5069
0070
Go afishing—Catch a beast-fish—Afraid of the gun—How Peter altered his net—Fish dinner for the guards—Method of dressing and eating it.
IAPPEARED before them in the morning, in my old jacket, and an old hat with brims indented almost to the crown, a flannel nightcap, and chequered shirt. "How now, son!" says my father, "what have we here?"—"Sir," says I, "this will show you the use of our English fashion I mentioned the other day, and the necessity of it. You see me in this indifferent habit, because my next business requires it; but when I come back, and have no further dirty work to do, I shall then dress, as near as I can, to qualify me for your company."
"Are you for moving, gentlemen?" says my brother; "I believe it is time." They then all arising we went to the lake, where getting into my boat, and telling them that any six of them might go with me, they never having seen such a thing before, and not much liking the looks of it, all made excuses, till my brother assuring them it was very safe, and that he had sailed in it the last trip, three or four of them, with my father, and Hallycarnie, who was very desirous of seeing me fish, got in, and we sailed a great way up the lake, taking my gun as usual with me.
It gave me exceeding delight to see the whole body of people then in the arkoe on the graundee; some hovering over our heads, and talking with us; others flying this way, others that, till I had pitched upon a spot to begin my operation; when rowing to shore, and quitting my boat, the whole body of people settled just by me, staring at me and my net, and wondering what I was doing. I then taking a sweep as usual, got some of the soldiers to assist me to shore with it; but when the cod of the net landed, and the fish began to dash with their tails at the water's edge, away ran all my soldiers, frighted out of their wits to think what was coming: but it being a large hale, and a shelving bank, I could not lift it to the level myself; which my brother, who had seen the sport before, perceiving, though not one of the rest stirred, lent me a hand, and we got it up.
You cannot imagine what surprise appeared in every face upon opening the net, and seeing all the fish naked. They drew up by degrees closer and closer, for I let the fish lie some time for their observation; but seeing the large fish, upon my handling them, flap their tails, they very expeditiously retired again. I then tossed several of them into the boat; but two of them being very large, and rough-scaled ugly fish, I did not think I could lift them myself, so desired assistance, but nobody stirred. I expected some of the colambs would have ordered their men to have helped me, but they were so terrified with seeing me handle them, that they could not have the conscience to order their men on so severe a duty, till a common man came to me, and taking the tail, and I the head, we tossed them both into the boat.
I went higher up the lake than usual, in hopes of a beast-fish to show them; but though I could not meet with one, I had several very great hauls, and took three or four of my lobsters, very large ones. This was the second trial I had made of my net since I had altered it, and it gave me great satisfaction, for I could now take as many fish at one draught as I could before have done at ten. I had found that though my net was very long, yet for want of a bag, or cod, to enclose the fish, many that were included within its compass would, whilst I drew round, swim to the extremes, and so get out, for want of some inlet to enter at; for which reason I sawed off the top of a tree at about ten feet from the ground, and drawing a circle of six feet diameter round the tree, on the ground, I stuck it round with small pegs, at two inches' distance. Then I drove the like number of nails round the top of the trunk of the tree, and straining a length of mat-line from each peg on the ground to a correspondent nail on the tree, I tied my matline in circles round the strained lines, from top to bottom, about two inches' distance at the bottom, but at a less distance where the strained lines grew nearer to each other towards the top; and having secured all the ends, by some line twisted round them, I cut a hole in the middle of my net, and tied the large ground-end over the hole in the net, and gathered the small end up in a purse, tying it up tight; and by this means I now scarce lost any fish which once were within the sweep of my net.
Having had so good success, I had a design of returning, but thought, as I could now so easily entertain a multitude, I might as well take another haul or two, and make a handsome treat for the soldiery. Then coming up to my drill's mouth, I fixed my implements for a draught there, and beginning to draw up, I found great resistance in the net, and got two or three to help me; but, coming near shore, when the company saw the net tumble and roll, and rise and fall, they all ran as if they were mad, till I called them and told the colambs it was only one of the fish whose skins I had shown them; upon which, by that time I had discharged the fish from the net, they were all round me again; but no sooner had he got loose, than up he rose, whirled his wings, and at the same instant uttered such a groan that my whole company retreated again, thinking me somewhat more than a man, who could face so dreadful an enemy. I entreated them to come and view it; but finding no arguments could bring them nearer, I edged round till I got him between me and the water, and shot him dead.
Upon the report of my gun the whole field was in the air, darting and screaming, as I have often seen a flight of rooks do on the same occasion; and I am apt to believe some of them never returned again, but went directly home.
I was a little concerned to see the confusion I had caused; and laying down my gun, my brother, who though at a distance when I shot, knowing what I was at, and coming up to me, it put the rest upon their consideration; and they alighted one by one, at a distance, till they were all on the level again.
My father and the colambs, who were the first that durst approach, wondered what I had done, and how the fish came to be dead, and whence so much fire and smoke proceeded, for they were sure I brought none with me, and asked me abundance of questions; but as I knew I must have occasion for answering to the same thing twenty times over, had I entered upon an explanation there, I deferred giving them satisfaction till we came home, when all at once might be capable of hearing what was said. So I told them the most necessary thing at present was to stow the fish in the boat; for it was the largest I had ever taken, and I could not wholly do it myself. I made several efforts for help, but in vain, till the same soldier who had helped me with one of the first fish, came to my relief, and desiring my orders what to do, assisted me; and the rest seeing the difficulty we both had to manage it, one or two more of them came up, and we shipped it on board.
I then called the colambs to me, telling them I was sorry I had given such a general disturbance to them, by shooting the fish; but as they kept at too great a distance from me to have notice of my design, and if I had followed them the fish might have escaped before my return, I was obliged to do as I did, which was without any possibility of hurting them. But, as I had given them such a fright, I hoped they would this one day give me an opportunity of complimenting their guards with a fish-dinner, if we could any way contrive to dress it; for whoever did that must be able to bear the close light of a large fire. They all shook their heads but my brother, who told me he had in his retinue six men from Mount Alkoe, purposely retained for their strong sight, to attend him always to Crashdoorpt, who, he believed, for the benefit of the rest, would undertake the cookery if I would show them how. I desired he would give them orders to attend me on the other side of the lake, and I would instruct them at my landing; and then I crossed over with my booty.
Finding the Mount Alkoe men waiting for my landing, I asked if they could bear the sight of fire. They told me they were used to much greater light and flames than I had ever seen, they believed.—"Very good," said I; "then get into my boat, three of you, and hand out that fish to the shore."—I found they were more afraid of the fish than of the fire, for not one of them stirred till I got in and tossed out several small ones; and then taking up a large one, "Help me, somebody!" says I, they looking a little at one another, till one of them venturing to take it, the rest fell heartily to work, and despatched the whole lading presently. I then laid a small parcel upon my cart, for our own eating and the officers', and sending them to the grotto, I gave the cooks their charge.
"Now," says I, "my lads, do you serve all the rest of the fish as I do this," cutting it open at the same time, and throwing away the guts, "and I will send each of you such an instrument as I use here," pointing to my knife. "I shall order six large heaps of wood to the level, to be piled up there. When you have done the fish, do you set fire to the heaps, and let them burn till the flame is over and the coals are clear; then lay on your fish, and if any are too large to be manageable, cut them in proper pieces, and with sticks, which I will send you, turn them over and over, walking round the fire, and with the forked end of the stick toss the least off first, and afterwards the greater; but be sure throw the fish as far as ever you can from the fire, amongst the men, that they may not be obliged to come too near it: and in this manner go on, till either they have enough, or your fish are gone; and when you have done, come to the grotto for your reward."
I then set abundance of hands to work to carry wood, to be laid in six heaps, two hundred paces from each other, and told them how to pile it. I then prepared six long taper sticks with forked ends, and ordered more hands to divide the fish equally to the piles. I sent others with salt and bread; and I ordered them to let me know when all was ready.
While these preparations were making, my tent-visitors had all dined, and my cart had returned with the beast-fish, which the company desired might be brought in, when every one passed his judgment upon it, and a long dissertation we had on the marvellous works of Collwar. I let them go on with their show, though I could have disproved most of their conclusions from the little knowledge I had of things; but I never was knight-errant enough to oppose my sentiments to a multitude already prepossessed on the other side of the question; for this reason, because I have ever observed that where several have imbibed the same ridiculous principle in infancy, they never want arguments, though ever so ridiculous, to support it; and as no one of them can desert it without impeaching the judgment of the rest, they encourage each other in their obstinacy, and quite out-vote a single person; and then, the laugh beginning on the strongest side, nothing is so difficult as to get it out of their hands. But when a single man in the wrong hears a just argument from a single antagonist which he cannot contradict, he imbibes its force, and whilst that lasts, as nothing but a better argument, with better reasons, can remove it, he from thenceforth adapts his adversary's reasons for his own, to oppose against his own former opinion.
In the height of our disputations on the beast-fish, came news that the broil was going to begin; and as I expected very good diversion at it, I invited the company to go see it, telling them, in my opinion, it would exceed the sport in taking them. We passed through the wood till we came amongst the shrubs, where I placed them to be out of harm's way; and the fire, which was now nothing but cinders, was of no inconvenience to them. They were pleased with it to perfection; for, first, the six men who walked round the fires, by the glowing light of the embers and the shining of their graundees, looked like men on fire; then, to see each fire surrounded with a circle of men at the diameter of near two hundred paces, as close as they could well stand, by a more distant shine of the fire, had a very pleasing effect; but when the broilers began to throw the fish about (for each man stood with some salt and a cut of bread in his hand), to see a body of a hundred men running for it, and whilst they were stooping and scrambling for that, to see a hot fish fall on the back of one, which was whipped off by another, who, scalding his mouth with it, threw it in the face of a third; when a fourth, fifth, and sixth, pulling it in pieces, ran away with it; and to see the different postures, courses, and groups, during this exercise and running feast, was the most agreeable farce my guests had ever seen in their lives; and, to the great saving of my liquors, kept us in the wood for full three hours, not a soul stirring till the feast was over.
We spent best part of this evening in discourse on the passages of the day, the reflections on which not being concluded till bedtime, my adventures were postponed till the next night; but we had first concluded upon a shooting for the next morning (for they were all extremely desirous of knowing how I did it), at a time they should have opportunity of seeing me and making remarks; and I, being unwilling they should think me a conjuror, agreed to make them masters of part of the mystery of powder and ball.
0080
A shooting proposed—All afraid of the gun but one private guard—His behaviour—-Pendlehamby, at Peter's request, makes him a general—Peter's discourse thereon—Remainder of his story—The colambs return.
THIS being the fifth morning, I cleaned up my best gun, and prepared my balls, and we all took a walk towards the bridge, every one admiring my gun as we went; but I could get none of them to carry it, and we had at least five hundred questions proposed about it. I told them they need not be afraid of it, for it was only wood and iron; but they knew nothing of iron. I then showed them how I made it give fire, by snapping the cock; they thought it was very strange. I then put a little powder in the pan, and made it flash, and showing them the empty pan, they would not be persuaded but I had taken away the powder before the flash, or else, they said, it was impossible that should be all gone upon flashing only; for they said it was a little nut, using the same word to express both nut and seed. I then desired one of them to put in some powder and snap it himself; but having prevailed with him to try the experiment, if I had not through caution held my hand upon the barrel, the gun had been on the ground, for the moment it flashed, he let go and ran for it.
I had a great inclination to gain the better of their prejudices, and used abundance of arguments to prove the gun as innocent a thing as a twig I took up; and that it was the powder which, when set on fire, the flame thereof wanting more room than the powder itself did, forced itself, and all that opposed it, out of the mouth of the gun with such fury as to make the noise they heard; and being just come to the rock, "Now," says I, "you shall see that what I tell you is true." They told me they desired nothing more than that I would make them understand it, for it was the strangest thing they had ever seen. "Well, then," says I, "observe; I put in this much powder only, and with this rag I stop it down close. Now," says I, "you see by the length of this stick that the rag and powder take up the space only of a finger's depth on the inside of the gun." They saw that plainly they said; "But how could that kill anything?"—"Now, look again," says I, "I put in a little more powder, as I did before when I made a flash, and you see there is a little hole from this powder through the side of the gun to the powder within. Do you observe that this communicates with that through this hole?"—"Yes," said they, they did.—"Now," says I, "when I put fire to this, it sets fire to that within, which fire turning to flame, and wanting room, bursts out at the mouth of the gun; and to show you with what force it comes out, here handle this round ball," giving them a bullet to handle; "you feel how heavy it is: now, can any of you throw this ball as far as that rock?" for I stood a good hundred paces from it.—They told me No.—"And don't you think," says I, "that if the force of the fire made by this powder can throw this ball to that rock, that force must be very great?"—They said, they thought it must, but believed it to be impossible.—"But," says I, "if it not only throws it to the rock but beats out a piece of the stone, must not that be much more violent?" They agreed it must.—Then putting in the ball, "Now," says I, "we will try." I then ordered one to daub a part of the rock, about breast high, with some mud, and first to observe about it if the rock was anywhere fresh broken, or not; who, returning, reported that the rock was all of a colour and sound, but somewhat ragged all about the mud.—"Did you lay the mud on smooth?" says I. He replied, "Yes."—Then lifting up my gun, I perceived they were creeping off; so I took it down again, and calling, reasoned with them upon their fears. "What mischief," says I, "can you apprehend from this gun in my hand! Should I be able to hurt you with it, are you not all my friends or relations—could I be willing to do it? If the gun of itself could hurt, would I handle it as I do? For shame! be more courageous; rouse your reason, and stand by me; I shall take care not to hurt you. It looks as if you mistrust my love to you, for this gun can do nothing but what I direct it to." By such like persuasions, rough and smooth, I prevailed upon the major part of the colambs and officers to stand near me to see me fire, and then I shot; but though my words had engaged them to stand it, I had no sooner snapped but the graundees flew all open, though they closed again immediately; and then we fell to question and answer again. I desired them to walk to the rock; and sent the person who put up the mark before, to see and show us exactly what alteration there was. He told us there was a round hole in the mud, pointing to it, which he did not leave there, and taking away the mud, a thick shiver of the rock followed it. They then all agreed that the ball must have made both the hole in the mud and also splintered the rock, and stood in amaze at it, not being able to comprehend it: but, by all the art I had, I could not prevail with a man of them to fire the gun himself, till it had been buzzed about a good while, and at last came to my ears, that a common soldier behind said he should not be afraid of it if the gentleman would show him how.
I then ordered the fellow to me, and he told me, with a composed look, that it had always been his way of thinking, that what he saw another do he could do himself, and could not rest till he had tried. "And, sir," says he, "if this gun, as you call it, does not hurt you, why should it hurt me? And if you can make it hit that rock, why should not I, when you have told me how you manage it?"—"Are not you the man that first helped me up with the large fish yesterday?" says I. He told me he was.
I was prodigiously pleased with the fellow's spirit, "And," says I, "my friend, if you will, and I live, you will hit it before you have done." I then showed him the sight of the gun, and how to hold it; and being perfect in that, "Now," says I, "shut your left eye, and observe with your right, till this knob and that notch are exactly even with each other and the middle of that mark; and when they are so, pull this bit with your fore-finger, holding the gun tight to your shoulder." He so exactly pursued my directions that he hit the very middle of the mud; and then, without any emotion, walked up with the gun in his hand, as I had done before; and turning to me very gravely, "Sir," says he, "it is hit." I told him the best marksman on earth could not be sure of coming so near his mark. He stroked his chin, and giving me the gun again, was walking to his place; but I stopped him, and seeing something so modest and sincere in his countenance and behaviour, and so generous in his spirit, I asked him to which colamb he belonged. He told me to colamb Pendlehamby.—"To my father?" says I; "then sure I shall not be denied."
I took him with me to my father, who was not yet come up to the rock. "Sir," says I, "there is a favour I would beg of you."—"Son," says he, "what is it you can ask that I can refuse you?" Says I, "'This man belongs to your guards; now there is something so noble and daring in his spirit, and yet so meek and deserving in his deportment, that if you will load me with obligation, it is to make him an officer; he is not deserving of so ill a station as a private man."
My father looking at me, "Son," says he, "there is something to be done before he can be qualified for what you require." This, thinks I, is a put-off. "Pray, sir," says I, "what can a man of courage, sense, and a cool temper, want to qualify him for what I ask?"—"'Something," says he, "which none but myself can give; and that, at your desire, I will supply him with." Then, my father calling him, "Lask Nasgig, bonyoe," says he; that is, Slave Nasgig, lie down. Nasgig (for that was his name) immediately fell on his face, with his arms and hands straight by his sides; when my father, setting his left foot on Nasgig's neck, pronounced these words: "Lask, I give thee life, thou art a filgay!" Then Nasgig, raising himself on his knees, made obeisance to my father, and standing up, stroked his chin; and my father taking him by the hand in token of equality, the ceremony ceased.
"Now, son," says my father, "let me hear your request."—"It is only, sir," said I, "preferment for the deserving, equal to his merit." My father asked him if he understood the duty of a gorpell. He did not reply yes, but beginning, gave a compendious sort of history of his whole duty; at which all the colambs were very much surprised, for even his comrades were not apprised, or ever imagined, he knew more of military affairs than themselves. My father then asked him if he knew how to behave as a duff; but he made as little difficulty of that as the other, going through the several parts of duty in all the different branches, in peace and war, at home and abroad. "Son," says my father, "it is a mystery to me you should have found out more in an hour than I myself could in half an age; for this man was born in my palang, of my own lask, and has been mine and my father's these forty years. I shall be glad if you will look on the rest of my lasks, and give me your opinion; I may have more as deserving." I told him such as Nasgig were not to be met with very often; but when they were found, ought to be cherished accordingly.
"Sir," says I, "nature works upon the same sort of materials divers ways; on some in sport, and some in earnest; and if the necessary qualifications of a great man are impressed on our mass, it is odds but we improve regularly into one, though it may never be publicly known, or even to ourselves, till a proper occasion; for as a curious genius will be most inquisitive after, and is most in the end retentive of knowledge, so no man is less ostentatious of it. He covets knowledge, not from the prospect of gain, but merely for its own sake; the very knowing being his recompense: and if I may presume to give you a hint how properly to bestow your favours, let it be on persons like this; for the vain, knowing man, who is always showing it, as he for the most part labours for it, to show out with, and procure his rise by it, were it not for the hopes of that, would not think knowledge worth attaining; and as his rise is his aim, if he could invent any more expeditious method than that, he would not pretermit any ill act that might advance him according to his lust of rising. But the man who aims at perfection, from his natural inclination, must, to attain his end, avoid all ill courses, as impediments to that perfection he lusts after; and that, by Nasgig's worth being so little known, I'll answer for it is his character. And this being true, yourself will deduce the consequence, which is the fitter man to bear place; for with me it is a maxim, he that labours after truth for truth's sake (and that he surely must who proposes no worldly view in it) can't arrive at his ends by false methods, but is always the truest friend to himself and others, the truest subject to his lord, and the most faithful servant to his God."
My father then turning to me, "Son," says he, "you have enlightened me more than ever I was before, and have put me on a new way of thinking, for which I am to return you many thanks." And the whole company doing the same, says my father, "I lost a brave general officer lately, who was destined to the western wars which are breaking out, and have been long debating in my mind to whom I should commit his corps; and but for the hazard of the enterprise, I would have now given it to Nasgig; but shall be loth to lose him so soon after I am acquainted with his worth, so will think of some other post nearer my person for him, less dangerous, though perhaps not so honourable."
"Great sir," says Nasgig, "I am too sensible of the honour already done me, to think any post wherein I may continue to serve you either too mean or too hazardous for me; and as valour is nowhere so conspicuous as in the greatest dangers, I shall esteem my blood spent to great advantage in any enterprise where my duty under your command leads me. I therefore rather humbly request this dangerous post, that I may either lose my life in your service, or live to see you justified in your advancement of me by the whole nation. For what can I do, or how can I demonstrate my affection to your person and pleasure, in an inactive state?"
Here the whole level rang with applause to Nasgig.
My father then giving his hand to Nasgig, in token of friendship, and his word for investiture in the command of that vacant post, the whole level again resounded with, "Long live Pendlehamby, and his servant Nasgig!"
This being the last day of my company's stay, for they had agreed to go homewards next morning, some of them moved to return the sooner, that they might have time to hear out my story. So that our stay was very little longer.
In our return home, Nasgig singled me out to return his acknowledgments for my favour; and viewing my gun told me they had no such thing growing in his country. I told him if he had it, it would do no good without my powder. I then, at his request, described what I had heard of our method of fighting in battle in Europe; and mentioning our cannon, he said he supposed they killed every man they hit. "No," says I, "not so bad as that. Sometimes they hit the flesh only, and that is commonly cured; sometimes break a leg or arm, and that may in time be cured—some so well as to be useful again, and others are cut off, and healed up again; but if the ball hits the head or vitals, it is commonly mortal."—"Oh," says he, "give me the head or vitals, then; no broken limbs for me."
After dinner, at their request, I went on with my story, at repairing the castle, and my escape with Glanlepze, and so on to the crocodile; when I repeated his speech to me on that account, and told them it had made such an impression upon me that I had endeavoured to make it the leading thought of my mind, and had set it down upon one of my doors at the grotto that it might the oftener be in my sight when any difficulty arose.
One of the colambs begged pardon for interrupting, but told me, though he understood what Glanlepze meant, he could not tell how I could set what he said down at my grotto, or have it in my sight, and desired me to explain that. I would have told my guest I took it down in writing, if that would not have puzzled the cause more; but to go the nearest way I could, I told him we had a method in my country of conveying to a man at a great distance whatever we have a mind to say to him, and in such a manner that nobody but himself would know what we would have him know. And pausing here a little to consider the easiest method of demonstrating this to their senses, they told me they had gone as far as their conjectures could carry them, but could conclude on nothing so improbable as sending it by a messenger. I told them that in part was my way, but my messenger should not know the message he carried. That gravelled them quite, and they were unanimous that was what could not be done. By this time I had sent for a wood-coal, to write with upon my deal table, and kneeling down to the table, I began to write, "Honoured sir, I send this to gain by your answer to it an account of your arrival at Arndrumnstake." I then called them all to me. "Now," says I, "suppose I want to know how my father gets back to Arndrumnstake, my way is this—I set down so many words as will express my meaning to my father, after the manner you see on this table, and make a little distance between each word, which is the same thing as you do in speaking; for there, if you run one word into another, and don't give each its proper sound, who can understand you? For though you speak what contains all the words, yet without the proper sound and distinction it is only confusion. Do you understand that?" They told me they did. "Then," says I, "these are the words I would have my father know, I being at this arkoe, and he at Arndrumnstake. Honoured sir," and so I read on. "Here," says I, "you must take us to be countrymen, and that he and I understand both the same method. Now look, this word, which ends where you see the gap, stands forhonoured, and this next forsir, the next forI, and so on; and we both using the same method, and seeing each other's words, are able to open our minds at a distance." I was now in hopes I had done, and was going on with my story: "But," says one of the colambs, "Mr. Peter, though this is a matter that requires consideration, I plainly see how you do it, by agreeing that all these strokes put into this form shall stand for the word honoured, and so on, as you say, let who will make them; but have not you set down there the word Arndrumnstake?"—"Yes," says I.—"Why then," says he, "none of your countrymen could understand what that means."—"No," says I, smiling; "but they could."—Says he, "You say you agree what strokes shall stand for one word, and what for another; but then how could your countrymen, who never knew what strokes you would set down for Arndrumnstake, know that your strokes meant that very country? for that you could not have agreed upon before either of you knew there was any such place."
I was at a loss, without spending more words than I was willing about it, how to answer this close reasoner; and talking of syllables and letters would only have perplexed the affair more, so I told him the readiest for despatch; that as every word consisted of one or more distinct sounds, and as some of the same sounds happened in different words, we did not agree so much upon making our strokes stand for several words, as for several sounds; and those sounds, more or less of them, added together, made the particular words. "As, for example," says I, "Arnis one sound,drumnis another sound, andstakeis another; now, by our knowing how to set down these several sounds by themselves, we can couple them, and apply them to the making up any word, in the manner we please; and therefore he, by seeing those three sounds together, knows I meanArndrumnstake, and can speak it as well, though he never heard the whole word spoken together, as if he heard me speak to him."—"I have some little notion of what you mean," says he, "but not clear enough to express myself upon it; and so go on! go on! And pray what did you do about the reeds?"
I then resuming my discourse where I left off, completed my narration that night; but I could perceive the water in my father's eyes when I came to the account of Youwarkee's fall and the condition I took her up in.
When I had done, they adjusted the order of their flight, for avoiding confusion, one to go so long before another, and the junior colambs to go first.
In the morning nothing was to be heard but the gripsacks: the men were all ranged in order to go off with their respective colambs; and after all compliments passed, the junior colamb arising, walked half-way to the wood, where his gripsack standing to wait for him, preceded him to the level, the next gripsack standing ready to sound as soon as the first removed; and this was the signal for the second colamb to move, so that each colamb was a quarter of a mile before the other.
My father was the last but two; but I shall never forget his tenderness at parting with his daughter and grandchildren, and I may say with myself too; for by this time he had a high opinion of me. Patty went with my father, she so much resembling my wife, that my father said he should still have his two daughters in his sight, having her with him.
At parting, I presented Nasgig with a broadsword; and showing him the use of it, with many expressions of gratitude on his part, and respect on mine, he took flight after the rest.
5094
0095
Peter finds his stores low—Sends Youwarkee to the ship—Receives an invitation to Georigetti's court.
FOR the first few days after our company had left us, Youwarkee could not forbear a tear now and then for the loss of her father and sister; but I endeavoured not to see it, lest I should, by persuading her to the contrary, seem to oppose what I really thought was a farther token of the sweetness of her disposition; but it wore off by degrees, and having a clear stage again, it cost us several days to settle ourselves and put our confused affairs in order; and when we had done we blessed ourselves that we could come and go, and converse with the pleasing tenderness we had hitherto always done.
She told me nothing in the world but her concern for so tender a father, and the fear of displeasing me if she disobliged him, should have kept her so long from me; for her life had never been so sweet and serene as with me and her children; and if she was to begin it again, and choose her settlement and company, it should be with me in that arkoe. I told her though I was entirely of her opinion for avoiding a life of hurry, yet I loved a little company, if for nothing else but to advance topics for discourse, to the exercise of our faculties; but I then agreed it was not from mere judgment I spoke, but from fancy. "But, Youwee," says I, "it will be proper for us to see what our friends have left us, that we don't want before the time comes about again." Then she took her part, and I mine; and having finished, we found they would hold out pretty well, and that the first thing to be done was to get the oil of the beast-fish.
When we came to examine the brandy and wine, I found they had suffered greatly; so I told Youwarkee, when she could spare time, she should make another flight to the ship. "And," says I, "pray look at all the small casks of wine or brandy, or be they what they will, if they are not above half-full, or thereabouts, they will swim, and you may send them down." I desired her to send a fire-shovel and tongs, describing them to her: "And there are abundance of good ropes between decks, rolled up, send them," says I, "and anything else you think we want, as plates, bowls, and all the cutlasses and pistols," says I, "that hang in the room by the cabin: for I would, me-thinks, have another cargo, as it may possibly be the last, for the ship can't hold for ever."
Youwarkee, who loved a jaunt to the ship mightily, sat very attentive to what I said, and told me, if I pleased, she would go the next day; to which I agreed.
She stayed on this trip till I began to be uneasy for her, being gone almost four days, and I was in great fear of some accident; but she arrived safe, telling me she had sent all she could any ways pack up; and any one who had seen the arrival of her fleet would had taken it for a good ship's cargo, for it cost me full three weeks to land and draw them up to the grotto; and then we had such a redundancy of things, that we were forced to pile them upon each other to the top of the room.
It began to draw towards long days again, when one morning, in bed, I heard the gripsack. I waked Youvarkee, and told her of it; and-we both got up, and were going to the level, when we met six glumms in the wood, with a gripsack before them, coming to the grotto. The trumpeter, it seems, had been there before; but the others, who seemed to be of a better rank, had not. We saluted them, and they us; and Youwarkee knowing one of them, we desired them to walk to the grotto.
They told us they came express from Georigetti's palace, with an invitation to me and Youwarkee to spend some time at his court. I let them know what a misfortune I lay under in not being born with a graundee, since Providence had pleased to dispose of me in a part of the world where alone it could have been of such infinite service to me, or I should have taken it for the highest honour to have laid myself at their master's feet: and after some other discourse, one of them pressed me to return his master my answer, for they had but a very little time to stay. I told them they saw plainly, by baring my breast to them, that I was under an absolute incapacity for such a journey, and gratifying the highest ambition I could have in the world; for I was pinned down to my arkoe, never more to pass the barrier of that rock. One of them then asking, if I should choose to go if it was possible to convey me thither, I told him he could scarce have the least doubt, was my ability to perform such a journey equal to my inclination to take it, that I should in the least hesitate at obeying his master. "Sir," says he, "you make me very happy in the regard you show my master; and I must beg leave to stay another day with you." I told him they did me great honour; but little thought what it all tended to.
We were very facetious; and they talked of the number of visitors I had had here; and they mentioned several facts which had happened, and, amongst the rest, that of Nasgig, who, they said, since his return, had been introduced by Pendlehamby to the king, and was, for his great prudence and penetration, become Georigetti's great favourite. They told me war was upon the point of breaking out, and several other pieces of news, which, as they did not concern me, I was very easy about.
The next morning they desiring to walk, and view what was most remarkable in my arkoe, and above all to see me fire my gun, which they had heard so much of; I gratified them at a mark, and hit the edge of it, and found them quite staunch, without the least start at the report. I paid them a compliment upon it, and told them how their countrymen had behaved, even at a second firing: "But," says he who was the chief spokesman, and knew, I found, as much as I could tell him, "that second fright was from seeing death the consequence of the first; and though you had then to do mostly with soldiers, you must not think they choose death more than others, though their duty obliges them to shun it less."
The same person then desired me to show him how to fire the gun; which I did, and believe he might hit the rock somewhere or other; but he did not seem to admire the sport, and I, having but few balls left, did not recommend the gun to the rest.
A little before bedtime the strangers told me they believed I should see Nasgig next morning. I presently thought there was somewhat more than ordinary in this visit, but could noways dive to the bottom of it.
Just before they went to rest, they ordered the trumpeter to be early on the rock next morning; and upon the first sight of Nasgig's corps, to sound notice of it, for us to be ready to receive him.
0100
Nasgig comes with a guard to fetch Peter—Long debate about his going—Nasgig's uneasiness at Peter's refusal—Relates a prediction to him, and proceedings thereon at Georigetti's court—Peter consents to go—Prepares a machine for that purpose.
WE were waked by the trumpet giving notice of Nasgig's coming; I did not care to inquire of the strangers into the particulars of his embassy; "for be it what it will," thinks I, "Nasgig is so much my friend that I can know the motives of it from him, and, or I am much deceived, he is too honest to impose upon me." But I had but little time for thought, for upon our entering the level, we found him and his train, of at least a hundred persons, just alighting before us.
We embraced, and professed the particular pleasure fortune had done us in once more meeting together. When we arrived at the grotto, he told me he was assured I had been informed of the occasion of his visit; and that it would be the greatest honour done to his country that could be imagined. He then laid his hand on my beard, which was now of about five months' growth, having never shaved it since my father went, and told he was glad to see that.—"And are you not so to see me?" says I.—"Yes, surely," says he, "for I prize that for your sake."—"But," says I, "pray be open with me, and tell me what you mean by my being informed of the occasion of your coming?"—"Why," says he, "of Georigetti's message to you, as it will be of such infinite service to our country: and," says he, "if you had not consented to it, the messengers had returned and stopped me."—"True," says I, "one of the messengers told me the king would be glad to see me; which as I, so well as he, knew it was impossible he should, in return to his compliment, I believe I might say what a happiness it would be to me if I could wait on him. But pray what is your immediate message? for I hear you are in great favour at court, and would never have come hither with this retinue in so much ceremony on a trifling account."
"My dear Peter," says Nasgig, "know that your fame has reached far and near since I saw you before; and our state, though a large and populous one, and once of mighty power and twice its present extent, by the revolt of the western part of it, who chose themselves a king, has been so miserably harassed by wars, that the revolters, who are ever fomenting discontent and rebellion amongst us, will, by the encroachments they daily make on us, certainly reduce us at last to a province under their government; which will render us all slaves to a usurped power, set up against our lawful sovereign. Now these things were foretold long enough before they actually began to be transacted; but all being then at peace, and no prospect of what has since happened, we looked not out for a remedy, till the disease became stubborn and incurable."—"Pray," says I, "by whom were the things you mention foretold?"—"By a very ancient and grave ragan," says he.—"How long ago?" says I.—"Oh, above four times the age of the oldest man living," says he.—"And when did he say it would happen?" says I.—"That," says he, "was not quite so clear then."—"But how do you know," says I, "that he ever said any such thing?"—"Why, the thing itself was so peculiar," says he, "and the ragan delivered it so positively, that his successors have ever since pronounced it twelve times a year publicly, word for word, to put the people in mind of it, and from whom they must hope for relief; and now the long-expected time being come, we have no hopes but in your destruction of the tyrant-usurper."—"I destroy him!" says I: "if he is not destroyed till I do it, I fear your state is but in a bad case."—"My good friend Peter," says he, "you or nobody can do it."—"Pugh," says I, "Nasgig, I took you for a man of more sense, notwithstanding the prejudices of education, than to think, because you have seen me kill a beast-fish that could not come to hurt me at the distance of twenty paces, that I can kill your usurper at the distance he is from me."—"No, my good friend," says Nasgig, "I know you take me to have more judgment than to think so."—"Why, what else can I do," says I, "unless he will come hither to be killed by me?"—"Dear Peter," says he, "you will not hear me out."—"I will," says I, "say on."—"You, as I said before, being the only person that can, according to our prediction, destroy this usurper and restore peace among us, my master Georigetti, and the whole state of Normnbdsgrsutt, were going to send a splendid embassy to you; but your father advising to repose the commission wholly in me, they all consented to it, and I am come to invite you over to Brandleguarp for that purpose. I know you will tell me you have not the graundee, and cannot get thither: but I am assured you have what is far better; the wisdom you have will help you to surmount that difficulty, which our whole moucheratt cannot get over. And I am sure did you apply half the thought to accomplish it you seem to do to invent excuses against it, you would easily overcome that. And now, dear friend," continues he, "refuse me not; for as my first rise was owing to your favour, so my downfall as absolutely attends your refusal."
"Dear Nasgig," says I, "you know I love you, and could refuse you nothing in my power; but for me to be mounted in the air, I know not how, over these rocks, and then drowned by a fall into the sea, which is a necessary consequence of such a mad attempt; and all this in prosecution of a project founded upon an old wife's tale, is such a chimera as all men of sense would laugh at; as if there was no way of destroying me, but with a guard of a hundred men to souse me into the wide ocean. A very pretty conqueror of rebels I should prove, truly, kicking for life till the next wave sent me to the bottom."
Nasgig looked then so grave, I almost thought I should have heard no more of it; but after a short pause, "Peter," says he, "I am sorry you make so light of sacred things; a thing foretold so long ago by a holy ragan, kept up by undoubted tradition ever since, in the manner I have told you; in part performed, and now waiting your concurrence for its accomplishment; but if I cannot prevail with you, though I perish at my return, I dread to think you may be forced without thanks to perform what generously to undertake will be your greatest glory."
"Pray," says I, "Nasgig (for now I perceive you are in earnest), what may this famous prediction be?"
"Ah, Peter!" says Nasgig, "to what purpose should I relate so sacred a prediction to one who, though the most concerned in it, makes such a jest of it?"
His mentioning me as concerned in it, raised my curiosity once more to desire a relation of it. "Why should I relate it," says he, "if you are resolved not to fulfil it?"—I told him I had no resolution against anything that related to my own good, or that of my friends. "But the greatest question with me," says I, "is, whether I am at all concerned in it."—"Oh clearly, clearly!" says he, "there is no doubt of it; it must mean you or nobody."—I told him I must judge by the words of it that I was the person intended by it; and till that was apparent to my reason, it would be difficult to procure my consent to so perilous an undertaking.—"And," says he, "will you, upon hearing it, judge impartially, and go with me if you can take the application to yourself?"—"I cannot go quite so far as that," says I; "but this I'll promise you, I'll judge impartially, and if I can so apply it to myself, that it must necessarily mean me, and no other, and if you convince me I may go safely, I will go."
Nasgig was so rejoiced at this, he was at a loss how to express himself. "My dear Peter," says he, "you have given me new life! our state is free! our persons free! we are free! we are free! And, Peter," says he, "now I have given vent to my joy, you shall hear the prediction.
"You must know, this holy ragan lived four ages ago; and from certain dreams and revelations he had had, set himself to overturn our country-worship of the Great Image; and by his sanctity of life, and sound reasonings, had almost effected it under the assistance of Begsurbeck, then our king, who had fully embraced his tenets; but the rest of the ragans opposing him, and finding he could not advance his scheme, he withdrew from the ragans to a close retirement for several years; and just before his death, sending for the king and all the ragans, he told them he should certainly die that day, and that he could not die at peace till he had informed them what had been revealed to him; desiring them to take notice of it, not as a conjecture of his own, but a certain verity which should hereafter come to pass. Says he, 'you know you have rejected the alteration in your religion I proposed to you; and which Begsurbeck, here present, would have advanced; and now I must tell you what you have brought upon yourselves. As for Begsurbeck, he shall reign the longest and most prosperously of all your former and future kings; but in twice his time outrun, the west shall be divided from the east, and bring sorrow, confusion, and slaughter, till the waters of the earth shall produce a glumm, with hair round his head, swimming and flying without the graundee; who, with unknown fire and smoke, shall destroy the traitor of the west, settle the ancient limits of the monarchy, by common consent establish what I would have taught you, change the name of this country, introduce new laws and arts, add kingdoms to this state, and force tributes from the bowels of the earth of such things as this kingdom shall not know till then, and shall never afterwards want; and then shall return to the waters again. Take care,' says he, 'you miss not the opportunity when it may be had; for once lost, it shall never, never more return; and then, woe, woe, woe to my poor country!'—The ragan having said this, expired.
"This prediction made so great an impression on Begsurbeck, that he ordered all the ragans singly before him, and heard them repeat it; which having done, and made himself perfect in it, he ordered it to be pronounced twelve times in the year on particular days, in the moucherait, that the people might learn it by heart; that they and their children being perfect in it, might not fail of applying it, when the man from the waters should appear with proper description.
"Thus, Peter," says he, "has this prediction been kept up in our memories as perfectly as if it had but just been pronounced to us."—:"'Tis very true," says I, "here may have been a prediction, and it may have been, as you say, handed down very exactly from Begsurbeck's days till now; but how does that affect me? how am I concerned in it? Surely, if any marks would have denoted me to be the man, some of the colambs who have so lately left me, and were so long with me, would have found them out in my person, or among the several actions of my life I recounted to them."—"Upon the return of the colambs from you," says Nasgig, "they told his majesty what they had heard and seen at Graundevolet, and the story was conveyed through the whole realm: but every man has not the faculty of distinction. Now, one of the ragans, when he had heard of you, applying you to the prediction, and that to you, soon found our deliverer in you; and at a public moucheratt, after first pronouncing the prediction, declared himself thereon to the following effect:
"'May it please your majesty—and you the honourable colambs—the reverend ragans—and people of this state,' says he, 'you all know that our famous king Begsurbeck, who reigned at the time of this prediction, did live sixty years after it in the greatest splendour, and died at the age of one hundred and twenty years, having reigned full ninety of them; and herein you will all agree with me, no king before or since has done the like. You all likewise know, that within two hundred years after Begsurbeck's death, that is, about twice his reign of ninety years outrun, the rebellion in the west began, which has been carried on ever since; and our strength diminishing as theirs increases, we are now no fair match for them, but are fearful of being undone. So far you will agree matters have tallied with the prediction; and now, to look forward to the time to come, it becomes us to lay hold of the present opportunity for our relief, for that, once slipped, will never return; and if I have any skill in interpretations, now is the time of our deliverance.
"'Our prediction foretells the past evils, their increase and continuance, till the waters of the earth shall produce a glumm. Here I must appeal to the honourable colambs present, if the waters have not done so in the person of glumm Peter of Graundevolet, as they have received it from his own report.'
"All the colambs then rising, and making reverence to the king, declared it was most true.
"'The next part,' says the ragan, 'is, he is to be hairy round his head; and how his person in this respect agrees with the prediction, I beg leave to be informed by the colambs.'
"The colambs then rising, declared that having seen and conversed with him, they could not observe any hair on the fore part of his head; but I answered that when I left you I well remembered your having short stubbs of hair upon your cheeks and chin; which I had no sooner mentioned than your father arose and told the assembly that though he did not mind it whilst he was with you, yet he remembered that his daughter, a year before, had told him that you had hair on your face before as long as that behind.
"This again putting new life into the ragan, he proceeded—'Then let this,' says he, 'be put to the trial by an embassy to glumm Peter; and if it answers, there will be no room to doubt the rest. Then,' says the ragan, 'it is plain by the report of the colambs, that glumm Peter has not the graundee.
"'As to the next point, he is to swim and fly. Now I am informed he swims daily in a thing he calls a boat.'—To which the colambs all agreed.—'And now,' says he, 'that he flies too, that must be fulfilled; for every word must have a meaning, and that indeed he must do if ever he comes hither. I therefore advise that a contrivance be somehow found out for conveying glumm Peter through the air to us, and then we shall answer that part of the prediction; and I think, and do not doubt, but that may be done.
"'Now,' says he, 'let us see the benefit predicted to us upon the arrival of glumm Peter. Our words are: "Who, with unknown fire and smoke, shall destroy the traitor of the west." What can be plainer than this? For I again appeal to the colambs for his making unknown fire and smoke.
"'Thus far,' says the ragan, 'we have succeeded happily towards a discovery of the person; but it ends not here with the death of the traitor; but such other benefits are to accrue as are mentioned in the following part of the prediction: they are blessings yet to come, and who knows the end of them?
"'I hope,' says the ragan, 'I have given satisfaction in what I have said, and shall now leave it to the care of those whose business it is to provide that none of those woes pronounced against us may happen, by missing the time which, when gone, will never return.'
"The assembly were coming to a resolution of sending you a pompous embassy, but your father prevailed for sending me only; 'For,' says he, 'my son thinks better of him than of the rest of our whole race.' So this important affair was committed to me, with orders to prepare a conveyance for you, which I cannot attempt to do; but shall refer myself to your more solid judgment in the contrivance of it."
I had sat very attentive to Nasgig, and from what he had declared, could not say but there was a very great resemblance between myself and the person predicted of. "But then," says I, "they are idolaters: Providence would not interpose in this affair, when all the glory of its success must redound to an idol. But," says I, "has not the same thing often happened from oracular presages, where the glory must redound to the false deity? But what if, as is predicted, their religion is to be changed to the old ragan's plan, and that will be to the abolition of idolatry? I know not what to say; but if I thought my going would gain a single soul to the eternal truth, I would not scruple to hazard my life in the attempt."
I then called in Youwarkee, told her the whole affair of the prediction, which she had often heard, I found, and could have repeated. I told her that the king and states had pitched on me as the person intended by their prediction, and that Nasgig was sent to fetch me over: "And indeed," says I, "Youwee, if this be a true prediction, it seems very applicable to me as far as I can see."—"Yes, truly," says she, "so it does, now I consider it in the light you say the ragan puts it."—
"Why," says I, "prophecies and predictions are never so plain as to mention names; but yet, upon the solution, they become as intelligible as if they did, the circumstances tallying so exactly. But what would you have me do? Shall I, or shall I not, go?"—"Go!" says she, "how can you go?"—"Oh," says I, "never fear that. If this is from above, means will soon be found; Providence never directs effects without means."
Youwarkee, whose head ran only on the dangers of the undertaking, had a violent conflict with herself; the love of me, of her children, and of her country, divided her so, she was not capable of advising. I pressed her opinion again, when she told me to follow the dictates of my own reason; "And but for the dread of losing you, and for my children's sakes," says she, "I should have no choice to make when my country is at stake: but you know best."
I told Youwarkee that I really found the prediction the plainer the more I thought of it; and that, above all, the change of religion was the uppermost; for if I can reduce a State from the misery and bondage of idolatry to a true sense of the Supreme Being, and seemingly by His own direction, shall I fear to risk my own life for it? or, will He suffer me to perish till somewhat at least is done towards it? And how do I know but the whole tendency of my life has been by impulse hither for this very purpose? "My dear Youwee," says I, "fear nothing, I will go."
I called Nasgig, and told him my resolution, and that he had nothing now to do but prepare a means of conveying me.—He said he begged to refer that to me, for my own thoughts would suggest to me both the safest and easiest means.
I wanted to venture on the back of some strong glumm; when Nasgig told me no one could endure my weight so long a flight. But what charmed me most was, the lovely Youwarkee offered to carry me herself if she could: "And if I can't hold out," says she, "my dear, we can but at last drop both together." I kissed the charming creature with tears in my eyes, but declined 'the experiment.
I told Nasgig I wanted to divide my weight between two or four glumms, which I believed I could easily do; and asked if each could hold out with a fourth part of my weight.—He told me there was no doubt of that; but he was afraid I should drop between their graundees, he imagining I intended to lie along on their backs, part of me on each of them, or should bear so much on them as to prevent their flight. I told him I did not purpose to dispose of myself in the manner he presumed, but if two or four could undoubtedly bear my weight so long a flight, I would order myself without any other inconvenience to my bearers than their burden. He made light of my weight between four, as a trifle, and said he would be one with all his heart.—"Nay," says I, "if four cannot hold out, can eight?" He plainly told me, as he knew not what I meant, he could say nothing to it, nor could imagine how I could divide so small a body as mine into eight different weights, for it seemed impossible, he said, to him; but if I would show him my method, he would then give me his opinion.
I then, leaving him, took out my tools: I pitched upon a strong board my wife had sent me from the ship, about twelve feet long, and a foot and a half broad, upon the middle of which I nailed down one of my chairs; then I took one cord of about thirty-four feet long, making handloops at each end, and nailed it down in the middle to the under-side of my board, as near as I could to the fore-end of it, and I took another cord of the same length and make, and this I nailed within three feet of the farther end of my board. I then took a cord of about twenty feet long, and nailed about three feet before the foremost, and a fourth of the same length, at the farther end of my board; by which means the first and third ropes being the longest and at such a distance from the short ropes, the glumms who held them would fly so much higher and forwarder than the short-rope ones, that they and their ropes would be quite out of the others' way, which would not have happened if either the ropes had been all of one length, or nearer to or farther from one another; and then considering that if I should receive a sudden jerk or twitch, I might possibly be shook off my chair, I took a smaller rope to tie myself with fast to the chair, and then I was sure if I fell into the sea I should at least have the board and chair with me, which might possibly buoy me up till the glumms could descend to my assistance.
Having carried the machine down to the level with the help of two of Nasgig's men, he being out on a walk, and having never seen it, I ordered one of the men to sit upon the chair, and eight more to hold by the loops and rise with him; but, as I found it difficult at their first rising, not being able to mount all equally, to carry the board up even, and the back part rising first, the front pitched against the ground and threw the fellow out of the chair, I therefore bade them stop, and ordering eight others to me, said I, "Hold each of you one of these ropes as high as you can over your heads; then." says I to the eight bearers, "mount on your graundees, and come round behind him in the chair gently, two and two, and take each of you a loop, and hover with it till you are all ready, and then rise together, keeping your eye on the board that it rises neither higher at one end nor one side than the other, and see you all feel your weight alike; then fly across the lake and back again." They did so, and with as much ease, they told me, as if they had nothing in their hands; and the man rode with so much state and composure, he said, that I longed to try it myself; so, shifting places with the glumm, I mounted the chair, and tying myself round, I asked if any one knew which way Nasgig walked. One of them pointing to where he saw him just before in the wood, I ordered them to take me up as before, and go that way.
Upon coming to the place where I expected Nasgig was, I hallooed and called him; who, knowing my voice, ran to the skirt of the wood; and seeing me mounted in my flying chair, I jokingly told him I was going, if he had any commands; but he mounting immediately came up to me, and viewing me round, and seeing the pleasure the men seemed to carry me with, says he, "Are you all sure you can carry him safe to Battringdrigg?"—They all replied, "Yes, with ease."—"This then," says he, "is your doom: if you perform it not, every one shall be slit; but if you carry the deliverer safe, you are filgays every man of you!" he verily thinking I was then going off; but I undeceived him, by ordering them to turn about and set me down where I was taken up.
Nasgig alighting and viewing my contrivance, "This, Peter," says he, "is but a very plain thing."—"It is so," says I, "but it is as far as my ingenuity could reach."—"Ah, Peter!" says he "say not so, for if the greatest difficulties, as I and all my nation thought it would be to convey you to them, are so plain and easy to you, what must lesser things be? No, Peter, I did not call it plain because it might be easily done when it was seen, but in respect to the head that formed it; for the nearest way to attain one's end is always the best, and attended for the most part with fewest inconveniences; and I verily think, Peter, though we believe the rise or fall of our State wholly depends on you, you must have stayed at Graundevolet but for your own ingenuity. Well, and when shall we set out?" says he.—I told him it would take up some time to settle the affairs of my family, and to consider what I had best take with me; and required at least three days, being as little as I could have told him for that purpose.
Nasgig, who as he was an honest man, and for making the best for his patrons, was sorry it was so long, though he, imagining at the same time it was short enough for one who was to go on such an enterprise, was glad it was no longer; and immediately despatched a trumpet express with notice, that on the fourth day he should be at the height of Battringdrigg, and that having myself formed a machine for that purpose, I would accompany him.
I began next to consider what part I had to act at Doorpt Svangeanti (for I neither could nor would call it by any other name when I came thither), and what it was they expected from me. I am, says I, to kill a traitor; good, that may be, but then I must take a gun and ammunition; and why not some pistols and cutlasses? If I cannot use them all, I can teach others who may. I will take several of them, and all my guns but two, and I will leave a pair of pistols; I may return and want them. I will take my two best suits of clothes, and other things suitable; for if I am to perform things according to this prediction, it may be a long time before I get back again. Thinks I, Youwarkee shall stay here with the children, and if I like my settlement I can send for her at any time. I then began to see the necessity of making at least one more machine to carry my goods on. And says I, as they will be very weighty, I must have more lasks to shift in carrying them, for I will retain sixteen for my own body-machine, in order to relieve each other; and as the distance is so great, I will not be stinted for want of fresh hands.
Being come to this resolution, I called Nasgig, and ordered eight fresh lasks to attend my baggage; these he soon singled out: so, having settled all matters with my wife, and taken leave of her and the children, I charged them not to stir out of the grotto till I was gone; and leaving them all in tears, I set out with a heavy heart for the level, where the whole convoy and my two machines waited for me.