visit him at Moherbo, and found him very ill and melancholy, his
mistress in his absence having married another person, which he took to
heart. He had made her several presents during his courtship, and
received her promise of marriage, which, on his ill treatment, he
demanded of her parents again, and on their refusal complained to the
king; he being in esteem and always near his person. His request was
rejected, the king saying, he would never compel parents to dispose of
their children against their inclinations. Upon which, Francisco said
indiscreetly in the king’s hearing, that as soon as he was recovered of
his illness, he would leave Moherbo, and live under Rer Moume. I had
been here but a few days before he began to gather strength, and then he
and I went to the king’s court. As I was standing by him the king cast
an angry eye upon me, and asked, who that white man was with his gun
upon his shoulder? Francisco answered, “It is Rer Moume’s white man, who
came to give me a visit.” “Is it so,” said he, “then I know what he
wants. Come hither. What is your business here, pray?” I, being
conscious of his barbarous disposition, answered in a faint and
trembling voice, “Only to visit my sick friend.” “Yes,” replied the
king, “your friend there, in my hearing, said he would go to your master
Rer Moume, as soon as he was recovered, and I suppose you are come to
conduct him thither; but I will spoil your project. Here, Mesoro,”
calling to the officer, “take this white slave to the place of
execution, despatch him presently and bring his gun to me.” The people
were struck with surprise as well as myself; however, I was led out for
execution, and multitudes followed me, some of whom desired to shake
hands with me, and take their leave of me, which the executioner
permitted. I was so shocked with the tiger-like leap which this savage
brute made at my life, that I became stupid, not knowing whether I was
in a dream, till I came to the place of execution, where I saw the bones
of several wretches lie unburied. Rousing from my lethargy, I began to
weep piteously, and to pray to God to receive my soul. What a shocking
turn of fortune was this! that one who but some few minutes before was
surrounded by his friends, one whose mind was innocent and free from
evil, whose actions were inoffensive, and of whom no man could justly
complain, should, in a moment, be doomed to die an ignominious death by
the hands of a common executioner, like a vile malefactor, on no other
account, than to gratify the resentment of an old, doating, choleric
savage. While I was thus bemoaning my hard fate, and the people pitying
my deplorable case, instead of falling on the monster, and freeing
themselves and me from his tyranny, a voice was heard at a distance,
“Stay, stay, don’t kill Robin.” The words were soon repeated, and the
messenger came forward with orders to bring me back; at which the people
gave a general shout for joy. When I came before the king, not only his
principal wife, but the rest of them were on their knees, with tears in
their eyes; nay, some men too were expostulating with him, telling him
he would bring irretrievable ruin and desolation on his country; the
fatal effects of which his great grandchildren would certainly feel,
when the white men should hear of his barbarity to one of their
countrymen, who had done nothing to deserve it. This, at length,
assuaged the heat of his fury; telling me I might thank my friends, or I
had been dog’s meat by this time. “However,” says he, “I will mortify
your pride still.” “Here,” says he to three men, “take him fettered as
he is, and carry him and his gun to Rer Moume, and pray tell my son I
expect he should treat him like a a slave as he is, and not let him
strut about like a lord, with his gun upon his shoulder.” Hereupon, I
fell prostrate on the ground and licked his feet, the people making
signs to me so to do. Upon this he bid me thank his women; I then paid
my respects to Ry Chemotoea and two or three more, and did so with all
sincerity, for it was to their entreaties I owed my life.
We went directly on our journey, and every town we passed through, the
people asked with astonishment, what crime the white man had been guilty
of, that he should be thus bound? To whom my guard without palliating
the case in the king’s favour told the truth, for which every one seemed
to pity me, and resent the king’s ill usage of me. At night when we came
to lie down to rest, they asked me whether I would have my hands untied
or not? I asked them what were their orders; they said, “their orders
were to keep me bound.” “Then,” said I, “though it is somewhat painful
to me, yet you shall not hazard your lives for my ease.” So I lay as
well as I could all night, and the next day travelled in the same
manner; every now and then looking behind me with fear, lest he should
change his mind, and send some one after us to despatch me, for I could
not think myself safe till I saw Rer Moume again.
As we walked along, my guards told me I was the first who ever returned
alive from the place of execution; which I could not but impute to an
all wise and overruling Providence. They told me likewise, that he
stabbed one of his chief wives, though when his passion was over he
repented it, for yielding to an effort of nature, whilst his head was in
her lap with intention to sleep. Another instance of his inhumanity,
though attended with some justice, was, in ordering one of his own sons
to be extended on a mat, and his throat to be cut before his face, for
being too free with one of his wives.
We could not reach to our journey’s end this evening by two hours’ walk,
so we rested, and the next morning we set out early and arrived safely
at our town; where the people were all surprised to see me thus bound
and guarded. Some ran before to inform the prince, who, before we came
within his palisade, was sitting with his wives and several others round
about him in great expectation. As soon as the men were seated, they
told their message; I stood all the while with my hands bound behind me.
After he had examined into the affair, and found how the case was, his
countenance fell, the tears one while stood in his eyes as he viewed me
with pity; anon he frowned with indignation, the women too shared in my
distress. “And is this all,” says he, “the poor man has been so severely
used for? Robin, come hither, I will show you how much I regard my
father’s advice in this case.” Upon which he unloosed my hands, and
ordered one of his attendants to fetch him a fine silk lamber, which he
would make me put on directly; then taking my gun from the men, he gave
it me again; and made me a present besides of six cows. I told him the
messengers had been very civil to me, for which he not only thanked
them, but made them a present of an ox. “It is my father, I own,” says
he, “who has done this: for that reason I shall restrain my resentment
and say little of it; but had any other man, though a near relation,
nay, my own son, acted in this manner, he should have felt the weight of
my anger.” My wife came and licked my feet, expressing both her concern
for my ill treatment, and her joy for my return. This was about fifteen
months from the first time I came to Rer Moume.
I was now possessed of nearly thirty head of cattle, and lived in
affluence and ease. I killed a young bullock, and the part I kept to
myself I flead, and salted after the English mode; of the tallow I made
as good candles as I could. That part which I gave to my neighbours had
the skin on, for we have the same friendly customs here as in other
parts of the island, neither do their manners differ, except in the idle
custom of the royal families killing cattle. Here they eat swine’s
flesh, and think it as good as other provision. Rer Chulu kept a pack of
dogs on purpose to hunt wild boars, but they are not of the hound kind.
Their religion is the same exactly, and their superstitious regard to
unlucky days and hours, implicitly believing all the umossee tells them;
insomuch, that numbers of poor children are privately murdered, who are
born on an Alhaida or a Jumor, which are Sunday and Friday; for when I
came on board the ship, I carefully remarked how the days answered with
ours; and found that Alhaida was Sunday; Alletenine, Monday; Talewter,
Tuesday; Alarrerbere, Wednesday; Comemeeshey, Thursday; Jumor, Friday;
and Sarbuchee, Saturday. Though these denominations are used throughout
the island, yet they regard no one day more than another, only as they
imagine some to be lucky and others unlucky, for they have no notion of
a sabbath amongst them. Rer Moume, having lost the use of his limbs,
sent all over the island for the most famous umossees he could hear of,
to consult with them for relief; they being physicians as well as
prophets. One of them, during my stay here, confined him for two months,
bathing, sweating, and cupping him to little or no purpose; however, he
made him ample satisfaction for his trouble, as he did all others who
did him any service.
I lived with Rer Moume about two years and a half in all, at the end of
which term, news was brought that two ships were arrived at Yong-Owl to
trade. I was overjoyed to hear it, and flattered myself that W.
Thornbury had not forgotten me. They stayed there several days, and
slaves were sent to be sold, and guns and other goods were returned for
them. I was at a loss how to break my mind to Rer Moume, hoping he would
say something to me of his own accord; but as I was sitting with him one
evening, two men came in with a basket of palmetto leaves sewed up, and
delivered it to the prince; who opened it and finding a letter, asked
the men, what they meant by giving him that? “The captain,” they said,
“gave it us for your white man; but we thought proper to let you see it
first.” “Pray,” says he, “give it him all.” “Here, Robin, your
countrymen have sent you a present, what it is I don’t know, but to me
it seems of very little value.” Accordingly I took the basket, and with
the letter there were pens, ink, and paper, in order for my returning an
answer. The superscription was this:
“To Robert Drury, on the island of Madagascar.”
I was so astonished, that at first I had not power to open it,
concluding I was in a dream; but at length, recovering my surprise, and
after a little recollection I opened it, and found it came from captain
William Macket. The contents whereof were to the effect following:—
“That he had a letter on board from my father, with full instructions as
well from him as his owners, to purchase my liberty let it cost what it
would. And in case I could not possibly come down myself, to send him
word the reason of it, and what measures he should take to serve me.”
Rer Moume perceived that my countenance changed whilst I was reading the
letter, and asked me what was the matter? I told him, that the captain
desired to speak with me, and that my father had sent for me home, and
hoped that he would please to give his consent. “How do you know all
this?” says the prince, “can you conjure?” Then turning to the
messengers, “Have you, pray, heard any thing like this?” “Yes,” said
they, “it is all the discourse at the seaside, that Robin’s father sent
both these ships for him, and more than all this, the king your father
expects him there with your leave, and desires to see him before he goes
to the ship.” Rer Moume took the letter, and turning it over and over
said, he had heard of such methods of conveying intelligence to one
another, but never actually saw it before, and could not conceive which
way it could be done without conjuration. I endeavoured to demonstrate
to him, as well as I could, how we learned in our infancy the characters
first, and then we put them together. “But,” says he, “I presume you
have no inclination to leave us now, since you live here so much at your
ease; you have several cattle and a slave, and if you shall want more
you shall have them, you shall have too as many wives as you please, and
be a great man.” I begged him to make my case his own, and that he would
please to consider whether he should not be desirous of seeing his
parents and native country, had he been absent so long as I had? “I
think I should,” he said, “and therefore I will take it into
consideration, and ask my wives’ advice about it, and give an answer in
the morning.”
My readers may easily imagine what a night of disorder this was to my
mind, agitated with hopes on one hand and with fears on the other;
however, I took care to attend him as soon as ever he was stirring, and
seated with his wives about him. After he had looked steadfastly on me
for some time, “Robin,” says he, “I have opened your affair to my wives
here, and your mother Ry Anzackar, and one or two more, consent to your
going, but the rest are all against it; however, let them speak for
themselves, it is out of respect to you that they are desirous you
should continue amongst them.” Upon this, I turned towards them, and
without waiting to hear what they had to offer, begged them to consider,
as they were mothers, whether or no, if a child of theirs was in a
strange country, they should not have an earnest inclination to see him,
and he them? Hereupon the prince told me, if I was willing to stay, he
would all along, as he had hitherto done, treat me like his own son, but
he would not make use of compulsion, so that if I was resolutely bent on
going he would dismiss me. Moreover, he told me, that my slave should go
with me; that as to my cattle, they were mine to dispose of as I
pleased. I replied, if he was so good as not to take my cattle from me,
though they were in fact his own, they might still remain there as they
were marked for mine; for I was fully determined to make one voyage more
here, in hopes of having it in my power to make him some amends for the
great care he had taken of me, by bringing a ship to traffic with him;
(and in this I was very sincere, and afterwards as good as my word.) I
asked him if he thought proper to demand any consideration of the
captain for my freedom. He answered, nothing; but if my friends would
make him a present of a good gun, he should accept of the favour, and
call it Robin in remembrance of me. This noble, generous answer, and so
prince-like, gave me such transports of joy, that I immediately kneeled
down, and licked his feet with the utmost sincerity, as justly thinking
I could never express my gratitude enough to this good, this indulgent
prince. He would not dismiss me instantly, but did in a day or two
after; and ordered the messengers to be taken care of in the mean time.
When the day of my departure came, I had one remaining difficulty to get
over, and that was the parting with my wife, the women of the prince’s
family, and himself, which I did with as much reluctance, as when I left
my natural parents at my departure from them; and they discovered an
equally tender affection for me; he would not, however, let us go empty
handed, but ordered an ox for our subsistence on our journey, and
appointed likewise two of his own people to accompany the other two; and
then we set forward.
I had yet one suspicious circumstance still to pass over, and that was
to call on Rer Trimmonongarevo: this gave me no small uneasiness; but
when we came near Moherbo, we were informed that he was gone to a place
within an hour’s walk of the seaside. As soon as I approached him, he
instantly made an apology for his too warm constitution, and confessed
that he had sometimes done mischief in his passion, but hoped I would
excuse him for what had passed; and said he was loth to let me go till
the ship was near upon sailing, lest I should prove detrimental to the
trade. I told him, I had no complaint to make, since his son had been so
indulgent to me; and that if he pleased to dismiss me at my friend’s
request, they would take it as a favour; but should he detain me, when
they knew I was so near, I did not know what ill consequences might
ensue thereupon. He kept me, however, this night, but dismissed me with
his blessing the next morning; praying that God and the demons would be
my guardians, and send me safely to my native country. So I licked his
feet and took my last farewell of him, and of this odd and filthy custom
likewise.
When I came down to the seaside, the first man who spoke to me was
William Purser, my old acquaintance in Feraignher; he came away to live
in more security and plenty, as well as several others; and was at this
time interpreter for the trade. Here were several houses, but such as
the English call huts, erected by the inhabitants at a small distance
from the factory, for the more commodious selling of milk and other
provisions. There I met Mr Hill, the steward of the Drake, captain
Macket’s ship, and two or three more of their crew, who took me for a
wild man; and in a letter he sent off by a canoe to the captain, he told
him the wild Englishman was come. I desired William Purser to inform
them that I could speak but little English; and though by the
conversation I had with William Thornbury I had regained some, yet I was
frequently puzzled for words to speak freely for several days. Captain
Macket soon came on shore, and captain Bloom with him, for here were two
ships, the Drake and the Sarah. I gazed at them as intently as if I had
never seen a white man dressed before; and what added to the wildness of
my appearance, was, that I had nothing on but my lamber; my skin being
swarthy and full of freckles, and my hair long and matted together, I
really made a frightful figure; but they soon restored me to my original
form, Mr Hill cut my hair off, and ordered me to be shaved, and dressed
in a neat seaman’s habit, light and fit for the country. The captain
asked me what ransom was expected for my freedom? I told him nothing but
a gun for a present, to be kept in remembrance of me. He thereupon
picked out a handsome and very good Buccaneer gun, as also some powder,
flints, and case of spirits, as a present to Rer Moume. He gave likewise
knives and beads to his two men, and a small gun to the messengers who
went for me. For my own part, I presented the captain with my slave
Anthony. After this he gave me the following letter from my father.
“To Robert Drury, on the island of Madagascar.
“_Loughborough, February 27th, 1715._
“Son Robert Drury,
“I am informed by one Mr Thornbury, that he left you in health on the
island of Madagascar, which I was glad to hear; my very good friend,
Mr Terry, hath a friend, commander of a ship, the bearer hereof, that
hath promised to do all he can to get you your liberty; I therefore
desire you to do the captain all the service you can in the country;
and so doing you will oblige our good friend Mr Terry, and your
ever-loving father till death,
“JOHN DRURY.”
About three days after I went on board; but the sea and change of diet
made me very sick for some time; after which the two captains went to
Rer Trimmonongarevo, and I with them, in order to settle some matters in
relation to the trade. It is a general custom all over the island for
the king of each place to make terms, and settle one universal price, to
which all the people are obliged to conform; and this method is,
doubtless, not only very commodious, but prevents all quarrels and
disorders. They presented the king with a fine gun, gilt and japanned. I
was the interpreter, and though I carried on the correspondence, my
dress had so altered me in these few days’ time, that he had no notion
who I was, till upon inquiry who that Englishman was who spake so well
their language, he was told it was Robin.
A few days after, there came messengers from Rer Moume, desiring the
captains to come up the river Mernee, for he had a great many slaves to
sell, but being lame he could not take a long journey; however, he would
come down to the banks of that river, to a town near enough for trade.
It was agreed that the Sarah should go, so they ordered a long-boat out
to sound before them; I went on board, and we sailed with a gentle gale,
but could find no convenient harbour or road in the mouth of the Mernee;
however, there was a convenient place for anchoring, in a saltwater
river, about three leagues on this side; from whence the two captains
and myself went up in the boat a considerable way, till a canoe took us
in and carried us to the town, where Rer Moume with his wives and people
were waiting for us. Until I kneeled and kissed his knee, he did not
know me, for my behaviour and grateful acknowledgments for his past
favours, he and they soon recollected me, and were extremely glad to see
me. Here we continued five days successively, bought all the slaves they
had, and agreed to send our long-boat once a week as long as we stayed;
and then they went on board, weighed anchor, and returned to their
former road at Yong-Owl, where there arrived that very day a third ship,
that belonged to the same owners, called the Mercury, captain White
commander; he had eight or nine natives of Dillagoe in Africa on board
him, who lived very merrily; they were all freemen, and went with him
the whole voyage, six of whom lived to see their native country the next
voyage he took, in which I was with him. Soon after this a ketch came
in, which was fitted out in order to cruise off the coast, and be
serviceable in several affairs; captain Henry Macket, the captain’s
brother, was the commander of her; another ship was still expected, but
she did not arrive till we were at Masseleege, otherwise called
Munnongaro; they now agreed to separate for the more speedy despatch of
business. Captain Bloom accordingly had his choice, which was to go to
Port Dauphine, and captain Macket to Masseleege, where we arrived in a
week’s time, and went several leagues up a great river, called
Munnonbaugher; we had a fisherman for our pilot, who informed us that
the king’s town was but about three hours’ journey up the country. The
captain asked me, if I would venture to go there; I readily answered,
that I would, and that I was not apprehensive of any danger; so the
fisherman setting us ashore we went forward. Before we had gone far from
the shore, the fisherman told me the king was gone out to war. Whereupon
I flew into a great passion, asking him why he imposed upon us; he said
the king’s wives would trade with us. I told him, we did not want
provisions; and as for slaves they had no authority to dispose of them.
The man, however, prevailed on me to go to their town, assuring me that
four white men lived there, who came from the island of St. Mary’s.
“Then, I presume, they are robbers of ships,” said I. “No,” he replied,
“not now, for they have lived there several years; their names are
captain Burgess, Zachary, John Pro, and Nick.” So I walked forwards with
my gun on my shoulder, and the man carried another. I had also several
knives and beads, which the captain gave me to buy provisions with,
though I knew how to live without buying any victuals, yet I took them,
as thinking they would be agreeable presents.