_Peter sends for his family--Pendlehamby gives a fabulous account of the
peopling of that country--Their policy and government--Peter's
discourse on trade--Youwarkee arrives--Invites the king and nobles to a
treat--Sends to Graundevolet for fowls._
THE days hanging heavy on my hands till the arrival of my family, I
sent Pendlehamby word that as I had sent for my family and effects in
order to settle in this country, and expected them very soon, I should
be glad of his, my brother, and sister's company, to welcome them on
their arrival.
My father came alone, which gave me an opportunity of informing myself
in the rise and policy of the State, as I purposed to take several
farther steps in their affairs, if they might prove agreeable and
consistent; for hitherto, having had only slight sketches or hints of
things, I could form no just idea of the whole of their laws, customs,
and government. Explaining myself, therefore, to him, I begged his
instructions in those particulars.
"Son Peter," says my father, "you have already done too much in a short
time to leave any room to think you can do no more: and as you have
hitherto directed your own proceedings with such incredible success,
neither the king nor colambs will interpose against your inclination,
but give you all the advices in our powers; and I shall esteem your
selecting me for that purpose no small honour.
"Know, then, that this State, by the tradition of our ragans, has
subsisted eleven thousand years; for, before that time, the great
mountain Emina, then not far from the Black Mountain, but now fallen and
sunk in the sea, roaring and raging in its own bowels for many ages, at
last burst asunder with great violence, and threw up numberless unformed
fleshy masses to the very stars; two of which happening in their passage
to touch the side of the Black Mountain (for all the rest fell into the
sea and were lost) lodged there, and lying close together as they grew,
united to each other till they were joined in one; and, in process of
time, by the dews of heaven, became a glumm and a gaw-ry; but being so
linked together by the adhesion of their flesh, they were obliged both
to move which way either would. Living thus a long time in great love
and fondness for each other, they had but one inclination, lest both
should be sufferers upon the least disagreement.
"In process of time they grew tired of each other's constant society,
and one willing to go here and the other there, bred perpetual disorders
between them; for prevention whereof for the future they agreed to cut
themselves asunder with sharp stones. The pain indeed was intolerable
during the operation; but, however, they effected it, and the wounds
each received were very dangerous, and a long time before they were
perfectly healed; but at length, sometimes agreeing, sometimes not,
they begat a son, whom they called Perigen, and a daughter they called
Philella. These two, as they grew up, despising their parents, who lived
on the top of the mountain, ventured to descend into the plains, and
living upon the fruits they found there, sheltered themselves in this
very rock. Meantime, the old glumm and gawry, having lived to a great
age, were so infirm that neither of them was able to walk for a long
time; till one day, being near each other, and trying to rise by
the assistance of each other, they both got up, and leaning upon and
supporting each other, they also walked commodiously. This mutual
assistance kept them in good humour a great while, till one day, passing
along near hoximo, they both fell in.
"Perigen and Philella had several children in the plains; who, as they
grew up, increasing, spread into remote parts, and peopled the country.
At last, one of them being a very passionate man, at the instigation
of his wife, became the first murderer, by slaying his father. This so
enraged the people, that the murderer and his wife, in abhorrence of the
fact, were conveyed to Mount Alkoe, where was then only a very narrow
deep pit, into which they were both thrown headlong; but the persons who
carried them thither, had scarce retired from the mouth of the pit, when
it burst out with fire, raging prodigiously, and has kept burning
ever since. Arco and Telamine (the murderer and his wife) lived seven
thousand years in the flames; till having with their teeth wrought a
passage through the side of the mountain, they begat a new generation
about the foot of the mountain; and having brought fire with them,
resolved to keep it burning ever after in memory of their escape; and
power being given them over bad men, they and their progeny are now
wholly employed in beating and tormenting them.
"A great while after Arco and Telamine were thus disposed of, the people
of this country multiplying, it happened one year that all the fruits
were so dry that the people, not able to live any longer upon the
moisture of them only, as they had always done before, and fearing all
to be consumed with drought, one of their ragans praying very much, and
promising to make an image to Collwar and preserve it for ever, if he
would send them but moisture, in one night's time the earth cast up
such a flood that they were forced to mount on the rocks for fear of
drowning. But the next day it all sunk away again, except several little
bubbles which remained in many places for a long time, and the people
lived only on the moisture they sucked from the stone where those
bubbles settled for many years; for they found that the water arose to
the height of the surface, and no higher; and where they found most
of those chinks and bubbles they settled and formed cities, living
altogether in holes of the rock; till one Lallio, having found out the
art of crumbling the rock to dust by a liquor he got from the trees, and
working himself a noble house in the rock, in the place where our palace
now stands, he told them if they would make him their king, they should
each have such a house as his own. To this they agreed, and then he
discovered the secret to them.
"This Lallio directed the cutting out this whole city, divided the
people into colonies where the waters were most plenty; and while half
the people worked at the streets and houses, the other half brought them
provisions. In short, he grew so powerful that no one durst dispute his
commands; all which authority he transmitted to his successors, who,
finding by the increase of the people and the many divisions of them
that they grew insolent and ungovernable, they appointed a colamb in
every province, as a vice-king, with absolute authority over all causes,
except murder and treason, which are referred to the king and colambs in
moucheratt.
"As we had no want but of victuals and habitations, the king, when he
gave a colambat, gave also the lands and the fruits thereof, together
with all the hot and cold springs, to the colamb, who again distributed
parcels to the great officers under him, and they part of theirs to the
meaner officers under them, for their subsistence, with such a number of
the common people as was necessary in respect to the dignity of the post
each enjoyed, who for their services are fed by their masters.
"In all cases of war, the king lays before the moucheratt the number
of his own troops he designs to send; when each colamb's quota being
settled at such a proportion of the whole, he forthwith sends his number
from out of his own lasks, and also from the several officers under
him; so that every man, let the number be ever so great, can be at the
rendezvous in a very few days.
"We have but three professions, besides the ragans and soldiery, amongst
us, and these are cooks, house-makers, and pike-makers, of which every
colamb has several among his lasks; and these, upon the new regulations,
will be the only gainers, as they may work where they please, and
according to their skill will be their provision; but how the poor
labourers will be the better for it, I cannot see."
"Dear sir," says I, "there are, you see, amongst lasks, some of such
parts, that it is great pity they should be confined from showing them;
and my meaning in giving liberty is in order for what is to follow; that
is, for the introduction of arts amongst you. Now, every man who has
natural parts will exert them when any art is laid before him; and he
will find so much delight in making new discoveries that, did no profit
attend it, the satisfaction of the discovery to a prying genius
would compensate the pains; but I propose a profit also to the
artificer."--"Why, what profit," says my father, "can arise but food,
and perhaps a servant of their own to provide it for them?"
"Sir," says I, "the man who has nothing to hope loses the use of one of
his faculties; and if I guess right, and you live ten years longer, you
shall see this State as much altered as the difference has been between
a lask and a tree he feeds on. You shall all be possessed of that which
will bring you fruits from the woods without a lask to fetch it. Those
who were before your slaves shall then take it as an honour to be
employed by you, and at the same time shall employ others dependent on
them; so as the great and small shall be under mutual obligations to
each other, and both to the truly industrious artificer; and yet every
one content only with what he merits."
"Dear son," says my father, "these will be glorious days indeed! But,
come, come, you have played a good part already; don't, by attempting
what you can't master, eclipse the glory so justly due to you."--"No,
sir," says I, "nothing shall be attempted by me to my dishonour; for I
shall ever remember my friend Glanepze. Sir," says I, "see here."
(showing him my watch).--"Why, this," says he, "hung by my daughter's
side at Graundevolet."--"It did so," says I; "and, pray, what did you
take it for?"--"A bott," says he.--"I thought so," says I; "but as you
asked no questions, I did not then force the knowledge of it upon you.
But put it to your ear."--He did so. "What noise is that?" says he. "Is
it alive?"--"No," says I, "it is not; but it is as significant. If I ask
it what time of the day it is, or how long I have been going from this
place to that, I look but in its face, and it tells me presently."
My father, looking upon it a good while, and perceiving that the minute
hand had got farther than it was at first, was just dropping it out
of his hand, had I not caught it. "Why, it is alive," says he; "it
moves!"--"Sir," says I, "if you had dropped it, you had done me an
inexpressible injury."--"Oh ho," says he, "I find now how you do your
wonders; it is something you have shut up here that assists you; it is
an evil spirit!" I laughing heartily, he was sorry for what he had said,
believing he had shown some ignorance. "No, sir," says I, "it is no
spirit, good or evil, but a machine made by some of my countrymen, to
measure time with."--"I have heard," says he, "of measuring an abb, or
the ground, or a rock; but never yet heard of measuring time."--"Why,
sir," says I, "don't you say three days hence I will do so; or such a
one is three years old? Is not that a measuring of time by so many
days or years?"--"Truly," says he, "in one sense I think it is."--"Now,
sir," says I, "how do you measure a day?"--"Why, by rising and lying
down," says he.--"But suppose I say I will go now, and come again, and
have a particular time in my head when I will return, how shall I do to
make you know that time?"--"Why, that will be afterwards, another time,"
says he; "or I can think how long it will be."--"But," says I, "how can
you make me know when you think it will be?"--"You must think too,"
says he.--"But then," says I, "we may deceive each other, by thinking
differently. Now this will set us to rights:" then I described the
figures to him, telling him how many parts they divided the day into,
and that by looking on it I could tell how many of such parts were
passed; and that if he went from me, and said he would come one, or two,
or three parts hence, I should know when to expect him. I then showed
him the wheels, and explained where the force lay, and why it went no
faster or slower, as well as I could; and from my desire of teaching,
insensibly perfected myself more and more in it. So that beginning to
have a little idea of it, he wished he had one. "And," says he, "will
you teach all our people to make such things?"--"Then they would be
disregarded, sir," says I.--"It is impossible," says he.--"I'll tell
you, sir, how I mean," said I. "I can, hereafter, show you a hundred
things as useful as this; now, if everybody was to make these, how would
other things be made? Besides, if everybody made them, nobody would
want them; and then what would anybody get by them, besides the pleasing
their own fancy? But if only twenty men make them in one town, all
the rest must come to them; and they who make these, must go to one of
twenty others, who make another thing that these men want, and so on;
by which means, every man wanting something he does not make, it will be
the better for every maker of everything."
"Son," says my father, "excuse me; I am really ashamed, now you have
better informed me, I asked so foolish a question." I told him we had
a saying in my country, that everything is easy when it is known. "I
think," says he, "a man might find everything in your country."
Two days after, my wife and daughter Sally came very early; but sure no
joy could be greater than ours at sight of each other. I embraced
them both over and over, as did my father, especially Sally, who was a
charming child. They told me I might expect everything that evening,
for they left them alighting at the height of Battringdrigg; for though
they came out the last, yet the body of the people with their baggage
could not come so fast as they did. And little Sally said, "We stayed
and rested ourselves, purely, daddy, at Battringdrigg, before the crowd
came; but as soon as mammy had seen all my brothers safe, who came
before the rest, and kissed Dicky, we set out again."
About seven hours after arrived the second convoy from abroad, that ever
entered that country. I had too much to do with my wife and children
that night, to spare a thought to my cargo; so I only set a guard over
them; for though I had now been married about sixteen years, Youwarkee
was ever new to me.
I was now obliged to the king again, for some additional conveniences to
my former apartment; and the young ones were mightily pleased to have so
much more room than we had at home, and to see the sweecoes; but finding
themselves waited upon in so elegant a manner, and by so many servants
(for with our new rooms, we had all the servants belonging to them),
they thought themselves in a paradise to the grotto, where all we wanted
we were forced to help ourselves to.
The next day Tommy came to see us, the king having given him a very
pretty post, since the death of Yaccombourse; and Hallycarnie, with
the Princess Jahamel, her mistress, who was mightily pleased to see
Youwarkee in her English dress, and invited her and the children to her
apartment.
It was but a few months since my wife saw the children; yet she scarce
knew them, they were so altered; for the two courtiers behaved with so
much politeness, that their brothers and Sally looked but with an
ill eye upon them, finding all the fault, and dropping as many little
invidious expressions on them as possible. But I sharply rebuked them:
"We were all made chiefly," I told them, "to please our Maker, and that
could be done only by the goodness of the heart; and if their hearts
were more pure, they were the best children; but if they liked their
brothers' and sisters' outward behaviour better than their own, they
might so far imitate them."
When we were settled in our new apartment, I unpacked my chairs and
tables, and set out my side-board, and made such a figure as had never
before been seen in that part of the world. I wanted now some shoes for
Pedro, his own being almost past wear, for the young ones never had worn
any, but could find none; till applying to Lasmeel, and showing him what
I wanted, he pointed to one of the great water-casks; but as there were
eleven of them, big and little, I knew not where to begin; till, having
invited the king and several of the ministers to dine with me, I was
forced to look over my goods for several other things I should want.
In my search, I found half a ream of paper, a leathern ink-bottle, but
no ink in it, some quills, and books of accounts, and several other
things relative to writing. The prize gave me courage to attempt the
other casks; but I found little more that I immediately wanted. In
the last cask were several books, two of them romances, six volumes
of English plays, two of devotion; the next were either Spanish or
Portuguese, and the last looked like a Bible; but just opening it, and
taking it to be of the same language, I put them all in again, thinking
to divert myself with them some other time. I here found some more
paper, and so many shoes, as, when I had fellowed them, served me as
long as I stayed in the country.
Having, as I said before, invited the king to eat with me, I was sorry
I had not ordered my fowls to be brought; and Youwarkee said she thought
to have done it, but I had not wrote for them. I told her I would send
Maleck for some of them, I was resolved; for I should pique myself on
giving the king a dish he had never before tasted. So I called Maleck,
telling him he must take thirty men with him to Graundevolet: "And carry
six empty chests with you," says I, "and put eight of my fowls in each
chest, and bring them with all expedition."--"Where do they lie, sir?"
says he.--"You will find them at roost," says I, "when it is dark."--"I
never was there," says he, "and don't know the way."--"What," says
I, "never at Graundevolet!"--"Yes," says he, "but not at roost."--I
laughed, saying, "Maleck, did not you see fowls when you was there?"
He said he did not know; what were they like?--"They are a bird," says
I.--"And what sort of a thing is that?" says he. Youwee hearing us in
this debate, "Maleck," says she, "did not you see me toss down little
nuts to something that you stared at? you saw them eat the nuts."--"Oh
dear," says he, "I know it very well, with two legs and no arms."--"The
same," says I, "Maleck; do you go look for a little house, almost by my
grotto, and at night you will find these things stand on sticks in that
house. Take them down gently, and come away with them in the chests."
Maleck performed his business to a hair; but instead of forty-eight,
brought me sixty, telling me he found the chests would hold them very
well; and I kept them afterwards in the king's garden.
[Illustration: 5242]
[Illustration: 0243]