and vigorous, — so much
so that it is scarcely possible to strike them with a har
poon. On the 20th of October we reached the latitude of the
Cape of Good Hope. Flocks of sea birds fluttered around
our masts, for this colder region is the home of the beauti-
ful sea dove, the great white albatross and an innumerable
multitude of smaller kinds, that on the approach of stormy
weather seem to rise, as by the stroke of a magician's wand,
from the sea. One of the few changes one meets with on
a voyage to Africa is angling for birds, for they are as
easily taken as the finny tribe, by baiting a fish-hook with
a piece of fat meat, and especially so in those rough seas,
upon whose surface little to nourish can be found, they
seize greedily upon the hook, which fastens itself readily
in their crooked bills. All these sea birds are clothed with
a coat of feathers so thick and elastic that except in one or
two places they are invulnerable to a bullet.
The fable of the Flying Dutchman is well known — the
Demon ship is still supposed to traverse his unwearied but
unprofitable course in the neighborhood of the Cape. The
weather is stormy almost throughout the year, the skies ever
dark and cloudy, but while other ships, scarcely able to keep
themselves steadily afloat, dare show but one or two storm
sails, the phantom ship is scudding before the gale under a

180 Voyage to the East Indies.
full press of canvass. Our captain assured us with an
expression of countenance which showed that he himself
believed what he asserted, that he had once seen the Dutch
man under crowded sail in Table Bay hardly two English
miles distant ; that he had altered his course in order to
come up with him, but all at once he vanished, and
although he steered a long time in the same direction, he
found no trace of him. The thing easily explains itself
when one considers that the sky is always dark and foggy,
the sea rough and tempestuous, and not seldom sudden
storms of hail and snow prevent the voyager from seeing
a quarter of a mile before him; how easy then to lose
sight of a vessel in an instant.
Much more dangerous than the Flying Dutchman are the
floating bodies of ice, found also in these latitudes ; and
which often cause great damage to ships, for owing to the
thickness of the atmosphere they are not seen, until they
are driven against them. A few years ago an English
frigate in doubling the Cape, ran foul of an iceberg with
such force that she sprung a leak, and broke the rudder in
splinters. Luckily a puff of wind that streamed from a
cleft in the ice and threw back the sails, freed the ship
from her perilous condition since another stroke upon the
iceberg would have dashed her to pieces.
There is no climate where gurnets are found in such
numbers as in the neighborhood of the Cape. In stormy
or cloudy nights the sparkle of these beautiful sea-fish is
the brightest. The troubled waves as they dash their
foam-crested waters against the ship, glitter as though
thousands of brilliant stars were seen among them, and as

Voyage to the East Indies. 181
the rushing keel divides them in her course, the effect is
indescribable, and recals to the mind of the spectator tales
of fairies and sea-nymphs that come up from their ocean
caves to gaze with bright and curious eyes on the daring
mortals that invade their realm.
After doubling the Cape, we had sailed a whole week
with a steady and favorable wind, towards the Isle of Bour
bon, when on one clear day whilst all were assembled on
the deck, we were startled by a cannon shot fired at no
great distance, and came booming over the waters like the
voice of thunder. The captain was hastily summoned
from his cabin, but ere he made his appearance a second
report broke upon the deep stillness that succeeded the
first. At the same moment a sailor on the lookout called
out from above, that he " saw a light over the bows of the
ship, but could not make out what it was." " Is it a ship,"
inquired the captain, as he began hastily to ascend the
mainmast. " No, sir !" was the answer, " the light is too
large to come from a ship's lantern, and it cannot be the
Isle of Bourbon." " It must be a vessel on fire," exclaimed
the captain, as many cannon shots broke upon the silent
air, " Bourbon lies much farther to the north. Aloft there !
crowd on sail — in order to carry help to those unfortunates
before it is too late !"
Whilst the sailors were busy in executing the captain's
orders, he bade the gunners fire the cannon so that the crew
of the burning ship might know that help was near. In
half an hour from the first alarm, we could plainly discern
the blazing vessel with the naked eye, and soon after dis
tinguished the whirling columns of flame as they towered

182 Voyage to the East Indies.
above the masts. The night, too, had come on, and the
impression made by the lurid light that shone far over the
quiet waters, and the booming sound of cannon that from
time to time burst on its stillness, was one too awful to be
soon forgotten. " If we only do not reach them too late !"
cried one of the passengers who, like the sailors, never even
turned their eyes away from the burning spectacle. " I
hope the crew have taken to their boats before this," said
the captain, who with his nightglass to his eye was stead
fastly regarding the unfortunate ship.
The breeze springing up more freshly, we sailed with
increased speed towards the distressed vessel, the forepart
of which was now one sheet of flame ; we saw the angry
fiery element enveloping the foremast from top to bottom
as in a garment, now sweep over to the mainmast, the
sails of which were instantly on fire. How far the confla
gration had proceeded inside we could not ascertain ; but
we were very certain the crew had left her and taken to
the boats, for our continued cannon shots were answered by
muskets fired from the barge and jolly boat.
As we approached carefully so as to avoid danger to our
selves from the collision with the burning ship, a wild cry
arose from the foredeck of the latter — piercing yet mourn
ful, and while pained and astonished we looked about to
discover what it meant, a spectacle singular as fearful met
our eyes. The ship had a number of animals on board
which were being taken to England for a menagerie. In
their haste to leave, the crew had either forgotten to un
loose them, or feared that by liberating them, they might
meet in their rage a worse enemy than even the fire. In

Voyage to the East Indies. 183
wild and unavailing efforts, they dashed furiously against
the iron bars that inclosed them, and their fearful cries
almost drowned the hissing and crackling sound of the
flames. At length they reached the mizzenmast, and the
falling yards loosened a plank or two of one of the cages —
a noble lion with flowing mane and glaring eyes burst forth
and sprung overboard. At the same instant an elephant
had freed himself from the rope which fettered his hind
legs. Flourishing his long proboscis he rushed into the
midst of the fire, but soon driven back by the heat he
retreated to a portion of the foredeck which had not yet
ignited, and his deathcry echoed loud and mournfully over
the dusky ocean.
The falling of the mainmast ended the sad catastrophe.
The cages of the other animals had taken fire, and their
wild occupants bursting through the half burned planks,
showed their dark forms here and there on the deck, and
maddened with pain, shrieked aloud in agony as they
plunged into the sea. The elephant drew himself up as
for a last effort, and was about to spring overboard, as one
bright, blinding glare shot athwart our eyes, and the next
moment, vessel, animals, all had vanished as if by magic.
The explosion that followed instantly — the sparkling brands
that were hurled in all directions, explained that the flames
had reached the magazine and thus blown up the luckless
ship. By this time, we had come up close to the boats, when
a strange sound of snorting and moaning caused us to turn
our eyes once more to the spot where the ship disappeared.
We saw the huge form of the lion contending with the

184 Voyage to the East Indies.
waves ; attracted by the voices of men he was making
every effort to reach the jolly boat. With consternation,
the crew of the frail craft observed the advance of this
dangerous messmate, for if he laid but one of his paws upon
the side, overladen as she was already, she must inevitably
sink by the increased weight. The sailors plied their oars
with renewed force — the little boat shot over the waters
like an arrow, and the poor animal was left far behind.
For a long time, panting and toiling, he continued the pur
suit, battling vigorously with wind and waves ; but at last
his strokes grew weaker, his breathing shorter, and we saw
him finally yield quietly to the waves that settled over
him even as they had closed above the devoted ship.
The captain now called the sailors, who silent and
motionless were standing about, regarding the singular and
impressive spectacle, to their several duties. The sails
were taken in, ropes were thrown to the boats, and such a
number of dark figures clambered up the deck that we
began to be uneasy, and rather doubtful of the character
of the rescued. We soon, however, became convinced that
we had to do with honorable people, and who, singular as
they looked to us in their oriental garb, took all possible
pains to show their gratitude for our timely succor. From
the few Europeans on board, we learned that the ship was
from Sumatra bound to London; we therefore landed
them on the Isle of Bourbon whose port we entered two
days after.
'With the cold climate that we exchanged for a warmer
as we again approached the equator, we lost sight of the
countless flocks of sea-birds that so long had accompanied

Voyage to the East Indies. 185
us. It is something remarkable that they only inhabit the
colder latitudes, for in a warmer climate it is a rare thing
to find them. Sometimes a few weary land-birds that have
strayed from their homeward way, skim over the ocean,
or rest upon the masts ; how they maintain themselves on
the wing cannot be conjectured, but certain it is, they have
been seen on the trackless ocean, when no point of land was
within hundreds of miles.
On the first day of December, a long range of blue hills
rose on the far horizon as if springing from the sea ; we
soon found it to be the coast of Sumatra. Contrary winds
kept us beating about and prevented our entering the straits
of Sunda, but we found ourselves surrounded by a number
of ships from all nations sharing a like fate, and waiting
with the same impatience for a favoring wind to blow them
into Sunda Roads or to their different destinations. At last
the wished for breeze sprung up, the sails swelled, and our
gallant ship sailed proudly through the straits. On all
sides were seen chains of blue hills and richly wooded
islands rising out of the water ; the long coast of Java and
Sumatra covered with vegetation and groups of beautiful
trees, and the thousand little green islets that studded the
straits like emeralds cast at random, presented a lively
picture that contrasted pleasantly with the late monotony
we had endured. Huge trunks of pistangs and tops of
coeoanut. trees, broken off by the wind were driven about
in all directions, and as they met us, awakened almost as
much apprehension as would a reef of rocksv We passed
many islands uninhabitedr and with their impervious
forests still remaining in. primitive wildnesSjr clothed in, the

186 Voyage to the East Indies.
beauty of a perpetual verdure unknown in northern regions,
and soon came in sight of the white houses of the island of
Java, which surrounded with lofty trees and blooming gar
dens, proclaimed themselves the dwellings of Europeans.
From many eminences the Dutch flag was seen floating, and
as we sailed along, a Java village looked out from among
the tall cocoanut trees ; little barks shot out from the
shore and steered towards our ship, and one European boat
manned with eight Javanese rowers, and bearing the flag
of Holland at her stern reached us first.
A police officer, corpulent and full of importance, now
came on board and handed the captain a sheet of paper on
which he was desired to inscribe the name and destination
of the vessel, from what port she had sailed, what burthen
she carried, and other notices of the same kind.
This finished, the Javanese barks rowed swiftly along
side ; these small crafts are generally made of the trunk of
a tree, neatly hollowed out ; they are filled with fruit, fowls,
eggs, apes, parrots, shells, and such like wares, with which
the owner drives a profitable trade with the ships. He
sits on a little bench in the midst of his merchandize with
a short, broad oar in either hand ; with this he propels his
fragile vessel ; which is often not more than an inch or two
above the water's edge. After we had exchanged our pure
Spanish piastres, which is the coin they most prefer, for
such things as we needed, the traffic with the sailors com
menced. Such old jackets, woolen shirts, caps and whatever other
articles of clothing they could spare were bartered for eggs,
cocoanuts, pine apples and other eatables. This accounts

Voyage to the East Indies. 187
for the singular garb of the Javanese boatmen, — striped
shirts, woolen caps and duck trowsers are strangely min
gled with portions of the oriental dress, and a sailor's
jacket with large brass buttons is considered quite orna
mental. Next to clothing they prefer knives, scissors and
articles of iron ware. In general the Javanese are pretty
good judges of the value of these articles, and mostly con
trive to make a more profitable traffic from their fruit and
poultry than the European sailor with his stock of old
clothes. In the evening it is often the case at this time
of year that constant lightnings play round the horizon,
illumining the picturesque shores of Java and Sumatra.
Impenetrable darkness shrouds both earth and sea, and
only by the light of the electric flash is the mariner shown
how to keep off land, and with shortened sail holds on his
way. On board of all vessels, on binnacle, masts and
spars are hung lighted lanterns in order to avoid collision
with each other, for in the thick darkness that envelopes
all around, no object can be discerned at a distance of
three yards. In the meantime the wind pipes shrilly
through the shrouds, and lashes the waves into foam white
as snow-wreaths- After a few hours all again is still, no
breeze disturbs the ocean, the sails flap lazily against the
mast, the waves subside to a glassy smoothness, and the
rain gradually ceases as the dawn approaches. So pass
the nights in this climate during the rainy season.
In the morning we found ourselves surrounded with a
great number of vessels, the white sails of European ships
covered the sea on all sides, contrasting strongly with the
small coasters made of plaited hemp that darted gaily over

188 Voyage to the East Indies.
the blue waves, and fishing boats of all sorts and sizes were
crossing our path or following in our wake. We were
seemingly enclosed in a nest of small islands, and it was a
mystery to conceive how it would be possible to find otir
way out of such a labyrinth. Only by the high volcanic
hills, with their crowns of light smoke were we able to
recognize the mainland of Java, whilst the flowery coast
of Sumatra faded gradually from our view, until at length
it was lost on the distant horizon. But the experienced
eye of our captain discerned clearly the way that lay
before us ; for many years he had guided his ship in safety
through these dangerous seas, and attentive to his duty
and his chart, he disentangled her from among this knot of
islands and we found ourselves once more in a free offing.
Soon the Roads of Batavia were in sight, where more than
fifty large ships and an incredible number of smaller ones
were lying at anchor. The French, Dutch, Austrian and
English flags greeted our arrival, one ship after another wel
comed us to the roads with their thundering cannon, which
was regularly answered by the guard ship constantly sta
tioned here. At last our anchor was let down and fell
rattling into the deep. But, different from Sumatra and
the coast of Java we had left, nothing was to be seen at
Batavia but a flat, low beach overgrown with bushes,
behind which appeared some groups of green trees, and in
the far distance rose a chain of blue hills from the summits
of which clouds of smoke were issuing, that told of the
many volcanic fires that are constantly burning in the
Island of Java.

Jfoh|6~giici(!(|e33 of ^ §ibeirfyi).
Every Russian officer is permitted to choose their ser
vants from among the soldiers, the number varying
according to the rank ; the under lieutenants having the
right to one, the captains can demand three, and the, field
marshal twenty-four. These men, although freed from
military duty, are Still numbered as belonging to their
several regiments, which they are obliged to enter, when
ever their master pleases. They are better fed and clothed
than their comrades, and upon the whole, live an easier
and pleasanter life. Among these soldier-servants, I
became acquainted with one, a Siberian, whose regiment
was quartered in a small town in the government of Pul-
towa. He was a dragoon .and servant to the Adjutant of
the division, with whom I spent many, hours in playing
chess, and this man waited on us, bringing us tea, or what
ever other refreshments we needed.
Fulfilling all his duties to his master not only with
ability, but the greatest fidelity, he was treated with more
friendship, and allowed indulgences denied to others of his
class, the humane officer whom it was his lot to serve,
knowing how to appreciate his faithfulness, and wishing
to remove the deep melancholy under which he constantly
labored. (189)

190 Home-sickness of a Siberian.
This he was not able to do — for it was caused by home
sickness. He pined for his rude home in Siberia — for the
ice-fields, the marshy meadows, and the barren steppes of
his fatherland — he saw no beauty in the summer plains
of the South, no charm in the cultivated fields, nor found
pleasure in the society into which he was thrown. His
sadness increased every day — he lost his flesh, and at
length became incapable of effort, reduced to the borders
of the grave.
In vain did his kind master endeavor to soothe him with
comforting words — as vain the attempt of the garrison
surgeon to cure him with varied prescriptions. His malady
grew in proportion with their efforts to heal it, until it took
the form of monomania. He saw no means by which he
could accomplish his return to his beloved country so as to
be able to remain there in safety, — did he leave his kind
master and fly, it would be of no avail, for the same power
that had at first compelled his forced service, would exact
it anew and with greater vigor. He, therefore, took the
desperate resolution to get himself banished. This he
could not do except he committed the crime of murder,
and an opportunity soon offered itself* The victim was
a young girl, a servant in the same house with himself.
She was of a taunting, irritating disposition, and disputes
were constantly occurring between them — he resolved she
should be the sacrifice to his home-sickness, and accordingly
in the next provocation he received from her, he gave her

* Capital punishment is very rare in Russia, murderers escaping with sen
tence of banishment.

HoME-SrCKNESS OF A SIBERIAN. 191
a blow which killed her. He was imprisoned, tried by
military law, and his judges not knowing him to be a
Siberian, and never guessing his motive for the deed which
he acknowledged he had committed, passed sentence of
banishment for life to Siberia.
But this decree was only to be fulfilled after a prelimi
nary punishment had been inflicted — a punishment of
which he had not thought, and which embittered, if it
did not destroy, the hope of seeing his fatherland once
more. Before he commenced his journey into banishment, he
was to receive seventy strokes of the knout, and the chances
were that he would die under the operation, few constitu
tions being able to endure its severity. But he did survive
it, and the fortitude with which he bore it awoke the
admiration of all. I was obliged to be one of the spec
tators of the execution of this bloody sentence, so I had a
full opportunity of witnessing the stoical heroism with
which the unhappy man bore the strokes that tore his
flesh from his back and shoulders. But if I was aston
ished at this courageous endurance of bodily pain, I was
yet more so when I saw the look of eager inquiry, that
notwithstanding the terrible suffering he was undergoing,
he cast from time to time on his soldier's cap that lay on
the ground quite near him, into which according to the
Russian custom, the spectators were dropping money, and
so great was their admiration of his endurance, that it was
filled to the brim with gold and silver coin, together with
bank notes of larger value. Virtue and crime were so min
gled in this man, that it was hard to form an opinion of

192 HOME-SICKNESS OF A SIBERIAN.
him. The love of country, one of the '"highest of human
emotions, and avarice, almost the lowest, gave the poor
criminal, after receiving the seventieth stroke, strength
sufficient to walk with the support of the jailor's arm to the
hospital, from whence a few weeks after, his wounds being
healed, he was sent with some other criminals to his
beloved Siberia.

The End.

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