The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane
Page 55
CHAPTER LV.
WE GO DOWN THE META, MY DEAR LADY AND I--THE PLEASANTEST JAUNT HEART OFMAN COULD DESIRE.
We set out from the River Cauca with the whole tribe of those Ingas, theeffects, and the captive women and spoil taken from the Portugals; forthey were still minded to raise their people to carry war into thestrong-holds of their enemies, and counted to bring other tribes totheir intent by a display of their force, and the trophies of theirvictory. And so in a long line, with the ablest men to the fore spyingthe way, we traveled painfully through the desert wilds, crossing theRiver Magdalena by a tolerable ford, besides many mountains and valleysof prodigious proportions; for there is no country in the world wherethe mountains are so high and steep, and the valleys so deep and bushy,I do think; and how we made our way, yet keeping a fairly true course,is a mystery to me, for one half the time we never saw the sky for theumbrage of trees and the other half never a blade of grass for the stonybarrenness of the rocks.
At the end of six weeks and three days we came to the great River Meta,which was as long again as the Ingas do usually take for that journey,by reason that in many places a way had to be hewn for the passage ofthe mules, where the Indians might readily have slipped through in theirnakedness. However, though by this delay we lost in one respect we madeprofit by it in another; for not only did my Lady Biddy and I pick upenough of their words to make ourselves understood, which later onserved us in good stead, but also we learnt great store of things, forwant of which we might have been sorely pestered when we had no hands tohelp us but our own. Thus we learnt to make excellent bread from theroot of the _cassavy_--which, made properly, is as good as any loaf ofwheat flour, and yet for want of proper attention may poison you so thatyou die of it in an hour. Also they showed me how to make a canoe withthe bark of a tree, sewn up at each end, and smeared over with the gumof _caoutchoucona_, a most admirable natural juice, which hardensquickly, and is as water-tight as any Sweden pitch. Likewise, to ourgreat comfort, we were shown a sweet-smelling herb called _caccanowa_,from which issues a thin oil that no flies or insects can abide; so thatby rubbing the skin therewith one may sleep all night and never once bebitten by any scorpion, moskitaw, or ant. And besides this we learnttheir mode of kindling fire, which is ten times better than our fashionof striking flint and steel together; and this they do by making anengine of two pieces of cane like a child's popgun, only that the endsof these canes are open at one end and closed at the other. In thebottom of the bigger cane they put a store of powdered touchwood; thenslipping in the smaller cane, which serves as a rammer, they give it asmart blow with the hand, and this sets fire to the tinder, though ashow it passes my comprehension. In short, we picked up more knowledge ofherbs, fruits, flowers, birds, beasts, and fishes, with the diversmanners of rearing them, with properties of others things, their uses,etc., in those six weeks than I could describe fairly in six months, andso will I go back to my history.
Being come to the Meta, as I say, we made our way to the village ofthose Ingas who were friendly with ours, and there we were very wellreceived. With them we stayed two days, during which time I showed themthe use of the muskets taken from the Portugals, which I had not donebefore because of wasting the munitions, and in return they gave us asmuch information as they possessed with regard to descending the river,bidding us beware of certain falls which would certainly be our ruinunless we escaped them by drawing our boat through the woods from theupper river to the lower, and also counseling us to find a suitableshelter as soon as the rains threatened to fall; for they reckoned wecould by no means hope to get down even to the Baraquan before the rainyseason began.
Then they chose the largest and fittest canoe they had, and gave it uswith a free heart; and in this, when we were ready to depart, they set(_imprimis_) an ample store of buccan and cassavy cakes; (2) vessels forcooking and drinking; (3) a Portugal sword and knife like those theygave to Matthew; (4) three good bows with strings to spare, a hundredarrows, and a small gourd of poison to envenom the points, which poisonthey do esteem and prize most highly; (5) a gourd of their tinder andtwo popguns, as I will call them for kindling it; (6) two wands, verycuriously wrought with carving of figures, to serve as tokens to othertribes that we were their friends and enemies to all Portugals; (7) twosleeping-nets; (8) a packet of various things, such as medicines againstfevers, bites of serpents, etc.; and (9) a couple of soft woven matswhich these people do use for blankets. And now, when these good, kindfolk had nothing more to give us for our use, they came, every man,woman, and child, and laid their hands on us as a sign of love, so thatour hearts ached as we got into the canoe bidding them farewell, and thetears coursed down Lady Biddy's cheeks as she waved her hand to herlittle friend Wangapona, who, kneeling on the bank by the water-side,covered her face with her hands, as if she could no longer bear to watchone so dearly loved sliding down that river, away, away, never toreturn.
However, though I risk being deemed heartless, I must admit that thisfeeling of regret passed from my breast as soon as the bend of the rivershut the Ingas from our perspective, and in its place sprang a sentimentof gladness and joy that I could scarce contain; for there before me satmy Lady Biddy, radiant with health and beauty, her eyes yet glitteringwith tears, but a gentle smile playing about her sweet cheek as hoperevived her heart, and I knew that for many weeks--ay, months--we mustlive close together; that for long, long days every word of her dearlips must be for my ear, every smile for me, and for me only. My mindwas too enchanted with the prospect of such happiness to dwell on theblank, dreadful misery that must follow when our journey came to an end,and she was restored to her friends. "Why should I plague myself," saysI to myself, "with the future when the present is so lovely? If one isto weep to-morrow, there is more reason in smiling today." Yet,nevertheless, a wicked hope did secretly lie at the bottom of my heartthat ere we reached our journey's end some sudden accident might put anend to both our lives.
'Twas like some pleasant summer holiday jaunt, for the river was broadand smooth, and the current just swift enough to carry us merrilyonward, with no more than a stroke of the paddle now and then to keepthe canoe to her course. On either hand were trees weighed down withstrings of rubies and opals and amethysts, for so those twining wreathsof flowers seemed. In the pools stood wondrous herons; some saffron androsy pink, and other some crimson red; but of the birds that startedfrom the reeds, and those that flew over our heads, there was no end tothe gorgeous tints.
About midday we became conscious of a most delicate sweet scent, and ata sudden turn of the river my dear lady clapped her hands and cried outin delight. Turning about whither her eyes were resting, I spied a wide,deep inlet of the river, where there was but slight movement of thewater, all covered over with green lily leaves, dotted with blooms ofcreamy-white and tender pink, from which that delicate perfume issued.But how shall I tell, and yet be believed for a truthful man, of thewondrous size of these lilies? There was not a bloom that measured lessthan a yard about; and as for the leaves, I have seen no round table sobig, for some of them did measure a good fathom and a half from side toside.
For some time we looked in amaze at this wondrous field of beauty, andthen perceiving a part of that inlet very agreeably shaded with droopingpalmettoes, I thought it would be a vastly proper place to rest in andeat our noon-day meal; and Lady Biddy being also of this opinion, Ishoved the canoe in the midst of these lilies, where she was like tostay as secure as if chained to an anchor, and there we ate and drank,refreshing ourselves at the same time with the delights of this lilyparadise.
When we had feasted to our heart's content, I pushed to the shore, andhaving tied one of the nets betwixt two trees, I begged my lady torepose till the heat of the day was passed.
"'Tis but changing one dream for another, Benet," says she, lying downin her net. So she lay facing the water and looking at the great mothsthat fluttered over the still flowers, with sweet content in her face,till her lids dropped, and she slept.
As soon as I pe
rceived this I got up, for to gratify her wish I had madea pretense of sleeping on the herb at a little distance; and observingthat this grass was exceeding fine and soft, I got my sword and mowedenough to make two good trusses, and these I took down to the canoe andbestowed them in the hinder end. Then pushing out amongst the lilies, Icut me two great leaves of like circumference, which I carried to theshore, and there laying them on the ground back to back, I made shift,with a long thorn for a needle and some stout palmetto fibre for thread,to sew them tightly together, so that it stood on edge very well byreason of the edges being curled up all round half a foot high, and oneleaf supporting the other. Then this I took down to the canoe, andsetting it up crosswise betwixt the two trusses of grass, and furthersecuring it by means of threads from its circumference to the hinder endof the canoe, it kept its place as well as I could wish. By the time Ihad finished this business my Lady Biddy awoke, and coming down to whereI stood looking at my handiwork, she says, "Why, what is that for,Benet?"
"To keep the sun from your back as we go down the river," says I, "andthe sun out of my eyes."
"And the soft grass is a cushion for me to sit on," says she; "sure, noone in the world is so ingenious and thoughtful as you."
But I had another purpose in view for this screen, as I put in practicethat night when we could go no further, and I anchored our canoe in alittle shallow. While Lady Biddy was ashore to get some fruit she had amind to, I set this lily-leaf screen midway in the length of the canoe,which was some twenty feet long, or thereabouts, dividing it, as you maysay, into two chambers, each ten feet long, and duly screened one fromanother; and this screen I secured with strings, so that it could fallneither one way nor t'other. In the hinder half, which was notencumbered with our goods, I strewed one of the trusses of grass, andfrom the other I drew out a good soft armful that I set against thescreen for a pillow.
When my lady came with a leaf full of fruit for our supper, I pointed tothe provision I had made in the boat, and says I:
"There, my lady, is your bed-chamber" (indicating the hinder part), "andhere is mine" (pointing to the fore part).
"That is famous," says she with a little blush. And I think she was themore content for having been troubled in her mind before as to thismatter, as I judged from her silence. So when we had eaten our fruit, Istepped into the shallow, drew the boat hither, and helped my lady tostep into her part. Then I pushed the boat out into the current, whereshe was anchored, and after pressing my lady's hand for a good-night, Istepped into my part of the boat and lay me down with a feeling ofboundless joyful gratitude in my heart, such as I never felt therebefore. To think that she lay quite close to me, with naught but alily-leaf betwixt her dear head and mine, was enough to distract myreason.
Though we had said good-night, Lady Biddy continued to chat some time,and from her cheerful, sprightly tone it was clear that she made herpreparations for the night without fear; but, Lord, I do believe, hadthere been no screen betwixt us, she had been as secure from myobservation, for I would have torn the eyes from my head rather thandestroy the dainty image of virgin modesty that was hallowed in mybreast.