“To Robert Drury, on the island of Madagascar.”
“To Robert Drury, on the island of Madagascar.”
“To Robert Drury, on the island of Madagascar.”
I was so astonished, that at first I had not power to open it, concluding I was in a dream; but at length, recovering my surprise, and after a little recollection I opened it, and found it came from captain William Macket. The contents whereof were to the effect following:—
“That he had a letter on board from my father, with full instructions as well from him as his owners, to purchase my liberty let it cost what it would. And in case I could not possibly come down myself, to send him word the reason of it, and what measures he should take to serve me.”
Rer Moume perceived that my countenance changedwhilst I was reading the letter, and asked me what was the matter? I told him, that the captain desired to speak with me, and that my father had sent for me home, and hoped that he would please to give his consent. “How do you know all this?” says the prince, “can you conjure?” Then turning to the messengers, “Have you, pray, heard any thing like this?” “Yes,” said they, “it is all the discourse at the seaside, that Robin’s father sent both these ships for him, and more than all this, the king your father expects him there with your leave, and desires to see him before he goes to the ship.” Rer Moume took the letter, and turning it over and over said, he had heard of such methods of conveying intelligence to one another, but never actually saw it before, and could not conceive which way it could be done without conjuration. I endeavoured to demonstrate to him, as well as I could, how we learned in our infancy the characters first, and then we put them together. “But,” says he, “I presume you have no inclination to leave us now, since you live here so much at your ease; you have several cattle and a slave, and if you shall want more you shall have them, you shall have too as many wives as you please, and be a great man.” I begged him to make my case his own, and that he would please to consider whether he should not be desirous of seeing his parents and native country, had he been absent so long as I had? “I think I should,” he said, “and therefore I will take it into consideration, and ask my wives’ advice about it, and give an answer in the morning.”
My readers may easily imagine what a night of disorder this was to my mind, agitated with hopes on one hand and with fears on the other; however, I took care to attend him as soon as ever he was stirring, and seated with his wives about him. After he had looked steadfastly on me for some time, “Robin,” says he, “I have opened your affair to my wives here, and your mother Ry Anzackar, and one or two more, consent to your going, but the rest are all against it; however, let them speak for themselves, it is out of respect toyou that they are desirous you should continue amongst them.” Upon this, I turned towards them, and without waiting to hear what they had to offer, begged them to consider, as they were mothers, whether or no, if a child of theirs was in a strange country, they should not have an earnest inclination to see him, and he them? Hereupon the prince told me, if I was willing to stay, he would all along, as he had hitherto done, treat me like his own son, but he would not make use of compulsion, so that if I was resolutely bent on going he would dismiss me. Moreover, he told me, that my slave should go with me; that as to my cattle, they were mine to dispose of as I pleased. I replied, if he was so good as not to take my cattle from me, though they were in fact his own, they might still remain there as they were marked for mine; for I was fully determined to make one voyage more here, in hopes of having it in my power to make him some amends for the great care he had taken of me, by bringing a ship to traffic with him; (and in this I was very sincere, and afterwards as good as my word.) I asked him if he thought proper to demand any consideration of the captain for my freedom. He answered, nothing; but if my friends would make him a present of a good gun, he should accept of the favour, and call it Robin in remembrance of me. This noble, generous answer, and so prince-like, gave me such transports of joy, that I immediately kneeled down, and licked his feet with the utmost sincerity, as justly thinking I could never express my gratitude enough to this good, this indulgent prince. He would not dismiss me instantly, but did in a day or two after; and ordered the messengers to be taken care of in the mean time. When the day of my departure came, I had one remaining difficulty to get over, and that was the parting with my wife, the women of the prince’s family, and himself, which I did with as much reluctance, as when I left my natural parents at my departure from them; and they discovered an equally tender affection for me; he would not, however, let us go empty handed, butordered an ox for our subsistence on our journey, and appointed likewise two of his own people to accompany the other two; and then we set forward.
I had yet one suspicious circumstance still to pass over, and that was to call on Rer Trimmonongarevo: this gave me no small uneasiness; but when we came near Moherbo, we were informed that he was gone to a place within an hour’s walk of the seaside. As soon as I approached him, he instantly made an apology for his too warm constitution, and confessed that he had sometimes done mischief in his passion, but hoped I would excuse him for what had passed; and said he was loth to let me go till the ship was near upon sailing, lest I should prove detrimental to the trade. I told him, I had no complaint to make, since his son had been so indulgent to me; and that if he pleased to dismiss me at my friend’s request, they would take it as a favour; but should he detain me, when they knew I was so near, I did not know what ill consequences might ensue thereupon. He kept me, however, this night, but dismissed me with his blessing the next morning; praying that God and the demons would be my guardians, and send me safely to my native country. So I licked his feet and took my last farewell of him, and of this odd and filthy custom likewise.
When I came down to the seaside, the first man who spoke to me was William Purser, my old acquaintance in Feraignher; he came away to live in more security and plenty, as well as several others; and was at this time interpreter for the trade. Here were several houses, but such as the English call huts, erected by the inhabitants at a small distance from the factory, for the more commodious selling of milk and other provisions. There I met Mr Hill, the steward of the Drake, captain Macket’s ship, and two or three more of their crew, who took me for a wild man; and in a letter he sent off by a canoe to the captain, he told him the wild Englishman was come. I desired William Purser to inform them that I could speak but little English; and though by the conversation I hadwith William Thornbury I had regained some, yet I was frequently puzzled for words to speak freely for several days. Captain Macket soon came on shore, and captain Bloom with him, for here were two ships, the Drake and the Sarah. I gazed at them as intently as if I had never seen a white man dressed before; and what added to the wildness of my appearance, was, that I had nothing on but my lamber; my skin being swarthy and full of freckles, and my hair long and matted together, I really made a frightful figure; but they soon restored me to my original form, Mr Hill cut my hair off, and ordered me to be shaved, and dressed in a neat seaman’s habit, light and fit for the country. The captain asked me what ransom was expected for my freedom? I told him nothing but a gun for a present, to be kept in remembrance of me. He thereupon picked out a handsome and very good Buccaneer gun, as also some powder, flints, and case of spirits, as a present to Rer Moume. He gave likewise knives and beads to his two men, and a small gun to the messengers who went for me. For my own part, I presented the captain with my slave Anthony. After this he gave me the following letter from my father.
“To Robert Drury, on the island of Madagascar.“Loughborough, February 27th, 1715.“Son Robert Drury,
“To Robert Drury, on the island of Madagascar.“Loughborough, February 27th, 1715.“Son Robert Drury,
“To Robert Drury, on the island of Madagascar.“Loughborough, February 27th, 1715.“Son Robert Drury,
“To Robert Drury, on the island of Madagascar.
“Loughborough, February 27th, 1715.
“Son Robert Drury,
“I am informed by one Mr Thornbury, that he left you in health on the island of Madagascar, which I was glad to hear; my very good friend, Mr Terry, hath a friend, commander of a ship, the bearer hereof, that hath promised to do all he can to get you your liberty; I therefore desire you to do the captain all the service you can in the country; and so doing you will oblige our good friend Mr Terry, and your ever-loving father till death,
“John Drury.”
“John Drury.”
“John Drury.”
“John Drury.”
About three days after I went on board; but the sea and change of diet made me very sick for some time; after which the two captains went to Rer Trimmonongarevo,and I with them, in order to settle some matters in relation to the trade. It is a general custom all over the island for the king of each place to make terms, and settle one universal price, to which all the people are obliged to conform; and this method is, doubtless, not only very commodious, but prevents all quarrels and disorders. They presented the king with a fine gun, gilt and japanned. I was the interpreter, and though I carried on the correspondence, my dress had so altered me in these few days’ time, that he had no notion who I was, till upon inquiry who that Englishman was who spake so well their language, he was told it was Robin.
A few days after, there came messengers from Rer Moume, desiring the captains to come up the river Mernee, for he had a great many slaves to sell, but being lame he could not take a long journey; however, he would come down to the banks of that river, to a town near enough for trade. It was agreed that the Sarah should go, so they ordered a long-boat out to sound before them; I went on board, and we sailed with a gentle gale, but could find no convenient harbour or road in the mouth of the Mernee; however, there was a convenient place for anchoring, in a saltwater river, about three leagues on this side; from whence the two captains and myself went up in the boat a considerable way, till a canoe took us in and carried us to the town, where Rer Moume with his wives and people were waiting for us. Until I kneeled and kissed his knee, he did not know me, for my behaviour and grateful acknowledgments for his past favours, he and they soon recollected me, and were extremely glad to see me. Here we continued five days successively, bought all the slaves they had, and agreed to send our long-boat once a week as long as we stayed; and then they went on board, weighed anchor, and returned to their former road at Yong-Owl, where there arrived that very day a third ship, that belonged to the same owners, called the Mercury, captain White commander; he had eight or nine natives of Dillagoe inAfrica on board him, who lived very merrily; they were all freemen, and went with him the whole voyage, six of whom lived to see their native country the next voyage he took, in which I was with him. Soon after this a ketch came in, which was fitted out in order to cruise off the coast, and be serviceable in several affairs; captain Henry Macket, the captain’s brother, was the commander of her; another ship was still expected, but she did not arrive till we were at Masseleege, otherwise called Munnongaro; they now agreed to separate for the more speedy despatch of business. Captain Bloom accordingly had his choice, which was to go to Port Dauphine, and captain Macket to Masseleege, where we arrived in a week’s time, and went several leagues up a great river, called Munnonbaugher; we had a fisherman for our pilot, who informed us that the king’s town was but about three hours’ journey up the country. The captain asked me, if I would venture to go there; I readily answered, that I would, and that I was not apprehensive of any danger; so the fisherman setting us ashore we went forward. Before we had gone far from the shore, the fisherman told me the king was gone out to war. Whereupon I flew into a great passion, asking him why he imposed upon us; he said the king’s wives would trade with us. I told him, we did not want provisions; and as for slaves they had no authority to dispose of them. The man, however, prevailed on me to go to their town, assuring me that four white men lived there, who came from the island of St. Mary’s. “Then, I presume, they are robbers of ships,” said I. “No,” he replied, “not now, for they have lived there several years; their names are captain Burgess, Zachary, John Pro, and Nick.” So I walked forwards with my gun on my shoulder, and the man carried another. I had also several knives and beads, which the captain gave me to buy provisions with, though I knew how to live without buying any victuals, yet I took them, as thinking they would be agreeable presents.
When I arrived at the town, a man ran before andinformed the king’s head consort, whom I shall call queen, that a ship was arrived, and that one of the white men was coming to see her. At my arrival, a mat was ready placed for me to sit down on; no sooner was I seated, than I heard the queen ask for some of the white men to be interpreters between us, and one ran that moment to fetch them. I soon convinced her, however, that I wanted no assistants, and delivered my message, as ambassador from the captain, saying, “I was afraid no trade could be carried on, as the king was absent.” She said, “she expected him in a fortnight, and as there was a great number of slaves to be sold, she desired me to prevail on the captain to stay till his return.” By this time, came in two white men abreast, making a formidable and hostile figure; upon which I cocked my gun, laid the other by me, and planted myself directly before them. One was John Pro, a Dutchman, who spoke good English; he was dressed in a short coat with broad plate-buttons, and other things answerable, but without either shoes or stockings. In his sash, he had stuck a brace of pistols, and held one in his hand. The other was in an English dress, and had two pistols in his sash, and one in his hand, like his companion; they spoke to me in English, with the usual compliment, which I returned; but Nick looked me wishfully in the face, and after a short pause, took hold of my hand, saying, “Robert Drury, how have you done these many years? My name is Nicholas Dove,” said he, “I am one of the four boys who were saved with you when our ship’s company were massacred in Anterndroea; and the very same of whom no tidings could be given in the conference between deaan Crindo and king Samuel.” Upon this, I went home with them after I had finished with the queen, in order to know whether captain Macket would think proper to stay so long or not. John Pro assured me it would certainly be well worth his while; that there were a great number of slaves whom they wanted to dispose of; that the king, deaan Toke-offu, was a very honest fair-dealing man, as well as a great prince, and wouldreturn in a short time, though not so soon, he feared, as the queen said. They were gone to encounter with a king to the northward, and about five or six thousand of them went all the way up the river in canoes, that were large enough to contain about thirty men a piece, with their proper accommodations in them, to make fires and dress victuals, and such as I had never seen any where else. I wrote a letter to the captain the next morning, and sent it by the fisherman, in which I gave him a full and particular account of what had passed. In his answer, he desired me to send some men to carry him up to the town on their shoulders, in a hammock affixed to two poles.
John Pro lived in a very decent manner, and his house was furnished with pewter dishes, a standing-bed with curtains, and all other things of the like nature, except chairs; a chest or two, however, served for that use well enough. He had an outhouse on purpose for his cook-room, and cook-slave’s lodging, storehouse, and summer house; all these were enclosed in a palisade, as most of the great men’s houses are in this country; for he was rich, had many cattle, and several slaves. Nicholas Dove, indeed, was not near so rich. In the evening came captain Burgess and Zachary: I soon understood that these were the sloop’s crew, to which Arnold and Eglasse the Dutchman belonged; and, therefore, gave them the best account I could of their fortune in Feraignher.
Nicholas Dove, however, told me more than I knew before, viz.—That he ran away and got to Port Dauphine; that after the expiration of two years, he got to Mattatanna Road, in a large canoe, and there entered himself on board a pirate, that cruised principally among the Moors, from whom they frequently took great riches, and carried them to St. Mary’s. This place having a good harbour, they made it their settlement and general rendezvous. It is a small island, but three leagues from Madagascar, in the latitude of 16 deg. 33 min. south; but as their ship grew old and crazy, and none of the Moorish ships, whichthey had taken, were fit for their business, they being also vastly rich, they removed to Madagascar, made one Thomas Collins, a carpenter, their governor, and built a small fort, which they defended with their ship’s guns; but here they led most licentious and profligate lives, stealing whatever they could come at, and ravishing the wives and daughters of the natives: living by this means for some time in a state of perpetual war. Upon this, I could not forbear reflecting that deaan Mernaugha was not so much to be blamed in ordering Eglasse to be killed for threatening him; since he had, doubtless, a competent knowledge by some means or another, to what a crew of vile abandoned wretches he once belonged. Nicholas Dove said, they had not gone out a pirating for nine years successively, contenting themselves with building a sloop by this governor’s assistance, and soon after left him and others, and settled here, where they had continued ever since. By him I understood that Mr Bembo got safe to England; but captain Drummond was killed before he could get off the island, though the particular manner and occasion, he could not inform me; but they told me one remarkable piece of news, namely,—that this captain Drummond was the very man, for whose murder, and his crews, one captain Green, commander of an East India ship, was hanged in Scotland; whether it be truth or not, I cannot determine. All I know of the case I have already related, and can only observe, that the time, the name, and the circumstances of his being here, where no news of him could be had for several years, give just grounds for the supposition. But to return to my history.
The queen sent me a calf for a present, and I in return, gave her a few knives and beads; I went to the shore with John Pro, to welcome the captain to the town. His surgeon, one Mr Strahan, was with him. The queen entertained them as elegantly as she could, and mutual presents passed in form.
We returned that evening to the ship, and built a house the next day for the more commodious carryingon of trade. The natives perceiving we were determined to stay, they built several others near it, to accommodate us with rice, milk, fruits, and other necessaries. I went frequently up to the town to hear what news I could, but it was a month or more before the people came back from the wars; they came down the river in canoes, as they went up, and met with great success. At length the king arrived with the corpse of his brother, who was killed in the fight. He deferred his burial for nearly a fortnight, till he had settled all his affairs with us, and had given audience likewise to his brother’s ambassadors, who were waiting for him.
As soon as captain Macket heard of his return, he came up to town again with a large retinue, and his trumpeter sounding before him. They went to J. Pro’s house whilst I attended on the king, with whom I had some very familiar conversation, as he had often heard of me; in the conclusion whereof, he told me that he desired the captain’s patience till he had sent for his people about him, and put himself in due order to receive him, which, in about two hours’ time, he did; and then all we white men, as well captain Burgess, and the rest, as those who came with us, marched two abreast, the trumpeter sounding before the captain, having a crowd of black mob after us; the shells blowing, and the drums beating at the same time in the king’s palisade by way of compliment. As deaan Toke-offu well knew how to treat white men, he had ordered two stools for the captain and surgeon to sit upon. After the mutual compliments were reciprocally passed, I being their interpreter, the manner of trade was soon settled and adjusted; and then the captain made a present to the king of a gun or two, &c., and the king presented him with a slave, &c. He gave me likewise a girl of twelve years old, whom I sold immediately to John Pro. The captain had thoughts of taking his leave this afternoon, but the king prevailed on him to stay till the next day, in order to make his court look the more grand when he received the ambassadors.
Accordingly, the next day, we were seated in order,when the ambassadors came with a numerous retinue, making just such an entry as Rer Vove did before his grandfather, when he returned from the wars. Some capering as they advanced, and firing their guns, and then retreating; others advancing in their places and doing the same. When the principal ambassador approached, he kneeled upon one knee, and licked the king’s knee, saying—
“Tyhew an deaan Unghorra en Zaftana Lohefute.”That is,—“The Supreme God bless the progeny of deaan Lohefute.”
“Tyhew an deaan Unghorra en Zaftana Lohefute.”That is,—“The Supreme God bless the progeny of deaan Lohefute.”
“Tyhew an deaan Unghorra en Zaftana Lohefute.”That is,—“The Supreme God bless the progeny of deaan Lohefute.”
“Tyhew an deaan Unghorra en Zaftana Lohefute.”
That is,—
“The Supreme God bless the progeny of deaan Lohefute.”
Others came after him, repeating the same words. This done, business was now no more talked of, but the remainder of the day was spent in compliments and drinking of toake; but our captain took his leave, and made all the haste he could to despatch the affairs of trade. The next day they sent down several slaves to sell, and captain Macket fitted up Burgess’s sloop, and sent her to fetch the ketch from Yong-Owl; during which time, the Henry, captain Harvey, commander, arrived; a ship of five hundred tons’ burthen. While we continued here, deaan Toke-offu’s brother was buried, and all the natives shaved off their hair, which is the usual manner of their public mourning all over the island; and he who does not comply with this, is looked upon as disaffected to the government. When a private person dies, the friends and relations only do it.
It was about the middle of October when we arrived here, and the 24th of November before the king returned; but by the beginning of January, we had purchased more than our cargo of slaves, so we left part of them with the Henry, which remained after us. We sailed from the river Munnonbaugher in Munnongaro, or Masseleege, and arrived at Yong-Owl, where captain White was trading, not having then got his complement of slaves. On the 20th of January we departed from thence, and bid adieu to the island of Madagascar.
We did not touch at the Cape of Good Hope, but at St Helena, where I went ashore, and took all the care I could of the slaves who were sick. From thence we went to Barbadoes, where we stayed a week, then weighed, and sailed to Jamaica, where we delivered our cargo. The captain was not only tender of me whilst on board, but supplied me with money likewise at every port we came to, though by the little knowledge I had of its use, I committed several mistakes, which were subjects of laughter and merriment. As to liquors, I could scarce relish any, since I had lost toake, to which I had been so long accustomed. I was taken sick here, which proved very chargeable; but the captain sent me ashore, where, by his kind orders, I wanted for nothing. Whilst we were here, the Mercury, captain White from Madagascar arrived, but we were ready to sail with the fleet, under convoy of the Winchelsea, which was a forty-gun ship. On the 5th of July, we departed from Jamaica, beating through the windward passage. Under the Crooked Islands we saw two sloops, which the Winchelsea endeavoured to speak with, and imagining them to be pirates, struck his pendant, in order to look like a merchant ship, which deceived them so far, that the largest sloop gave chase, and hoisted a black ensign and jack; but finding her mistake, thought proper to alter her course, and stand in for the land again. Though the man-of-war could not follow her, yet our captain, whose ship was a good sailer, and mounted sixteen guns, did, and exchanged several broadsides with her. He stood close under the land, and as night came on, got away from us, but had the assurance to rob two of the stern-most ships in the fleet. Moreover, they threatened to tie captain Macket to the main-mast of his ship, and burn him, if ever they met with him again.
Not long after this we had the misfortune to run foul of the Winchelsea, which, tacking about unexpectedly, staved our bow to the water’s edge, and carried our foremast quite away; the man-of-war lost his head and sprit-sail-yard. We must all have been inevitablylost had the sea run high, but by good providence it was fair weather; so by the assistance of the Winchelsea’s crew and some others, we kept the water out, but were forced to go back to the Crooked Islands, and they accompanied us, where by the help of them, and some other ships, our breach being made up, we proceeded on our voyage; and on Saturday, September 9, 1717, arrived in the Downs, after I had been absent from my native country sixteen years and about nine months. Here, by the captain’s direction, I went ashore, he having first supplied me with what was necessary for my journey to London; yet did I not set forward till I had returned God thanks in the most solemn manner for my safe arrival, and for my deliverance from the many dangers I had escaped, and from the miseries I had so long undergone.
It may not be improper in this place to inform my readers by what a wonderful providence my father came to hear of my being alive in Madagascar. My brother was one day at the Crown alehouse, at Cherrygarden-stairs, in Rotherhithe, where William Thornbury was in the next box; and hearing him talk of that island to his friend, he said, he had a brother cast away there several years before, and should be glad to hear some tidings of him. Thornbury replied, he had never seen but one white man upon the island, and his name he had forgotten. My brother thereupon mentioned several names, and at last Robert Drury, which Thornbury no sooner heard, but said, that was it, and that his father lived at the King’s-head, in the Old Jewry.
When I came to London, (it being Sunday about three o’clock in the afternoon,) I thought it improper to go in sermon-time to the King’s-head, in the Old Jewry, the house in which my father lived before he retired into the country, but went to the Bell alehouse, (then the British coffeehouse,) at the lower end, and desired to be admitted; assuring the master I was but just come on shore. He seeing me in a sea jacket, and hearing me speak in broken English, took me for a foreigner, and let me in; asking me what countrymanI was, and from whence I came? I told him an Englishman, which at first he would scarcely believe, till he recollected me by the questions I asked; namely, who kept the King’s-head? Whether John Drury did not keep it some years ago? He told me, that John Drury went to live in the country, and left it to his brother William, who died some time since; and that his widow kept the house. “How!” said I, “is William Drury dead?” “Yes,” answered he, “and John Drury his brother too died about a year ago.” This news so dejected me, that I burst out into tears, and afterwards bemoaned my hard fate before him; by this he perceived who I was, having heard of my being abroad, and of my friends expecting me soon in England. Hereupon he asked me, if my name was not Drury? I answered, it was, and that I had been unfortunate for many years; I was like to continue so, since my father was dead. As an addition to my sorrow, he told me, moreover, that my mother died with grief not long after she heard of our shipwreck, and that my father had married again. After sermon I went to the King’s-head, where they soon discovered who I was, and were overjoyed to see me; and there I had a full account of our whole family affairs. I found my father had left me two hundred pounds, and also the reversion of a house at Stoke Newington, then in the occupation of Mr Richard Beardsley. I stayed in town till I had visited all the friends I could remember, and then went to Loughborough to see my sister, and other relations, where I met with a very friendly reception, after they imagined I had been lost so many years before.
As soon as I had settled my affairs there, I returned to London. Captain Macket continued still as kind to me as ever, and said he would take care of me if things did not answer my expectations. He asked me to go with him again to Madagascar, but I had then agreed to live with a relation in the capacity of clerk, or bookkeeper. After captain Macket was gone, and things did not answer as I expected, I agreed with captainWhite, captain Macket’s friend, who was bound for Madagascar likewise, to go the voyage with him, and assist him in the trade, which my knowledge of the language and customs of the country had sufficiently qualified me for. So having left all my effects in a friend’s hands (except what I thought proper to take with me) I went on board the Mercury, and we sailed from the Downs, September 13, 1718.