_Quangrollart arrives with the colambs--Straitened for
accommodation--Remove to the tent--Youwarkee not known--Peter relates
paid of his travels--Dispute about the beast-fish skins._
SLEEPING longer than usual, I was awakened next morning by a gripsack
from Quangrollart; upon hearing of which I roused immediately, thinking
they were at my door; but the messenger told me they could not be there
in what I understood by his signs to be about two hours, for they have
no such measure for time as hours; so I dressed at leisure, and then
went to Youwarkee and waked her. "Youwee," says I, "your brother will
be here presently, and I having a mind you should appear as my
countrywoman, would have you dress yourself."
We walked down to the level, and but just saved our distance; for the
van of them were within the arkoe before we arrived, and with such a
train after them as seemed to reach the whole length of the arkoe. The
regularity and order of their flight was admirable, and the break of the
trumpets so great, sounding all the way they came (for we had not only
one set of them, but at least thirty, there being so many colambs and
petty princes in the train, each with fifty attendants), that I wondered
how they could bear it. As the principals alighted, which was at least
a hundred paces from me, the gripsacks still kept wing, sounding as long
as we stayed.
This was a very tedious ceremony, for the guards alighting with their
colambs, ranged just as Pendlehamby's had done, but reached as far as
the eye could see. As they moved towards us, You-warkee and I, having
stood still some time, moved slowly forward to meet them.
It would have surprised you to have seen the deference they paid us;
and I believe the guards took us for something above the mortal race.
You-warkee showed no part of her graundee, having on sleeves down to her
wrists, white silk stockings and red-heeled shoes; so that none of them
knew her for one of them.
The first that we met was my brother, to whom we had only an opportunity
of paying our compliments _en passant_ before another graundee came up,
who was succeeded by another and another, to the number of thirty; some
out of respect to my father and brother, and some out of mere curiosity
to see me; and as fast as each had paid his salutes, he passed us, till
we found we had no more to meet, when we turned about, and fell in with
the company.
When we came to the grotto, I was very much put to it for room, we
scarce being able to stand upright by each other, much less to sit down;
which my father perceiving, "My dear friends," says he, "had my son
known in time of so much good company, he would have been better
provided with seats for us all; but considering all we see is the labour
only of his own hands, we should rather admire at the many conveniences
we see here, than be uneasy there are no more. And, son," says he,
"as we are now so large a body, I propose we adjourn to the officers'
quarters and let them take ours." I returned my father thanks for the
hint, and led the way, the rest following, where we found room enough
and to spare.
Though Youwarkee was with us all dinner-time helping the guests, we had
no sooner done, "But," says Quangrollart aloud, "Brother Peter, are we
not to see my sister?" I not hearing perfectly what he said, though I
perceived he spoke to me, "Sir," says I.--"My sister Youwarkee!" says
he, "why won't she appear? Here are several of her good friends as well
as myself will be glad to see her." My father then laughed so heartily
that the rest taking notice of it, my poor brother was put to the blush.
"Son," says my father, "don't you know your own sister?"--"We have not
seen her yet," says one of the colambs, "or any lady but your daughter
Hallycarnie and that attendant." My brother then seeing how it was came
up to salute my wife; but even then had his scruples, till he saw her
smile, and then begged pardon for his oversight, as did all the colambs
upon saluting her; my brother declaring that, as she was somewhat behind
me on the level, he had only paid her the respect of his chin, taking
her for some one attending me. The colamb following my brother, assured
her the little regard shown her by Quangrollart, who, he thought,
should know best where to bestow his respects, was the reason of his
taking no more notice of her; and each confessing his mistake arose from
too nearly copying the steps of his immediate predecessor, they all made
excuse, and the mistake made us very merry, till they proposed taking
a turn in the woods, it being a great novelty to them, they said; but I
begged they would leave me behind to prepare for their return.
Having refreshed themselves after they came home, Quangrollart (being
put upon it by some of the colambs) told me I could not render a more
acceptable favour to the whole company than to relate to them an account
of my adventures; "for though," says he, "I told them last night what I
remembered to have heard from you, yet the variety was so great I could
not deliver the facts in order as I heard them, but was obliged to take
here a piece and there another, as they occurred to me, making rather
several stories of it than a continued series of facts."
All the colambs immediately seconded the motion, and desired me to
begin. I then ordering a clear table and a bowl of punch, and having
drank all the company's healths, began my narration, hoping to have
finished it before bedtime; but they pressing me to be very particular,
and frequently one or other requiring explanations upon particular
facts, and then one making a remark upon something which another
answered, and a third replied to, they got the talk out of my hands so
long that, having lost themselves in the argument, and forgot what I
said last, they begged my pardon and desired me to go on; when one, who
in contemplation of one fact had lost best part of another, prayed me to
go on from such an incident, and another from one before that; so that
I was frequently obliged to begin half-way back again. This method not
only spun out my story to a very great length, but instead of its being
finished that evening, as I had proposed, it was scarce well begun
before bedtime drew on; so I just having brought them to Angola, told
them, as it grew late, if they pleased, I would finish the remainder
next night, which they agreed to.
Quangrollart then asked my father if he had been fishing since he came;
but he told him he knew not what he meant. Then all the company desired
I would show them what that was. I told them they might command me as
they pleased; so we appointed the next morning for that exercise. "But,
gentlemen," says I, "your lodging to-night gives me the greatest pain;
for I know not what I shall do about that. I have a few beast-fish skins
which are very soft and hairy, but not a sufficiency for so many friends
as I would at present be proud to oblige; but I can lay them as far as
they will go upon as much dry reeds and grass as you please." I then
sent a servant to Youwarkee for the skins; after which, they one and
all crying out if they had but good dry reeds they desired no better
lodging, I despatched hands to bring away a large parcel of them to the
tent, which they did in a trice. Then waiting on those few who lay at
the grotto to their quarters, and having sent Youwarkee to her sister,
I returned to the tent to take up my own lodging with those I had left
there.
I had not yet entered the tent when I heard a perfect tumult within,
every one talking so loud, and all together, that I verily thought they
had fallen out and were going to handicuffs. However, I resolved to go
in amongst them and try to compose their difference; when just entering,
and they spying me, several ran to me with each a skin in his hand, the
rest following as fast as they could. "Gentlemen," says I, "I hoped
to have found you all at rest."--"So we should have been," says one
of them, "but for these what you call 'ems."--"It is my unspeakable
misfortune," says I, "that I have no more at your service, and am sorry
that I should cause them to be brought, since each of you cannot have
one." Says one of them, "I don't want one, I have seen enough of it."--
"Then, gentlemen," says I, "it is possible there may be so many more of
that colamb's mind that there may be sufficient for those who desire
them." They neither knew what to make of me nor I of them all this
while; till an old colamb perceiving our mistake, "Mr. Peter," says he,
"we have only had a dispute."--"I am sorry at my heart for it," says I,
"but I perceived you were very warm before I entered, and am in great
hopes of compromising matters to all your satisfactions."--"I was
going," says the same colamb, "to tell you we had a dispute about what
these things were, nothing else." I was then struck on a heap, being
quite ashamed they should think I suspected they had been quarrelling
for the skins; and how to come off I knew not. "You'll excuse me, sir,"
says I, "for expressing a concern that you could not each have one to
examine into at the same time, that one of you need not have waited to
make your remarks till the other had done."--"No occasion, no occasion
for that, Mr. Peter," said they all together; "we shall have leisure
enough to examine them to-morrow; but we want to know what they are, and
where they grow."--"Gentlemen," says I, "each of these is the clothing
of a particular fish. And where do they grow?" said they. "In the lake,"
says I; "they are a living creature, who inhabit that great water; I
often catch them when I am fishing, the same exercise we shall go upon
to-morrow."
I had much ado to persuade them they did not grow on trees, which I was
then much more surprised at than some time after, that I returned their
visit; but having satisfied them, and given them some possible hopes
they might see one alive next day, they were very well contented, and we
all lay down to rest.
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