The Life AdventuresPiracies of the Famous CapWord格式文档下载.docx

The Life AdventuresPiracies of the Famous CapWord格式文档下载.docx

《The Life AdventuresPiracies of the Famous CapWord格式文档下载.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《The Life AdventuresPiracies of the Famous CapWord格式文档下载.docx（28页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

thesumofhishistorywasthis:

—

HehadbeenafactorfortheEnglishGuineaCompanyatSierraLeone,orsomeotheroftheirsettlementswhichhadbeentakenbytheFrench,wherehehadbeenplunderedofallhisowneffects,aswellasofwhatwasentrustedtohimbythecompany.Whetheritwasthatthecompanydidnotdohimjusticeinrestoringhiscircumstances,orinfurtheremployinghim,hequittedtheirservice,andwasemployedbythosecalledseparatetraders,andbeingafterwardsoutofemploytherealso,tradedonhisownaccount;

when,passingunwarilyintooneofthecompany'

ssettlements,hewaseitherbetrayedintothehandsofsomeofthenatives,or,somehoworother,wassurprisedbythem.However,astheydidnotkillhim,hefoundmeanstoescapefromthematthattime,andfledtoanothernationofthenatives,who,beingenemiestotheother,entertainedhimfriendly,andwiththemhelivedsometime;

butnotlikinghisquartersorhiscompany,hefledagain,andseveraltimeschangedhislandlords:

sometimeswascarriedbyforce,sometimeshurriedbyfear,ascircumstancesalteredwithhim（thevarietyofwhichdeservesahistorybyitself）,tillatlasthehadwanderedbeyondallpossibilityofreturn,andhadtakenuphisabodewherewefoundhim,wherehewaswellreceivedbythepettykingofthetribehelivedwith;

andhe,inreturn,instructedthemhowtovaluetheproductoftheirlabour,andonwhattermstotradewiththosenegroeswhocameuptothemforteeth.

Ashewasnaked,andhadnoclothes,sohewasnakedofarmsforhisdefence,havingneithergun,sword,staff,oranyinstrumentofwarabouthim,no,nottoguardhimselfagainsttheattacksofawildbeast,ofwhichthecountrywasveryfull.Weaskedhimhowhecametobesoentirelyabandonedofallconcernforhissafety?

Heanswered,thattohim,thathadsooftenwishedfordeath,lifewasnotworthdefending;

andthat,ashewasentirelyatthemercyofthenegroes,theyhadmuchthemoreconfidenceinhim,seeinghehadnoweaponstohurtthem.Asforwildbeasts,hewasnotmuchconcernedaboutthat,forhescarceeverwentfromhishut;

butifhedid,thenegrokingandhismenwentallwithhim,andtheywereallarmedwithbowsandarrows,andlances,withwhichtheywouldkillanyoftheravenouscreatures,lionsaswellasothers;

butthattheyseldomcameabroadintheday;

andifthenegroeswanderanywhereinthenight,theyalwaysbuildahutforthemselves,andmakeafireatthedoorofit,whichisguardenough.

Weinquiredofhimwhatweshouldnextdotowardsgettingtotheseaside.HetolduswewereaboutonehundredandtwentyEnglishleaguesfromthecoast,wherealmostalltheEuropeansettlementsandfactorieswere,andwhichiscalledtheGoldCoast;

butthatthereweresomanydifferentnationsofnegroesintheway,thatitwastentooneifwewerenoteitherfoughtwithcontinually,orstarvedforwantofprovisions;

butthatthereweretwootherwaystogo,which,ifhehadhadanycompanytogowithhim,hehadoftencontrivedtomakehisescapeby.Theonewastotravelfullwest,which,thoughitwasfarthertogo,yetwasnotsofullofpeople,andthepeopleweshouldfindwouldbesomuchthecivillertous,orbesomuchtheeasiertofightwith;

orthattheotherwaywas,ifpossible,togettotheRioGrande,andgodownthestreamincanoes.Wetoldhim,thatwasthewaywehadresolvedonbeforewemetwithhim;

butthenhetoldustherewasaprodigiousdeserttogoover,andasprodigiouswoodstogothrough,beforewecametoit,andthatbothtogetherwereatleasttwentydays'

marchforus,travelashardaswecould.

Weaskedhimiftherewerenohorsesinthecountry,orasses,orevenbullocksorbuffaloes,tomakeuseofinsuchajourney,andweshowedhimours,ofwhichwehadbutthreeleft.Hesaidno,allthecountrydidnotaffordanythingofthatkind.

Hetoldusthatinthisgreatwoodtherewereimmensenumbersofelephants;

anduponthedesert,greatmultitudesoflions,lynxes,tigers,leopards,&

c.;

andthatitwastothatwoodandthatdesertthatthenegroeswenttogetelephants'

teeth,wheretheyneverfailedtofindagreatnumber.

Weinquiredstillmore,andparticularlythewaytotheGoldCoast,andiftherewerenoriverstoeaseusinourcarriage;

andtoldhim,astothenegroesfightingwithus,wewerenotmuchconcernedatthat;

norwereweafraidofstarving,foriftheyhadanyvictualsamongthem,wewouldhaveourshareofit;

and,therefore,ifhewouldventuretoshowustheway,wewouldventuretogo;

andasforhimself,wetoldhimwewouldliveanddietogether—thereshouldnotamanofusstirfromhim.

Hetoldus,withallhisheart,ifweresolvedit,andwouldventure,wemightbeassuredhewouldtakehisfatewithus,andhewouldendeavourtoguideusinsuchawayasweshouldmeetwithsomefriendlysavageswhowoulduseuswell,andperhapsstandbyusagainstsomeothers,whowerelesstractable;

so,inaword,weallresolvedtogofullsouthfortheGoldCoast.

Thenextmorninghecametousagain,andbeingallmetincouncil,aswemaycallit,hebegantotalkveryseriouslywithus,thatsincewewerenowcome,afteralongjourney,toaviewoftheendofourtroubles,andhadbeensoobligingtohimastooffertocarryhimwithus,hehadbeenallnightrevolvinginhismindwhatheandweallmightdotomakeourselvessomeamendsforalloursorrows;

andfirst,hesaid,hewastoletmeknowthatwewerejusttheninoneoftherichestpartsoftheworld,thoughitwasreallyotherwisebutadesolate,disconsolatewilderness;

"

for,"

sayshe,"

thereisnotariverbutrunsgold—notadesertbutwithoutploughingbearsacropofivory.Whatminesofgold,whatimmensestoresofgold,thosemountainsmaycontain,fromwhencetheseriverscome,ortheshoreswhichthesewatersrunby,weknownot,butmayimaginethattheymustbeinconceivablyrich,seeingsomuchiswasheddownthestreambythewaterwashingthesidesoftheland,thatthequantitysufficesallthetraderswhichtheEuropeanworldsendthither."

Weaskedhimhowfartheywentforit,seeingtheshipsonlytradeuponthecoast.Hetoldusthatthenegroesonthecoastsearchtheriversupforthelengthof150or200miles,andwouldbeoutamonth,ortwo,orthreeatatime,andalwayscomehomesufficientlyrewarded;

but,"

theynevercomethusfar,andyethereaboutsisasmuchgoldasthere."

Uponthishetoldusthathebelievedhemighthavegottenahundredpounds'

weightofgoldsincehecamethither,ifhehademployedhimselftolookandworkforit;

butasheknewnotwhattodowithit,andhadlongsincedespairedofbeingeverdeliveredfromthemiseryhewasin,hehadentirelyomittedit."

Forwhatadvantagehaditbeentome,"

saidhe,"

orwhatricherhadIbeen,ifIhadatonofgolddust,andlayandwallowedinit?

Therichnessofit,"

wouldnotgivemeonemoment'

sfelicity,norrelievemeinthepresentexigency.Nay,"

asyouallsee,itwouldnotbuymeclothestocoverme,oradropofdrinktosavemefromperishing.Itisofnovaluehere,"

sayshe;

thereareseveralpeopleamongthesehutsthatwouldweighgoldagainstafewglassbeadsoracockle-shell,andgiveyouahandfulofgold-dustforahandfulofcowries."

[1]

Whenhehadsaidthushepulledoutapieceofanearthenpotbakedhardinthesun."

Here,"

issomeofthedirtofthiscountry,andifIwouldIcouldhavegotagreatdealmore;

"

and,showingittous,Ibelievetherewasinitbetweentwoandthreepoundsweightofgold-dust,ofthesamekindandcolourwiththatwehadgottenalready,asbefore.Afterwehadlookedatitawhile,hetoldus,smiling,wewerehisdeliverers,andallhehad,aswellashislife,wasours;

andtherefore,asthiswouldbeofvaluetouswhenwecametoourowncountry,sohedesiredwewouldacceptofitamongus;

andthatwastheonlytimethathehadrepentedthathehadpickedupnomoreofit.

Ispokeforhim,ashisinterpreter,tomycomrades,andintheirnamesthankedhim;

but,speakingtotheminPortuguese,Idesiredthemtodefertheacceptanceofhiskindnesstothenextmorning;

andsoIdid,tellinghimwewouldfurthertalkofthispartinthemorning;

sowepartedforthattime.

WhenhewasgoneIfoundtheywereallwonderfullyaffectedwithhisdiscourse,andwiththegenerosityofhistemper,aswellasthemagnificenceofhispresent,whichinanotherplacehadbeenextraordinary.Uponthewhole,nottodetainyouwithcircumstances,weagreedthat,seeinghewasnowoneofournumber,andthataswewerearelieftohimincarryinghimoutofthedismalconditionhewasin,sohewasequallyarelieftous,inbeingourguidethroughtherestofthecountry,ourinterpreterwiththenatives,andourdirectorhowtomanagewiththesavages,andhowtoenrichourselveswiththewealthofthecountry;

that,therefore,wewouldputhisgoldamongourcommonstock,andeveryoneshouldgivehimasmuchaswouldmakehisupjustasmuchasanysinglesh