and the umossee was employed to prophesy of the success of the war. Upon
this he took some sand, tossed it about, and made several scrawls with
it upon a board. At length he bid them look for a tree that was
perfectly upright, and after that for a black and baldfaced cow, which
being found, and brought to the tree, was killed; then the umossee took
some of the blood with his hand, smeared the tree, and invoked not only
the demons, but the spirits of deaan Trongha’s forefathers; calling on
them all to arise and hear what he had to say; which was to this effect.
That their grandson, deaan Trongha, was going to war against their most
implacable enemy, the king of Merfaughla. In the next place, he ordered
two men of equal strength to cut the tree down with hatchets, one to the
northward, and the other to the southward, and to give stroke for stroke
with each other; saying if the tree fell toward the former, bad success
would attend their enterprise. Those of the vulgar sort who were then
present, stood gaping to swallow, as it were, every divine word, that
came out of the mouth of this wonder-working prophet. How the mistake
happened, I can not say, but the tree fell to the northward, though it
was beyond all doubt intended to fall the other way; for when deaan
Trongha perceived it, let us cut up the beef (said he) with a smile, and
be merry; that is the best part of the ceremony. We forgot to observe,
that what little wind there was, was to the southward. We should have
chosen a more proper time. He strictly enjoined, however, all present to
say nothing at home to the women of what had passed: so we told them at
our return that the tree fell to the southward; in order that they
should tell their husbands the same story.
This conduct of deaan Trongha’s confounded me in a suspicion, which I
had entertained for some time, which was this: that some of these lords,
who are men of sense, keep one of these umossees with a political view,
and only to amuse the ignorant populace; who here, as well as in other
parts, must be cajoled in their superstitious notions, and allured by
such artifices as political governors know how to practise to advantage;
though they themselves regard but little what their conjurors say, of
their talking with, and having familiar converse with the demigods and
spirits.
Here now was a seeming ill omen, and too many of the vulgar sort had
seen it, to be trusted with the secret; for which reason an expedient
must be found out to avert and disannul it. The demons must be consulted
and addressed a second time, to procure their favour and protection; so
away goes the umossee, invoking again and again, and conjuring till he
conjured me into the wars. A bird, called tuluho, which is something
like our pheasant, but smaller, and very scarce to be found, must be
caught dead or alive; then a sea-crab, and a variety of other things,
which he particularly named. These he blended all together, muttering
incantations all the time. Then he bound them up in a clout, which was
afterwards fixed on the top of a stick about the length and bigness of a
walking-cane. This was a charm which was to prove destructive to the
enemy. This he called the elodge; and this was to be carried in
solemnity before the army. But who should be a proper person to be the
bearer was the next question; and the demons were to be again consulted
on this important part of the affair; who were pleased to reveal to him,
or (which is all the same thing to stupid bigots, who implicitly rely on
whatever he shall say) that no one was qualified to carry this charm,
but he who had no relations living on this island. Now from my former
observations, I used frequently to contemn these umossees, and smile at
their conjurations; and after this hint, I need not, I presume, urge
many words to demonstrate from whence his pretended revelation came,
though he was pleased to father it on the demons, or demigods; or
whatever other name we English may call them. For, to do the man
justice, he had not the impiety or assurance to introduce deaan
Unghorray, or the Supreme God, into any part of this religious farce.
“Upon this declaration of his,” said deaan Trongha, in my absence,
“where shall we find a man without some relations!” “That,” says he, “I
cannot tell, but this is the mind of the demons, and they would never
direct it, were there no such man to be found; you must therefore
recollect yourself. Now I think of it,” says he, “there is your white
man Robin is the only man, I dare say, who is qualified for that
important office;” “but then,” said deaan Trongha, “notwithstanding he
may be such a man, yet it is not proper for him to go, besides I have
given him my word he shall not go against his inclination.” “Why then,”
said the umossee, “you must find out some other person more proper if
you can.” Having done his business away he went, leaving the deaan in no
small perplexity, who was a man of strict honour and a punctual observer
of his word. Whereupon he sent for me, and told me, it was in my power
to be very serviceable to the whole country, but more especially to
himself, and that I should be gratefully rewarded for my compliance with
his request; but he insisted first on my promise. “If it be not to kill
a man,” said I, “I should be proud of an opportunity to oblige you.” He
then told me ingenuously the whole story, and that it could not possibly
be helped, or else he would not have asked it of me. I paused a while,
but upon a short recollection, said, all I feared was what I told him
before; but since there was an absolute necessity for it, I should
readily acquiesce. “Hereupon,” said he, “I will protect you, and take as
much care of your life and health as of my own.” And immediately ordered
a slave to attend me, and all things necessary to be got ready for me. I
was to carry this charm, called the elodge, in my left hand, at about
three or four stones cast distant from the army, during their march, and
at night pitch it at the same distance from the camp, pointing it toward
the enemy’s country, then wash myself and mix among the crowd wherever I
pleased. This was to be done till we should have an engagement with
Woozington’s army; I was to have ten beeves and two slaves for my
trouble. The vulgar imagine that this charm has a poisonous quality, and
that was the reason I was to wash before I came near any of them; but
deaan Trongha told me privately, that he knew well enough I did not
think it any way pernicious. “No sir,” said I, “I am very well assured
there is neither harm nor good in it, and they shall see me lick it
before their faces if they please, which none of them would venture to
do for a hundred oxen. I can never think,” said I, “that you yourself
have that confidence in it, as you tell them, but you see the ill
consequence of making use of these conjurors; for the common people are
so strongly persuaded of their power over them by these charms, that
were your own life to be in danger, you must do what this imaginary
prophet says his demigods direct, though you were to carry this
yourself.” “What you say,” said he, “is very true, and were I to refuse
to let you carry it, they would refuse to march; or if they did, would
charge me with every miscarriage consequent upon it.” “Yes sir,” said I,
“but there is still a farther danger, for had the umossee but courage
and cunning enough, you have put it in his power to make even yourself
subservient to his directions; under the pretence of their being the
orders of the demons. And it is but his saying his demons or spirits
have ordered such or such a thing to be done, though it be even against
yourself, they durst not disobey his orders; for he has them all at his
beck, if he did but know it.” And here I cannot but reflect, that not
only Madagascar, and other heathenish countries are possessed with this
vice of superstition; but even christian nations have been, and are yet
too much tainted with it: of this and its mischievous consequences,
there have been many flagrant instances.
Soon after we marched out of town, I had a slave, like other great men,
to carry my mat and provision for me, and was furnished with every thing
I could reasonably desire. Now came the umossee, and put the elodge into
my left hand, and I marched in state before them. The next day we joined
Rer Befaugher, and two days after that, Rer Mundrosser; James, the son
of Efflep, and his man Toby, were both in the army, so that we had good
company every evening, as soon as I had fixed my elodge and washed
myself. We passed the great river Oneghaloyhe, wading through a ford,
which lay a great way higher than where I passed it before. Here our
people stocked themselves with beef; for we frequently halted at noon,
on purpose to give them time to hunt Hattoy’s cattle.
When I came to the river where several alligators lay, though I had my
firebrand in my hand, yet I would not venture to pass over by myself.
Then the umossee came up to me and said, I need not be afraid, for
whilst I carried the elodge, the demons would protect me from all harm.
I laughed at him and told him, “I was well assured he did not imagine
that I gave any credit to his assertion, neither have you any such
notion of its power; but if you have, do you carry it over here, and
either go with me or before me.” However, though he had more wit, I
forced him to fetch two guns, that I might discharge them into the water
to make the alligators retreat; and then I went over. We saw several
people who belonged to two petty princes not far off, and were hunting
here for their diversion; as they were not enemies, our people had
abundance of discourse with them. Though we passed through a very
mountainous wilderness, yet we lay but two nights in it, for they knew a
much nearer way than I did when I came alone. When I saw Vohitchfutey, I
returned in a very melancholy mood into the camp; insomuch that deaan
Trongha took notice of it, and asked me, what I ailed? I told him, we
were now drawing near to Anterndroea, which had been a scene of misery
to me, and I had terrible apprehensions of deaan Mevarrow. But he
cheered me up, and said, they durst not venture to injure me, and he was
very well assured that they would not attempt it, as well out of fear,
as out of respect to him.
The next day we arrived at Madamvovo, the river at which I used to water
my cattle, when in deaan Murnanzack’s country. This was ordered to be
the place of rendezvous, and deaan Murnanzack with his brethren, and
their forces all met here. Deaan Afferrer soon took notice of me, and
when I went to lick his feet he lifted me up and seated me by himself,
asking deaan Trongha at the same time how I came to him? I was desired
to tell my own tale, which accordingly I did to his satisfaction. He
said, I had taken a great deal of pains for liberty, but it was no more
than he would have done himself under the same circumstances; and wished
me all the good success imaginable.
Deaan Crindo and his sons came the next day, and deaan Mevarrow and his
brother along with them. Though I was sorry to find he was recovered of
the yaws, yet I ventured to go to him, when I found his brother was with
him. After the usual ceremony of licking their feet, they said they were
glad to see me, and asked me why I left them? I pretended, in case he
would give me my wife, to return as soon as the army parted. Whereupon
both told me, she would not marry any other man, but continued
constantly to lament my absence. This drew unfeigned tears from me, and
here I must confess, that if a sincere conjugal affection be a weakness
in man, I must own, let the world think as it pleases, myself guilty of
that weakness. These tears, however, as it proved afterwards, were the
happy means of deceiving them, and of my escape from danger. And had my
shedding them been a piece of artifice only, it might carry its own
justification with it; since I had good reason to fear he would have
murdered me privately, when he perceived I either contemned or hated
him. At night I let deaan Trongha into the secret, lest he should
suspect I was carrying on some sinister design in visiting Mevarrow.
Here I met with my old trusty friend, who had all this time kept my
secrets. He told me likewise, that my wife continued inconsolable, and
repented every day of her life that she did not go with me.
In about three days, the army, which now consisted of about four
thousand men, marched, and I went before them with the elodge. On the
day following we entered the country of Merfaughla, and here the army
divided into three parts as in their former expedition, and marched with
much more circumspection than before, for we were in an enemy’s country;
I still marched in the front. As we were passing between the two woods,
a volley of shot was all on a sudden discharged at me; but the enemy ran
away as soon as they had fired. They were a small party in ambuscade, on
purpose to lay hold on such opportunities. The shot whistled about my
ears, and some small boughs that flew off from the trees striking me, I
could not immediately tell whether I was wounded or not. However I
stopped, and was determined to proceed no farther. Deaan Tradaughe, who
was the nearest commander, ordered me to go on; but I peremptorily
refused, unless they would send a party to march before. The umossee too
came, and talked to me in his old conjuring dialect; and with the same
success as he did at the river. At length deaan Crindo came, and
commanded me to go on, declaring he would otherwise compel me. I was
terribly nettled at the haughtiness of one, whom I had so much reason to
hate, and boldly told him he was a proud prince, and that I thanked God
I was not under his jurisdiction. “It is true,” said he, “or else I
would take care you should go no farther.” Deaan Trongha was now come
forward, and asked what was the matter? To whom deaan Crindo complained
of my being both obstinate and saucy. He answered, it was unreasonable
as well as cruel to desire I should be exposed to danger at that silly
rate; and as to the man’s pertness, said deaan Trongha, you forget he is
a white, and as good as any of us all. In short, deaan Crindo was
obliged to let a hundred young men go before me, and in good time truly
it was; for there were several such firings at us that afternoon from
small ambuscades.
Two days after this we came to the river, not only where we had encamped
before, but fought and defeated deaan Woozington, and killed his brave
general Ry-Opheck. Here we encamped again, and as no enemy appeared,
most of us were for plundering the country; but deaan Trongha persuaded
us against it, and advised us to march still on, in order to find the
enemy out, if possible, before they divided their forces into small
parties. As for my part, I did not care how soon we came to a battle,
for then I should get rid of the elodge.
At length when we had marched four days, a body of the enemy of about a
thousand appeared on a plain before us, and deaan Trongha drew out his
countrymen to fight them. The umossee came up to me, charging me to
march before my master with the elodge, and to throw it towards the
enemy as soon as the engagement began. We marched forwards, and they
advanced, though but slowly to meet us, for they had a secret design.
Deaan Trongha, as they wanted, drew near, and they still kept firing,
though at a distance; however, it was fight enough for my purpose, as
being a fair excuse for throwing away the elodge. I did it with
alacrity, and returned forthwith to the camp; for I had neither gun nor
lance to fight, and was glad at my heart to be eased of so troublesome a
post. The enemy withdrew into a wood, and our people eagerly followed
and fired at them, till the general, who, with eagle’s eyes, looked
round about him, notwithstanding the heat of the action, and discovered
a long train of fire-arms on a rising bank of earth, among the trees and
bushes. Upon that he immediately called out to his people to stop,
discovering, moreover, a great number of men concealed in a ditch, that
was cast up for that purpose, so he marched back without the loss of one
man; for there was no fighting in an unknown wood, and with an unknown
force.
Deaan Woozington was, doubtless, one of the most subtile artful men on
the island, for though he had not force enough to face an army of four
thousand men, and his country was ruined, yet he found out ways and
means to be revenged in the severest manner; nor did my valiant master
deaan Trongha, notwithstanding his great conduct and bravery, escape his
resentment. Our beef being all spent and no enemy to be found that would
fight, parties were sent out in quest of cattle and slaves, and returned
with good success; though the principal generals, that is to say, deaan
Crindo, deaan Murnanzack, and deaan Trongha continued in the camp. Some
scouts, however, who had discovered where a large herd of cattle were,
coming in, Trongha would go out himself to fetch them; deaan Crindo,
indeed, advised him against it, but he would not hearken to his counsel.
So about a hundred of the Anterndroeans, with a like number of his own
people went with us, for I determined to go, but, Providence designed
otherwise, I was taken with a violent pain in my thigh. I went out with
them, however, for I was very loth to stay behind him; but my pain
increasing, the deaan would not permit me to proceed, and I was forced
to hop as it were back, for I could scarcely walk, and never saw this
great good prince more; for in three days’ after, three men brought the
melancholy news of deaan Trongha’s death, as follows.
About sunrising, a man informed the general, that a party of about fifty
of the enemy appeared upon the plain; whereupon he marched his little
army out of the wood towards them, and soon saw their number increase;
he was resolved, however, to attack them. Here he was guilty of a piece
of ill conduct, forgetting that the Anterndroeans were good for little
else but bush-fighting. When they came nearer, they saw another party,
and though soon after a third appeared, yet there was no retreating.
Some of the Anterndroeans, it is true, ran away, and others concealed
themselves in the high grass; so that there were but threescore of his
own Feraignher people, stood with him to oppose some hundreds. They
maintained the fight, however, half the morning; the general received
two wounds without falling, but at length, a third killed him. By this
time there were not above twenty of his party left, and they resolutely
forced their way through the enemy, of which number were those, who gave
us this account. The Anterndroea men who skulked in the grass, were most
of them killed; for the grass there being very long, and very dry at
this time of the year, the enemy set fire to it, and it ran like
wildfire, scorching the men who lay concealed under it; so that they
were obliged to rise, and most of them were overtaken and cut to pieces.
The death of this great man was an inexpressible loss to the whole army,
and by all was sincerely lamented. It was, indeed, a mortifying stroke
to me; and I was inconsolable, not knowing what calamities might befall
me in this country. Rer Befaugher did not return till ten days after, at
which time, though he brought a good prize of cattle and slaves, yet his
joy was all damped at once with the news of his brother’s decease; which
was so shocking to him, that he was not composed enough to talk of any
affairs of the army till the next day. This unfortunate accident obliged
me to carry on the deceit with Mevarrow, by assuring him that I would
come privately to him, as soon as the army broke up; but I was very
uneasy till I had a favourable opportunity of communicating my whole
project to Rer Befaugher, and of begging his protection, which he
readily granted. Whereupon it was agreed that I should absent myself two
or three days before their separation, in order to blind deaan Mevarrow,
and make him think that I ran away from the Feraignher people and fled
to his town before him; when, in reality, I and my man only went by
night to a place appointed, and stayed till Rer Befaugher and the rest
came to us.
The several parties who went out for plunder returned; and after the
cattle were divided, which were some thousands, besides slaves, the army
decamped. The Feraignher people did not see the Anterndroeans home, as
they did before; but took their leave here, and went directly to their
own country a much nearer way. I and my servant, as was privately agreed
on with Rer Befaugher, went away, and met them according to appointment,
to the great surprise of all the people; for there had been a diligent
inquiry made after me, every one imagining that I was lost. Rer
Befaugher made such a clamour with deaan Mevarrow, and some others, that
deaan Crindo gave him two slaves to pacify him, lest a quarrel of
dangerous consequence should have ensued. One of the slaves, who was a
young man, Rer Befaugher made me a present of. I was somewhat surprised,
not knowing immediately what he meant by it; but telling the whole
story, and saying, that both were by right mine, I was satisfied; he
called my slave’s name Sambo. It was near a month before we passed over
the river Oneghaloyhe, spending our time gaily in hunting, eating, and
drinking, making but very short marches. We did this out of a charitable
design to feed our captives; for we had ruined their country to that
degree that for many months they had very little to subsist on; so that
the poor wretches looked dismally thin.
When we came within one or two days’ journey of Rer Befaugher’s, the
cattle were divided; and such as had two or more slaves presented one of
them to their lord, in conformity to the same law and custom which is
used in Anterndroea, as I have before related. This I thought a proper
time to mention to Rer Befaugher what I was promised as a gratuity for
carrying the elodge; and told him the fatigue and hazard I underwent did
very well deserve it. He said, there would have been no objection
against it in case deaan Trongha had lived: however, he would go to
deaan Mondrosser and see what he said to it. He returned soon with five
cows, and some short time after that a girl slave was sent me; but as I
had already a man, who was as much as I wanted, I desired to have two
cows instead of the girl, which request was readily complied with. My
cattle I intrusted to the care of my man Sambo.
When we arrived at Rer Befaugher’s town, I left my cattle with my slave,
and went to deaan Trongha’s town to visit his widows. There I found a
melancholy scene. The eldest lady would fain have persuaded me to live
with her; but I told her I was not safe unless I was under the
protection of some such great man as Rer Befaugher was; but I would
embrace every opportunity of coming to see her, and would for ever
testify the veneration I had for the memory of her dearly beloved lord,
as well as my gratitude to her for all former favours.
Upon my return I met my man Sambo, who informed me that he was going to
build me a house; Rer Befaugher had provided one for me, and gave him
likewise the necessary furniture for it. When I paid my respects to Rer
Befaugher on that account, I was informed of deaan Crindo’s death, which
(according to the relation of some who came from his country after us)
was very sudden and unexpected.
Deaan Woozington, with what forces he could get together, kept always
within a day’s march of us, having spies for ever out to observe all our
motions every way, and who were going and returning alternately to and
from his little army with intelligence of what they observed; so that he
knew very well when we parted from the Anterndroean people. They were
still too strong for him, so that he was obliged to wait some time
longer for an opportunity of executing his revenge, and accordingly
followed them at a considerable distance till they arrived at Madamvovo;
where deaan Murnanzack, and brethren, Afferrer and Mussecoro, parted
from them in order to go home; and this was the crisis that he then
wanted. So waiting but one day more, till they were at too great a
distance to assist each other, he attacked deaan Crindo in the night,
and killed him with a great number of his people, and put the rest to
flight, deaan Mevarrow narrowly escaping; and this he did so
expeditiously and so successfully, that he had time to withdraw into
Merfaughla with most of the cattle which they had taken from him.
Deaan Mundumbo, indeed, upon his father’s decease, endeavoured to act as
king; but he had neither courage enough to maintain his claim, nor was
he so much beloved by the people to stand in competition with deaan
Murnanzack. He wanted some of those valuable qualities which his father
was possessed of; for it must be acknowledged that Crindo was undaunted
in war, and had the spirit of authority at home, which alone supported
his dignity, and made him useful to his country. Murnanzack had his
uncle’s magnanimity in war, and his majesty at home, besides all the
human and social virtues; and was, in reality, a truly great man: so
that Mundumbo was obliged to fly into Antenosa, till matters were
accommodated; and what became of either of them I never heard, for not
long afterwards I was moved into another country at a farther distance
from Anterndroea.
Rer Befaugher entertained me as handsomely as his brother had done. He
had but one wife, with whom he had cohabited nine years, without any
issue. This was a great misfortune, especially as she was a very
agreeable, good-natured woman, and behaved herself after so endearing a
manner, that he preferred her to all the women in the world. In short,
she was universally respected, and extremely kind to me. As three of my
cows gave a considerable quantity of milk, and as they furnished me with
carravances and Guineacorn, I and my man Sambo lived well enough. This
continued all the rain-time, and though we planted and sowed, yet we
never stayed to reap. For,