answer to this effect: that he wondered deaan Tuley-Noro should concern
himself with other people’s affairs; that as to the white men who were
shipwrecked on his coast, he looked upon it, that the great God had sent
them there for his assistance; and that as he had a potent enemy, and
was conscious of the white men’s courage, as well as superior skill in
war, he should not slight the help his gods had sent him. Accordingly he
treated them with the utmost civility as friends, and maintained them in
as handsome a manner as his country would afford; they wanting for
nothing he could procure them: and after all, though they had in so
violent a manner seized him, and prince Murnanzack, and made them
prisoners, he would condescend so far to Tuley-Noro to inform him
(though under no obligations to give him an account of his actions, or
frame any excuses) that neither he, nor prince Murnanzack was present,
or any way aiding or abetting in their deaths; but that action was done
by some of his sons and nephews to revenge the indignity offered to
himself and prince Murnanzack. And to convince him he did not tell him
this as a plea, through a mean spirited fear; since his sons thought fit
to do it, he would justify and defend them in it; and thought they did
the white men justice. That he knows but of one that was living out of
four boys, who were saved at that time, whom by inquiry he finds to be
in deaan Mevarrow’s hands: as to the other three, one died by sickness;
the second was killed by his master for his obstinacy and perverseness;
and the third ran away or was lost; for nobody knew what was become of
him: and as to him who was living, he should not have him without paying
such a ransom as his master required.
Now, by several circumstances, I am apt to imagine, that this answer
might seem highly reasonable to king Samuel; and that in my opinion
prevailed more on him to return to Antenosa, than all the force my
master boasted of, or than all that Crindo’s army was capable of
performing.
They told me, however, that king Samuel in his answer hereto, excused
the violence the white men offered to deaan Crindo, by asserting that
they did it only to secure their liberty; that they did not, nor ever
intended to hurt or injure him. However, as there was no raising the
dead to life, if he would send six hundred head of cattle, it should be
deemed a sufficient compensation; as for me, he was ready and willing to
purchase me, and desired to know what they demanded for my redemption.
Deaan Crindo sent word that with respect to me, they insisted on two
Buccaneer guns; but as to his demand of six hundred head of cattle, he
was not to have laws, or any arbitrary commands imposed on him by any
king whomsoever; that if they wanted provision he was ready to supply
him: for it should not be said that deaan Tuley-Noro came to see him,
and he would not give him a dinner; and for that reason he had ordered
his people to present him with six oxen and a bull.
King Samuel, as some would have it, resented this as an affront, and
would have attacked the Anterndroeans immediately upon it, but was
dissuaded by captain Drummond and the rest, there being no likelihood of
any engagement but bush-fighting; which must be to the advantage of the
Anterndroeans in their own country, who were in possession of the wood:
so finding that no other terms would be agreeable, they accepted of
deaan Crindo’s present, which his men wanted, indeed, and went on in
their parley about me; the success whereof you have already seen.
However,
I must not pass over a piece of superstition practised here. There are a
sort of people in this country who pretend to a profound knowledge in
the magical virtue of roots, trees, plants, and other products of the
like nature; and of their power to perform wondrous things by charms
composed of them. One of these conjurers, or Umossees (as the natives
call them) prevailed on deaan Crindo to take a certain powder which he
gave him, and to strip off a piece of the skin of the tail of a white
bull, because deaan Tuley-Noro was a whitish man, and to clap this
powder upon the wound; as also to mix some of it with water, and give it
to the bull to drink thereof, before it was given to the Antenosa men.
Now this was not done in order to make the creature unwholesome, and by
that means to procure deaths, or diseases among their enemies in the
common way; but with a view to work some witchcraft or supernatural
operation upon them. Now it happened that in two months after this king
Samuel died: at that time he was very infirm, and had been so long
before; which, with the fatigue of this journey, might hasten his end.
There was not wanting, however, people superstitious enough to think his
death was the effect of this incantation; though it is reasonable to
suppose he eat none of the bull, there being oxen at the same time; for
these negroes would make oxen no more than we white men, were they not
sensible that the flesh of them is in all respects more grateful to the
taste than that of bulls.
And since I have had an opportunity of saying thus much of king Samuel,
I suppose my reader will be so curious as to inquire who this king with
a christian name was? and what reason should induce him to assist us,
and revenge our wrongs? His living near the sea, and the immense
treasure he and his people amassed together by trading with the English,
may serve as a sufficient motive for the friendship this king showed to
our people: and indeed they are friends to the English all over the
island, except in some few places far distant from the sea. King
Samuel’s history, however, being very particular, I shall here relate it
as I had it at different times from the natives themselves. Whether any
of the French authors of voyages have written any memoirs concerning
him, I cannot positively affirm; nor have I had the opportunity of
seeing their histories of Madagascar, to compare them with my own; I
shall not, therefore, vary from the account I had of it, whether it be
agreeable to what others have said, or not.
This part of the country to which the French have given the name of Port
Dauphine, is called in the Madagascar language Antenosa. There came
hither about ninety years ago two French ships, on what account I cannot
learn; however they came to an anchor close under the land, in a very
good harbour. The captain observing that there were plenty of cattle,
and all provisions, as also a very good soil, determined that one of
them should stay here, and establish a settlement: hereupon they cast
lots who should continue on the island, and the person on whom the lot
fell was captain Mesmerrico. [I must here desire my reader to observe,
that this is the name by which the natives distinguish him; though in
all probability as they are unlearned they may pronounce it very
incorrectly: but, besides, as it is some considerable time since, and
they have no writings or records, so consequently, they can have no
other history than that of tradition, from father to son, and so on to
succeeding generations.] This captain Mesmerrico landed with two hundred
white men, well armed, and provided with store of ammunition and other
necessaries for the building of a fort, which they immediately began. No
sooner had the natives observed their intention, than they used their
utmost art and industry to prevent them: this created a war, in which
the French were the victors, who took at several times a great number of
prisoners. In this war the king of Antenosa and his brother were killed;
and amongst many other children that were made captives, the king’s son
was one. When the French had suppressed the natives and completed their
fort, the ships set sail for France, and carried this young prince and
several others of distinction with them.
In about a year after this expedition, the natives began to be better
reconciled to the French; notwithstanding they were secretly disgusted
at the indignity offered to their young prince, and could by no means
relish the government and direction of foreigners. However, the French,
by their artful and cunning deportment and insinuations, gained so much
friendship amongst them, that they married, and lived up and down in
several towns, at some distance from each other, and not above five or
six in a place. They occasionally assisted the natives in their wars
against a king that resides to the northward, whom they defeated, took a
great number of slaves and many cattle. In this manner they lived for
some years with great tranquility, neglecting their fort, and extending
themselves all over the whole country of Antenosa: but at last, as their
families grew numerous, the natives grew jealous; and recollecting how
inhumanly they had treated their prince, and perceiving them thus
scattered and dispersed, they thought this a favourable opportunity to
free themselves from a foreign yoke. Hereupon they formed a conspiracy
to cut off all the white men in one day; and the Wednesday following it
was put in execution, not leaving a white man alive in Antenosa.
Soon after a French ship came there as usual; the maurominters, or
slaves, who retained a respect for the French, got a canoe and went off
to them, and informed them that their countrymen were all massacred. The
captain was startled, and deeply concerned at this melancholy news, but
could not revenge their cause, being glad to steer another course
without making the least attempt to go on shore.
Having now nobody to interrupt them, they put their government into its
original form, and made choice of one for their king, who was the most
nearly related to the former; there being no other son than he whom the
French took captive. Under this new king’s direction they lived
peaceably and quietly for several years, no French ship ever presuming
to come near them; but now and then an English ship paid them a visit;
and they traded in a very fair and honest manner with the officers on
board.
Some years afterwards, a French ship, homeward-bound from India,
happened to be in great distress for want of water and provisions, and
could not compass the Cape. Port Dauphine lay very commodious for the
captain, but he knew that the natives were their implacable enemies,
neither was he ignorant of the real occasion; and therefore resolved to
make use of the following stratagem. Under a pretence of being sent
ambassador from the French king, he went on shore in great pomp, and
with proper attendants. The ship lay at anchor as near the shore as
possible, in order to be within reach of their guns in case any acts of
hostility should be shown them. The natives who came down to them, asked
if they were English or French? They replied, the latter; but they were
sent by express orders from the French king with some valuable presents,
and were inclined to make a treaty of peace. The king they had last
chosen, whom I mentioned before, died about a month before their
arrival, and no new one was then elected in his stead; but the old queen
(mother of the prince whom they had so clandestinely conveyed away some
years before) being then alive, gave directions that the ambassador
should be conducted to her house. His men carried a great many things of
no great value amongst them; but such, however, as they knew would be
highly agreeable in this country. These were formally presented in the
name of the French king, and the queen testified her satisfaction in the
reception of them, by entertaining the captain in the most elegant
manner she could devise. This day passed in compliments, mutual
presents, and such other ceremonies as were consistent with their ideas
of public grandeur; the next day she sent for the captain and informed
him, that she expected his men, as well as himself, should take the
oaths according to the custom of her country.
The captain having readily agreed to her proposition, the ceremony was
performed after the following manner:—the holy owley, of which we have
already given some account, was brought out and hung upon a piece of
wood laid crosswise on two forks, all which were cut down on this solemn
occasion; as was also a long pole, to which a bullock was fastened: this
was provided by the queen, and when killed, they took part of the tail,
and some of the hair of the nose and eyebrows, and put them on some live
coals that were under the owley; they then took some of the blood, which
they sprinkled upon it, and upon the beam whereon it hung; the liver
also was roasted, and a piece placed on it; two other pieces were put on
two lances, which were stuck in the ground betwixt the queen and the
ambassador; the queen swore first to this, or the like effect:—“I swear
by the great God above, by the four gods of the four quarters of the
world, by the spirits of my forefathers, and before this holy owley,
that neither I, nor any of my offspring, nor any of my people, who
assist at this solemnity, or their issue, shall or will wittingly, or
willingly, kill any Frenchman, unless he prove the first aggressor: and
if we, or any of us, mean any other than the plain and honest truth by
this protestation, may this liver, which I now eat, be converted into
poison, and destroy me on the spot.”
Having repeated this form of words, she took the piece of liver off the
lance and eat it, and when she had done, the sham-ambassador did the
same.
The captain, or quondam ambassador, stayed on shore about three or four
days after this solemn contract, and sent on board what provision his
people wanted. A firm friendship being now established between them,
they strove who should outvie the other in the arts of courtesy and
complaisance. The captain invited the queen to go on board his vessel,
and she very readily went with several of the chief of her people, who
were treated by the captain with great magnificence, and to her entire
satisfaction. She returned on shore in the ship’s boat, and stood
looking about her for some time after she was landed. The Frenchmen, not
regarding the presence of the black queen, stripped and swam about to
wash and cool themselves; the queen observing the whiteness of their
skins, indulged her curiosity in looking on them; at last, perceiving
one man whose skin was much darker than the rest of his companions, as
he came toward the shore, and was going to put on his clothes, she
espied a particular mole under his left breast; she went to him
immediately, and looking more wishfully on it, would not permit him to
put on his shirt, but claimed him as her son, who had been carried away,
when a child, many years before; and had not patience to contain
herself, but ran to him, (crying for joy that she had found her son,)
threw her arms about his neck, and almost stifled him with kisses. This
surprised all the people, as well blacks as whites, till having
recovered herself a little, she turned to them and told them this was
her son, and showed them the private mark. They who had known the young
prince drew near, viewed the mole, and acquiesced with her that it must
be he, and no other. The Frenchmen could not tell what to make of this
odd discovery, nor what might be the fatal consequences that might
possibly attend it.
The captain, therefore, taking the man aside, advised him to give as
artful answers as he could to what questions they should ask him for
their safety’s sake. Now there were several blacks who spoke French, and
by their means the Frenchmen as soon understood the queen as they did.
She desired they would ask him if he knew the country he was born in? He
answered, he could remember nothing of it, for he was carried from his
native place when a child. She asked him if he knew her? He said, he
could not pretend to say absolutely that he did, but he thought she bore
a great resemblance to somebody he was much used to when young.
This confirmed them more and more in their opinion. As to his being
white-skinned, they thought that might easily be from his wearing
clothes during the time he was absent from home; his hair was as black
as theirs, so that it was concluded it must be their prince. The old
queen was transported with joy at finding her son, and the natives were
for choosing him their king directly, he being the next heir. They asked
what was his name. He told them he never remembered that he was called
by any other name than that of Samuel; but they gave him what they
thought was his original name, compounded with Tuley, which denoted his
return, or arrival; so they called him deaan Tuley-Noro. Deaan, it may
be observed, is a universal title of honour, and signifies lord; and he
was also farther saluted immediately with the title of Panzacker, that
is, king of Antenosa.
The captain and other Frenchmen were surprised to find the man play his
part so dexterously; not perceiving, at first, that he was in earnest,
and was as fond of being their king as they were of electing him, though
it was in so heathenish a place. He had here twelve thousand fighting
men immediately under his command, and a fine, spacious, and plentiful
country to live in at his pleasure. The ship’s crew sailed away and left
him behind them; but as often as the French had occasion for what this
island afforded, they made it a constant practice to put into Port
Dauphine, and traffic with him.
About three or four years before we were cast away, a French ship
happening to be there, some of the men got drunk on shore, and in a
quarrel with some of the natives, told them that king Samuel was not
their lawful prince, but that he was still resident in France. This
might have proved of very fatal consequence to him, but he took such
care to prevent it, as no one could justly blame him for. He sent for
the man who made this public declaration, and ordered him to be shot to
death; he commanded, likewise, his companions to depart forthwith, and
assured them, that if ever they, or any of their countrymen presumed to
come within his territories again, they should feel the weight of his
resentment. And our man, who advised us from putting into Port Dauphine,
being informed of this last adventure, made him say he was barbarous to
all white people; but he had heard the story imperfectly, and from
thence arose the mistake which proved so fatal to us.
By this conference between deaan Crindo and king Samuel, I came to the
knowledge of what happened to the white boys, who were my fellow
captives, at least, so far as the natives knew themselves; as also, that
the prince whom we seized and made prisoner with deaan Crindo, their
king, was not, properly speaking, his son, but deaan Murnanzack, his
nephew, whose right deaan Crindo had usurped, as we find in the sequel
of this story; but a word in their language, signifying offspring, and
comprehending as well grandsons and nephews, as sons, was the cause of
our mistake. But,
To return to my own history: the contest between my master and me being
pretty well over, through the intercession of deaan Sambo and the other
chiefs, he ordered me to go and work in the plantations, and told me
with a stern countenance, that if I hoed the carravances and weeds
together, as I did before, he would hoe my —— out. I went away very well
satisfied, not caring where I was sent, so it was but out of his sight,
for he now became more my aversion than ever.
Our plantation was near five miles from home, and he seldom came above
once in a month to visit us. As to my maintenance, or that of the rest
of his slaves, we must provide for ourselves, or starve, for he never
concerned himself about us. However, each man had as much land as he
thought proper to cultivate for his own use, and one day in a week
without control. When I first came there, I thought I must have starved.
I was obliged on moonlight nights, after I had done my task, to go into
the woods and hunt out for wild yams for my sustenance, and too often I
found no more than was sufficient for one meal; which, however, I was
forced to husband to the best advantage.
My fellow-slaves were, indeed, as courteous to me as I could well
expect; and as they had plantations of their own, they gave me
carravances and such other victuals as they had; especially on dark
nights, and at such times as I could not shift for myself. I worked
sometimes two nights in a week in cleaning and burning down the weeds
and other things off the spot of ground I had allotted for my own
plantation; the best root, however, that I could plant to produce myself
food in a short time was potatoes. I lived in this miserable plight for
nearly three months successively, and it was a year before I was well
settled, and could say I had plenty.
Honey is one of the most profitable, as well as most useful things this
country produces; and they may have it in plenty, if they will but take
proper care. There is little trouble in the management of bees, which
are here very numerous; they will readily come to their hives, or
toakes, as the natives call them, and I took a particular delight in
making them. They are part of the body of a tree, called fontuoletch;
which is first cut off about a yard long, and then split right down.
After we have dug out the middle with our hatchets, in which operation
we are not over nice, we bind the two parts together in their natural
position, so that the hive is a hollow cylinder; we leave a hole at the
bottom for the bees to enter, and this is all the care that need be
taken.
I had a large stock of these hives, but my neighbours too often
plundered them. Once, however, I caught a young fellow; and about three
or four days after, I went to his father to demand satisfaction for the
honey he stole, and the destruction of my hives. The old man made very
few words with me, but gave me two hatchets, a hoe, and ten strings of
beads. I was very well satisfied with this compensation, and looked upon
myself as no inconsiderable person; but soon after, I found out a sure
method to preserve my honey; the relation whereof will give the reader
an adequate idea of almost the only superstition to which these people
are addicted.
I have made mention before of the Umossees who pretend to be magicians,
sorcerers, and fortune-tellers. One of these was on his travels from
Antenosa into our country, and took up his lodgings at my master’s town;
my master had been that day in the woods to visit his beehives, and
perceived several of them robbed of their store: he returned before
night in a very great passion, and threatened to shoot the person that
was found stealing his honey, let him be who he would. This Umossee
coming to pay his respects to him just at that time, and hearing his
complaint, told him he could give him a secret, or charm, that would
effectually prevent his honey from being stolen; but he was afraid to
communicate it, because it would infallibly kill the person who should
but taste of it. Deaan Mevarrow replied, he did not care if they were
all killed. Hereupon, it was agreed, that the Umossee should have two
cows and two calves, in case his project proved effectual, and should
stay to see the desired success.
Accordingly, the next morning, he went into the woods and singled out a
tree which the natives call roe-bouche; we have none like it in England,
nor is it very material, for any tree would have done his business, I
presume, as well. He went to the eastward of this tree and dug up a
piece of its root, and then turned to the westward, and dug up another
piece; after this, he took the eastern root, and ordered deaan Mevarrow
to rub it on a stone with a little water, and sprinkle the water among
the bees, and the honeycombs in the hives; and, if any one, said he,
shall steal the honey, and eat the least morsel of it in a quarter of a
day, (for they reckon not by hours, as we do,) they will swell and break
out in spots, like a leopard, from head to foot, and in three days they
will die. Deaan Mevarrow was highly pleased at this discovery, and said,
how shall I do when I want to make use of my honey for myself and
family? The Umossee replied, the remedy is here in my hand, which is no
other than a root of the same tree, but dug to the westward; and when
you take your honey, rub a little of this upon another stone with water,
and sprinkle the hives; this being done, your eastern root will have no
power. But if any one have stolen your honey, and feel the bad effects
of it, and you are inclined to be merciful and save his life, give him a
small quantity of this western root, which he called vauhovalumy, or
root of life, and it will take down all the swelling; the spots will all
vanish, and the person be restored to his former state of health.