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in; but this act of divine homage I could never comply with.

On this he fell into a violent passion, and upbraided me with being ungrateful, and insensible of his saving me from being killed among my countrymen; and urged, moreover, that I was his slave, &c.; but notwithstanding all this, I still continued resolute and firm to my purpose. Whereupon he rose from his seat, and with his lance made a stroke at me with all his might; but his brother, by a sudden push on one side, prevented the mischief he intended. He was going to repeat his blow, but his brother interposed, and entreated him to excuse me; but he absolutely, and in the warmest terms, refused to forgive me, unless I would lick his feet. His brother begged he would give him a little time to talk with me in private, which he did; and after he had told me the danger of not doing it, and that in submitting to it, I did no more than what many great princes were obliged to do when taken prisoners, I found, at length, it was prudence to comply; so I went in, asked pardon, and performed the ceremony as others had done before me. He told me he readily forgave me, but would make me sensible I was a slave. I did not much regard his menaces, for as I had no prospect of ever returning to England, I set but little value on my life. The next day I incurred his displeasure again, and never expected to escape from feeling the weight of his resentment.

My master then performed the ceremony of thanksgiving to God, for his happy deliverance from all the hazards of war, and for the success of his arms; which is performed in the following manner: the inhabitants have in all their houses a small portable utensil, which is devoted to religious uses, and is a kind of household altar, which they call the owley. It is made of a peculiar wood, in small pieces neatly joined, and making almost the form of a half-moon, with the horns downwards, between which are placed two alligator's teeth; this is adorned with various kinds of beads, and such a sash fastened to it behind as a man ties about

his waist when he goes to war. [I shall not here pretend to give an exact account of their religious worship, for I had not been long enough in the country to be a perfect master of the true meaning of what they either did or said.] However, I observed that they brought two forks from the woods, and fixed them in the ground, on which was laid a beam, slender at each end, and about six feet long, with two or three pegs in it, and upon this they hung the owley. Behind it was a long pole, to which a bullock was fastened with a cord. They had a pan full of live coals, on which they threw an aromatic gum, and planted it under the owley. Then they took a small quantity of hair from the tail, chin, and eyebrows of the ox, and put it on the owley. Then deaan Mevarrow, my master, used some particular gestures with a large knife in his hand, and made a formal prayer, in which the people joined. In the next place they threw the ox on the ground, with his legs tied fast together, and the deaan cut his throat; for as there are no priests among them, the chief man, whether of the country, town, or family, performs all divine offices himself. As soon as

the people were all seated on mats in a circular form, my master ordered me to sit down too, and say as the people said, which I absolutely refused. However, he pursued his devotion, and when the service was over, took the owley in one hand, and his lance in the other, and came directly to me, asking me with a frown, which I rather chose, either to assist in their solemn and public thanksgiving, or to fall a sacrifice to his just resentment? At first I was startled, but as I thought this sort of worship to be downright idolatry, and that they paid their adorations to the owley, I resolutely told him that I would sooner die than pay divine homage to any false deity whatsoever. Upon this, as soon as he had put the owley in its place, he came to me again, and taking me by the hand, was determined to lead me out of the town and kill me: but his brother and all the people round about him pleaded for me, and used their utmost endeavours to persuade him against so rash an action, but to no purpose; till his

brother at last very warmly told him, he would that minute depart, and see his face no more, if he offered to be guilty of such an act of inhumanity, and rose up to be gone accordingly. When my master saw his brother was going in good earnest, he called him back, and promised to spare my life; but assured him he would punish me very severely for my contempt of his orders. Deaan Sambo told him, he should submit that to his own discretion; all he begged of him was not to kili Upon this, by a secret sign, he advised me to kneel down and lick his feet, which I readily complied with, and asked his pardon. When I got up, I kneeled down to deaan Sambo of my own accord, and licked his feet, as a testimony of my gratitude and respect for thus saving my life a second time.

me.

As soon as this storm was blown over, I was remanded to my former post of cow-keeper. I had a great deal of trouble sometimes with these cattle, for they are very unruly; and notwithstanding they are larger beasts than any I ever saw elsewhere of the kind, they are so nimble, that they will leap over high fences like a greyhound. They have an excrescence between their shoulders, somewhat like that of camels, all fat and flesh, some of which will weigh about three or four score pounds; they are also beautifully coloured, some are streaked like a tiger, others, like a leopard, are marked with various spots. They do not give so much milk as our cows in England, nor will they ever suffer themselves to be milked till their calves have first sucked; so that they keep one calf for every cow all the year, or till the cow is pregnant again, and they seldom miss a season. Here are also some sheep with large heavy tails, like Turkey sheep; they are not woolly as ours, but more like a goat. Here are also a small number of goats, like those in other countries. They bring up no hogs, though there are enough in the country; for they are so mischievous to the plantations, that we are forced to set traps to catch them; but in this country of Anterndroea nobody eats them, except the very refuse of the people.

Whilst I was peaceably tending my cattle, and all things seemed perfectly quiet and easy, the scene of our affairs was changed at once by some sudden news, and my master was summoned to war in good earnest.

It is a common practice for parties to stroll out and surprise their enemies by night, when least they expect them on these expeditions it is customary for every man to carry a piece of meat in his hand, and when they have entered a town in the dead of night they throw the meat to the dogs, in order to prevent their barking. When they are all got in, one fires a musket, but makes no other noise; the inhabitants thereupon being alarmed, and hastily creeping out of the doors of their low huts in a stooping posture, are stabbed with lances: as to the women and children they take them captive, and drive away with them all the cattle they can find, set the town on fire, and return home by private unpractised ways. In this manner did my master, his brother, and some others belonging to deaan Crindo, enter several of the king of Mefaughla's remote and defenceless towns; whereupon, in order to retaliate the indignity offered him, the injured king mustered up an army of three thousand men, and entered Anterndroea, with a firm resolution either to fight the deaan in the field, or attack him in his own town, called Fennoarevo; and by fire to lay it level with the ground: accordingly he sent a messenger to deaan Crindo, to tell him that he should soon feel the weight of his just resentment. To which he answered, he would not stir out of the town but wait for him there; and defied him to put his purpose in execution.

Deaan Crindo, therefore, summoned all his people to his assistance, and to be ready at hand in Fennoarevo, or the adjacent villages. He had four sons who were chiefs of towns, besides nephews and grandsons. His sons were deaan Mundumber, deaan Frukey, deaan Trodaughe, but deaan Chahary was unfortunately gone with five hundred able men to traffic into Feraignher; which is Augustine-bay country.

It is a constant custom amongst them in time of

war to conceal their wives, children, and cattle in remote and secret places in the woods, that the enemy when they plunder the country may not be able to find them; but the women and children are never with the cattle, lest their bellowing should discover them. The women for the most part secure themselves, by trailing a bough after them as they go to their recess; which prevents their track from being followed. Thus did my master and his people secure their wives, children, and cattle. I was left with the latter; for that reason am incapable of giving an exact account of this war, knowing no more of it than what was told me at their return; which in general was to the following effect.

That deaan Woozington, the king, and his son Chemermaundy, with Ryopheck his nephew, a gallant man who commanded the army of Merfaughla, entered the country without the least opposition; for deaan Crindo having received his menacing message, took care in the first place to secure the families and cattle belonging to his people, and then drew up all his armed men in the town, resolving to wait for his coming; but deaan Mundumber, Frukey, and the younger chiefs, had not patience to hear of his passing without resistance; so they prevailed on the king, though against his will, to let them go out with two thousand men and obstruct his march. Deaan Crindo, however, was resolute and would not stir out of the town. army was commanded in chief by deaan Mundumber and Frukey; who behaved themselves with great courage and conduct, first sending word to deaan Woozington, and that they were come by their father's command to give him a suitable reception into their country, and hoped he would not fail to feet them. To which he answered, he would most assuredly pay them a visit and make himself welcome; and was as good as his word. They joined battle, and Mundumber was obliged to retire, which he did in good order after a sharp and obstinate fight; in which deaan Woozington's son was dangerously wounded. Deaan Mundumber

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