Page 6 of Captain Singleton

Provisions, especially of Water; or our Vessel, were equal to such a Run as that

  is, of near 2000 Miles, without any Land to touch at in the Way.

  These Men too had all along had a great Mind to a Voyage for the main Land of

  Africk, where they said we should have a fair Cast for our Lives, and might be

  sure to make our selves rich which Way soever we went, if we were but able to

  make our Way through, whether by Sea or by Land.

  Besides, as the Case stood with us, we had not much Choice for our Way; for if

  we had resolv'd for the East, we were at the wrong Season of the Year, and must

  have staid till April or May before we had gone to Sea. At length, as we had the

  Wind at S. E. and E. S. E. and fine promising Weather, we came all into the

  first Proposal, and resolved for the Coast of Africa; nor were we long in

  disputing as to our Coasting the Island, which we were upon; for we were now on

  the wrong Side of the Island for the Voyage we intended; So we stood away to the

  North, and having rounded the Cape, we hall'd away Southward under the Lee of

  the Island, thinking to reach the West Point of Land, which, as I observed

  before, runs out so far towards the Coast of Africa, as would have shorten'd our

  Run almost 100 Leagues. But when we had sailed about thirty Leagues, we found

  the Winds variable under the Shore, and right against us; so we concluded to

  stand over directly, for then we had the Wind fair, and our Vessel was but very

  ill fitted to lye near the Wind, or any Way indeed but just afore it.

  Having resolv'd upon it therefore, we put in to the Shore, to furnish our selves

  again with fresh Water and other Provisions, and about the latter End of March,

  with more Courage than Discretion, more Resolution than Judgment, we launch'd

  for the main Coast of Africa.

  As for me, I had no Anxieties about it; so that we had but a View of reaching

  some Land or other, I cared not what or where it was to be, having at this time

  no Views of what was before me, nor much Thought of what might, or might not

  befal me; but with as little Consideration as any one can be supposed to have at

  my Age, I consented to every thing that was proposed, however hazardous the

  thing it self, however improbable the Success.

  The Voyage, as it was undertaken with a great deal of Ignorance and Desperation,

  so really it was not carry'd on with much Resolution or Judgment; for we knew no

  more of the Course we were to steer, than this, that it was any where about the

  West, within two or three Points N. or S. and as we had no Compass with us, but

  a little Brass Pocket Compass, which one of our Men had more by Accident than

  otherwise, so we could not be very exact in our Course.

  However, as it pleased God that the Wind continued fair at S. E. and by E. we

  found that N. W. by W. which was right afore it, was as good a Course for us as

  any we could go, and thus we went on.

  The Voyage was much longer than we expected; our Vessel also, which had no Sail

  that was proportion'd to her, made but very little Way in the Sea, and sail'd

  heavily. We had indeed no great Adventures happen'd in this Voyage, being out of

  the Way of every thing that could offer to divert us; and as for seeing any

  Vessel, we had not the least Occasion to hail any thing in all the Voyage; for

  we saw not one Vessel small or great, the Sea we were upon being entirely out of

  the way of all Commerce; for the People of Madagascar knew no more of the Shores

  of Africa than we did, only that there was a Country of Lions, as they call it,

  that Way.

  We had been eight or nine Days under Sail, with a fair Wind, when, to our great

  Joy one of our Men cry'd out, Land. We had great Reason to be glad of the

  Discovery; for we had not Water enough left for above two or three Days more,

  tho' at a short Allowance. However, tho' it was early in the Morning when we

  discover'd it, we made it near Night before we reach'd it, the Wind slackening

  almost to a Calm, and our Ship being, as I said, a very dull Sailer.

  We were sadly baulk'd upon our coming to the Land, when we found, that instead

  of the main Land of Africk, it was only a little Island, with no Inhabitants

  upon it, at least, none that we could find; nor any Cattel, except a few Goats,

  of which we killed three only. However, they served us for fresh Meat, and we

  found very good Water; and it was fifteen Days more before we reach'd the Main,

  which, however, at last we arriv'd at; and which was most essential to us, we

  came to it just as all our Provisions were spent. Indeed we may say they were

  spent first; for we had but a Pint of Water a Day to each Man for the last two

  Days. But to our great Joy, we saw the Land, tho' at a great Distance, the

  Evening before, and by a pleasant Gale in the Night, were, by Morning, within

  two Leagues of the Shore.

  We never scrupled going ashore at the first Place we came at, tho' had we had

  Patience, we might have found a very fine River a little farther North. However,

  we kept our Frigate on Float by the Help of two great Poles which we fasten'd

  into the Ground to More her, like Piles; and the little weak Ropes, which, as I

  said, we had made of Matting, served us well enough to make the Vessel fast.

  As soon as we had viewed the Country a little, got fresh Water, and furnished

  our selves with some Victuals, which we found very scarce here, we went on board

  again with our Stores. All we got for Provision, was some Fowls that we killed,

  and a kind of wild Buffloe, or Bull, very small, but good Meat: I say, having

  got these things on Board, we resolved to fail on along the Coast, which lay

  away N. N. E. till we found some Creek or River that we might run up into the

  Country, or some Town or People; for we had Reason enough to know the Place was

  inhabited, because we several times saw Fires in the Night, and Smoke in the

  Day, every way at a Distance from us.

  At length we came to a very large Bay, and in it several little Creeks or Rivers

  emptying themselves into the Sea, and we run boldly into the first Creek we came

  at; where seeing some Hutts and wild People about them, on the Shore, we run our

  Vessel into a little Cove on the North Side of the Creek, and held up a long

  Pole with a white Bit of Cloath on it, for a Signal of Peace to them. We found

  they understood us presently, for they came flocking to us both Men, Women, and

  Children, most of them of both Sexes stark naked. At first they stood wondering

  and staring at us, as if we had been Monsters, and as if they had been frighted;

  but we found they inclined to be familiar with us afterwards. The first thing we

  did to try them, was, we held up our Hands to our Mouths, as if we were to

  drink, signifying that we wanted Water. This they understood presently, and

  three of their Women and two Boys ran away up the Land, and came back in about

  Half a Quarter of an Hour, with several Pots made of Earth pretty enough, and

  bak'd, I suppose, in the Sun; these they brought us full of Water, and set them

  down near the Sea-shore, and there left them, going back a little, that we might

  fetch them, which we did.

  Sometime after this, they brough
t us Roots and Herbs, and some Fruits which I

  cannot remember, and gave us; but as we had nothing to give them, we found them

  not so free as the People in Madagascar were. However, our Cutler went to Work,

  and as he had saved some Iron out of the Wreck of the Ship, he made Abundance of

  Toys, Birds, Dogs, Pins, Hooks, and Rings, and we helped to file them, and make

  them bright for him; and when we gave them some of these, they brought us all

  the Sorts of Provisions they had, such as Goats, Hogs, and Cows, and we got

  Victuals enough.

  We were now landed upon the Continent of Africa, the most desolate, desart, and

  unhospitable Country in the World, even Greenland and Nova Zembla it self not

  excepted; with this Difference only, that even the worst Part of it we found

  inhabited; tho' taking the Nature and Quality of some of the Inhabitants, it

  might have been much better to us if there had been none.

  And, to add to the Exclamation I am making on the Nature of the Place, it was

  here, that we took one of the rashest and wildest, and most desperate

  Resolutions that ever was taken by Man, or any Number of Men, in the World; this

  was, to travel over Land through the Heart of the Country, from the Coast of

  Mozambique, on the East-Ocean to the Coast of Angola or Guinea, on the Western

  or Atlantick Ocean, a Continent of Land of at least 1800 Miles; in which Journey

  we had excessive Heats to support, unpassable Desarts to go over, no Carriages,

  Camels or Beasts of any kind to carry our Baggage, innumerable Numbers of wild

  and ravenous Beasts to encounter with, such as Lions, Leopards, Tigers, Lizards,

  and Elephants; we had the Equinoctial Line to pass under, and consequently were

  in the very Center of the Torrid Zone; we had Nations of Savages to encounter

  with, barbarous and brutish to the last Degree, Hunger and Thirst to struggle

  with; and, in one Word, Terrors enough to have daunted the stoutest Hearts that

  ever were placed in Cases of Flesh and Blood.

  Yet, fearless of all these, we resolved to adventure, and accordingly made such

  Preparation for our Journey, as the Place we were in would allow us, and such as

  our little Experience of the Country seem'd to dictate to us.

  It had been some time already that we had been used to tread bare-footed upon

  the Rocks, the Gravel, the Grass and the Sand on the Shore; but as we found the

  worst thing for our Feet was, the walking or travelling on the dry burning

  Sands, within the Country; so we provided our selves with a sort of Shoes made

  of the Skins of Wild Beasts, with the Hair inward, and being dryed in the Sun,

  the Out-side were thick and hard, and would last a great while. In short, as I

  called them, so I think the Term very proper still, we made us Gloves for our

  Feet, and we found them very convenient and very comfortable.

  We conversed with some of the Natives of the Country who were friendly enough.

  What Tongue they spoke, I do not yet pretend to know. We talked as far as we

  could make them understand us, not only about our Provisions, but also about our

  Undertaking; and ask'd them what Country lay that Way, pointing West with our

  Hands. They told us but little to our Purpose, only we thought by all their

  Discourse, that there were People to be found of one Sort or other every where;

  that there were many great Rivers, many Lions and Tygers, Elephants, and furious

  wild Cats (which in the End we found to be Civet Cats) and the like.

  When we ask'd them, if any one had ever travelled that Way, they told us Yes,

  some had gone to where the Sun sleeps, meaning to the West; but they could not

  tell us who they were. When we ask'd for some to guide us, they shrunk up their

  Shoulders as Frenchmen do when they are afraid to undertake a thing. When we

  ask'd them about the Lions and wild Creatures they laught, and let us know they

  would do us no Hurt, and directed us to a good way indeed to deal with them, and

  that was to make some Fire, which would always fright them away, and so indeed

  we found it.

  Upon these Encouragements we resolved upon our Journey, and many Considerations

  put us upon it, which, had the thing it self been practicable, we were not so

  much to blame for, as it might otherwise be supposed; I'll name some of them,

  not to make the Account too tedious.

  First, We were perfectly destitute of Means to work about our own Deliverance

  any other way; we were on shore in a Place perfectly remote from all European

  Navigation; so that we could never think of being relieved, and fetch'd off by

  any of our own Country-men in that Part of the World. Secondly, If we had

  adventured to have sailed on along the Coast of Mozambique, and the desolate

  Shores of Africa to the North, till we came to the Red Sea, all we could hope

  for there, was to be taken by the Arabs, and be sold for Slaves to the Turks,

  which to all of us was little better than Death. We could not build any thing of

  a Vessel that would carry us over the great Arabian Sea to India, nor could we

  reach the Cape de Bona Speranza, the Winds being too variable, and the Sea in

  that Latitude too tempestuous; but we all knew, if we could cross this Continent

  of Land, we might reach some of the great Rivers that run into the Atlantick

  Ocean, and that on the Banks of any of those Rivers we might there build us

  Canoes which would carry us down, if it were Thousands of Miles; so that we

  could want nothing but Food, of which we were assured we might kill sufficient

  with our Guns: And, to add to the Satisfaction of our Deliverance, we concluded

  we might every one of us get a Quantity of Gold, which, if we came safe, would

  infinitely recompence us for our Toil.

  I cannot say, that in all our Consultations I ever began to enter into the

  Weight and Merit of any Enterprize we went upon till now. My View before was, as

  I thought, very good, viz. that we should get into the Arabian Gulph, or the

  Mouth of the Red Sea, and waiting for some Vessel passing, or repassing there,

  of which there is Plenty, have seized upon the first we came at, by Force, and

  not only have enriched our selves with her Cargo, but have carried our selves to

  what Part of the World we had pleased: But when they came to talk to me of a

  March of 2 or 3000 Miles on Foot, of Wandering in Desarts, among Lions and

  Tygers, I confess my Blood run chill, and I used all the Arguments I could to

  perswade them against it.

  But they were all positive, and I might as well have held my Tongue; so I

  submitted, and told them, I would keep to our first Law, to be governed by the

  Majority, and we resolved upon our Journey. The first thing we did, was to take

  an Observation, and see whereabouts in the World we were, which we did, and

  found we were in the Latitude of 12 Degrees, 35 Minutes South of the Line. The

  next thing was to look on the Charts, and see the Coast of the Country we aimed

  at, which we found to be from 8 to 11 Degrees South Latitude, if we went for the

  Coast of Angola, or in 12 to 19 Degrees North Latitude, if we made for the River

  Niger, and the Coast of Guiney.

  Our Aim was for the Coast of Angola, which by the Charts we had, lying ve
ry near

  the same Latitude we were then in, our Course thither was due West; and as we

  were assured we should meet with Rivers, we doubted not, but that by their Help

  we might ease our Journey, especially if we could find Means to cross the great

  Lake, or Inland Sea, which the Natives call Coalmucoa, out of which it is said

  the River Nile has its Source or Beginning; but we reckoned without our Host, as

  you will see in the Sequel of our Story.

  The next thing we had to consider was, how to carry our Baggage, which we were

  first of all determined not to travel without; neither indeed was it possible

  for us to do so, for even our Ammunition which was absolutely necessary to us,

  and on which our Subsistence, I mean for Food, as well as our Safety; and

  particularly our Defence against wild Beasts, and wild Men depended: I say, even

  our Ammunition was a Load too heavy for us to carry in a Country where the Heat

  were such, that we should be Load enough for our selves.

  We enquired in the Country, and found there was no Beast of Burthen known among

  them; that is to say, neither Horses or Mules or Asses, Camels or Dromedaries;

  the only Creature they had, was a kind of Buffloe, or tame Bull, such a one as

  we had killed; and that some of these they had brought so to their Hand, that

  they taught them to go and come with their Voices, as they called them to them,

  or sent them from them; that they made them carry Burthens, and particularly,

  that they would swim over Rivers and Lakes upon them, the Creatures swimming

  very high and strong in the Water.

  But we understood nothing of the Management or Guiding such a Creature, or how

  to bind a Burthen upon them; and this last Part of our Consultation puzzled us

  extremely: At last I proposed a Method for them, which after some Consideration,

  they found very convenient; and this was to quarrel with some of the Negro

  Natives, take ten or twelve of them Prisoners, and binding them as Slaves, cause

  them to travel with us, and make them carry our Baggage; which I alledged would

  be convenient and useful many ways, as well to shew us the Way, as to converse

  with other Natives for us.

  This Counsel was not accepted at first, but the Natives soon gave them Reason to

  approve it; and also gave them an Opportunity to put it in Practice; for as our

  little Traffick with the Natives was hitherto upon the Faith of their first

  Kindness, we found some Knavery among them at last; for having bought some

  Cattel of them for our Toys, which, as I said, our Cutler had contrived, one of

  our Men differing with his Chapman, truly they huff'd him in their Manner, and

  keeping the things he had offered them for the Cattel, made their Fellows drive

  away the Cattel before his Face, and laugh at him; our Man crying out loud of

  this Violence, and calling to some of us, who were not far off, the Negro he was

  dealing with threw a Lance at him, which came so true, that if he had not with

  great Agility jumped aside, and held up his Hand also to turn the Lance as it

  came, it had struck through his Body, and, as it was, it wounded him in the Arm;

  at which the Man enraged took up his Fuzee, and shot the Negro through the

  Heart.

  The others that were near him, and all those that were with us at a Distance,

  were so terribly frighted; first, at the Flash of Fire; secondly, at the Noise:

  And thirdly, at seeing their Countryman killed, that they stood like Men stupid

  and amazed, at first, for some time: But after they were a little recovered from

  their Fright, one of them, at a good Distance from us, set up a sudden screaming

  Noise, which, it seems, is the Noise they make when they go to Fight; and all

  the rest understanding what he meant, answered him, and run together to the

  Place where he was, and we not knowing what it meant, stood still looking upon

  one another like a Parcel of Fools.