ORDERED TO PROCEED TO OU TROU.--ESCAPE FROM OUR BLACK GUARDS.--KIND
RECEPTION AT A COUNTRY-HOUSE.--OUR GUARDS RE-APPEAR. MEET DELISLE.--
AGAIN WELL ENTERTAINED BY A PLANTER.--ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD.--REACH OU
TROU.--PUT UP IN A STABLE.--BAD TREATMENT OF PRISONERS OF WAR.
Hitherto we had been treated with kindness and attention by the officers
of the French frigate, but a change in our lot was about to occur. On
the 20th September we were suddenly ordered to go on shore, and when
there we found that we were to prepare for an immediate start to a place
called Ou Trou, thirty miles away in the interior. Having been marched
up to the governor's house, we were told to be ready to commence our
journey by three o'clock, and were then allowed to go about our
business. We accordingly, feeling the necessity of fortifying the inner
man, went to the first inn of which the place could boast, called the
Dutch Hotel, and ordered the best dinner it could turn out. "Plenty of
wine!" was the general cry, at which Mynheer von Tromp grinned
furiously. We were just the customers he liked, and promised to fulfil
our wishes to the utmost of his power. In the meantime we strolled
about the town. There was very little to attract us in it, and our
footsteps took us involuntarily to a spot whence we could obtain a good
view of the ocean, which we feared that we were destined for so long a
time not again to see. Alas! how many of us were destined never again
to behold that ocean we loved so well! As Delisle and I sat together
and looked out on the bright blue expanse spread before us, and dotted
here and there with white sails glancing in the sunbeams, and observed
the unfrequented shore and the fishermen's boats drawn up on the beach,
we agreed how easy it would have been, had we not given our parole, to
have made our escape, and as to danger, we settled that we would have
run it willingly for the sake of escaping from our confinement. We
would have put off in one of the canoes and pulled away right out to sea
till we were picked up by an English cruiser or merchantman. While we
were sitting admiring the scene several negroes passed us, great, big,
burly fellows, laughing and singing at the top of their voices. Each
couple of them carried a burden resting on two poles. We soon suspected
their errand. On reaching the beach, close to the water, they threw
down their burdens and began digging away with short spades they carried
at their waists. They did not cease laughing and shouting, and had soon
dug a shallow hole big enough to contain a dozen people. The burdens
which they had borne to the spot were quickly tumbled in. Before the
operations were concluded other big, half-naked negroes arrived with
more corpses, which were treated in the same unceremonious manner, and
then all were speedily covered up, and the black monsters went stamping
and dancing, singing all the while, carelessly over the huge grave.
"Who can they be?" I asked of Delisle; "I mean the poor fellows who lie
buried down there at our feet."
My messmate spoke French, so he called one of the negroes as they passed
and made the inquiry of him. The black fellow grinned horribly.
"English seamen. Taken prisoners lately. They have the fever among
them. Yellow Jack. They are dying like rotten sheep. No matter. They
are all heretics, so we bury them here. They are not fit for
consecrated ground. Bah!" was the answer, delivered with a broad grin,
as if the speaker had uttered a good joke.
Delisle turned away and came back to me.
"Let us return to the inn," said I. "It must be dinner-time; I cannot
enjoy this spot any longer."
All our party quickly assembled at the hotel, and we soon forgot the
unpleasant scene we had witnessed. Mynheer had not forgotten our order
to have an abundance of liquor ready, though I cannot say much for the
delicacy of the viands he placed before us. I know that the bottles
circulated round the table very rapidly, and that the wine was
pronounced very good. It possessed, I remember, the quality of being
very strong, so that we soon forgot, thanks to its fumes, all the
misfortunes which had been oppressing our spirits, and soon hilarity and
fun reigned among us. While we held up our sparkling glasses, and the
joke and laugh went round, no one would have supposed that we were a
party of forlorn prisoners about to be marched off to a solitary abode
in the midst of a half-barbarous island. Toasts and sentiments were
uttered, and even songs were sung, and, for my own part, I know that I
entirely forgot where I was or what I was about to do. While our revels
were at their height a black officer made his appearance at the door.
"Messieurs, it is time to begin your journey. Your mules are at the
door. You must mount at once and proceed."
The order was more easily given than obeyed. With regard to the matter
of mounting and sticking on, that, in whatever condition a seaman is, he
can generally accomplish; but the guiding a horse, mule, or donkey is a
very different affair, and beyond often the power of a sober sailor,
much more of a drunken one.
"Oh, bad luck to the blackguards! we are not going to have our
conviviality cut short by them or any like them!" exclaimed O'Driscoll,
filling up his glass with Burgundy as some of the party were about to
rise from their chairs.
"Let's sit down and be merry yet awhile longer--we shall not get such
liquor as this at the town where we are to take up our abode." He
little knew what a true word he was speaking when he said that. His
example was infectious, and, captain and all, we sat down and filled up
our glasses. A toast was proposed, succeeded by a tremendous rapping on
the table. Before it had ceased the door was swung open and a nigger
officer marched into the room in a furious rage.
"For what you disobey orders?" he exclaimed, in very tolerable
nigger-English; "you come out at once and mount, or I get the whip in
among you and make you fly!"
"Ho, ho, Quasho, you've got an English tongue in your head! where did
you pick that up, you rascal--you run-away slave from Jamacy, I guess--
eh, eh?" cried O'Driscoll, turning round and looking at the fellow with
an expression of supreme contempt.
I fully expected to see the anger of the negro become ungovernable;
instead of that, however, he prepared to back out of the room, and as
far as a negro can turn pale, he did so, and seemed at once to lose all
power of speech.
"You've hit the right nail on the head, O'Driscoll," observed Delisle;
"however, there is no use in exciting the anger of the people, we may
suffer for it in the end."
Others were of the latter opinion; and at last we all rose, and paying
the landlord's somewhat extortionate demand with the best grace we
could, considering the hole it made in our pocket, went out to inspect
our beasts. They were tolerably strong animals, and two or three looked
as if they had some go in them, at all events.
"I say, Hurry, just keep an eye on those two beasts," said O'Driscoll,
pointing at two of the best mules. "No one else seems to know one brute
from another."
Such was the case, for all hands, except Delisle, were more than three
sheets in the wind. Poor Robson, one of the lieutenants, was one of the
worst. Two negroes mounted on mules appeared to serve as our escort or
guard. They were armed with long, formidable-looking pistols stuck in
their belts, with hangers by their sides. Had we wished to get away, or
had we known of any place to which we could fly, we should have used
wondrous little ceremony in disposing of them.
"Mount, gen'men, mount!" exclaimed the black officer.
"More easily said than done, old codger," hiccoughed Robson, essaying to
get across the back of a restive mule. "I should like to see your
nigger grand excellency with three bottles of Burgundy under your belt
attempting to do that same. However, to men of courage nothing is
impossible--so here goes. Heave ahead, my hearties!" Making a spring,
he threw himself on to the top of the saddle, but with an impetus so
great that he toppled over completely and came down on his nose on the
opposite side.
One of our black escort, seeing the catastrophe, hurried up to help the
fallen officer. Robson seeing him coming, and not comprehending his
intentions, tackled him at once as if he had been an enemy, and the
moment he came within reach began pommelling him away most vehemently.
This naturally excited Sambo's anger, and forgetting his habitual dread
of white men, he paid him back much in the same coin. The spectators
meantime shouted with laughter, urging on the combatants. Drunk as he
was, Robson soon, I saw, got much the best of it, and was punishing the
nigger most severely. The latter did not like this treatment, and was,
I suspected, growing vicious. Now one rolled in the dust, now the
other, but Sambo was generally the sufferer. Fearing that he might make
use of a long knife I saw stuck in his belt, I made signs to Tom
Rockets, who not having had the means of procuring Burgundy, was happily
sober, to go in and put an end to the combat.
Poor Tom had better not have interfered, for Sambo, mistaking him for
his first antagonist, began pommelling away most furiously at his head,
while Robson, not comprehending the cause of his interference, attacked
him on the other side.
"Who are you, you son of a sea-cook, who ventures to interfere in the
quarrels of two gentlemen, I should like to know?" he hiccoughed out;
"let me tell you, I don't allow such proceedings!"
"My eyes, two gentlemen!" exclaimed Tom, fairly nonplussed; "you is an
officer, sir, but a rum sort of gentleman is t'other, I should think."
Tom bore his hammering for some time, when, getting a fair lick at
Sambo, he sent him spinning away ten yards off with a blow of his
ox-like fist. Sambo looked very much astonished, scarcely comprehending
at first whence the blow had come, but it had the effect of teaching
him, I suspect, for the future, to respect the arm of a British tar, and
of putting an end to the combat, which, I fain must own, did not redound
much to the credit of my brother-officer.
"Come, sir," quoth honest Tom, seizing him by the leg, "just let me
hoist you aboard this here animal, you'll be more comfortable-like than
kicking away here on the ground."
Robson made no objection, but looked up with a smiling aspect in Tom's
face.
"Yeo-ho! heave-ho!" sang out my follower, and the lieutenant was quickly
seated on the back of the quadruped, though, I suspect, he sat there
with no great amount of comfort, for he held on tightly by the pommel
with both hands, as if he expected soon to be tossed off again. Perhaps
he had in his recollection the occurrence of some such accident in
former times.
After this there was a general cry of "Heave ahead, my hearties, heave
ahead!" And we all mounted as best we could. Our two black guards got
on their steeds in no very good-humour with affairs in general, and us
in particular, though their mules were the greatest sufferers.
How the authorities could suppose that two niggers, albeit armed with
the longest hangers, and the biggest pistols ever used, could keep in
order a party of half-drunken British officers rendered reckless by
vexation, I do not know. It made us fancy that they had very few men to
spare for any service but that of actual warfare.
They had our word that we would not run away, but certainly we had given
no pledges that we would not indulge ourselves in any frolic which might
be suggested to our fertile imaginations.
The word at last was given, and off set our cavalcade from the town of
Cape Francois, the negroes shouting and the mules kicking and snorting
and making all sorts of wonderful noises. We did not leave the place
with any especial regret, but we should have done so had we known where
we were going. Robson, whose head was pretty strong, soon recovered his
equilibrium, and he, Delisle, O'Driscoll, and I rode together. I am no
great hand at describing scenery. I remember it was wild in the
extreme--blue ranges of hills and deep valleys, and plains partly
cultivated, but mostly left in a state of nature overgrown with giant
ceybas, between which were seen in rich profusion every species of
parasitical plant twining and twisting and hanging in drooping wreaths,
which monkeys converted into swings, while humming-birds at the pendant
ends built their tiny nests. Then there were mango thickets, which as
we journeyed among them, with their dense foliage, shut out the view on
every side, and tall palm-trees towering up proudly here and there in
the plain. There were rice and sugar plantations also, and their houses
of one storey and red-tiled roofs and broad verandahs, and gangs of
negroes as they trudged, laughing and shouting, to their work at the
baking-house or mills for crushing the canes, and in the wide savannahs
there were cattle grazing and herds of long-eared, fine mules, which put
our sorry steeds to shame.
"I say, this is terribly slow work," quoth O'Driscoll, ranging up
alongside me; "what do you say to giving our nigger friends the go-by?
We can't come to much harm. We've got the bearings of Ou Trou, I
fancy--indeed, I don't think that there is any other town in that
direction. At all events, we may meet with some adventure, and it will
be pleasanter than jogging along at this rate."
The proposal was one which jumped amazingly with the fancy of all the
party. We had not long to wait before we had an opportunity of putting
our scheme into execution. We four were ahead of the rest of the party.
Suddenly we came upon a spot where four roads branched off in different
directions.
"Away we go, my boys," shouted O'Driscoll, and to the astonishment of
our guard we struck our spurs into the sides of our mules, and off we
galloped, each by a separate road, or rather track, for road, properly
so-called, there was none. We had agreed to reunite after riding on for
twenty minutes or so, but we forgot that such a determination might not
be so easily accomplished as designed. Our black guard pulled up,
shouting lustily, and tugging at and scratching his woolly locks,
uncertain in which direction to pursue us. In vain he shouted, and
shrieked, and swore. The extraordinary mixture of nigger and French
oaths in which he gave vent to his fury had no effect on us. He might
as well have tried to stop a fly-away eagle with them. We turned round
and shook our hands and laughed at him. After going on for a little
time I discovered that he did not pursue me, so when my mule began to
show signs of fatigue I pulled up and rode on leisurely. Not long
after. I heard a tramping behind me, and expected to find that it was
the negro, but on looking back I made out O'Driscoll in chase of me. I
having accordingly hove-to, he came up to me, laughing heartily.
"Well, faith, we have clean done the niggers!" he exclaimed. "We may
now ride on leisurely and see what fortune has in store for us. I
intend to throw care to the dogs and to forget that I am a prisoner of
war. What's the use of moaning and groaning, and sighing and dying?
But oh, Molly Malone! Molly Malone, what will ye do when ye hear that
your own faithful Patrick may chance to be kept so many long years away
from you? Ay, there's the rub, Hurry. Now you, you happy fellow, don't
care for anybody. It's all the same to you where you may be, but should
Molly, now, think I was never coming back and go and marry some one
else, it would be a bitter pill to swallow."
Paddy went on conjuring up all sorts of melancholy pictures in which
Miss Molly Malone played a conspicuous part, till his feelings fairly
got the better of him and he began to blubber outright. This was too
much. I doubt not the Burgundy helped the tears to flow. My own
feelings and thoughts I kept to myself and did my best to comfort him,
and in another three minutes he was roaring at the top of his voice with
laughter.
"Hillo, what's that ahead? A stately mansion, as I am a gentleman!" he
exclaimed, as a red-tiled building of a single storey appeared before
us. "We'll go and request the hospitality of the noble owner. I have
no doubt that he will be enchanted to afford it when he discovers that
we are officers and gentlemen."
We turned aside through a gateway which led to the mansion. It was a
large, low edifice surrounded by a broad verandah, a flight of stone
steps leading to the principal entrance. As we rode up a thin old
gentleman, with a powdered wig, long-tailed coat, silk breeches and
diamond buckles, appeared at the top of the steps and summoned a troop
of negroes, who rushed forward to assist us to dismount and to hold our
mules.
"This is treating us with proper respect," observed O'Driscoll, assuming
an air of as much dignity as he could command, and, mounting the steps,
he commenced an address, which the old gentleman, in spite of his
politeness, showed that he could not possibly comprehend. I could
command a few sentences in French by this time, so I tried to explain
that we were travelling towards Ou Trou, and that we were uncertain of
our way. He said something about commissionaires. I suspect he took us
for Americans. However, he politely invited us into a large airy room
covered with mats, and made us sit down on a cool cane-bottomed sofa and
had sweetmeats and cakes and delicious cool wine and water brought in,
and then he produced a bundle of unexceptionable cigars, and we were
speedily made very happy and comfortable. We smoked and laughed and
talked away, but I doubt that our host understood anything we said.
This was all very pleasant, and we enjoyed it amazingly. At length the
ladies of our host's family arrived. They had been driving round the
estate--it was a large sugar one--in a volante, jogging and jolting, I
doubt not, for the roads, if so they might be called, were execrable--a
fine thing for the bile, as O'Driscoll observed.
The ladies looked as if their drive had agreed with them, for they were
full of life and animation and courtesy and kindness. A French creole
is really a very handsome creature--I mean those of the softer sex. The
men are generally dried-parchment, shrivelled-up-looking little
monstrosities. I cannot account for the difference. We made out that
there was _madame la mere_ and three daughters, and a brace of cousins.
They must have had a couple of volantes or more, for the mother would
have amply filled the half of one at least, and two of the daughters
would have required a capacious vehicle to convey them, independent of
hoops, with which they had not encumbered themselves.
They speedily threw themselves into chairs and sofas, and coffee was
brought to them, and then cigars, which they lighted, without ceremony,
from small lumps of hot charcoal handed to them by a little black
slave-girl.
In a short time some young men came in. They appeared to be brothers
and cousins of the young ladies, or perhaps there was a lover or so
among them. One went to a spinet which stood at the end of the room,
and another brought in a violin and began to strike up a dancing air.
Then, to show that we were civilised beings, O'Driscoll and I rose to
our feet, and each offering a hand to a young lady, we commenced a
minuet to the air which was being played. We flattered ourselves that
we performed our parts to admiration, though our knowledge had been
picked up during a few evenings spent on shore at New York during our
last stay there. To the minuet succeeded a regular country-dance. Here
O'Driscoll felt that he could show off in right good style, and
accordingly frisked and frolicked and jumped about in the most vehement
way imaginable. He soon danced himself into the good graces of all the
lady part of the community, who seemed to admire his red hair and ruddy
cheeks, which formed so great a contrast to their own complexions. I
heard them remarking that he was a _joli garcon_ and a _bon garcon_, and
the more impudent he looked, and the more he frolicked, the more they
admired him. I came in for some share of their commendations, I flatter
myself, though not perhaps to so large a one as he did, but whether or
not from the same cause I will not pretend to say. Evening was drawing
on and our contentment and hilarity were at their height--as to being
prisoners, we forgot all about that--when who should pop his head in at
the door but the ugly black rascal who had acted as our guard, the
fellow with the long pistols and hanger. We endeavoured to ignore his
acquaintance and laughed heartily in his face, when he said that he had
come to carry us off.
"Pooh, pooh!" exclaimed O'Driscoll, going up to him, and, shaking him by
the shoulders, turned him about to shove him out of the room; but an
harangue he uttered appeared to have a considerable effect on our host.
What he said I do not know. Our host's manner at once changed towards
us.
"It appears, gentlemen," said he, coming up to us, "that you are setting
at defiance the authorities of the island. I cannot sanction such a
proceeding. I took you for very different people to what I now find
that you are. I regret it, but I must give you back into custody."
Such was the import of the old gentleman's address as far as we could
comprehend it. It made us look very blue and feel very foolish. The
worst of it was, that even our fair friends began to turn up their noses
at us. Suddenly O'Driscoll slapped his leg with vehemence.
"I'll bet a thousand dollars that black scoundrel has been telling a
parcel of lies about us, which has so suddenly made our friend, Monsieur
Shagreen here, so suddenly change his opinion of us. I'll ask him, and
assure him that the blackamoor is not to be trusted."
On this O'Driscoll held forth to the old gentleman, who, however, as he
could not make head nor tail of what was said to him, was not much
edified. Had we been able indeed to speak French fluently, I have no
doubt that we should have got the better of the nigger. As it was he
got the better of us, and finally got us again under his guardianship.
The only consolation was that we obtained the sympathy of the ladies,
who, when they really understood our painful position, at once exhibited
a delicacy and kindness which we had not expected when we were first
introduced to them. They quickly disappeared, and came back with a
variety of articles which they thought might conduce to our comfort.
Blessings on the sex, whether black, brown or white, wherever they are
found! The negro fumed and foamed and talked very big, I doubt not,
though what he said we could not clearly comprehend. He seemed also
disposed to prevent us from receiving the gifts which the ladies
offered. This made them, we saw, very indignant; but they quickly
managed to get round him, and, either by threats or bribes, induced him
to promise that he would treat us with kindness. They stowed all their
gifts, which consisted chiefly of eatables, into some grass bags, which
were slung across our mules' backs in front of us. The negro showed by
his impatient gestures that he wanted to be off, so, bidding our kind
hostesses farewell and expressing our gratitude as best we could, we
descended the steps to mount our beasts. Our host's leave-taking was
far more formal than his reception of us. He was evidently a
kind-hearted, generous man, but could not shut out of his sight certain
visions of offended dignitaries angry at the entertainment he had
afforded to the enemies of La Belle France.
We were sorry that we could not more clearly explain to him our sense of
his hospitality. He waved his hand as we mounted, but declined to take
ours, and showed to the bystanders by every means in his power that he
was heartily glad to be rid of us.
"Never mind, we'll not be offended," said O'Driscoll, as we rode on.
"He is a fine old gentleman, and I dare say, if it were not for his fear
of the powers that be, he would have been as polite as ever to us."
We had gone on some miles when the clattering of an animal's hoofs
attracted our attention, and to our satisfaction we saw Delisle coming
along a track to our right. He had lost his way and met with all sorts
of adventures; but, as he spoke French well, he easily got out of them.
He also had been entertained very kindly by a creole family, who took
him for a French officer, but threatened if any heretical Englishman
came into their power they would do for him. At that time the Roman
Catholic inhabitants of the French colonies were bigoted in the
extreme--though surpassed probably by the Spaniards and Portuguese, who
even then would have thought they were doing God service to burn a
heretic.
It was now growing dark, or rather the sun was on the verge of the
horizon, and we knew that in another ten minutes day would have changed
into night, so rapid is the transition in those latitudes from light to
darkness. We began to wonder what had become of Robson. Half-seas-over
as he had been, as we grew more sober and capable of reflection we began
to fear that he had met with some accident. Still, as we should not
find him by stopping still, and our guard would not let us go out of our
road again--at least, the instant we gave signs of such an intention he
began tapping away at his hanger or presenting one of his long pistols
as a signal to us to keep in our straight course--on we jogged,
therefore, as fast as our mules could trot, for we had yet a long
distance to accomplish before we could reach Ou Trou, and were anxious
to be there. Fortunately, before long the moon rose. Oh! what a
magnificent pure orb she looked floating in the clear ether--a pure,
chaste globe, one could see its roundness--not like the patch of red
putty she generally seems in northern climes stuck on to a black board.
The dark outlines of the hills and tall trees stood clearly defined
against the bright sky, and in the damper and more sheltered spots
fire-flies were darting about and filling the air with their brilliant
flashes, while the shrill cries of frogs and night-birds and whirr of
beetles resounded on every side. We were riding on, listening to these
varied sounds of animated nature, when we saw some dark objects, which
appeared like human beings, lying on the grass by the road-side.
"What can they be?" exclaimed Delisle. "Dead men, I fear."
We rode on--O'Driscoll was ahead. He dismounted.
"Very noisy dead men, for they snore most confoundedly loud," he cried
out. "As I am a gentleman, here's Robson, and he has chosen the fat
stomach of a greasy nigger for his pillow! I hope he enjoys the
odoriferous, sudoriferous resting-place. His dreams must be curious,
one would think. What is to be done with him, I wonder?"
By this time we had all assembled round our fallen shipmate. We in vain
tried to rouse him. A few inarticulate grunts were the only answers he
could give to our often-repeated remonstrances. The negro was much in
the same condition; but it was evident that he had had sense enough
before falling into repose to allow the ruling passion to have sway, and
he had contrived to pick our friend's pocket of his purse and watch,
which he held firmly in his grasp. The negro guard, when he came up,
wanted to prevent our recovering Robson's property, and pretended that
it belonged to his compatriot and that we had no right to it.
We guessed, as was the case, that Robson had been hospitably entertained
at some farm, when, having taken on board a further supply of liquor, he
had been completely overcome, and that the negro had been sent to guide
him on his way. Probably our shipmate had been treating him in return,
and, when pulling out his purse to pay the reckoning, had excited his
cupidity. Happily for Robson his guide was too far gone by this time to
run off with his booty, and so both had come to the ground together, the
robber and the robbed levelled by that arch destroyer of the human
intellect--strong drink. Oh, when I now come to think of it, how
disgusting was the scene!--though I did not trouble my head much about
the matter myself in those days. Robson was a gentleman, and had
refined ideas and pleasant, agreeable manners, and yet, when once wine
thus got the better of him, he would thus sadly demean himself. After
some pulling and hauling we got him up, and having caught his mule,
which was quietly grazing near, wiser than his rider, we put the biped
on his back. Delisle went ahead and O'Driscoll and I propped him up on
either side--the negro we hauled up on a hank and left to recover and
make the best of his way home. We had difficult work to keep Robson
steady, for the bumping of the mule brought him sufficiently round to
make him fancy that he could take care of himself, and he every now and
then made an attempt to do something which he was utterly unable to
accomplish. Certainly one of the most trying things to the patience is
to conduct a drunken man along a straight road. Our guard also was
continually urging us to go faster, which we were utterly unable to do.
Fortunately, before long we came in sight of a house belonging
apparently to a large coffee estate, and standing near the road. Bright
lights were gleaming from within, and the sounds of music and revelry
came forth through the open windows. It was a sight tempting indeed to
poor forlorn creatures like ourselves, who had little chance of seeing
such again for many a long day.
"What say you?" cried O'Driscoll. "Perhaps we may kill two birds with
one stone. We may get these merry people to take care of Robson and at
the same time to entertain us, if Sambo there don't interfere. We'll
try at all events. Delisle, my boy, come along and interpret for us,
will you?"
Delisle, who on most occasions was one of the most quiet and best
behaved men in existence, albeit a perfect fire-eater on occasion,
entered at once into the fun of the thing and followed his countryman
under the balcony, when the latter began to cry out--
"Oh messieurs! oh mesdames! ici, ici! un pauvre garcon se va mourire!"
Several ladies came into the balcony and looked over, curious to
ascertain what was the matter. When they saw us bearing Robson in our
arms, some of them cried out that a stranger had come with a dead man.
Others said that he was only sick; and then some gentlemen came and
looked out, all dressed in knee-breeches, long silk waistcoats and
coats, and with swords by their sides--a very respectable-looking
assemblage. They all talked away and consulted for some time, and the
upshot of the matter was that several of them came down, and calling us
round to the front door, assisted us to carry Robson up the steps and
into a quiet room, away from the scene of revelry. There we put him to
bed, one of the gentlemen recommending a tumbler of _eau-sucre_ as the
best medicine we could give him. He took a huge draught of it.
"Superb nectar! finest grog I've tasted for a long time?" he exclaimed.
"Give me more of it."
We gave him another huge jorum. He sucked it down with great
satisfaction, and it undoubtedly cooled the fever which was raging in
his inside. Our French friends, we flattered ourselves, did not find
out his real condition; and when we had made him comfortable they
invited us all to the room in which they were holding their revels.
Sambo, our guard, for some reasons best known to himself, made no
objections to the proceeding. Perhaps he judged that it was the best
way of disposing of us. Perhaps he had some acquaintance--I won't say
of the fair sex--among the sable inmates of the mansion, with whom he
had no objection to pass a short time while we were amusing ourselves in
the society of the masters and mistresses.
We danced, and ate sweetmeats, and drank coffee and claret-and-water and
smoked cigars and cigarettes to our hearts' content, and laughed and
talked to the nut-brown maids who composed the female portion of the
party, for there was not a white face among them. We were quite
disappointed when our black guard put his head into the room and sang
out--
"Allons, messieurs, allons?"
"I should like to _allons_ you and your ugly mug?" exclaimed O'Driscoll,
eyeing the negro with no friendly look. But there was no help for it.
The black fellow was our master; we had passed our word of honour not to
attempt to escape, and to behave ourselves orderly, and we felt that we
had already verged on the bounds of propriety in what we had done. Our
polite hosts promised to take very good care of Robson and to forward
him on with an escort the next day, should he have recovered his
strength.
Once more, therefore, we were in the saddle and proceeded through
forests and among mountains and by plantations, guided by the light of
the moon, till, very sore and very tired, we arrived, past midnight, at
a place which our guard informed us was Ou Trou. We said that we wished
to lodge at the best inn, on which he chuckled audibly, and told us that
we had better take up our abode for the night in a shed hard by among
some piles of Indian-corn straw. We agreed that we had often been
compelled to sleep on far more uncomfortable couches, and that the next
morning we would set out to explore the town and choose lodgings. With
this comfortable reflection, after our guard had disappeared into a
neighbouring shed with our weary beasts, we, not less weary, I suspect,
fell asleep.
We were awakened at an early hour the next morning by the sound of
English voices, and, getting up from our straw couches, we found several
of the officers lately belonging to the Minerva, who also had been sent
to this place, and, hearing of our arrival, had come to look for us.
They gave us an account of the way in which their ship had been taken.
We were not aware that they had been captured, and together we bemoaned
our hard fate in thus being made prisoners at the commencement of a war
which probably would be a long one. Having stretched ourselves, we
looked out at the door of our shed. The prospect was very rural and
very tropical, but, as just then we wanted some of the civilised
comforts of life, a few substantial houses would have been more
gratifying to our sight. However, at that moment a voice was heard
indulging in a half-French, half-negro song, and a jolly fat blackamoor
appeared, with a white apron on, a bowl under one arm and a towel over
the other.
"Ah, there comes our perruquier. He's a capital fellow. You'll want
his aid, some of you. Venez ici, Antoine!" sang out one of our friends.
Antoine, nothing loth, turned aside to us, for every new chin added to
his wealth; and he very soon had us shaven and shorn as clean as the
friar the old nursery song tells about, and all the time he was talking
and laughing and singing in the most cheery way imaginable. Our friends
then brought us some milk and bread for breakfast, and, hungry as we
were, we were right glad to partake of it. This done, we sallied forth
to inspect the town, as we had hitherto persisted in calling it. What
was our disappointment and disgust to find that it was not superior to a
village of very poor pretensions, and that there was scarcely a house
fit, in any way, for us to occupy. There were, however, three shops,
great rivals, each trying to ascertain what atrociously bad articles
they could pass off on their customers, and how high the price they
might venture to demand. Thoroughly disappointed, we returned to our
shed to rest during the heat of the day. In the afternoon we again
sallied out, and succeeded in securing a tumble-down looking house, with
three rooms in it and several out-houses adjoining.
This miserable place, then, was to be our abode for weeks and months,
perhaps for years! We were all of us but scantily supplied with
clothes; we had but few books, and but a scarcity of writing materials,
and no fowling-pieces, so that we could not even look forward to the
prospect of obtaining some sport to enable us to pass the time, and to
assist in furnishing our ill-supplied table. Altogether, our prospect
was gloomy and disheartening in the extreme, nor could any of us
discover a ray of light in the distance to cheer our spirits. Happily,
sailors are not apt to moan and groan except when they are more
comfortable than they have ever been before in their lives on shore,
surrounded by their families and all the luxuries of civilisation; and
then if they want their promotion, or can manage to dig up a grievance,
they grumble with a vengeance. However, when real difficulties and
dangers and troubles come, no men look up to them better; and so we
resolved to be as happy as we could, but I must say that I never in my
life had as much difficulty in making the best of it as I had on this
disastrous occasion. Bitter, bitter indeed is the lot of a prisoner of
war!