Produced by Al Haines
[Illustration: Cover art]
[Frontispiece: "HE PLACED THE CHILD UPON THE CHEST, AND HELD HIM THERE
THAT HE MIGHT NOT FALL OFF." p. 38.]
DONALBLANE OF DARIEN
BY
J. MACDONALD OXLEY,
_Author of_
"_Norman's Nugget_," "_In the Swing of the Sea_,"
_etc., etc._
_ILLUSTRATED BY W. RAINEY, R.I._
TORONTO:
THE MUSSON BOOK COMPANY, LIMITED.
1902
CONTENTS.
CHAP.
I. BY WAY OF BEGINNING
II. DONALBLANE CARRIES HIS POINT
III. OFF TO DARIEN
IV. A RESCUE AND A RETREAT
V. ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
VI. A BRUSH WITH BUCCANEERS
VII. THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF DARIEN
VIII. A SUCCESSFUL EMBASSY
IX. IN PERILOUS PLIGHT
X. THE CHASE OF THE MANATEE
XI. THE MIDNIGHT ATTACK
XII. NEW YORK AND HOME
ILLUSTRATIONS
"HE PLACED THE CHILD UPON THE CHEST, AND HELD HIM THERE THAT HE
MIGHT NOT FALL OFF." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_
"'YE'VE A GREAT LIKING FOR THE SEA, THEY TELL ME, LAD,' BEGAN MR.
BLANE."
"THE RAVENING SWINE WERE GAINING UPON HIM."
"GLARING DOWN UPON HIM ... THE MOST APPALLING EYES HE HAD EVER BEHELD."
"PRESENTLY RAYMON ROSE IN THE BOW, HARPOON IN HAND."
"CHANCED TO OVERHEAR A CONVERSATION WHICH MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY HAD
DESIGNS UPON MR. PATERSON'S LIFE."
DONALBLANE OF DARIEN.
CHAPTER I.
BY WAY OF BEGINNING.
It was not just an ordinary sort of name, but one of those which made
you think "thereby hangs a tale." In this case the thought goes to the
mark, and the tale in question will be told after a fashion in the
following pages.
At the outset a quick glance back to times long past is necessary in
order to a fair start, and without a fair start it were hardly worth
going ahead.
As the seventeenth century drew to its close there came into prominence
in England a remarkable Scotsman named William Paterson, among whose
notable achievements was having a large share in the founding of the
Bank of England, which subsequently grew to be the greatest monetary
institution in the world.
He was a member of the board of directors at the opening of the bank,
but appears to have sold out not long after, and with his money in hand
to have looked about him for some way of investing it that would be for
the public good.
Now, these were the days of vexatious monopolies and irritating
restrictions in commerce. The trade of Britain with the distant parts
of the globe was divided between two great grasping corporations--the
East India Company and the African Company--which, although they were
at deadly enmity with each other, heartily co-operated in crushing
every free-trader who dared to intrude within the elastic limits of
their "spheres of action."
William Paterson was an ardent free-trader, and he became inspired with
the noble mission of freeing commerce from the hurtful restraints laid
upon it by short-sighted selfishness. With a keenness of instinct that
makes it easy to understand his previous success, he surveyed the then
known world and put his finger upon the spot best suited for the
carrying out of his beneficent design.
The Isthmus of Panama, or Darien, is, beyond a doubt, one of the most
interesting, as it is certain yet to be one of the most important bits
of terra firma on this round globe. The connecting-link between the
continents of North and South America, it is also the barrier dividing
the Atlantic from the Pacific Oceans, and, in fact, one side of the
world from the other.
From the time of its discovery and occupation by the Spaniards, it has
been a matter of general belief that whoever had command of this narrow
neck of land held the key to the commerce of the world. Here would
naturally be concentrated the mutual trade of the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts of America. Moreover, it would necessarily form an important
stage in the shortest route between Europe and the Indies, as well as
the innumerable islands lying far to the south of the equator.
Little wonder, then, that the Spaniards wanted to keep the isthmus to
themselves, and always did their very best to make it particularly
unpleasant for anybody who sought to share its advantages with them;
and in fine contrast to their dog-in-the-manger policy--for they really
made little use of their splendid opportunities--was the spirit in
which William Paterson conceived his great Darien project, and with
characteristic energy proceeded to carry it into effect. It was in the
year 1695 that he obtained from the Scottish Parliament an Act for the
incorporation of "the Company of Scotland trading to Africa and the
Indies," which thenceforth became popularly known as "the Darien
Company."
This company was granted very extensive powers, and had the imposing
capital of L600,000, one-half of which, it was shrewdly stipulated,
must ever be held by _Scotsmen residing in their own country_, thus
ensuring the permanence of the national character of the undertaking.
As it turned out, however, this provision might have been omitted, for
when, after the Scotch half of the stock had all been subscribed, the
books were opened in London for the other half, there came such a rush
of applicants for shares that it was soon all taken up. This so
aroused the hostility of the two great English companies already
mentioned that they actually called upon the House of Commons to assist
them in crushing their Scottish rival, and the House of Commons
unfortunately was weak enough to yield to the pressure brought to bear
upon it.
The London subscribers to the new company were threatened with
prosecution for concerting to infringe upon the rights enjoyed by the
other companies, which so alarmed them that with one consent they
backed out and forfeited their holdings.
With ordinary people this would have meant the collapse of the whole
enterprise. Not so, however, with the sturdy Scots who were behind it.
The provoking action of their English cousins only served to arouse the
national spirit. Their expected allies had failed them. Well, what if
they had? Scotland was not to be daunted. She would go on alone, and
reap for herself all the glory and the more substantial rewards of the
great undertaking. Accordingly another hundred thousand pounds of
stock was subscribed by this thrifty, determined people, and so, with a
capital only two-thirds as big as had been counted upon, the Darien
Company proceeded to carry out the chief purpose of its formation.
But all these disappointments and difficulties had, of course, meant
delay, and consequently it was not until the year 1698 that the first
expedition was made ready to start.
Among those most warmly interested in William Paterson's project was
Alexander Blane, of Leith, a worthy and enterprising shipowner, who had
won a snug fortune in the service of that fickle mistress, the sea.
After working his way up from cabin-boy to captain, he had settled down
on shore, while others commanded his craft for him, and being a shrewd,
far-sighted, close-fisted man of business, had prospered from year to
year, in spite of occasional inevitable losses.
He had held aloof from the Darien scheme at the start, as was indeed
characteristic of him, but when the London folk acted so shabbily his
Scottish blood was set a-boiling.
"Hech!" he exclaimed, in high indignation, "the Southrons would have
the world to themselves, eh? They're just dogs in the manger, and we
Scots shall teach them the lesson they need. I hadna thought of taking
ony shares in Mr. Paterson's company, but if it's only to spite the
English I'll put me doon for five hundred pounds." And he was not only
as good as his word, but he interested himself actively in securing
other subscriptions to a considerable amount.
Not having been blessed with bairns of his own, Mr. Blane had adopted a
nephew from the Inverness Highlands, whose own name had been foregone
in favour of his second father's.
Donald Blane, or Donalblane, as he soon came to be called for short,
was a pretty uncouth specimen of a boy when, at the age of ten, he was
taken into the Blane household. The term "halflin" would describe him
sufficiently to Scots folk, but for others some further particulars may
be required.
The son of a shepherd, whose tiny shieling with only a "but and ben"
seemed to shelter an impossible number of children, he had practically
run wild upon the mountains.
Bare-headed and bare-footed the greater part of the year, he had grown
up as sound, strong, and sturdy as one of the shaggy ponies which he
loved to bestride in a wild gallop over moor and heather, and although
his most partial friends could hardly pronounce him handsome, he bore a
frank, fearless, wide-awake countenance that did not fail to make a
good impression upon those who took the trouble to look into it. His
thick, tousled hair showed a slight tinge of red in the sun; his eyes
were deep-set and of a fine, clear grey; his mouth a trifle large, but
firm; his chin square, and full of character.
But the most attractive feature of the boy, if so it may be called, was
his smile. When Donalblane was pleased or amused his face lit up
wonderfully, and his parting lips revealed a double row of snow-white
teeth that were a gift of beauty in themselves.
Five years of city life wrought many changes in his outward appearance
without in any wise impairing the fineness of his nature. He learned
to endure the at first irksome restraints of such troublesome things as
trousers, collars, hats, and shoes, and--still harder lesson--to become
accustomed to the daily drudgery of school, so that both in body and
mind he showed very decided improvement.
But his love of outdoor life lost none of its strength, and there being
no moors near by to range over, he took to the water instead, spending
as much of his free time as possible with the sailormen, who had such
marvellous yarns to spin, climbing up and down the rigging of brigs and
barques and ships, and now and then getting a short trip about the
Firth of Forth when his uncle permitted. Thus he became filled with a
passion for the sea that was at its height when the proposed Darien
enterprise set Scotland afire, and down in his heart Donalblane
determined that he would do his very best to join the brave band of
adventurers into the wonderful New World.