The Adventures of Roderick Random
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
CHAPTER LXVI
I am invited to the Villa of a Spanish Don, where we went with an
English Gentleman, and make a very interesting discovery—we leave
Buenos Ayres, and arrive at Jamaica
Our ship being freed from the disagreeable lading of negroes, to whom,
indeed, I had been a miserable slave since our leaving the coast of
Guinea, I began to enjoy myself, and breathe with pleasure the pure air
of Paraguay, this part of which is reckoned the Montpelier of South
America, and has obtained, on account of its climate, the name of
Buenos Ayres. It was in this delicious place that I gave myself
entirely up to the thoughts of my dear Narcissa, whose image still kept
possession of my breast, and whose charms, enhanced by absence,
appeared to my imagination, if possible, more engaging than ever! I
calculated the profits of my voyage, which even exceeded my
expectation; resolved to purchase sinecure upon my arrival in England,
and if I should find the squire as averse to me as ever, marry his
sister by stealth; and in case our family should increase, rely on the
generosity of my uncle, who was by this time worth a considerable sum.
While I amused myself with these agreeable projects, and the
transporting thoughts of enjoying Narcissa, we were very much caressed
by the Spanish gentlemen, who frequently formed parties of pleasure for
our entertainment, in which we made excursions a good way into the
country. Among those who signalised themselves by their civility to us,
was one Don Antonio de Ribera, a very polite young gentleman, with whom
I had contracted an intimate friendship, who invited us one day to his
country house, and, as a further inducement to our compliance, promised
to procure for us the company of an English Signor, who had been
settled in those parts many years and acquired the love and esteem of
the whole province by his affability, good sense, and honourable
behaviour.
We accepted his invitation, and set out for his villa, where we had not
been longer than an hour, when the person arrived in whose favour I had
been so much prepossessed. He was a tall man, remarkably well shaped,
of a fine mien and appearance, commanding respect, and seemed to be
turned of forty; the features of his face were saddened with a reserve
and gravity, which in other countries would have been thought the
effect of melancholy; but here appeared to have been contracted by his