The Author's concern at Youwarkees stay--Reflections on his
condition--Hears a voice call him--Youwarhee's brother
Quangrollart visits him with a companion--He treats them at
the grotto--The brother discovers himself by accident--
Wilkins produces his children to him
My head, as well as my hands, had now been employed for five months in
adjusting all things in the most suitable manner for the reception of
Youwarkee and her friends; but nobody coming, and light days getting
forward apace, I begin to grow very uneasy, and had formed divers
imaginations of what might occasion her stay. Thought I, I am afraid
all the pains I have been taking will be to no purpose; for either her
father will not let her return, or she has of herself come to such a
resolution; for she knows I cannot follow her, and had rather, perhaps,
live and enjoy the three children she has with her, amidst a number of
her friends and acquaintance, than spend the remainder of her days with
me and all our offspring in this solitude.
But then I reflected she chose it herself, or at least declared herself
perfectly satisfied, yea, delighted therewith. And here are her children
with me, the major part of them; yet, what can I think? since her return
is put off till the swangeans are over this arkoe, she will never bring
her relations now in this unseasonable time for flight; therefore I must
think, if she intended to return at all, it would have been before
now; and as the case is not so, my fear of losing her entirely prevails
greatly. Oh! says I, that we had but a post here as we have in England;
there we can communicate our thoughts at a distance to each other
without any trouble, and for little charge! What a country is this to
live in! and what an improper creature am I to live in it! Had I but
the graundee, I would have found her out by this time, be she where she
would; but, whilst every one about me can pass, repass, and act as they
please, I am fixed here like one of my trees, bound to the spot, or,
upon removal, to die in the attempt. Alas! why did I beget children
here, but to make them as wretched and inconsolable as myself! Some of
them are so formed, indeed, as to shift for themselves; but they owe it
to their mother, not to me. What! am I a father of children who will
be bound one day to curse me? Severe reflection! Yet I never thought of
this till now. But am I the only father in such a case? No, surely! for
am not I as much bound to curse my father as my children are to curse
me? He might have left me happy if he would; I would them if I could.
Again, are there not others who, by improper junction with persons
diseased in body or vicious in mind, have entailed greater misery
upon their posterity than I have on mine! My children are all healthy,
strong, and sound, both in body and mind; and is not that the greatest
blessing that can be bestowed on our beings? But they are imprisoned
in this arkoe! What then? With industry, here is no want; and as they
increase they may settle in communities, and be helpful to each other.
I have lived here well nigh sixteen years, and it was God's pleasure
I should be here; and can I think I was placed here with an injunction
contrary to the great command, "Increase and multiply?" If that were so,
can it be possible I should have received the only means of propagating,
as it were, from Heaven itself? No, it was certainly as much my Maker's
will that I should have posterity here, as that I myself should at first
be brought thither. This is a large and plentiful spot, and capable of
great improvement, when there shall be hands sufficient. How many petty
states are less than these my dominions! I have here a compass of near
twenty miles round, and how many thousands grow voluntarily grey in a
far less circuit?
I had hardly finished my reflections (for I was sitting by myself in my
tent upon one of the trees I had turned into benches), when I heard a
musical voice call, "Peter! Peter!" I started. "What's this?" says I.
"It is not Youwarkee's voice! What can this mean?" Listening, I heard it
again, but at so great a distance I could but just perceive the sound.
"Be it where it will," says I, "I will face it!" Thus speaking, I went
out of the tent, and hearkened very attentively, but could hear nothing.
I then ran for my gun, and walked through the wood as fast as I could
to the plain; but still I neither saw nor heard anything. I was then
in hopes of seeing somebody on the lake, but no one appeared; for I was
fully determined to make myself known to whomsoever I should meet; and,
if possible, to gain some intelligence of my wife. But after so much
fruitless pains, my hopes being at an end, I was returning when I heard,
"Peter! Peter!" again at a great distance, the sound coming from a
different quarter than at first. Upon this I stopped, and heard it
repeated; and it was as if the speaker approached nearer and nearer.
Hereupon I stepped out of the wood (for I had just re-entered it upon
my return home), when I saw two persons upon the swangean just over my
head. I cried out, "Who's that?" And they immediately called again,
"Peter! Peter!"--_Ors clam gee_, says I; that is, Here am I.--On this
they directly took a small sweep round (for they had overshot me before
they heard me) and alighted just by me; when I perceived them to be
my wife's countrymen, being dressed like her, with vol. only broader
chaplets about their heads, as she had told me the glumms all wore.
After a short obeisance, they asked me if I was the glumm Peter,
barkett* to Youwarkee. I answered I was. They then told me they
came with a message from Pendlehamby, colamb** of Arndrumn-stake, my
goppo,*** and from Youwarkee his daughter. I was vastly rejoiced to see
them, and to hear only the name of my wife. But though I longed to know
their message, I trembled to think of their mentioning it, as one
of them was just going to do, for fear of hearing something very
displeasing; so I begged them to go through the wood with me to the
grotto, where we should have more leisure and convenience for talk, and
where, at the same time, they might take some refreshment. But though I
had thus put off their message, I could not forbear inquiring by the way
after the health of my goppo, and my wife and children, how they got to
Arndrumnstake, and how they found their relations and friends. They told
me all were well; and that Youwarkee, as she did on me, desired I would
think on her with true affection. I found this was the phrase of the
country. As for the rest, I hoped it would turn out well at last, though
I dreaded to hear it.
* Husband.
** Governor.
*** Father-in-law.
Being arrived at the grotto, I desired my guests to sit down, and take
such refreshment as I could prepare them. When they were seated, I went
to work in order to provide them a repast. Seeing my fire piled up very
high, and burning fierce, and the children about it, they wondered where
they were got, and who they had come to, and turned their faces from it;
but I setting some chairs, so that the light might not strike on their
eyes, they liked the warmth well enough; though, I remarked, the light
did not affect them so much as it had done Youwarkee.
Whilst I was cooking, the poor children got all up in a corner, and
stared at the strangers, not being able to conceive where they came
from; and by degrees crept all backwards into the bedchamber, and hid
themselves; for they had never before seen anybody but my own family.
I observed that one of my guests paid more than ordinary respect to the
other; and though their graundees made no distinction between them,
yet there was something I thought much more noble in the address and
behaviour of the latter; and taking notice that he was also the chief
spokesman, I judged it proper to pay my respects to him in a somewhat
more distinguishing manner, though so as not to offend the other if I
should happen to be mistaken.
I first presented a can of my Madeira, and took care, as if by accident,
to give it to Mr. Uppermost, as I thought him, who drank half of it,
and would have given the remainder to his companion, but I begged him to
drink it all up, and his friend should be served with some presently: he
did so, and thanked me by lifting his hand to his chin. I then gave the
other a can of the same liquor, which he drank, and returned thanks as
his companion had before. I then took a can myself, and telling them
I begged leave to use the ceremony of my own country to them, I drank,
wishing their own health, and that of all relations at Arndrumnstake.
He that I took for the superior fell a-laughing heartily: "Ha, ha,
ha!" says he, "this is the very way my sister does every day at
Arndrumnstake."--"Your sister, sir!" says I, "pray has she ever been in
Europe or England?"--"Well!" says he, "I have plainly discovered myself,
which I did not intend to do yet; but, truly, brother Peter, I mean none
other than your own wife Youwarkee."
The moment I knew who he was, I rose up and taking him by the right
hand, lifted it to my lips and kissed it. He likewise immediately stood
up, and we embraced each other with great tenderness. I then begged him,
as I had so worthy and near a relation of my wife's with me, that he
would not delay the happiness I hoped for, in a narrative from his
mouth, how it fared with my father, wife, and children, and all their
kinsfolks and friends whom I had so often heard mentioned by my dearest
Youwarkee, and so earnestly desired to see.
My brother Quangrollart (for that, he told me, was his name)
was preparing to gratify my impatience; but seeing I had set the
entertainment on the table, which consisted chiefly of bread, several
sorts of pickles and preserves, with some cold salted fish, he said that
eating would but interrupt the thread of his discourse; and therefore,
with my leave, he would defer the relating of what I desired for a
little while; which we all thinking most proper, I desired him and
his friend (who might be another brother for aught I knew) to refresh
themselves with the poor modicum I was able to provide them.
Whilst my brother Quangrollart was looking upon and handling his plate,
being what he had never before seen, his friend had got the handle
of one of the knives in his mouth, biting it with all his force; but
finding he could make nothing of that end he tried the other, and got
champing the blade. Perceiving what he was at, though I could not help
laughing, I rose, and begging pardon, took the knife from him; telling
him I believed he was not acquainted with the use of that instrument,
which was one of my country implements; and that the design of it, which
was called a knife, and of that other (pointing to it), called a fork,
was the one to reduce the food into pieces proper for chewing, and the
other to convey it to the mouth without daubing the fingers, which must
happen in handling the food itself; and I then showed him what use I put
them to, by helping each of them therewith to somewhat, and by cutting a
piece for myself, and putting it to my mouth with the fork.
They both smiled and looked very well pleased; and then I told them
that the plate was the only thing that need be daubed, and when that was
taken away the table remained clean. So, after I had helped each of them
for the first time, I desired them to help themselves where they liked
best; and, to say the truth, they did so more dexterously than I could
have expected.
During our repast we had frequent sketches of the observations they made
in their flight, and of the places where they had rested; and I could
plainly see that neither of them had ever been at this arkoe before, by
hinting that if they had not taken such a course they had missed me.
I took particular notice which part of my entertainment they ate most
of, that I might bring a fresh supply of that when wanted; and I found
that though they eat heartily of my bread and preserves, and tasted
almost of everything else, they never once touched the fish; which put
me upon desiring I might help them to some. At this they looked upon
each other, which I readily knew the meaning of, and excused themselves,
expressing great satisfaction in what they had already gotten. I took,
however, a piece of fish on my own plate, and eating very heartily
thereof, my brother desired me to give him a bit of it; I did so, taking
care to cut it as free from bones as I could, and for greater security
cautioning him, in case there should be any, to pick them out, and not
swallow them. He had no sooner put a piece in his mouth, but, "Rosig,"
says he to his friend, "this is padsi."--I thought indeed I had puzzled
my brother when I gave him the fish, but by what he said of it, he
puzzled me; for I knew not what he meant by padsi, my wife having told
me they had no fish, or else I should have taken that word for their
name of it. However, I cut Rosig a slice; and he agreeing it was padsi,
they both ate heartily of it.
While we were at dinner, my brother told me he thought he saw some of my
children just now; for his sister had informed him she had five more at
home; and he asked me why they did not appear and eat with us. I excused
their coming, as fearing they would only be troublesome; and said, "When
we had done they should have some victuals." But he would not be put
off, and entreated me to admit them. So I called them by their names,
and they came, all but Dicky, who was asleep in his hammock. I told them
that Reglumm,* pointing to Quangrollart, was their uncle, their mamma's
brother, and ordered them to pay their obeisance to him, which they
severally did. I then made them salute Rosig. This last would have had
them sit down at table; but I positively forbade that; and giving each
of them a little of what we had before us, they carried it to the chests
and eat it there.
* Gentleman.
When we had done, the children helped me to clear the table, and were
retiring out of the room; but then I recalled them and desired their
uncle to excuse their stay, for as he had promised me news of their
mammy and her family, it would be the height of pleasure to them to hear
him. He seemed very much pleased with this motion, desiring by all means
they might be present while he told his story. Whereupon I ordered them
to the chests again, while Quangrollart delivered his narrative.