Journal of Voyages

CHAPTER XIII.

Schooner Price. – Second Voyage

Finding our trade increasing, my owners and myself thought it would be much advanced by sending out a small vessel to be stationed on the coast, and employed in running along the shore selling goods, and collecting return cargoes for the Price, viz: tortoise-shell, hides, skins, gums, sarsaparilla, &c. The owners of the Price then purchased a small sloop, called the Traverse, of near nineteen tons burden, having a mast fifty feet long. We sheathed her bottom with zinc, and rigged her for sea. My old mate, Captain N. Soper, volunteered to take command of her; a man from Troy, named Thomas Teft, shipped as mate, and a man from Staten Island as seaman. I had an Indian boy who was bound to me as an apprentice, who volunteered as cook. The Price was armed with a six-pound cannon, well mounted, and the Traverse with a swivel. We soon got our cargoes on board, and insured both vessels. The intention was to keep company as long as the weather would permit. Both were placed under my control. The weather being very cold, and our little vessels deeply loaded, a heavy sea in the harbor had coated them with ice.

On the nineteenth day of February, 1818, we got under weigh, the wharves being lined with spectators to see a vessel of eighteen tons commencing a voyage of over two thousand miles. They gave us three hearty cheers, which we answered by discharging our cannon. A fair wind carried us to sea, where we kept company for three days, when a violent gale separated us. I cruised the whole of next day in search of the Traverse, without finding her. Thinking it useless, I resumed my course and proceeded to the Island of Old Providence, where we arrived after a passage of seventeen days, and opened my trade as usual. The Traverse arrived four days after, having sprung her mast near the deck.

The next day we hauled the Traverse along side of the Price, raised her masts with the schooner's purchases, sawed off the broken part, about five feet, took her sails on shore and shortened them to fit the mast, put them in good order for sea, exchanged part of her goods and gave her a suitable cargo to retail along the coast. Two or three days after I gave the captain orders to proceed to the Main and stop to trade at sundry ports, named in his instructions, and from thence proceed to St. Blas, where he would meet me in the Price. I took Henry T. Smith with me to Lagoon, to act as clerk in our store, in place of Mr. Warner, who wished to return to New-York. I remained here two or three days, and then sailed for the Lagoon. On my arrival Mr. Warner was in good health, and much pleased to find himself released by Mr. Smith's taking his place as clerk in the store. We landed the most of our heavy goods, made every necessary arrangement for business, and giving the proper directions, I proceeded to Bluefields, sold a few goods, cancelled some old debts, and procured a pilot for the coast of St. Blas, for which we soon after sailed.

I obtained information at Corn Island, at the Lagoon, and at Bluefields, of the English traders having heard that I intended to extend my trade to that coast. They had employed an agent whom they had supplied with the necessary articles of trade, and told the inhabitants that if they traded with that Yankee captain they would withdraw from them; and also told them that the Yankee captain might sell them some articles a little cheaper at first, but that he was a worthless fellow, and could not continue the trade long, when they would be left destitute, as no Englishman would supply them. The English traders urged the Indians to put myself and crew to death, and burn our vessel. My friends who gave me the information, strongly remonstrated against my going to St. Blas, saying that my life would be sacrificed in so doing. In a conversation afterwards with one of the English traders, I spoke of the cold-blooded murder they wished the St. Blas Indians to be guilty off, which he denied, but admitted that they told the Indians to destroy our goods.

However the minds of the Indians might have been operated upon at the time of hearing their murderous proposals, they made no attempt to harm me.

On our arrival on the coast of St. Blas, not knowing the channel, we came to anchor near an island, where we discovered a number of canoes, and thirty or forty Indians on the shore. Being short of water, I concluded to take a small water-keg into my canoe and land among the Indians for the purpose of procuring some, and also to get a pilot, if possible, to take the vessel into the harbor. Before leaving the vessel I told the mate that the Indians had such an inveterate hatred against the Spaniards, that if any of their vessels were cast away on this coast they would massacre every person on board; that I thought they had never seen the American flag, and bade him keep a good look-out with the spy-glass, and not hoist our colors until he saw me safe among the Indians, fearing they might suppose it to be Spanish, or some enemy's flag. My mulatto pilot and sailor, and myself, then proceeded toward the island where we had seen the Indians. When within about one hundred rods of the shore there were about thirty bows and arrows pointed towards us. On looking back to the vessel I saw the colors hoisted and streaming with the wind. It being too late to retreat, and perceiving that the water was only about two feet deep, I jumped overboard, and told my men to follow; having no other clothes on save our shirts and pantaloons, the water was not particularly annoying. I took my hat in my hand and extended my arms full length, showing thereby that there were no weapons about me. As I approached the shore they all laid down their bows and arrows and met us with a hearty welcome. The Indian arrows are made of strong reed, four or five feet long, pointed with nails or spikes about fourteen or fifteen inches in length, which they sharpen with files or cold chissels. With these they kill wild beasts, fowls and fish. When shot into the water the reed is so buoyant that the light end swims about one foot above the surface.

Previous to my departure from the Price, my Mate took a scissors, a knife, and some other articles out of the goods belonging to the cargo, and left them lying carelessly about the vessel. I requested him to put them back into the packages, together with any articles he might use; but he told me very abruptly that he purchased them in New-York. Some angry words passed between us. As he was an intemperate, bad dispositioned man, I had reason to suppose that he hoisted the colors for the purpose of revenging himself on me; thinking, doubtless, that the Indians would murder me, though he excused himself by saying he thought I had landed before he hoisted them.

CHAPTER XIV

St. Blas has no king, but is a kind of Patriarchal government, being ruled by the old men and the sookerman of the Island, whose laws are obeyed in the strictest manner. The sookerman acts as physician, and also foretells future events. Theft or adultery is seldom known in that country. The civilized world talk of liberty, but these savages alone truly enjoy it. They pay no tithes or taxes, require no locks to protect themselves from thieves, have neither taverns nor boarding houses, every traveller being made welcome at whatever house he may happen to stop. There he will receive such entertainment and fare as is provided for the family. Their hospitality is the same, whether he remains a day, a month, or longer. I never heard of but one woman of that tribe who had issue by a white man. The father of the child was a captain of a Jamaica trading vessel. When the Indians discovered her situation, she was separated from the tribe, placed in a house built for her in the woods, entirely deprived of all kind of intercourse with them; being considered as an outcast. When the child was three or four years of age it was put on board of a Jamaica vessel and banished from the country.

In describing my next voyage I shall narrate many of the customs and manners of this region. The Indians brought their canoes alongside of our vessel and piloted us safely into the harbor, called Little Cordee, where we found good anchorage; we were immediately visited by some thirty or forty canoes. One of the Indians asked the privilege of trading for me. I told him he might if he got permission from the old men and sookermen, as we had not yet their leave so to do. He paddled to the shore, and returned in a short time with three old men and a sookerman, from whom we received the license which we desired.

I gave them plenty to eat and drink; they in return invited me on shore, where I was well entertained. My Indian trader then commenced the business for me by fathoming off cloth, many articles of staple goods, such as shirting, check, powder and shot, &c. all of which had been sold at one uniform price for many years. The Indians also had always received one dollar per pound for tortoise-shell. When any goods differed from such as the English traders had sold them, my Indian agent would ascertain the price from me and proceed in his usual way in bartering and selling. It was entirely unnecessary for me to trouble myself about his bargains. He would come to me with his hands full of silver change, saying, here captain, is so much money, and without further remark would again turn to his business of salesman.

After remaining three or four days, my clerk asked me if he might be my trader during the season of taking turtle, which lasted four or five months. His price was ten pounds Jamaica currency, about thirty dollars. This being pretty reasonable, I answered him in the affirmative, telling him to select such goods as he wished for his trade, I at the same time taking an account of them, although I dared not let him know that I had done so. I furnished him with the means of preserving his goods from the rain, supplied him with steelyards, and every article necessary for the trade on that coast. The goods amounted to about six hundred dollars. He then volunteered to pilot us along the coast free of expense, except his board and liquor.

We at length got under weigh, having about twenty canoes in tow, proceeded a few miles and came too at night under the lee of an island. In the morning we started again, and arrived at the River Caledonia; here we obtained permission to trade, the inhabitants giving us a hearty welcome. After remaining here two or three days we sailed for the River Mona, opening our trade immediately on our arrival, having obtained such license from the proper authorities, remained but a few days, and sailed for the River De Ablo, or River Devil. Here I engaged an Indian named Billy, who had sailed with Captain Humphrey, an English trader, some two years before. Billy was much pleased to see me, and immediately commenced trading in my service, upon the same terms as those on which I had engaged the former Indian, Campbell; he selected his goods and took about the same quantity as Campbell had, and was fitted out much in the same manner, having everything necessary to carry on the trade during the season. After remaining here three or four days, we sailed back to the River Cordee, where I had ordered Captain Soper to meet me with his sloop.

I remained at Cordee about two weeks, waiting for the appearance of the vessel. On her arrival we took out all the cargo she had collected along the coast, and put it on board the Price, and took what was left on board the Price and put it on board the Traverse, and, according to my letter of instruction, gave Captain Soper command of the Price, with directions to proceed to New-York; he took Mr. Warner with him. On taking charge of the Traverse myself, I retained Mr. Tefts, my Indian apprentice boy, also an Indian lad who was one of the Musquitto king's brothers with me, and one of the St. Blas Indians, who acted as seaman. The schooner soon sailed for New-York, and we for Corn Island, where we arrived in four days. After touching at Corn Island, we sailed from thence to Cape Gracios a Dios, where we were visited by the king, who invited us to his house, which I accepted of. Remaining here some days, my little sloop was overloaded with Indians, eating and drinking, the king being constantly intoxicated. He gave me directions not to trust any Indian on his account without a written order from him. He came on board one day and asked me for the amount of his account, which was near one hundred dollars. He examined it silently, then ordered his men into his canoe and abruptly left the vessel. I felt somewhat surprised at his leaving in this manner without an explanation.

In the afternoon some Indians came on board who had been in the habit of bringing the king's verbal orders for goods, and said the king had sent them to get a ten gallon keg of rum for him; not wishing to offend him, I asked the Indians where he, the king, was, they replied, "We must paddle up the river a little bit, and then ride horse a little bit." Determined to know if there was any fraud in the verbal order, I started with the Indians to see the king.

We paddled up the river about four or five miles, when we landed. A horse was brought for each man; our leader mounted, taking his ten gallon keg up before him; each was supplied with a bunch of plantain leaves for a saddle. The night being dark, and the rain falling in torrents, we groped our way through thick woods, my horse acting as my guide. I kept my hand extended before my face to protect my eyes from the limbs of the trees for some distance, when we arrived at a small creek; we dismounted and crossed over in a canoe, the Indians swimming their horses across. Being mounted again we rode about three miles further through a level prairie land. The foot-path being covered with water about four inches deep, and the rain falling incessantly. At length we arrived at the king's house, his majesty not having a dry thread of clothes about him. On entering I found an Indian by the name of Thompson, an old acquaintance, acting as door-keeper, who conducted me into the house and presented me with a hammock; and being very much fatigued, begged him not to tell the king that I had arrived. He promised he would not. Soon after I got in my hammock, the king, who lay in an adjoining room, called for a drink of water, which was brought. The servant at the same time telling him that the American captain had arrived (that being the name by which I was known on the Indian coast.) He immediately arose, told his servants, called quarter-masters, to bring the women for a dance. To please him I had to put on an Indian dress, have my face painted, and my head ornamented with feathers. The king took the lead in the performances, which lasted until morning; he ordered a bullock to be killed for breakfast, which made a very good repast, after which I retired, much fatigued, to a hammock, where a sound sleep soon refreshed me. The king retired to rest, slept until dark, when, springing up suddenly, he ordered his quarter-masters to bring the horses. I remonstrated with him, saying, "For pity sake, king, do not take me through that wilderness this night." Rubbing his eyes, he declared, "It is not night, but morning." After some time, being convinced of his mistake, he ordered the quarter-masters to collect the women again for another dance, which was kept up until 11 o'clock that night, when I begged permission to retire.

Next morning the king apologized to me by saying, since he had detained me so long, I should be remunerated with some tortoise-shell, for "I know," said he, "you would willingly stop any where, two or three days, if you could get a few pounds of tortoise-shell." Our horses were soon brought, rigged as usual, with a bunch of plantain leaves for a saddle, and a bridle made of bark. The king mounted, one of his queens being placed behind him on the same horse; the gristle of his horse's ears being removed, caused them to lap down on his head much like a long-eared hog. I mounted the other. The mud and water was at least four inches deep on the road, being the rainy season. We proceeded about a quarter of a mile, when the king dismounted, and getting up behind me, called to his waiters to get him a large stick, which he applied to my poor old horse's flank without mercy; off we went in a smart gallop, the mud and water flying in every direction. Having proceeded about a mile we came to a small lane leading from the main road, which we were travelling, along which were three small houses to be seen. The king halted, saying to me, "Go up here and I will get you some shell." I rode with the king to the front of the house, where a young Indian girl, apparently eighteen years of age, stood near the door. The king addressing me, asked if I did not think her handsome. My answer, of course, was in the affirmative. The king then commanded his quarter-masters to catch her and throw her on behind me. The girl having an old dress on, ran into the house and returned with a clean one, the quarter-masters then lifted her on behind me astride the horse. The king kept in the rear to drive my horse into a canter, the mud and water flying into our eyes at such a rate that I could hardly keep the road. When we came to the creek the horses swam across, while the king, the two women, and myself crossed in a canoe; the king trying to upset us, which I prevented almost by main force, as the creek swarmed with alligators. Having passed it, we travelled through woods for two or three miles, when we embarked in a canoe for the Cape. Gladly did I return to my vessel. The king, not unmindful of his promise to make me some remuneration for my detention, sold me some thirty or forty pounds of shell, which he owed to an English trader.

There was at the time two English trading vessels lying in the harbor. I had one passenger on board, belonging to Corn Island. One day the English captains, my passengers, and myself, being overtaken by a rain storm on shore, took shelter under an old woman's roof, where she was engaged in frying fish for her dinner. Her house was built like many houses in that country, simply of a thatched roof, supported by crotches, having no sides. As we were assembled here, the notion got into our heads to try the old lady's temper and placing ourselves at the four corners of her domicile, clapped our shoulders under the roof and bore it off, leaving the poor old woman frying her fish in the rain, which soon put out her fire, while we received a volley of curses for our sport. We, however, returned it to its proper place, breaking the poor old creature's crockery in so doing, which was all she possessed. We invited her on board our vessels the next day, telling her we would make good her loss; nor were we unmindful of our promise when she made her appearance. We supplied her with plates, cups, saucers, knives, forks, &c. so that her house was better furnished with these articles than any in the town. We also threw in a bottle of rum to make the affair perfectly satisfactory to her.

After remaining at the Cape a few days, where I purchased some shell, a considerable quantity of India rubber, gum copal, deer and tiger-skins, and deer-horns, paying for them in goods, we proceeded to Sandy Bay, where, after bartering four or five days for such articles as we got at the Cape, we next sailed for Great River, continuing our bartering for the same articles, and then started for Corn Island, intending to take in provision there, it being decidedly the best place for that purpose in the country. From thence we sailed for the Lagoon, where having landed such goods as were needed to keep a good assortment in our store, we proceeded along the coast, touching at Bluefields, Martina, Buckatora, and some other small ports, and then returned to Corn Island. Here I met the schooner Price, which had arrived two days previous, direct from New-York, with a new supply of goods. Captain Soper informed me that he had lost one man overboard on his passage home. I found on board the Price a man named Mores, who had some interest in the cargo. I gave the command of the sloop to Mr. Tefts, and took charge of the schooner again. I supplied Captain Tefts with a new assortment of goods, and ordered him to proceed along the Musquitto coast and procure all the return cargo he could, and from thence to St. Blas, where he could meet me in the Price. I proceeded with the Price direct to St. Blas, where I repainted her. Here Mr. Morse was taken sick and died, and we buried him on an uninhabited island, and then sailed for the harbor of Cordee, where I found my Indian trader, Campbell, who came on board and brought the returns for the goods I had left with him to sell. He brought on board a quantity of shell, a few bags of cocoa, a purse of money, and the remnants of the goods, and told me he had three or four canoe loads of fustic, laying on the beach, which he had purchased for me. He laid the shell, cocoa, return goods, and the purse of money down on the deck, telling me that was all he had. I asked him if he had taken out his wages. He said he had, and we considered all accounts between us settled, without making any figures. We remained here two or three days, and purchased a few thousand cocoa-nuts, and then sailed for the River De Ablo, where I met my other trader, Billy, who came on board with his returns, which being the same as Campbell's, I settled his account in the same manner, with one exception. I asked him if he had taken out his wages, he answered, "Not all," when I handed back the purse of money to him, and he took out fourteen dollars, and then returned it, saying, "Now we are even," which was as good as a receipt.

Campbell was on board acting as pilot, and he and Billy told me they must go and see my country, which request I readily granted. I purchased more cocoa-nuts, and took them on board when the Traverse arrived. I put all the goods I had left of her cargo on board the schooner Price, and prepared to sail the next morning. That evening we were visited by all the old men and sookermen in that vicinity, together with forty or fifty young men; the bottle of rum was passed round among them often during the night by Campbell or Billy, the old men relating stories and giving their charge to my traders, who were going to New-York with me. The St. Blas Indians have a peculiar custom about talking: when an old man is speaking, all the company are silent, not one lisp is heard from any other person, except at the end of every sentence, when each listener says, "Ah!" When one old man has ended his story another commences without any interruption. I laid down to sleep at eleven o'clock and slept till five in the morning, when I awoke and found them talking. Some time after, I called one of the Indians aft who spoke English, and asked him why this talk had continued all night: he answered me by saying, "The old men had told Campbell and Billy that they would be the first of their tribe whoever visited my country; that they must keep sober and honest, and conduct themselves like gentlemen."