The Privateer's-Man, One hundred Years Ago

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER VI.

  I am given as a Slave to the old King's Favourite, Whyna--Assist my young Mistress to make her Toilet--Hold frequent Conversations with her, and become strongly attached to her--My Hatred and Dread of the old King increase--He shoots a Man with Bird-arrows.

  One morning, after we had been about three weeks in these comfortablequarters, I was summoned away from my companions into the presence ofthe king. When I came before him a small manacle was fixed round myleft ankle, and another round my left wrist, with a light chainconnecting the two. A circle of feathers was put round my head, and aloose cloth wrapped round my loins. I was then led forward to him withmy arms crossed over my breast, and my head bowed. By his orders I wasthen placed behind the youngest of the four women, the one who hadchafed my wrists, and I was given to understand that I was her slave,and was to attend upon her, to which, I must say, I gave a joyfulassent in my heart, although I did not at that time show any signs ofgladness. There I remained, with my arms folded, and bowed as before,until dinner was brought in, and a calabash full of cush-cush was putinto my hands to place before the king and his wives. My first attemptat service was not very adroit, for, in my eagerness to do my duty, Itripped over the corner of the mat which served them for a table, andtumbling headlong forward, emptied the calabash of cush-cush which Iheld in my hand upon the legs of the old king, who sat opposite towhere I was advancing. He jumped up roaring out with anger, while I inmy fear sprung on my legs, and rushed to the side of the apartment,expecting immediate death. Fortunately the victuals in this countryare always served up cool, and my new mistress easily obtained mypardon, laughing heartily at the scene, and at my apprehension.

  The repast being over, I was ordered to follow my mistress, whoretired to another hut, according to their custom, to sleep during theheat of the day. I was placed before the door to prevent her beingdisturbed. My only duty now was to attend upon my young mistress. Shewas the king's favourite wife, and as she was uniformly kind andgentle, I should have almost ceased to lament my loss of liberty hadit not been from the fear I had of the old monarch. I knew that mypreservation depended entirely upon my mistress's favour, and Iendeavoured all I could to conciliate her by the most sedulousattentions to please. Young and generous in disposition, she waseasily satisfied by my ready obedience and careful service. I do notthink that she was more than seventeen years of age; but they arewomen at fourteen in that country, and even earlier. She was a Negressas to colour, but not a real Negress; for her hair, although short andvery wavy, was not woolly, and her nose was straight. Her mouth wassmall, and her teeth beautiful. Her figure was perfect, her limbsbeing very elegantly formed. When she first rose in the morning, Iattended her to the brow of a hill just without the palisades, wherewith devout but mistaken piety she adored the rising sun--at least itappeared to me that she did so. She then went down to the river tobathe, and as soon as her hair was dry she had it dressed. Thisoffice, after a short time, devolved upon me, and I became veryexpert, having to rub her hair with a sweet oil, and then roll it upin its natural curls with a quill, so as to dispose them to the mostfanciful advantage as to form.

  After her toilet was complete, she went to feed her poultry, and someantelopes and other beasts, and then she practised at a mark with herbow and arrows and javelin till about ten o'clock, when she went tothe king's hut, and they all sat down to eat together. After therepast, which lasted some time, if she did not repose with the king,she retired to her own hut, where she usually refreshed herself tillabout four o'clock, when she returned to the king, or ranged thewoods, or otherwise amused herself during the rest of the evening. Iwill say for the old savage that he did not confine his wives. Suchwas our general course of life, and wherever she went I attended her.The attachment I showed and really felt for her secured herconfidence, and she always treated me in a kind and familiar manner.Their language consists of few words compared to our own, and in ashort time, by help of signs, we understood each other tolerably well.She appeared to have a most ardent curiosity to know who we were, andfrom whence we came, and all the time that we passed alone wasemployed in putting questions, and my endeavouring to find out hermeaning and answer them. This, although very difficult at first, I waseventually enabled to accomplish indifferently well. She was mostzealous in her mistaken religion, and one morning when I was followingher to her devotions on the hill, she asked me where my God was? Ipointed upwards, upon which she told me with great joy and innocency,that hers was there too, and that, therefore, they must be the sameGod, or if not they must be friends. Convinced that she was right, shemade me worship with her, bowing my head down to the sand, and goingthrough the same forms, which of course I did not understand themeaning of; but I prayed to my God, and therefore made no objection,as it was pleasing to her. This apparent conformity in religionrecommended me more strongly to her, and we became more intimate, andI was certainly attached to her by every tie of gratitude. I was quitehappy in the friendship and kindness she showed towards me; the onlydrawback was my fear of the proud old king, and the recollection ofhim often made me check myself, and suddenly assume a more distant andrespectful demeanour towards her. I soon found out that she dreadedthe old savage as much as I did, and hated him even more. In hispresence she treated me very sternly, and ordered me about in a verydictatorial manner; but when we were alone, and had no fear of beingseen, she would then be very familiar, sometimes even locking her arminto mine, and laughing as she pointed out the contrast of thecolours, and in the full gaiety of her young heart rejoicing that wewere alone, and could converse freely together. As she was veryintelligent, she soon perceived that I possessed much knowledge thatshe did not, and that she could not comprehend what I wanted to teachher. This induced her to look upon me with respect as well askindness.

  One day I purposely left her bow behind in the hut where mycompanions resided; and on her asking me for it, I told her that I haddone so, but that I would make my companions send it without my goingback. I tore off a piece of the bark of a tree, and with the point ofan arrow I wrote to one of them, desiring him to send it by bearer;and calling a young Negro boy, told him in her presence to give thatpiece of bark to the white man, and come back again to the queen.Whyna, for such was the name of my mistress queen, stood in suspense,waiting the result; in a few minutes the boy returned, bringing thebow. Astonished at this, she made me write again and again for herarrows, her lance, and many other things. Finding by these beingimmediately sent that we had a method of communicating with each otherat a distance, she earnestly insisted upon being taught so surprisingan art. Going at a distance from me, she ordered me to talk to herwhen out of hearing, and finding that I could not, or, as she seemedto suppose, that I would not, she became discontented and out ofhumour. I could by no means make her comprehend how it was performed,but I made her understand that as soon as I was fully acquainted withher language, I should be able to teach her. She was satisfied withthis, but made me promise that I would teach nobody else.

  By the canoes in the river, I easily made her comprehend that I camein a vast boat from a distant land, over a great expanse of water, andalso how it was that we fell into the Negroes' power. I then found outfrom her that the Negroes had pretended that we had invaded their landto procure slaves, and that they had vanquished us in battle; hencetheir songs of triumph on bringing us to the king. I pointed out theheavenly bodies to her in the evenings, trying to make her comprehendsomething of their nature and motions, but in vain. This had, however,one good effect; she looked up to me with more respect, hoping thatsome day, when I could fully explain myself, she might be herselftaught all these wonders. With these feelings towards me, added to mysedulous endeavours to please her, and obey her slightest wishes, itis not surprising that she treated me as a companion, and not as aslave, and gave me every innocent proof of her attachment. More Inever wished, and almost dreaded that our intimacy would be toogreat. Happy when alone with her, I ever returned with reluctance tothe presence of the old king,
whose sight and company I dreaded.

  The boundless cruelty of this monster was a continual check to all myhappiness. Accustomed to blood from his childhood, he appeared whollyinsensible to human feelings, and derided the agonies of the wretcheswho daily fell by his hands. One day he amused himself by shootingsmall bird-arrows at a man who was bound to a post before the tent,which was placed there for the punishment of those who were hisvictims. He continued for hours fixing the arrows in different partsof his body, mimicking and deriding his cries. At last, contrary tohis intentions, one of the arrows hit the man in the throat, and hishead drooped. As the old savage saw that the poor man was dying, hedrew another arrow and sent it through his heart, very much annoyed athis disappointment in not prolonging the poor creature's sufferings. Iwas witness to this scene with silent horror, and many more of asimilar nature. I hardly need say, that I felt what my punishmentwould be if I had by any means roused the jealousy of this monster;and I knew that, without giving him real cause, a moment of baresuspicion would be sufficient to sacrifice my mistress as well as me.