diversions which prevailed here on Sunday evenings, to the great
scandal of Christianity and morals. I used to express my abhorrence of
it to a priest whom I met with. I had frequent contests about religion
with the reverend father, in which he took great pains to make a
proselyte of me to his church; and I no less to convert him to mine.
On these occasions I used to produce my Bible, and shew him in what
points his church erred. He then said he had been in England, and that
every person there read the Bible, which was very wrong; but I
answered him that Christ desired us to search the Scriptures. In his
zeal for my conversion, he solicited me to go to one of the
universities in Spain, and declared that I should have my education
free; and told me, if I got myself made a priest, I might in time
become even pope; and that Pope Benedict was a black man. As I was
ever desirous of learning, I paused for some time upon this
temptation; and thought by being crafty I might catch some with guile;
but I began to think that it would be only hypocrisy in me to embrace
his offer, as I could not in conscience conform to the opinions of his
church. I was therefore enabled to regard the word of God, which says,
'Come out from amongst them,' and refused Father Vincent's offer. So
we parted without conviction on either side.
Having taken at this place some fine wines, fruits, and money, we
proceeded to Cadiz, where we took about two tons more of money, &c.
and then sailed for England in the month of June. When we were about
the north latitude 42, we had contrary wind for several days, and the
ship did not make in that time above six or seven miles straight
course. This made the captain exceeding fretful and peevish: and I was
very sorry to hear God's most holy name often blasphemed by him. One
day, as he was in that impious mood, a young gentleman on board, who
was a passenger, reproached him, and said he acted wrong; for we ought
to be thankful to God for all things, as we were not in want of any
thing on board; and though the wind was contrary for us, yet it was
fair for some others, who, perhaps, stood in more need of it than we.
I immediately seconded this young gentleman with some boldness, and
said we had not the least cause to murmur, for that the Lord was
better to us than we deserved, and that he had done all things well. I
expected that the captain would be very angry with me for speaking,
but he replied not a word. However, before that time on the following
day, being the 21st of June, much to our great joy and astonishment,
we saw the providential hand of our benign Creator, whose ways with
his blind creatures are past finding out. The preceding night I
dreamed that I saw a boat immediately off the starboard main shrouds;
and exactly at half past one o'clock, the following day at noon, while
I was below, just as we had dined in the cabin, the man at the helm
cried out, A boat! which brought my dream that instant into my mind. I
was the first man that jumped on the deck; and, looking from the
shrouds onward, according to my dream, I descried a little boat at
some distance; but, as the waves were high, it was as much as we could
do sometimes to discern her; we however stopped the ship's way, and
the boat, which was extremely small, came alongside with eleven
miserable men, whom we took on board immediately. To all human
appearance, these people must have perished in the course of one hour
or less, the boat being small, it barely contained them. When we took
them up they were half drowned, and had no victuals, compass, water,
or any other necessary whatsoever, and had only one bit of an oar to
steer with, and that right before the wind; so that they were obliged
to trust entirely to the mercy of the waves. As soon as we got them
all on board, they bowed themselves on their knees, and, with hands
and voices lifted up to heaven, thanked God for their deliverance; and
I trust that my prayers were not wanting amongst them at the same
time. This mercy of the Lord quite melted me, and I recollected his
words, which I saw thus verified in the 107th Psalm 'O give thanks
unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. Hungry
and thirsty, their souls fainted in them. They cried unto Lord in
their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he
led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of
habitation. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for
his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the
longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
'Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death:
'Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out
of their distresses. They that go down to the sea in ships; that do
business in great waters: these see the works of the Lord, and his
wonders in the deep. Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even
they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.'
The poor distressed captain said, 'that the Lord is good; for, seeing
that I am not fit to die, he therefore gave me a space of time to
repent.' I was very glad to hear this expression, and took an
opportunity when convenient of talking to him on the providence of
God. They told us they were Portuguese, and were in a brig loaded with
corn, which shifted that morning at five o'clock, owing to which the
vessel sunk that instant with two of the crew; and how these eleven
got into the boat (which was lashed to the deck) not one of them could
tell. We provided them with every necessary, and brought them all safe
to London: and I hope the Lord gave them repentance unto life eternal.
I was happy once more amongst my friends and brethren, till November,
when my old friend, the celebrated Doctor Irving, bought a remarkable
fine sloop, about 150 tons. He had a mind for a new adventure in
cultivating a plantation at Jamaica and the Musquito Shore; asked me
to go with him, and said that he would trust me with his estate in
preference to any one. By the advice, therefore, of my friends, I
accepted of the offer, knowing that the harvest was fully ripe in
those parts, and hoped to be the instrument, under God, of bringing
some poor sinner to my well beloved master, Jesus Christ. Before I
embarked, I found with the Doctor four Musquito Indians, who were
chiefs in their own country, and were brought here by some English
traders for some selfish ends. One of them was the Musquito king's
son; a youth of about eighteen years of age; and whilst he was here he
was baptized by the name of George. They were going back at the
government's expense, after having been in England about twelve
months, during which they learned to speak pretty good English. When I
came to talk to them about eight days before we sailed, I was very
much mortified in finding that they had not frequented any churches
since they were here, to be baptized, nor was any attention paid to
their morals. I was very sorry for this mock Christianity, and had
just an opportunity to take some of them once to church before we
sailed. We embarked in the month of November 1775, on board of the
sloop Morning Star, Captain David Miller, and sailed for Jamaica. In
our passage, I took all the pains that I could to instruct the Indian
prince in the doctrines of Christianity, of which he was entirely
ignorant; and, to my great joy, he was quite attentive, and received
with gladness the truths that the Lord enabled me to set forth to him.
I taught him in the compass of eleven days all the letters, and he
could put even two or three of them together and spell them. I had
Fox's Martyrology with cuts, and he used to be very fond of looking
into it, and would ask many questions about the papal cruelties he saw
depicted there, which I explained to him. I made such progress with
this youth, especially in religion, that when I used to go to bed at
different hours of the night, if he was in his bed, he would get up on
purpose to go to prayer with me, without any other clothes than his
shirt; and before he would eat any of his meals amongst the gentlemen
in the cabin, he would first come to me to pray, as he called it. I
was well pleased at this, and took great delight in him, and used much
supplication to God for his conversion. I was in full hope of seeing
daily every appearance of that change which I could wish; not knowing
the devices of satan, who had many of his emissaries to sow his tares
as fast as I sowed the good seed, and pull down as fast as I built up.
Thus we went on nearly four fifths of our passage, when satan at last
got the upper hand. Some of his messengers, seeing this poor heathen
much advanced in piety, began to ask him whether I had converted him
to Christianity, laughed, and made their jest at him, for which I
rebuked them as much as I could; but this treatment caused the prince
to halt between two opinions. Some of the true sons of Belial, who did
not believe that there was any hereafter, told him never to fear the
devil, for there was none existing; and if ever he came to the prince,
they desired he might be sent to them. Thus they teazed the poor
innocent youth, so that he would not learn his book any more! He would
not drink nor carouse with these ungodly actors, nor would he be with
me, even at prayers. This grieved me very much. I endeavoured to
persuade him as well as I could, but he would not come; and entreated
him very much to tell me his reasons for acting thus. At last he asked
me, 'How comes it that all the white men on board who can read and
write, and observe the sun, and know all things, yet swear, lie, and
get drunk, only excepting yourself?' I answered him, the reason was,
that they did not fear God; and that if any one of them died so they
could not go to, or be happy with God. He replied, that if these
persons went to hell he would go to hell too. I was sorry to hear
this; and, as he sometimes had the toothach, and also some other
persons in the ship at the same time, I asked him if their toothach
made his easy: he said, No. Then I told him if he and these people
went to hell together, their pains would not make his any lighter.
This answer had great weight with him: it depressed his spirits much;
and he became ever after, during the passage, fond of being alone.
When we were in the latitude of Martinico, and near making the land,
one morning we had a brisk gale of wind, and, carrying too much sail,
the main-mast went over the side. Many people were then all about the
deck, and the yards, masts, and rigging, came tumbling all about us,
yet there was not one of us in the least hurt, although some were
within a hair's breadth of being killed: and, particularly, I saw two
men then, by the providential hand of God, most miraculously preserved
from being smashed to pieces. On the fifth of January we made Antigua
and Montserrat, and ran along the rest of the islands: and on the
fourteenth we arrived at Jamaica. One Sunday while we were there I
took the Musquito Prince George to church, where he saw the sacrament
administered. When we came out we saw all kinds of people, almost from
the church door for the space of half a mile down to the waterside,
buying and selling all kinds of commodities: and these acts afforded
me great matter of exhortation to this youth, who was much astonished.
Our vessel being ready to sail for the Musquito shore, I went with the
Doctor on board a Guinea-man, to purchase some slaves to carry with
us, and cultivate a plantation; and I chose them all my own
countrymen. On the twelfth of February we sailed from Jamaica, and on
the eighteenth arrived at the Musquito shore, at a place called
Dupeupy. All our Indian guests now, after I had admonished them and a
few cases of liquor given them by the Doctor, took an affectionate
leave of us, and went ashore, where they were met by the Musquito
king, and we never saw one of them afterwards. We then sailed to the
southward of the shore, to a place called Cape Gracias a Dios, where
there was a large lagoon or lake, which received the emptying of two
or three very fine large rivers, and abounded much in fish and land
tortoise. Some of the native Indians came on board of us here; and we
used them well, and told them we were come to dwell amongst them,
which they seemed pleased at. So the Doctor and I, with some others,
went with them ashore; and they took us to different places to view
the land, in order to choose a place to make a plantation of. We fixed
on a spot near a river's bank, in a rich soil; and, having got our
necessaries out of the sloop, we began to clear away the woods, and
plant different kinds of vegetables, which had a quick growth. While
we were employed in this manner, our vessel went northward to Black
River to trade. While she was there, a Spanish guarda costa met with
and took her. This proved very hurtful, and a great embarrassment to
us. However, we went on with the culture of the land. We used to make
fires every night all around us, to keep off wild beasts, which, as
soon as it was dark, set up a most hideous roaring. Our habitation
being far up in the woods, we frequently saw different kinds of
animals; but none of them ever hurt us, except poisonous snakes, the
bite of which the Doctor used to cure by giving to the patient, as
soon as possible, about half a tumbler of strong rum, with a good deal
of Cayenne pepper in it. In this manner he cured two natives and one
of his own slaves. The Indians were exceedingly fond of the Doctor,
and they had good reason for it; for I believe they never had such an
useful man amongst them. They came from all quarters to our dwelling;
and some _woolwow_, or flat-headed Indians, who lived fifty or sixty
miles above our river, and this side of the South Sea, brought us a
good deal of silver in exchange for our goods. The principal articles
we could get from our neighbouring Indians, were turtle oil, and
shells, little silk grass, and some provisions; but they would not
work at any thing for us, except fishing; and a few times they
assisted to cut some trees down, in order to build us houses; which
they did exactly like the Africans, by the joint labour of men, women,
and children. I do not recollect any of them to have had more than two
wives. These always accompanied their husbands when they came to our
dwelling; and then they generally carried whatever they brought to us,
and always squatted down behind their husbands. Whenever we gave them
any thing to eat, the men and their wives ate it separate. I never
saw the least sign of incontinence amongst them. The women are
ornamented with beads, and fond of painting themselves; the men also
paint, even to excess, both their faces and shirts: their favourite
colour is red. The women generally cultivate the ground, and the men
are all fishermen and canoe makers. Upon the whole, I never met any
nation that were so simple in their manners as these people, or had so
little ornament in their houses. Neither had they, as I ever could
learn, one word expressive of an oath. The worst word I ever heard
amongst them when they were quarreling, was one that they had got from
the English, which was, 'you rascal.' I never saw any mode of worship
among them; but in this they were not worse than their European
brethren or neighbours: for I am sorry to say that there was not one
white person in our dwelling, nor any where else that I saw in
different places I was at on the shore, that was better or more pious
than those unenlightened Indians; but they either worked or slept on
Sundays: and, to my sorrow, working was too much Sunday's employment
with ourselves; so much so, that in some length of time we really did
not know one day from another. This mode of living laid the foundation
of my decamping at last. The natives are well made and warlike; and
they particularly boast of having never been conquered by the
Spaniards. They are great drinkers of strong liquors when they can get
them. We used to distil rum from pine apples, which were very
plentiful here; and then we could not get them away from our place.
Yet they seemed to be singular, in point of honesty, above any other
nation I was ever amongst. The country being hot, we lived under an
open shed, where we had all kinds of goods, without a door or a lock
to any one article; yet we slept in safety, and never lost any thing,
or were disturbed. This surprised us a good deal; and the Doctor,
myself, and others, used to say, if we were to lie in that manner in
Europe we should have our throats cut the first night. The Indian
governor goes once in a certain time all about the province or
district, and has a number of men with him as attendants and
assistants. He settles all the differences among the people, like the
judge here, and is treated with very great respect. He took care to
give us timely notice before he came to our habitation, by sending his
stick as a token, for rum, sugar, and gunpowder, which we did not
refuse sending; and at the same time we made the utmost preparation to
receive his honour and his train. When he came with his tribe, and all
our neighbouring chieftains, we expected to find him a grave reverend
judge, solid and sagacious; but instead of that, before he and his
gang came in sight, we heard them very clamorous; and they even had
plundered some of our good neighbouring Indians, having intoxicated
themselves with our liquor. When they arrived we did not know what to
make of our new guests, and would gladly have dispensed with the
honour of their company. However, having no alternative, we feasted
them plentifully all the day till the evening; when the governor,
getting quite drunk, grew very unruly, and struck one of our most
friendly chiefs, who was our nearest neighbour, and also took his
gold-laced hat from him. At this a great commotion taken place; and
the Doctor interfered to make peace, as we could all understand one
another, but to no purpose; and at last they became so outrageous that
the Doctor, fearing he might get into trouble, left the house, and
made the best of his way to the nearest wood, leaving me to do as well
as I could among them. I was so enraged with the Governor, that I
could have wished to have seen him tied fast to a tree and flogged for
his behaviour; but I had not people enough to cope with his party. I
therefore thought of a stratagem to appease the riot. Recollecting a
passage I had read in the life of Columbus, when he was amongst the
Indians in Mexico or Peru, where, on some occasion, he frightened
them, by telling them of certain events in the heavens, I had recourse
to the same expedient; and it succeeded beyond my most sanguine
expectations. When I had formed my determination, I went in the midst
of them; and, taking hold of the Governor, I pointed up to the
heavens. I menaced him and the rest: I told them God lived there, and
that he was angry with them, and they must not quarrel so; that they
were all brothers, and if they did not leave off, and go away quietly,
I would take the book (pointing to the Bible), read, and _tell_ God to
make them dead. This was something like magic. The clamour immediately
ceased, and I gave them some rum and a few other things; after which
they went away peaceably; and the Governor afterwards gave our
neighbour, who was called Captain Plasmyah, his hat again. When the
Doctor returned, he was exceedingly glad at my success in thus getting
rid of our troublesome guests. The Musquito people within our
vicinity, out of respect to the Doctor, myself and his people, made
entertainments of the grand kind, called in their tongue _tourrie_ or
_dryckbot_. The English of this expression is, a feast of drinking
about, of which it seems a corruption of language. The drink consisted
of pine apples roasted, and casades chewed or beaten in mortars;
which, after lying some time, ferments, and becomes so strong as to
intoxicate, when drank in any quantity. We had timely notice given to
us of the entertainment. A white family, within five miles of us, told
us how the drink was made, and I and two others went before the time
to the village, where the mirth was appointed to be held; and there we
saw the whole art of making the drink, and also the kind of animals
that were to be eaten there. I cannot say the sight of either the
drink or the meat were enticing to me. They had some thousands of pine
apples roasting, which they squeezed, dirt and all, into a canoe they
had there for the purpose. The casade drink was in beef barrels and
other vessels, and looked exactly like hog-wash. Men, women, and
children, were thus employed in roasting the pine apples, and
squeezing them with their hands. For food they had many land torpins
or tortoises, some dried turtle, and three large alligators alive, and
tied fast to the trees. I asked the people what they were going to do
with these alligators; and I was told they were to be eaten. I was
much surprised at this, and went home, not a little disgusted at the
preparations. When the day of the feast was come, we took some rum
with us, and went to the appointed place, where we found a great
assemblage of these people, who received us very kindly. The mirth had
begun before we came; and they were dancing with music: and the
musical instruments were nearly the same as those of any other sable
people; but, as I thought, much less melodious than any other nation I
ever knew. They had many curious gestures in dancing, and a variety of
motions and postures of their bodies, which to me were in no wise
attracting. The males danced by themselves, and the females also by
themselves, as with us. The Doctor shewed his people the example, by
immediately joining the women's party, though not by their choice. On
perceiving the women disgusted, he joined the males. At night there
were great illuminations, by setting fire to many pine trees, while
the dryckbot went round merrily by calabashes or gourds: but the
liquor might more justly be called eating than drinking. One Owden,
the oldest father in the vicinity, was dressed in a strange and
terrifying form. Around his body were skins adorned with different
kinds of feathers, and he had on his head a very large and high
head-piece, in the form of a grenadier's cap, with prickles like a
porcupine; and he made a certain noise which resembled the cry of an
alligator. Our people skipped amongst them out of complaisance, though
some could not drink of their tourrie; but our rum met with customers
enough, and was soon gone. The alligators were killed and some of them
roasted. Their manner of roasting is by digging a hole in the earth,
and filling it with wood, which they burn to coal, and then they lay
sticks across, on which they set the meat. I had a raw piece of the
alligator in my hand: it was very rich: I thought it looked like fresh
salmon, and it had a most fragrant smell, but I could not eat any of
it. This merry-making at last ended without the least discord in any
person in the company, although it was made up of different nations
and complexions. The rainy season came on here about the latter end of
May, which continued till August very heavily; so that the rivers were
overflowed, and our provisions then in the ground were washed away. I
thought this was in some measure a judgment upon us for working on
Sundays, and it hurt my mind very much. I often wished to leave this
place and sail for Europe; for our mode of procedure and living in
this heathenish form was very irksome to me. The word of God saith,
'What does it avail a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul?' This was much and heavily impressed on my mind; and, though I
did not know how to speak to the Doctor for my discharge, it was
disagreeable for me to stay any longer. But about the middle of June I
took courage enough to ask him for it. He was very unwilling at first
to grant my request; but I gave him so many reasons for it, that at
last he consented to my going, and gave me the following certificate
of my behaviour:
'The bearer, Gustavus Vassa, has served me several years
with strict honesty, sobriety, and fidelity. I can,
therefore, with justice recommend him for these
qualifications; and indeed in every respect I consider him
as an excellent servant. I do hereby certify that he always
behaved well, and that he is perfectly trust-worthy.
'CHARLES IRVING.'
_Musquito Shore, June 15, 1776._