Captain Singleton

excused them. Then they brought us the Bows and Arrows and Lances; but at a

  Motion of their black Prince, we gave them back the Bows and Arrows, and gave

  them Leave to go out to see what they could kill for Food; and here we gave them

  the Law of Arms, viz. That if any Men appeared to assault them, or shoot at

  them, or offer any Violence to them, they might kill them; but that they should

  not offer to kill or hurt any that offer'd them Peace, or laid down their

  Weapons, nor any Women or Children, upon any Occasion whatsoever. These were our

  Articles of War.

  These two Fellows had not been gone out above three or four Hours, but one of

  them came running to us without his Bow and Arrows, hallooing and hooping a

  great while before he came at us, Okoamo, Okoamo, which it seems was, Help,

  Help. The rest of the Negroes rose up in a Hurry, and by Two's, as they could,

  run forward toward their Fellows to know what the Matter was. As for me, I did

  not understand it, nor any of our People; the Prince look'd as if something

  unlucky had fallen out, and some of our Men took up their Arms, to be ready on

  Occasion. But the Negroes soon discover'd the Thing; for we saw four of them

  presently after coming along with a great Load of Meat upon their Backs. The

  Case was, that the first two who went out with their Bows and Arrows, meeting

  with a great Herd of Deer in the Plain, had been so nimble as to shoot three of

  them; and then one of them came running to us for Help, to fetch them away. This

  was the first Venison we had met with upon all our March, and we feasted upon it

  very plentifully; and this was the first time we began to prevail with our

  Prince to eat his Meat drest our Way; after which, his Men were prevailed with

  by his Example, but before that, they eat most of the Flesh they had quite raw.

  We wish'd now we had brought some Bows and Arrows out with us, which we might

  have done; and we began to have so much Confidence in our Negroes, and to be so

  familiar with them, that we oftentimes let them go, or the greatest Part of

  them, unty'd, being well assured they would not leave us, and that they did not

  know what Course to take without us; but one thing we resolved not to trust them

  with, and that was the Charging our Guns; but they always believed our Guns had

  some heavenly Power in them, that they would send forth Fire and Smoke, and

  speak with a dreadful Noise, and kill at a Distance whenever we bid them.

  In about eight Days we finished three Canoes, and in them we embarked our white

  Men and our Baggage, with our Prince, and some of the Prisoners. We also found

  it needful to keep some of our selves always on Shore, not only to manage the

  Negroes, but to defend them from Enemies and wild Beasts. Abundance of little

  Incidents happened upon this March, which it is not possible to crowd into this

  Account; particularly, we saw more wild Beasts now than we did before, some

  Elephants, and two or three Lions; none of which Kinds we had seen any of

  before; and we found our Negroes were more afraid of them a great deal than we

  were; principally because they had no Bows and Arrows, or Lances, which were the

  particular Weapons they were bred up to the Exercise of.

  But we cured them of their Fears, by being always ready with our Fire-Arms.

  However, as we were willing to be sparing of our Powder, and the Killing any of

  the Creatures now was no Advantage to us, seeing their Skins were too heavy for

  us to carry, and their Flesh not good to eat, we resolved therefore to keep some

  of our Pieces uncharg'd, and only prim'd, and causing them to flash in the Pan,

  the Beasts, even the Lions themselves, would always start, and fly back when

  they saw it, and immediately march off.

  We past Abundance of Inhabitants upon this upper Part of the River, and with

  this Observation, that almost every ten Miles we came to, a several Nation, and

  every several Nation had a different Speech, or else their Speech had differing

  Dialects, so that they did not understand one another. They all abounded in

  Cattel, especially on the River Side; and the eighth Day of this second

  Navigation, we met with a little Negroe Town, where they had growing a Sort of

  Corn like Rice, which eat very sweet; and as we got some of it of the People, we

  made very good Cakes of Bread of it, and making a Fire, bak'd them on the

  Ground, after the Fire was swept away very well; so that hitherto we had no Want

  of Provisions of any kind we could desire.

  Our Negroes towing our Canoes, we travelled at a considerable Rate, and by our

  own Account, could not go less than 20 or 25 English Miles a Day, and the River

  continuing to be much at the same Breadth, and very deep all the Way, till on

  the tenth Day we came to another Cataract; for a Ridge of high Hills crossing

  the whole Channel of the River, the Water came tumbling down the Rocks from one

  Stage to another in a strange Manner: So that it was a continued Link of

  Cataracts from one to another, in the Manner of a Caskade; only, that the Falls

  were sometimes a Quarter of a Mile from one another, and the Noise confused and

  frightful.

  We thought our Voyaging was at a full Stop now; but three of us, with a Couple

  of our Negroes, mounting the Hills another Way, to view the Course of the River,

  we found a fair Channel again after about half a Mile's March, and that it was

  like to hold us a good Way farther. So we set all Hands to Work, unloaded our

  Cargo, and hauled our Canoes on Shore, to see if we could carry them.

  Upon Examination, we found that they were very heavy; but our Carpenters

  spending but one Day's Work one them, hew'd away so much of the Timber from

  their Outsides, as reduced them very much, and yet they were as fit to swim as

  before. When this was done, ten Men with Poles took up one of the Canoes, and

  made nothing to carry it. So we ordered twenty Men to each Canoe, that one Ten

  might relieve another; and thus we carried all our Canoes, and launch'd them

  into the Water again, and then fetch'd our Luggage, and loaded it all again into

  the Canoes, and all in an Afternoon; and the next Morning early we mov'd forward

  again. When we had towed about four Days more, our Gunner, who was our Pilot,

  begun to observe that we did not keep our right Course so exactly as we ought,

  the River winding away a little towards the North, and gave us Notice of it

  accordingly. However, we were not willing to lose the Advantage of

  Water-Carriage, at least not till we were forced to it; so we jogg'd on, and the

  River served us about Threescore Miles further; but then we found it grew very

  small and shallow, having pass'd the Mouths of several little little Brooks or

  Rivulets which come into it, and at Length it became but a Brook it self.

  We tow'd up as far as ever our Boats would swim, and we went two Days the

  further, having been about twelve Days in this last Part of the River, by

  Lightning the Boats, and taking our Luggage out, which we made the Negroes

  carry, being willing to ease our selves as long as we could; but at the End of

  these two Days, in short, there was not Water enough to swim a London Wherry.

  We now set forward
wholly by Land, and without any Expectation of more Water

  Carriage. All our Concern for more Water, was to be sure to have a Supply for

  our Drinking; and therefore upon every Hill that we came near, we clamber'd up

  to the highest Part, to see the Country before us, and to make the best Judgment

  we could which way to go to keep the lowest Grounds, and as near some Stream of

  Water as we could.

  The Country held verdant, well grown with Trees, and spread with Rivers and

  Brooks, and tolerably well with Inhabitants, for about thirty Days March. After

  our leaving the Canoes, during which time things went pretty well with us; we

  did not tye our selves down when to march, and when to halt, but order'd those

  things as our Convenience, and the Health and Ease of our People, as well our

  Servants, as our selves, required.

  About the Middle of this March, we came into a low and plain Country, in which

  we perceived a greater Number of Inhabitants than in any other Country we had

  gone thro'; but that which was worse for us, we found them a fierce, barbarous,

  treacherous People, and who at first look'd upon us as Robbers, and gathered

  themselves in Numbers to attack us.

  Our Men were terrified at them at first, and began to discover an unusual Fear;

  and even our black Prince seemed in a great deal of Confusion: But I smiled at

  him, and shewing him some of our Guns, I asked him, if he thought that which

  killed the spotted Cat, (for so they called the Leopard in their Language) could

  not make a Thousand of those naked Creatures die at one Blow? Then he laugh'd,

  and said Yes, he believ'd it would. Well then, said I, tell your Men not to be

  afraid of these People, for we shall soon give them a Taste of what we can do,

  if they pretend to meddle with us. However, we considered we were in the Middle

  of a vast Country, and we knew not what Numbers of People and Nations we might

  be surrounded with; and above all, we knew not how much we might stand in Need

  of the Friendship of these that we were now among; so that we ordered the

  Negroes to try all the Methods they could, to make them Friends.

  Accordingly, the two Men who had gotten Bows and Arrows, and two more to whom we

  gave the Prince's two fine Lances, went foremost with five more having long

  Poles in their Hands; and after them ten of our Men advanced toward the Negro

  Town that was next to us, and we all stood ready to succour them if there should

  be Occasion.

  When they came pretty near their Houses, our Negroes halloo'd in their screaming

  Way, and called to them as loud as they could; upon their calling, some of the

  Men came out, and answer'd, and immediately after the whole Town, Men Women and

  Children appeared: Our Negroes with their long Poles went forward a little, and

  stuck them all in the Ground, and left them, which in their Country was a Signal

  of Peace, but the other did not understand the Meaning of that. Then the two Men

  with Bows, laid down their Bows and Arrows, went forward unarmed, and made Signs

  of Peace to them, which at last the other began to understand; so two of their

  Men laid down their Bows and Arrows, and came towards them: Our Men made all the

  Signs of Friendship to them that they could think of, putting their Hands up to

  their Mouths, as a Sign that they wanted Provisions to eat, and the other

  pretended to be pleased and friendly, and went back to their Fellows, and talk'd

  with them a while, and they came forward again, and made Signs that they would

  bring some Provisions to them before the Sun set; and so our Men came back again

  very well satisfied for that time.

  But an Hour before Sun-set our Men went to them again, just in the same Posture

  as before, and they came according to their Appointment, and brought Deers

  Flesh, Roots, and the same kind of Corn like Rice, which I mentioned above, and

  our Negroes being furnish'd with such Toys as our Cutler had contrived, gave

  them some of them, which they seem'd infinitely pleas'd with, and promis'd to

  bring more Provisions the next Day.

  Accordingly, the next Day they came again, but our Men perceived they were more

  in Number by a great many than before; however, having sent out ten Men with

  Fire-Arms to stand ready, and our whole Army being in View also, we were not

  much surprized; nor was the Treachery of the Enemy so cunningly ordered as in

  other Cases; for they might have surrounded our Negroes, which, were but nine,

  under a Shew of Peace; but when they saw our Men advance almost as far as the

  Place where they were the Day before, the Rogues snatch'd up their Bows and

  Arrows, and come running upon our Men like so many Furies, at which our ten Men

  called to the Negroes to come back to them, which they did with Speed enough at

  the first Word, and stood all behind our Men. As they fled, the other advanced,

  and let fly near a 100 of their Arrows at them, by which two of our Negroes were

  wounded, and one we thought had been killed. When they came to the five Poles

  that our Men had stuck in the Ground, they stood still a while, and gathering

  about the Poles, looked at them, and handled them as wondering at what they

  meant. We then who were drawn up behind all, sent one of our Number to our ten

  Men, to bid them fire among them, while they stood so thick, and to put some

  small Shot into their Guns, besides the ordinary Charge, and to tell them, that

  we would be up with them immediately.

  Accordingly they made ready, but by that time they were ready to fire, the Black

  Army had left their wondering about the Poles, and began to stir as if they

  would come on, tho' seeing more Men stand at some Distance behind our Negroes,

  they could not tell what to make of us; but if they did not understand us

  before, they understood us less afterwards, for as soon as ever our Men found

  them begin to move forward, they fired among the thickest of them, being about

  the Distance of 120 Yards, as near as we could guess.

  It is impossible to express the Fright, the Screaming and Yelling of those

  Wretches upon this first Volley; we killed six of them, and wounded 11 or 12, I

  mean as we knew of; for, as they stood thick, and the small Shot, as we called

  it, scattered among them, we had Reason to believe we wounded more that stood

  farther off; for our small Shot was made of Bits of Lead, and Bits of Iron,

  Heads of Nails, and such things as our diligent Artificer the Cutler help'd us

  to.

  As to those that were killed and wounded, the other frighted Creatures were

  under the greatest Amazement in the World, to think what should hurt them; for

  they could see nothing but Holes made in their Bodies they knew not how. Then

  the Fire and the Noise amazed all their Women and Children, and frighted them

  out of their Wits, that they ran staring and howling about like mad Creatures.

  However, all this did not make them fly, which was what we wanted; nor did we

  find any of them die as it were with Fear, as at first, so we resolved upon a

  second Volley, and then to advance as we did before. Whereupon our reserved Men

  advancing, we resolved to fire only three Men at a time, and move forward like

  a
n Army firing in Platoons; so being all in Line we fired first three on the

  Right, then three on the Left, and so on; and every time we killed or wounded

  some of them; but still they did not fly, and yet they were so frighted, that

  they used none of their Bows and Arrows, or of their Lances; and we thought

  their Numbers encreased upon our Hands; particularly we thought so by the Noise;

  so I called to our Men to halt, and bid them pour in one whole Volley, and then

  shout, as we did in our first Fight, and so run in upon them, and knock them

  down with our Musquets.

  But they were too wise for that too, for as soon as we had fired a whole Volley,

  and shouted, they all run away, Men, Women, and Children, so fast, that in a few

  Moments we could not see one Creature of them, except some that were wounded and

  lame, who lay wallowing and screaming here and there upon the Ground, as they

  happen'd to fall.

  Upon this we came up to the Field of Battle, where we found we had killed 37 of

  them, among which were three Women, and had wounded about 64 among which were

  two Women; by wounded I mean, such as were so maimed, as not to be able to go

  away, and those our Negroes killed afterwards in a cowardly manner in cold

  Blood, for which we were very angry, and threatned to make them go to them if

  they did so again.

  There was no great Spoil to be got, for they were all stark naked as they came

  into the World, Men and Women together; some of them having Feathers stuck in

  their Hair, and others a kind of Bracelets about their Necks, but nothing else;

  but our Negroes got a Booty here which we were very glad of, and this was the

  Bows and Arrows of the vanquished, of which they found more than they knew what

  to do with, belonging to the killed and wounded Men; these we ordered them to

  pick up, and they were very useful to us afterwards. After the Fight, and our

  Negroes had gotten Bows and Arrows, we sent them out in Parties to see what they

  could get, and they got some Provisions; but, which was better than all the

  rest, they brought us four more young Bulls, or Buffloes, that had been brought

  up to Labour, and to carry Burthens: They knew them, it seems, by the Burthens

  they had carry'd having galled their Backs; for, they have no Saddles to cover

  them with in that Country.

  Those Creatures not only eased our Negroes, but gave us an Opportunity to carry

  more Provisions, and our Negroes loaded them very hard at this Place, with Flesh

  and Roots, such as we wanted very much afterwards.

  In this Town we found a very little young Leopard, about two Spans high; it was

  exceeding tame, and purr'd like a Cat when we stroked it with our Hands, being,

  as I suppose, bred up among the Negroes like a House-Dog. It was our Black

  Prince, it seems, who making his Tour among the abandoned Houses or Hutts, found

  this Creature there, and making much of him, and giving a Bit or two of Flesh to

  him, the Creature followed him like a Dog; of which more hereafter.

  Among the Negroes that were killed in this Battle, there was one who had a

  little thin Bit or Plate of Gold, about as big as a Six-Pence, which hung by a

  little Bit of a twisted Gutt, upon his Forehead, by which we supposed he was a

  Man of some Eminence among them; but that was not all, for this Bit of Gold put

  us upon searching very narrowly, if there was not more of it to be had

  thereabouts, but we found none at all.

  From this Part of the Country we went on for about 15 Days, and then found our

  selves obliged to march up a high Ridge of Mountains frightful to behold, and

  the first of the Kind that we met with; and having no Guide but our little

  Pocket Compass, we had no Advantage of Information as to which was the best, or

  the worst Way, but were obliged to chuse by what we saw, and shift as well as we

  could. We met with several Nations of wild and naked People in the plain