The author's account of his children--Their names--They are
exercised in flying--His boat crazy--Youwarkee intends a
visit to her father', but first takes another flight to the
ship--Sends a boat and chests through the gulf--Clothes her
children--Is with child again, so her visit is put off--An
inventory of the last freight of goods--The author's method
of treating his children--Youwarkee, her son Tommy, with her
daughters Patty and Hally-carnie, set out to her father's.
I had now lived here almost fourteen years, and besides the three sons
before mentioned, had three girls and one boy. Pedro, my eldest, had
the graundee, but too small to be useful; my second son Tommy had it
complete, so had my three daughters, but Jemmy and David, the youngest
sons, none at all. My eldest daughter I named Patty, because I always
called my first wife so. I say my first wife, though I had no other
knowledge of her death than my dream; but am from that as verily
persuaded, if ever I reach England, I shall find it so, as if I had
heard it from her aunt's own mouth. My second daughter my wife desired
might be called by her sister's name Hallycarnie, and my youngest I
named Sarah, after my mother. I put you to the trouble of writing down
the names, for as I shall hereafter have frequent occasion to mention
the children severally, it will be pleasanter for myself and you to call
them by their several names of distinction, than to call them my second
son, or my eldest daughter, and so forth.
My wife now took great delight in exercising Tommy and Patty (who were
big enough to be trusted) in flighty and would often skim round the
whole island with them before I could walk half through the wood. And
she would teach them also to swim or sail, I know not which to call it,
for sometimes you should see them dart out of the air as if they would
fall on their faces into the lake, when coming near the surface they
would stretch their legs in a horizontal posture, and in an instant turn
on their backs, and then you could see nothing from the bank, to all
appearance, but a boat sailing along, the graundee rising at their head,
feet, and sides, so like the sides and ends of a boat that you could not
discern the face or any part of the body. I own I often envied them this
exercise, which they seemed to perform with more ease than I could only
shake my leg or stir an arm.
Though we had perpetually swangeans about us, and the voices, as I used
to call them, I could never once prevail on my wife to show herself,
or to claim any acquaintance with her country folks. And what is very
remarkable in my children is, that my three daughters and Tommy, who had
the full graundee, had exactly their mother's sight, Jemmy and David had
just my sight, and Pedro's sight was between both, though he was never
much affected with any light; but I was obliged to make spectacles for
Tommy and all my daughters when they came to go abroad.
I had in this time twice enlarged my dwelling, which the increase of my
family had rendered necessary. The last alteration I was enabled to do
in a much better manner, and with more ease, than the first, for by
the return of my flota I had gotten a large collection of useful tools,
several of iron, where the handles or wood-work preponderated the iron;
but such as was all, or greatest part of that metal, had got either to
the rock, or were so fast fixed to the head of the ship, that it was
difficult to remove them, so that my wife could get comparatively few of
this latter sort, though some she did. It was well, truly, I had these
instruments, which greatly facilitated my labours, for I was forced to
work harder now than ever in making provision for us all; and my sons
Pedro and Tommy commonly assisted. I had also had another importation of
goods through the gulf, which still added to my convenience. But my boat
made me shudder every time I went into her; she had leaked again and
again, and I had patched her till I could scarce see a bit of the old
wood. She was of unspeakable use to me, and yet I could not venture
myself in her, but with the utmost apprehension and trembling. I had
been intending a good while, now I had such helps, to build a new one,
but had been diverted by one avocation or other.
About this time Youwarkee, who was now upwards of thirty-two years of
age, the fondest mother living, and very proud of her children, had
formed a project of taking a flight to Arndrumnstake, a town in the
kingdom of Doorpt Swangeanti, as I called it, where her father, if
living, was a colamb * under Georigetti, the prince of that country.
She imparted her desire to me, asking my leave; and she told me, if I
pleased, she would take Patty and Tommy along with her. I did not much
dislike the proposal, because of the great inclination I had for a
long time to a knowledge of, and familiarity with, her countrymen and
relations; and now I had so many of her children with me, I could not
think she would ever be prevailed on, but by force, to quit me and her
offspring, and be contented to lose six for the sake of having two with
her, especially as she had showed no more love for them than the rest,
so I made no hesitation, but told her she should go.
* Governor.
I expected continually I should hear of her departure, but she saying no
more of it, I thought she had dropped her design, and I did not choose
to mention it. But one day, as we were at dinner, looking mighty
seriously, she said, "My dear, I have considered of the journey you have
consented I should take, but in order thereto it is necessary that I
prepare several things for the children, especially those who have no
graundee, and I am resolved to finish them before I go, that we may
appear with decency, both here and at Arndrumn-stake; for I am sure my
father, whose temper I am perfectly acquainted with, will, upon sight of
me and my little ones, be so overjoyed, that he will forgive my absence
and marriage, provided he sees reason to believe I have not matched
unworthily, unbecoming my birth; and after keeping me and the children
with him, it may be two or three months, will accompany me home again
himself with a great retinue of servants and relations; or, at least, if
he is either dead or unable for flight, my other relations will come or
send a convoy to take care of me and the children; and, my dear, as I
shall give them all the encomiums I can of you, and of my situation with
you, while I am among them, I would have them a little taken with the
elegance of our domestic condition when they come hither, that they
may think me happy in you and my children; for I would not only put my
family into a condition to appear before them, but to surprise the old
gentleman and his company, who never in their lives saw any part of
mankind with another covering than the graundee." When she had done, I
expressed my approbation of her whole system, as altogether prudent,
and she proceeded immediately to put it in execution. To work she went,
opened every chest, and examined their contents. But while she was upon
the hunt, and selecting such things as she thought fit for her purpose,
she recollected several articles she had observed in the ship, which
she judged far more for her turn than any she had at home. Hereupon she
prayed me to let her take another trip to the vessel, and to carry Tommy
with her.
After so many trials, and such happy experience of her wise and
fortunate conduct, I consented to her flight, and away went she and her
son. Upon their return, which was in a few days, she told me what they
had been doing, and said, as she so often heard me complain of the age
of my boat, and fear to sail in her, she had fitted me out a little
ship, and hoped it would in due time arrive safely. As she passed
quickly on to other things, I never once thought of asking her what
she meant by the little ship she spoke of; but must own that, like a
foolishly fond parent, I was more intent on her telling me how Tommy had
found a hoard of playthings, which he had packed up for his own use.
As to this last particular, I learned by the sequel of the story,
when the spark, proud of his acquisition, came to me, that he had been
peeping about in the cabin whilst his mother was packing the chests, and
seeing a small brass knob in the wainscot, took it for a plaything, and
pulling to get it out, opened a little door of a cupboard, where he
had found some very pretty toys that he positively claimed for himself,
among which were a small plain gold ring, and a very fine one set with
diamonds, which he showed me upon two of his fingers. I wondered how the
child, who had never before seen such things, or the use of them, should
happen to apply these so properly; but he told me in playing with
this, meaning the diamond ring, about his fingers, it slipped over his
middle-finger joint, and he could not get it off again, so he put the
other upon another finger to keep it company.
We watched daily, as usual on such occasions, for the arrival of our
fleet. It was surprising that none of the chests which Youwarkee shot
down the gulf were ever half so long in their passage as I was myself,
but some came in a week, some in a few days more, and even some in less,
which I attributed to their following directly the course of the water,
shooting from shelf to shelf as the tide sat; and I believe my keeping
the boat I sailed in so strictly and constantly in the middle of the
stream, was the reason of my being detained there so long. In less than
a fortnight everything came safe but one chest, which, as we never heard
of it, I suppose was either sunk or bulged.
Being one day upon shore, watching to see if anything more was come
through the cavern, I spied at a distance somewhat looking very black
and very long, and by the colour and shape thereof I took it for a young
whale. Having observed it some time making very little way, I took my
old boat and followed it, but was afraid to go near it, lest a stroke
with its tail--which I then fancied I saw move--might endanger my boat
and myself too; but creeping nearer and nearer, and seeing it did not
stir, I believed it to be dead; whereupon, taking courage, I drew so
close that at length I plainly perceived it was the ship's second boat
turned upside down. It is not easy to express the joy I felt on this
discovery. It was the very thing I was now, as I have said, in the
greatest want of. I presently laid hold of it and brought it ashore; and
it was no small pleasure to find, on examining, that though it had lain
so long dry, it was yet quite sound, and all its chinks filled up in
its passage; and it proved to me afterwards the most beneficial thing I
could have had from the ship.
I got all my goods home from the lake to my grotto, by means of the
cart, as usual. My wife and daughters waited with impatience for me
to unpack, that they might take possession of such things as would be
needful for rigging out the family against the supposed reception of
the old glumm, and had set all the chests in the order they desired they
might be opened in. But Tommy running to me, with a "Pray, daddy, open
my chest first! pray, give me my playthings first!" it was, to satisfy
him, concluded in favour of his demand. So, he pointing to the chest
which he regarded as his property, I opened it, whilst his eyes were
ready to pierce through it, till I came to his treasure. "There, there
they are, daddy!" says he, as soon as I had uncovered them. And indeed,
when I saw them, I could not but much commend the child for his fancy;
for the first things that appeared were a silver punch or wine can and
a ladle, then a gold watch, a pair of scissors, a small silver
chafing-dish and lamp, a large case of mathematical instruments, a
flageolet, a terrella or globular loadstone, a small globe, a dozen of
large silver spoons, and a small case of knives and forks and spoons;
in short, there was, I believe, the greatest part of the Portuguese
captain's valuable effects.
These Tommy claiming as his own proper chattels, I could not help
interposing somewhat of my authority in the affair. "Hold, hold, son!"
says I, "these things are all mine; but as I have several of you who
will all be equally pleased with them, though, as the first finder, you
may be entitled to the best share, you are not to grasp the whole, you
must all have something like an equality; and as to some things which
may be equally useful to us all, they must be set up to be used upon
occasion, and are to be considered as mine and your mother's property."
I thereupon gave each of them a large silver spoon, and with a fork I
scratched the initials of their names respectively on them, and divided
several of the trifles amongst them equally. "And now, Tommy," says I,
"you for your pains shall have this more than the rest," offering him
the flageolet. Tommy looked very gloomy, and though he durst not find
fault, his dissatisfaction was very visible by coolly taking it, tossing
it down, and walking gravely off. "I thought," says I, "Tommy, I had
made a good choice for you; but, as I find you despise it, here, Pedro,
do you take that pretty thing, since your brother slights it" Tommy
replied, speaking but half out, and a little surly, more than I ever
observed before, "Let him take it if he will, I can get bits of sticks
enough in the wood."
My method had always been to avoid either beating or scolding at my
children, for preferring their own opinion to mine; but I ever let
things turn about so, that from their own reason they should perceive
they had erred in opposing my sentiments, by which means they grew so
habituated to submit to my advice and direction, that for the most part
my will was no sooner known to them than it became their own choice; but
then I never willed according to fancy only, but with judgment, to the
best of my skill.
Tommy, therefore, as I said before, having shown a disapprobation of my
doings; to convince him of his mistake, I took the flageolet from Pedro.
"And now, Pedro," says I, "let me teach you how to manage this piece of
wood, as Tommy calls it, and then let me see if in all the grove he can
cut such another." On this I clapped it to my mouth, and immediately
played several country-dances and hornpipes on it; for though my mother
had scarce taught me to read, I had learnt music and dancing, being, as
she called them, gentlemanlike accomplishments. My wife and children,
especially Tommy, all stared as if they were wild, first on me, then on
one another, whilst I played a country-dance; but I had no sooner struck
up an hornpipe, than their feet, arms, and heads had so many twitching
and convulsive motions, that not one quiet limb was to be seen amongst
them; till having exercised their members as long as I saw fit, I almost
laid them all to sleep with Chevy Chase, and so gave over.
They no sooner found themselves free from this enchantment, than the
children all hustled round me in a cluster, all speaking together,
and reaching out their little hands to the instrument I gave it
Pedro. "There," says I to him, "take this slighted favour as no such
contemptible present."
Poor Tommy, who had all this while looked very simple, burst into a
flood of tears at my last words, as if his heart would have broke; and
running to me, fell on his knees, and begged my pardon, hoping I would
forgive him. I took him up, and kissing him, told him he had very little
offended me; for, as he knew, I had more children to give anything to
which either of the rest despised; it was equal to me who had it, so it
was thankfully received. I found that did not satisfy; still in tears,
he said, "Might he not have the stick again, as I gave it to him first?"
"Tommy," says I, "you know I gave it to you first; but you disapproving
my kindness, I have now given it Pedro, who, should I against his will
take it from him, would have that reason to complain which you have not,
who parted with it by your own consent; and therefore, Tommy, as I am
determined to acquaint you as near as I can with the strict rules of
justice, there must no more be said to me of this matter." Such as this
was my constant practice amongst them; and they having always found me
inflexible from this rule, we seldom had any long debates.
Though I say the affair ended so with regard to what I had to do in it,
yet it ended not so with Tommy; for though he knew he had no hopes of
moving me, he set all his engines at work to recover his stick, as he
called it, by his mother's and sisters' interest. These solicited Pedro
very strongly to gratify him. At length Pedro--he being a boy of a most
humane disposition--granted their desire, if I would give leave; and I
having signified, that the cause being now out of my hands, he might do
as he pleased, he generously yielded it. And indeed he could not have
bestowed it more properly; for Tommy had the best ear for music I ever
knew; and in less than a twelvemonth could far outdo me, his instructor,
in softness and easiness of finger; and was also master of every tune
I knew, which were neither inconsiderable in number, nor of the lowest
rate.
Youwarkee, with her daughters, sat close to work, and had but just
completed her whole design for the family clothing, when she told me
she found herself with child again. As that circumstance ill suited a
journey, she deferred her flight for about fifteen months; in which time
she was brought to bed, and weaned the infant, which was a boy, whom
I named Richard, after my good master at the academy. The little knave
thrived amain, and was left to my farther nursing during its mammy's
absence; who, still firm to her resolution, after she had equipped
herself and companions with whatever was necessary to their travelling,
and locked up all the apparel she had made till her return, because
she would have it appear new when her father came, set out with her son
Tommy and my two daughters Patty and Hallycarnie, the last of which by
this time being big enough also to be trusted with her mother.