Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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B31104
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A True relation of the inhumane and unparallel'd actions and barbarous murders of Negroes or Moors committed on three English-men in Old Calabar in Guinny of the wonderful deliverance of the fourth person, after he had endured horrid cruelties and sufferings, who lately arrived in England, and is now in His Majesties fleet : together with a short but true account of the customs and manners and growth of the country, which is very pleasant.
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1672
(1672)
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Wing T2970
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10,893
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19
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a very short time after he should dye for grief These fifteen days seem'd very long and tedious many a look did he cast on the Sea with an aking heart the fourteenth day he went to the highest hill there-about but to no purpose for he could discover no ship next morning he went again two or three times but saw none about two or three hours after came running into E-fn-man-cha some of the Mores and told him there was a Canoe coming so they called our ships at which our English man heartily rejoyced hoping then to be releast forthwith yet durst not shew his Joy for fear of punishment or of death for though he lived better now than with his first Master yet his service was far worse than the slaves in Turkey and their diet worse than Dogs meat therefore had he cause enough of inward joy the ship came immediately in and he hies away presently to Ja-ga to know if it were an English ship who resolved him that it was it happened to be the St. Maloes Merchant Captain Royden Commander who hastened to dispatch his business took in his Negroes and was ready to sail and our English man heard never a word what should become of him the King never offering to sell him this put him on a resolution to endeavour to make an eescape and to that end had prepared a piece of Timber which he had drawn near the water side on which he intended to paddle to the ship which then lay about a league from the shore Just by the Sea side as he was about to launch his little floating stick he espied a great Aligator which will devour a man at a mouthful this made him alter his resolution and resolve rather to live with inhumane infidels than to throw himself into so imminent a danger which would have been little less than self-murther But the next day which I may call a day of Jubile Almighty God opened the heart of the King to let the poor English man go he sent him in a Canoe plac'd between a Negroes legs with some others to guide this small vessel for fear he should leap over-board and swim to the ship At a distance from the ship he hailed her in the English Tongue which was no small cause of admiration to those on board to hear an English Tongue out of their Canoes the Negroes gave him leave to stand up and shew himself to the Captain to whom he gave an account how four were left there and only he preserved It was a pretty while before they could strike a bargain though the Captain was resolved not to leave him behind Several times the Negroes padled away with their Canoe resolving not to part with him but what with his entreaties and promises he perswaded them to the ship again and they delivered him on board for forty five Copper Bars and Iron Bars each Copper Bar being about the bigness of a Youths little finger the Iron Bars a little bigger Now were his joys compleated he thought himself as it were caught up into the third heavens he could hardly perswade himself but it was a Dream or Vision and that he did not really see English faces or embrace English bodies It was some time before he could throw himself at the Captains feet and acknowledge his infinite cause of joy in himself and thankfulness to him for his deliverance from such a severe Captivity that he that lately was a slave to Infidels that worship they know not what should now see the faces of Christians and joyn with them in worshiping the true God and to him first he offered up the sacrifice of hearty thanksgiving that had sent his Angel to redeem him from so cruel a bondage When he came on board his hair was very long and his skin tawny Malatto like having gone naked all the time he was there and frequently anointing himself with palm Oyl he looked like a Tawny-More but immediately the Sea-men aboard with Christian-like hearts apparelled him The Master commanded to hoise sail and having a fair wind they sailed to Barbadoes where Captain Royden was to tarry some time but the Relator earnestly desiring to go to his Native Countrey and his relations got passage to the Downs in the Catharine of London Captain South Commander which through Gods goodness in a few weeks arrived in the Downs where the Relater was put on shore to his Unkle Mr. Richard Watts of Deal his great joy and satisfaction who took this relation from his own mouth HAving shewed you how he was captivated and some part of his tryals and troubles and also his Deliverance and freedom we will now speak of the People and of their Country as it was taken from his own mouth whis is no more than others have spoken formerly who have been in the same Countrey The People THe People are very careless idle sluggish given wholly to ease going stark naked only some of the chiefest having a little aporn to cover their nakedness not exercising themselves either in work or play free from having any tillage whatsoever a small part only for Tobbacco for their own use excepted having no thought for to morrow Their stature and bigness not near so big as our English Language THeir Language is called the Tata Language it is contained in very few wrods only so much as barely discovers their intentions and is in part understood of all Negroes The Countrey THe Countrey seems to be very sertile overgrown with wood Sugar Canes naturally grow there He has been in most parts of the West-Indies yet he says he never saw bigger nor more juicy than is there the people lye secure as they think but indeed lie very open are a prey to a handful of men There are many Bears which are very good meat which they often eat of when they take pains to catch them They have also Hogs Beefs Deer and Buffelows divers sorts of good eating Fowls as Cocks and Hens Parots Parakeets c. Roots and several sorts of herbs also Palm-wine which they have by cutting a top of a tree then issues forth the wine as sap of wood when 't is burning There is also very good Fish there is plenty of many things they only want laborious persons to catch provision for all are wild and to cut down the Woods John Watts being much in the West-Indies and understanding the way to make Sugar invited them to learn having such excellent juicy Canes But idleness would not hearken to so reasonable a request Their Provisions THeir Provisions is Ebung a root like a Turnip and as good and hearty as a Pottato Yams Plantons Palm oyl Water and Palm wine for drink their flesh is Elephants wild Boars Sows and Pigs Deer Munkeys Baboons Dogs c. their Fish is Sea-cows and Bulls Alegators Albecores the Cat-fish c. Their Weapons BOws Arrows and Swords they make of a piece of Iron they steal from the English and beat out with stones