Kitabı oku: «Journal of Voyages», sayfa 6
CHAPTER X
The bite of many of the snakes of this country is so poisonous as to cause death in a few hours. During my residence at the Lagoon I was visited by an Indian admiral, named Drummer, who resided at Sandy Bay, some forty miles north of the Lagoon; he related the following story, which happened a few weeks before. "He sent an Indian slave to his plantain walk, distant two or three miles, to cut some bread-stuffs; not returning that night, he the next morning sent his son-in-law to look after the slave. He not returning, the following morning a number of the inhabitants proceeded to the plantain walk, where they found the dead bodies of the two men, and the snake which had caused their death lying near them."
Some hurricanes occasionally visit this coast, which destroy their crops of bread-stuffs, and cause temporary famine in certain districts.
While cruising along the coast some months after the occurrence of one of these tornadoes, I landed within a few miles of the residence of Admiral Hammer, in company with a man named Benjamin Downs, who was well acquainted with the admiral. We proceeded to his house and asked for something to eat, when he told us his bread-stuffs had all been destroyed by a gale of wind, and addressed Downs as follows: "Ben Downs, don't you think the Almighty little bit too bad this time?" "Why, and what do you mean?" asked Downs. The admiral replied, "He send too much strong breeze and broke all the plantain walk."
The country is infested with numerous insects, &c. such as mosquittoes, sand-flies, fire-ants, chigoes, centipedes, scorpions, cock-roaches, and an immense number of alligators. The ground in many places is overrun with large ants, called the travelling army, which destroy whole fields of vegetation. It is also infested by insects called dog-fleas, which are a great annoyance at night; and the sea-coast abounds with sharks of a very large size.
To give the reader a short description of the country and inhabitants I shall quote from a late writer. "The Musquittoes are a small nation of Indians, never conquered by the Spaniards, the country being so situated as to render any attempts against them impracticable; for they are surrounded on all sides by land, by morasses or impassable mountains, and by sea with shoals and rocks; besides, they have such an implacable hatred to the Spaniards, for inhumanity and cruelty in destroying many millions of their neighbors, that they would never have any correspondence with them; for whenever they sent any missionaries or other agents amongst them, they hid them, that is, put them to death. The king has little more than the title, unless the nation is at war; having no revenues, and few prerogatives; being obliged in time of peace to fish and fowl for the support of himself and family. He hath indeed some distinction shown him, and now and then presents made him by the governor of Jamaica, and the English traders, who frequently touch and trade there."
I occupied my time in selling goods and purchasing shell, skins, gums, &c. and during my leisure hours partook of the sports of the Indians, that I might pass away the time as agreeably as my situation would admit of, not knowing how I could get away from the country, as the English traders [the only people who visited the Musquittoes] had agreed never to carry me to Jamaica, or take any letters that would assist me to get to my family, fearing I should become a rival in the trade, and be the means of introducing others into it.
About the first of November a Captain Humphreys, one of the Jamaica traders, arrived in the harbor, and came on shore and took supper with me. The Indian ladies got up a ball on the occasion. After dancing was over, Captain H. and myself took a walk together. During which he said to me, "Dunham, your case is a hard one, the old English traders on this coast, myself among them, have agreed never to carry you to Jamaica, or to assist you to get away from here, or take any letters from you to Jamaica or elsewhere, notwithstanding we consider you a very clever fellow; but if we assist you to get home, you will lead down twenty Yankee traders and destroy our business with the Indians." Captain H. appeared to possess the feelings that one seaman should have for another, and continued, "Dunham, if you can get ready to go with me in two days I will carry you to Jamaica; but I will not carry your shell, or any other articles you have bought of the Indians." I expressed my sincere thanks for his kind offer, but told him I did not wish to be taken there for nothing; that I had money, and was willing to give him one hundred dollars for my passage. I informed him that I had kept one half barrel of pork and a case of gin hid away for some months, intending to purchase a large canoe with them to carry me to the Bay of Honduras, if no other conveyance offered. He refused to accept any compensation whatever for my passage.
The next day I packed up my shell, amounting to five hundred and seventy-two pounds, and the remnants of my goods, and sent them thirty miles up the river Waa-waa-han to be left with my worthy old French friend, Mr. Ellis. I then called on my landlord for his bill for the rent of my store, and board for two or three months. He laughed at my being so simple as to suppose he would charge anything for it, and peremptorily refused; but as he was indebted to me for goods, I deducted forty dollars from his account, which he reluctantly accepted. The vessel being now ready for sea, the inhabitants of the village all escorted me to the beach, bringing me many presents of fruits, and shaking me by the hand, with downcast eyes bade me a hearty farewell.
Captain H. had to proceed to the coast of St. Blas to settle with his traders, having left goods with three or four Indians, at different settlements, to sell for him. This circuitous route made the distance to Jamaica five or six hundred miles further, stopping at a number of places on the Musquitto Shore, viz: St. John's River, Boco Toro and Crekimala, where we took on board a quantity of sarsaparilla and sundry other articles, and then proceeded to St. Blas. On our arrival there we were visited by a large number of Indians in canoes, who commenced trading with us. One of them acting as clerk took charge of the goods and dealt them out to the others by fathoming them off with his arms, this being their custom of measuring cloth. The goods being mostly staple articles, the prices there seldom varied. Shell had a fixed price of one dollar per pound. The captain paid little attention to the trade. A small pump was left in a hogshead of rum, from which the clerk filled the bottle and passed it round as often as it was called for, and every few hours he would call the captain and give him a handful of money, saying, "Here is so much," which he would put in his pocket, neither of them counting it, nor would the captain ask anything about the trade. Often the captain and myself took a canoe and went off fishing, leaving fifty or sixty Indians on board dealing with the clerk, who had the sole control of the trade. When we had finished trading at one place the Indians piloted us to another harbor on the coast, where we proceeded in the same manner. We sailed along the coast more than one hundred miles, touching and trading at the different towns. Two of the natives took passage with us for Jamaica, where we arrived about the first of December. Here I tasted bread for the first time in eight months, having lived on Indian bread-stuffs during that time, and seldom thinking of any other, being well satisfied with that food. On our arrival at Montego Bay the captain took me home to his house, and treated me very politely.
Soon after my arrival in Jamaica I found a brig bound to Baltimore, and took passage in her; I arrived there after a voyage of twenty-five days, and sailed for New-York, where I had an interview with my owners, and obtained a furlough from them for a few days, that I might visit my family; after which I returned to New-York and proceeded back to the Musquitto Shore.
CHAPTER XI.
Sloop Governor Tompkins
In February, 1817, I took charge of the Sloop Governor Tompkins, of thirty-four tons, belonging to the same owners that the Biddle did; being promoted two tons in the size of the vessel. I took on board an assorted cargo, bound for Old Providence, Corn Island, and Musquitto Shore. I took with me a young man named Samuel B. Warner, to serve as clerk of our store at Pearl Key Lagoon, where I intended to resume the trade I had left. My crew consisted of a mate, two seamen, and a cook. In the Gulf-stream we encountered a violent gale of wind, shipped a heavy sea, which swept our deck and washed the cook overboard, and I never saw him again. I made a passage of seventeen days to Old Providence, where I met with a heavy sale of goods; from thence I went to Corn Island, and to Pearl Key Lagoon. There I hired part of an Indian house, landed some goods, and Mr. Warner opened a store. From thence I sailed for Cape Gracios a Dios, and visited the king, who entertained me with a ball and other amusements. I then proceeded back to the Lagoon, touching and trading at Sandy Bay, where I was visited by a large number of Indians, who brought on board tortoise-shell, tiger-skins, deer-skins, India rubber, gum copal, &c. which I bought in exchange for goods. The chiefs and their subjects got very drunk on the occasion, and as it was difficult to suppress the quarrels that arose among them, I was obliged to get my vessel under weigh to rid myself of them. I returned to the Lagoon, where Mr. Warner had opened a very good trade with the Indians, and appeared well pleased with the country.
I hired three Indians to man my canoe, and took a trip up the river Waa-waa-han, to visit my old friend Mr. Ellis, with whom I had left the tortoise-shell and other articles previous to my embarking with Captain Humphreys for Jamaica. On my passage up the river I called on Mr. Gough, an Englishman, whom I have spoken of in a former chapter; I remained but a few hours with him, having but little leisure to view his plantation, which had the appearance of a good soil, but lacked cultivation. When I arrived at the house of Mr. Ellis I was received with a hearty welcome, and treated with the best the country afforded. After taking some refreshments we took a walk over his grounds, which were well cultivated, having a beautiful orange walk, with two rows of trees set out in straight lines for nearly half a mile, forming a most delightfully shaded road. I purchased two or three tons of coffee from him, which he had raised on his place, and kept on hand for want of purchasers, the Jamaica traders always refusing to buy it. He told me he had plenty of cattle on his premises, which could be made very useful in clearing the ground, by breaking them in to work with ploughs. I told him to make out a memorandum, and I would bring him out ploughs, chains, ox-yokes and such other articles as he wanted. He gave me a list of what he needed, which I furnished him on the next voyage, when he broke in his cattle, cleared up new lands, and used his ploughs with very good success for many years afterwards. Mr. Ellis agreed to send my shell, goods, and coffee, down to the Lagoon in canoes, which promise he punctually performed. I remained with him during that night. In the morning, soon after I arose, I heard the bellowing of a cow near the house, and running out of the door a laughable scene attracted my attention. Mr. Ellis had domesticated a large ring-tailed monkey, and raised a long pole near the house, on the top of which was put a box for the monkey to sleep in; having fixed a small chain around his neck, with the end fast to the pole, jocko was furnished sufficient length of chain to go up and down at his pleasure. Mr. Ellis kept two or three docile milch cows about his premises, and one of them having ventured near the monkey's pole, he ran down and seized the end of her tail, taking a couple of turns round the pole and holding fast to the end of her switcher; the poor cow struggled and bellowed to get her liberty, but jocko held on until his master appeared with a cane, when he reluctantly gave up his sport.
I took leave of my old friend and proceeded down the river. The weather being clear and warm, the woods and banks swarmed with macaws, parrots, bill-birds, and others of variegated plumage. An immense number of monkeys, chattering and jumping from one tree to another with great rapidity, formed a most pleasing and lively scene; added to which was the fragrance of countless flowers.
I arrived at the Lagoon that evening. The next day I took my coffee, shell, &c. on board, arranged my business with Warner, took leave of my Indian friends, and sailed for home.
Nothing very material happened on the way except contrary winds, which prolonged our passage. We arrived in New-York after an absence of one hundred and one days from the time we left that city, having made a profitable little voyage, which always procures a captain a good reception from all concerned in it. I then returned to Catskill, where I found my family and friends all well. Finding the Tompkins too small and uncomfortable, I requested the owners to purchase a larger craft. After remaining six days with my family, I received a letter from them, saying they had exchanged the Tompkins for a more commodious vessel, and requesting me to come to New-York as soon as circumstances would permit. Two days after the receipt of the letter I arrived there.
CHAPTER XII.
Schooner Price. – First Voyage
About the last of May, 1817, my former owners of the Biddle and Tompkins purchased the Schooner Price, built at Baltimore, sixty-eight tons burden. On my last two voyages I found all the harbors along the Spanish Main so destructive to a wood-bottomed vessel, that in a few months it would be entirely destroyed. The fresh water emptying into the sea at these places make the water brackish, which increases the quantity of worms. The Price being iron fastened, obliged us to cover her bottom with zinc instead of copper, which was accomplished in a few days. We then put an assorted cargo on board suited to that market.
On the second day of June I sailed from New-York, bound to Old Providence, St. Andrews, Corn Island, and Musquitto Shore. Nothing worthy of notice took place on the passage. We arrived at Old Providence in seventeen days, where I commenced a brisk trade. The inhabitants urgently requested me to give them a ball. I had on board a drummer and a cook who played the flute; they had a fiddler and triangle player on shore. I complied with their request, they agreeing to make all the necessary arrangements, as my time was occupied in selling goods, (such as calicoes, jackonets, muslins, shoes, ribbons, jewelry, cologne water, pomatum, beads, liquors, &c.) having an invoice of one hundred and sixty different articles to be sold at retail. During the day the managers of the ball came on board, and I furnished them with coffee, sugar, crackers, cheese, &c. Soon after sunset I went on shore, where I found a motley group of English, Spanish, and Curracoa natives of all colors. I was introduced to a young white lady as a partner, who had been educated in Jamaica, and understood the rules of country dances. According to the custom of the place, the person giving a ball is expected to lead the figure during the whole night. I conformed to the fashion of course. On examining the room, I soon found it had no floor, but being an old sailor, thought I could beat my way, which I accomplished in as gallant a manner as did Lord Nelson when he fought through the combined fleet.
I had a trunk full of sheep skin morocco ladies' shoes on board, which cost at auction thirty-one cents per pair, I sold most of them here at two dollars per pair; many of them were danced out in one night. I sold many other articles at about the same per centage.
By the custom of the Island, every person invited to a ball must give one in return. One of the ladies who attended my ball gave one two nights after. Her outlay for goods bought from me was over sixty dollars.
Two or three days after the second ball I sailed for St. Andrews, where we arrived the same evening. Immediately on our anchoring a large number of the inhabitants of the Island came on board, ours being the first American vessel they had seen there in fourteen years. I commenced a heavy trade with them. This Island contains three times the population of Old Providence. As these Islanders had heard that I gave a ball at Providence, it would not do to refuse them one. It being agreed upon, I told them to appoint their own managers, and then send on board and get such articles as they required to treat their company with, not wishing to be annoyed until they were ready; and as I was a stranger, I did not want to have anything to do with giving the invitations. At the appointed hour I went on shore, a horse and servant were waiting to convey me to the ball-room, where I found a polished English lady, who was to act as my partner, and lead the figure during the night, which I was compelled to submit to until the ball ended. There was a floor in the ball-room here, which made our dancing less laborious. We kept it up briskly until 12 o'clock, and then partook of some refreshments. We then recommenced dancing, and kept perseveringly at it until sunrise next morning. But my trouble had just commenced. More than one half of the free inhabitants were colored, whom I afterward found to be my best customers, none of whom had been invited to the ball except an old man, by the name of Bent, the wealthiest man on the Island, owning about ninety slaves, whom the whites dare not overlook. I satisfied the colored people that it was no fault of mine that they had not received an invitation to my ball, at the same time treating them with the greatest politeness, inviting them on board to partake of refreshments. They, in order to be revenged on their white neighbors, gave a ball two or three nights afterward, passing a resolution that no white man except Captain Dunham should be invited.
At the appointed time a horse and waiter were sent to convey me to the dance, which I knew it was my interest to attend. On arriving at the place I found everything in good order, and was received with the most facinating flourishes of high life, and introduced to a partner three-fourths white, dressed in silk. I was called upon again to lead the figure for the night. At 12 o'clock partook of refreshments, and retired at four next morning, highly delighted with my prowess in dancing.
By this introduction I secured all the trade of the colored population, and retained it until I left, which was several years after the dance.
We next sailed for Corn Island, having parted with all the inhabitants, both white and black, on the most friendly terms. We arrived in two days, and commenced trade, as usual; we procured hogs, poultry, and fruits in abundance. Our trade was unexpectedly interrupted by a gale of wind which parted my largest cable. I lost the anchor, was driven over a reef of rocks, broke the rudder, and found myself at sea in a gale, which lasted about three days; after which we rigged a spar to act as a substitute for a rudder, by which means we regained the harbor. There we repaired the damage, and sailed for Pearl Key Lagoon, where I found Mr. Warner in good health and spirits, and my Indian friends overjoyed to see me. I landed many goods here, that I might get at my assortment and recruit our store, and sold some articles to the inhabitants.
We then sailed for Cape Gracios a Dios. On our arrival, the king, who had built himself a new house, came on board, with some of his admirals and other great men, whom I treated with liquor until they were all badly intoxicated. I bartered some goods in exchange for shell, skins, gums, &c. and proceeded down along the coast to Bluefields, touching and trading at the different harbors, and then returned to the Lagoon, where I landed the remainder of my goods at our store, and then sailed for New-York. Nothing material happening on the passage, I shall omit a description of it. On arriving in the city I was well received by my owners and friends, having made a prosperous voyage. After discharging my cargo, I visited my family in Catskill, where I spent ten days, and then returned to New-York to prepare for another voyage.
