<h2><SPAN name="chap65"></SPAN>CHAPTER LXV</h2>
<p class="letter">
I set out for Sussex—consult Mrs. Sagely—achieve an Interview with
Narcissa—return to the Ship—we get clear of the Channel—I
learn our Destination—we are chased by a large Ship—the company are
dismayed, and encouraged by the Captain’s speech—our pursuer
happens to be an English Man of War—we arrive at the Coast of Guinea,
purchase four hundred Negroes—sail for Paraguay, get safe into the River
of Plate, and sell our Cargo to great Advantage</p>
<p>It was now I put in execution the scheme I had projected at London; and asking
leave of the captain for Strap and me to stay on shore till the wind should
become favourable, my request was granted, because he had orders to remain in
the Downs until he should receive some dispatches from London, which he did not
expect in less than a week. Having imparted my resolution to my trusty valet,
who (though he endeavoured to dissuade me from such a rash undertaking) would
not quit me in the enterprise, I hired horses, and set out immediately for that
part of Sussex where my charmer was confined, which was not above thirty miles
distant from Deal, where we mounted. As I was perfectly well acquainted with
the extent of the squire’s estate and influence, I halted within five
miles of his house, where we remained till the twilight, at which time we set
forward, and, by the favour of a dark night, reached a copse about half-a-mile
from the village where Mrs. Sagely lived. Here we left our horses tied to a
tree, and went directly to the house of my old benefactress, Strap trembling
all the way, and venting ejaculatory petitions to heaven for our safety. Her
habitation being quite solitary, we arrived at the door without being observed,
when I ordered my companion to enter by himself; and, in case there should be
company with her, deliver a letter which I had writ for that purpose, and say
that a friend of hers in London, understanding that he intended to travel this
road, had committed it to his care. He rapped at the door, to which the good
old matron coming, told him that, being a lone woman, he must excuse her, if
she did not open it, until he had declared his name and business. He answered,
that his name was unknown to her, and that his business was to deliver a
letter, which (to free her from all apprehension) he would convey to her
through the space between the door and threshold. This he instantly performed:
and she no sooner read the contents, which specified my being present, than she
cried, “If the person who wrote this letter be at hand, let him speak,
that I may be assured by his voice whether or not I may safely admit
him.” I forthwith applied my mouth to the keyhole, and pronounced,
“Dear mother, you need not be afraid, it is I, so much indebted to your
goodness, who now crave admittance.” She knew my voice, and opening the
door immediately, received me with a truly maternal affection, manifesting, by
the tears she let fall, her concern lest I should be discovered, for she had
been informed of everything that had happened between Narcissa and me from the
dear captive’s own mouth. When I explained the motive of my journey,
which was no other than a desire of seeing the object of my love before I
should quit the kingdom, that I might in person convince her of the necessity I
was under to leave her, reconcile her to that event, by describing the
advantages that in all probability would attend it, repeat my vows of eternal
constancy, and enjoy the melancholy pleasure of a tender embrace at parting. I
say, when I had thus signified my intention, Mrs. Sagely told me, that
Narcissa, upon her return from Bath, had been so strictly watched that nobody
but one or two of the servants devoted to her brother, was admitted to her
presence, that afterwards she had been a little enlarged, and was permitted to
see company; during which indulgence, she had been several times at the
cottage; but of late she had been betrayed by one of the servants, who
discovered to the squire, that he had once carried a letter from her to the
post-house directed to me; upon which information she was now more confined
than ever, and that I could have no chance of seeing her, unless I would run
the risk of getting into the garden, where she and her maid were every day
allowed to take the air, and lie hid until I should have an opportunity of
speaking to them—an adventure attended with such danger, that no man in
his right wits would attempt it. This enterprise, hazardous as it was, I
resolved to perform, in spite of all the arguments of Mrs. Sagely, who
reasoned, chid, and entreated by turns; and the tears and prayers of Strap, who
conjured me on his knees, to have more regard to myself as well as to him, than
to attempt my own destruction in such a precipitate manner. I was deaf to but
the suggestions of my love; and ordering him to return immediately with the
horses to the inn from whence we set out, and wait for my coming in that place,
he at first peremptorily refused to leave me, until I persuaded him, that if
our horses should remain where they were till daylight, they would certainly be
discovered, and the whole country alarmed. On this consideration, he took his
leave in a sorrowful plight, kissed my hand, and, weeping, cried “God
knows if ever I shall see you again.” My kind landlady, finding me
obstinate, gave me her best advice how to behave in the execution of my
project: and after having persuaded me to take a little refreshment,
accommodated me with a bed, and left me to my repose. Early in the morning I
arose, and armed with a couple of loaded pistols and a hanger, went to the back
part of the squire’s garden, climbed over the wall, and, according to
Mrs. Sagely’s direction, concealed myself in a thicket, hard by an alcove
that terminated a walk at a good distance from the house, which (I was told) my
mistress mostly frequented. Here I absconded from five o’clock in the
morning to six in the evening, without seeing a human creature; at last I
perceived two women approaching, whom, by my throbbing heart, I soon recognised
to be the adorable Narcissa and Miss Williams. I felt the strongest agitation
of soul at the sight; and guessing, that they would repose themselves in the
alcove, stopped into it unperceived, and hid upon the stone table a picture of
myself in miniature, for which I had sat in London, purposing to leave it with
Narcissa before I should go abroad. I exposed it in this manner, as an
introduction to my own appearance, which, without some previous intimation, I
was afraid might have an unlucky effect upon the delicate nerves of my fair
enslaver; and then withdrew into the thicket, where I could hear their
discourse, and suit myself to the circumstance of the occasion. As they
advanced, I observed an air of melancholy in the countenance of Narcissa,
blended with such unspeakable sweetness, that I could scarce refrain from
flying into her arms, and kissing away the pearly drop that stood collected in
each bewitching eye. According to my expectation, she entered the alcove, and
perceiving something on the table, took it up. No sooner did she cast her eye
upon the features, than, startled at the resemblance, she cried, “Good
God!” and the roses instantly vanished from her cheeks. Her confidante,
alarmed at this exclamation, looked at the picture; and, struck with the
likeness, exclaimed, “Jesus! the very features of Mr. Random!”
Narcissa, having recollected herself a little, said, “Whatever angel
brought it hither as a comfort to me in my affliction, I am thankful for the
benefit, and will preserve it as the dearest object of my care.” So
saying, she kissed it with surprising ardour, shed a flood of tears, and then
deposited the lifeless image in her lovely bosom. Transported at these symptoms
of her unaltered affection, I was about to throw myself at her feet, when Miss
Williams, whose reflection was less engaged than that of her mistress, observed
that the picture could not transport itself hither, and that she could not help
thinking I was not far off. The gentle Narcissa, starting at this conjecture,
answered, “Heaven forbid! for although nothing in the universe could
yield me satisfaction equal to that of his presence for one poor moment, in a
proper place, I would rather forfeit his company—almost for ever, than
see him here, where his life would be exposed to so much danger.” I could
no longer restrain the impulse of my passion, but, breaking from my
concealment, stood before her, when she uttered a fearful shriek, and fainted
in the arms of her companion. I flew towards the treasure of my soul, clasped
her in my embrace, and with the warmth of my kisses, brought her again to life.
Oh that I were endowed with the expression of a Raphael, the graces of a Guido,
the magic touches of a Titian, that I might represent the fond concern, the
chastened rapture and ingenuous blush, that mingled on her beauteous face, when
she opened her eyes upon me, and pronounced, “O heavens! is it
you?” I am afraid I have already encroached upon the reader’s
patience with the particulars of this amour, of which (I own) I cannot help
being impertinently circumstantial. I shall therefore omit the less material
passages of this interview, during which I convinced her reason, though I could
not appease the sad presages of her love, with regard to the long voyage and
dangers I must undergo. When we had spent an hour (which was all she could
spare from the barbarity of her brother’s vigilance) in lamenting over
our hard fate, and in repeating our reciprocal vows, Miss Williams reminded us
of the necessity there was for our immediate parting; and, sure, lovers never
parted with such sorrow and reluctance as we. But because my words are
incapable of doing justice to this affecting circumstance, I am obliged to draw
a veil over it, and observe, that I returned in the dark to the house of Mrs.
Sagely, who was overjoyed to hear of my success, and opposed the tumults of my
grief with such strength of reason, that my mind regained, in some measure, its
tranquillity; and that very night, after having forced upon the good
gentlewoman a purse of twenty guineas, as a token of my gratitude and esteem, I
took my leave of her, and set out on foot for the inn, where my arrival freed
honest Strap from the horrors of unutterable dread.</p>
<p>We took horse immediately, and alighted early next morning at Deal, where I
found my uncle in great concern on account of my absence, because he had
received his despatches, and must have weighed with the first fair wind,
whether I had been on board or not. Next day, a brisk easterly gale springing
up, we set sail, and in eight and forty hours got clear of the Channel.</p>
<p>When we were about two hundred leagues to westward of the Land’s End, the
captain, taking me apart into the cabin, told me that, now he was permitted by
his instructions, he would disclose the intent and destination of our voyage.
“The ship,” said he, “which has been fitted out at a great
expense, is bound for the coast of Guinea, where we shall exchange part of our
cargo for slaves and gold dust, from whence we will transport our negroes to
Buenos Ayres in New Spain, where (by virtue of passports, obtained from our own
court, and that of Madrid) we will dispose of them and the goods that remain on
board for silver, by means of our supercargo, who is perfectly well acquainted
with the coast, the lingo, and inhabitants.” Being thus let into the
secret of our expedition, I borrowed of the supercargo a Spanish grammar,
dictionary, and some other books of the same language, which I studied with
such application that, before we arrived in New Spain, I could maintain a
conversation with him in that tongue. Being arrived in the warm latitudes, I
ordered (with the captain’s consent) the whole ship’s company to be
blooded and purged, myself undergoing the same evacuation, in order to prevent
those dangerous fevers to which northern constitutions are subject in hot
climates; and I have reason to believe, that this precaution was not
unserviceable, for we lost but one sailor during our whole passage to the
coast.</p>
<p>One day, when we had been about five weeks at sea, we descried to windward a
large ship bearing down upon us with all the sail she could carry. Upon which,
my uncle ordered the studding-sails to be hoisted and the ship to be cleared
for engaging; but, finding that (to use the seaman’s phrase) we were very
much wronged by the ship which had us in chase, and by this time had hoisted
French colours, he commanded the studding-sails to be taken in, the courses to
be clowed up, the main topsail to be backed, the tompions to be taken out of
the guns, and every man to repair to his quarters. While every body was busied
in the performance of these orders, Strap came upon the quarter-deck, trembling
and looking aghast, and, with a voice half-suppressed by fear, asked if I
thought we were a match for the vessel in pursuit of us. Observing his
consternation, I said, “What! are you afraid, Strap.”
“Afraid! (he replied); n-n-no; what should I be afraid of? I thank God I
have a clear conscience; but I believe it will be a bloody battle, and I wish
you may not have occasion for another hand to assist you in the cockpit.”
I immediately perceived his drift, and making the captain acquainted with his
situation, desired he might be stationed below with me and my mates. My uncle,
incensed at his pusillanimity, bade me send him down instantly, that his fear
might not infect the ship’s company; whereupon I told the poor steward
that I had begged him for my assistant, and desired him to go down and help my
mates to get ready the instruments and dressings. Notwithstanding the
satisfaction he must have felt at those tidings, he affected a shyness of
quitting the upper deck; and said, he hoped I did not imagine he was afraid to
do his duty above board; for he believed himself as well prepared for death as
any man in the ship, no disparagement to me or the captain. I was disgusted at
this affectation; and, in order to punish his hypocrisy, assured him he might
take his choice, either of going down to the cockpit with me, or staying upon
deck during the engagement. Alarmed at this indifference, he replied,
“Well, to oblige you, I’ll go down, but remember it is more for
your sake than my own.” So saying, he disappeared in a twinkling, without
waiting for an answer.</p>
<p>By this time, we could observe two tier of guns in the ship which pursued us,
and which was now but two short miles astern. This discovery had an evident
effect upon the sailors, who did not scruple to say, that we should be torn to
pieces, and blown out of the water, and that, if in case any of them should
lose their precious limbs, they must go a begging for life, for there was no
provision made by the merchants for those poor souls who are maimed in their
service. The captain, understanding this, ordered the crew abaft, and spoke to
them thus: “My lads, I am told you hang an a—se. I have gone to sea
thirty years, a man and a boy, and never saw English sailors afraid before.
Mayhap you may think I want to expose you for the lucre of gain. Whosoever
thinks so, thinks a d—ned lie, for my whole cargo is insured; so that, in
case I should be taken, my loss would not be great. The enemy is stronger than
we, to be sure. What then? have we not a chance for carrying away one of her
masts, and so get clear of her? If we find her too hard for us, ’tis but
striking at last. If any man is hurt in the engagement, I promise on the word
of an honest seaman, to make him a recompense according to his loss. So now,
you that are lazy, lubberly, cowardly dogs, get away and skulk in the hold and
bread-room; and you, that are jolly boys, stand by me, and let us give one
broadside for the honour of Old England.” This eloquent harangue was so
well adapted to the disposition of his hearers, that one and all of them,
pulling off their hats, waved them over their heads, and saluted him with three
cheers; upon which he sent his boy for two large case-bottles of brandy: having
treated every man with a dram, they repaired to their quarters, and waited
impatiently for the word of command. I must do my uncle the justice to say,
that in the whole of his disposition, he behaved with the utmost intrepidity,
conduct, and deliberation. The enemy being very near, he ordered me to my
station, and was just going to give the word for hoisting the colours, and
firing, when the supposed Frenchman hauled down his white pennant, jack, and
ensign, hoisted English ones, and fired a gun a-head of us. This was a joyful
event to Captain Bowling, who immediately showed his colours, and fired a gun
to leeward; upon which the other ship ran alongside of us, hailed him, and,
giving him to know that she was an English man-of-war of forty guns, ordered
him to hoist out his boat and come on board. This command he obeyed with the
more alacrity, because, upon inquiry, he found that she was commanded by an old
messmate of his, who was overjoyed to see him, detained him to dinner, and sent
his barge for the supercargo and me, who were very much caressed on his
account. As this commander was destined to cruise upon the French in the
latitude of Martinico, his stem and quarters were adorned with white
fleurs-de-lis, and the whole shell of the ship so much disguised for a decoy to
the enemy, that it was no wonder my uncle did not know her, although he had
sailed on board of her many years. We kept company with her four days, during
which time the captains were never asunder, and then parted, our course lying
different from hers.</p>
<p>In less than fortnight after our separation, we made the land of Guinea, near
the mouth of the River Gambia; and trading along the coast as far to the
southward of the Line as Angola and Bengula, in less than six months disposed
of the greatest part of our cargo, and purchased four hundred negroes, my
adventure having been laid out in gold dust.</p>
<p>Our complement being made up, we took our departure from Cape Negroe, and
arrived in the Rio de la Plata in six weeks, having met with nothing remarkable
in our voyage, except an epidemic fever, not unlike the jail distemper, which
broke out among our slaves and carried off a good many of the ship’s
company; among whom I lost one of my mates, and poor Strap had well nigh given
up the ghost. Having produced our passport to the Spanish governor, we were
received with great courtesy, sold our slaves in a very few days, and could
have put off five times the number at our own price; though we were obliged to
smuggle the rest of our merchandise, consisting of European bale-goods, which
however we made shift to dispose of at a great advantage.</p>
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