ADVENTURES OF GILBERT GO-AHEAD, part 7 (from Robert Merry's Museum, July 1851, pp. 5-10)
CHAPTER VII.
The village into which I was carried consisted of about one hundred and fifty people. Like all the towns and villages in Sumatra, it was built upon the banks of a river, and, as I afterwards learned, belonged to the kingdom of Acheen, which occupies the north-western coast of the island. The great mass of the people belong to the tribe of Battas, who are, at once, the most civilized and the most ferocious people in these regions.
My triumphal entry into the village, mounted on an elephant, with Grin squatting behind me, speedily drew the attention of the people in the streets--a shout ran from shanty to shanty, and a mob of men, women, boys and girls, was soon collected in my train. The elephant took no heed of this, but plodded strait on--Grin, however, seemed to be somewhat uneasy, for one of the boys hurled a stick at him, which whizzed very close by his ears. He therefore turned round, and stood upon all fours, and faced the rabble with an indignant countenance.
This was bad policy, for it provoked a general assault--at least a dozen boys and girls began to pick up sticks and throw at him. One of them struck Grin across the ears, which seemed to be an insult not to be endured--quick as thought, he leaped from the elephant, and fell in the very midst of the young assailants-- giving a cuff to the little rascal who had thrown the offensive missile, he sent him reeling to the ground. He then hounded forward, and at one spring, was again seated upon the elephant.
But a storm of sticks and stones immediately followed, and Grin, like an able general, saw the necessity of rapid retreat. He accordingly made three or four scratches in the thick hide of the elephant, which seemed to be perfectly understood by that sagacious animal. He flapped his enormous ears, brandished
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his little tail, and then fell into a walloping gallop, which soon left the village and the enraged rabble in the distance.
For at least six hours we continued at a round pace, following a pretty straight course to the north-west. If we deviated it was to avoid some mountain range, some marshy thicket, or impenetrable forest. It was quite obvious that my conductor was acting upon some settled plan. What this might be, I could not exactly determine; for, though I could talk Malay and Chinese, yet I had not acquired the language of elephants.
However, one thing was very clear, this huge beast was travelling in my direction, and for some reason or other, he liked my company. I had heard that the Acheenese, who are a very ingenious people, had succeeded in taming elephants, and making them useful as beasts of burden, and I thought it very likely that my four-footed friend was one of these which had strayed away, and was now returning to his master. It will be seen in the end that this conjecture was partially true.
We proceeded on our journey till late in the afternoon, when the elephant stopped in a little valley shaded with palm trees. He then put up his trunk, evidently inviting me to descend, which I did. Grin followed my example. The elephant went to the bank of a river near by, and, plunging in, walked and rolled about, occasionally spouting columns of water into the air with his trunk, as if it were the pipe of a fire engine. After bathing for half an hour, he earns to the land, and made an enormous dinner of the large succulent leaves and plants that grew along the margin of the stream.
Grin mounted a cocoa-nut tree, and speedily threw down a large nut. This I appropriated to myself. He, however, descended, and threatened to take it from me. For a moment, I expected a serious battle; but when the fellow saw my glittering blade ready for the encounter, he paused, then turned suddenly away, mounted the tree again, and having provided himself with another cocoa-nut, crushed it upon a stone, and quietly made his meal by himself.
Overpowered with fatigue, I speedily fell asleep, and for a long time was buried in repose. At last I was awakened by wild shrieks, which filled the whole forest. It seemed to be midnight; yet, though there was no moon, the brilliant stars spread a faint light over the scene. By this, I saw, at a little distance, about a dozen dark figures tussling with my friend Grin. He seemed to have wrenched a club from one of the assailants, and was laying about him with uncouth but ferocious menaces.
The men stood aloof for a moment and Grin, seizing the golden opportunity, bounded through the ring and fled. In his escape he passed near to me, which instantly drew his enemies upon me. Before I had time to form any plan, either of escape or defence, I was attacked, thrown to the ground and pinioned, with knees upon my chest, and rough hands at my throat.
I was very speedily bound with strong cords, fastening my arms to my
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sides. I was then permitted to rise, and forced to come along with my captors. At a little distance we found the elephant, which, it seems, they had entrapped, and fastened to a tree by a cable around one of his hind legs. The creature appeared utterly subdued, and when they placed a noose around the end of his trunk, drawing it smartly, so as evidently to give him pain, he still made no resistance.
The language of these people I did not fully understand; but, as they kept chattering with each other, I was not long in comprehending my position. My captors were a band of Batta robbers, who infested the mountains. Their leader was no other than Dock, celebrated through the whole country, and noticed in the little ballad which I have already translated for the benefit of my readers. It seems that they had made an expedition into the country around the city of Acheen, and besides carrying off a large amount of gold, silver, jewels, and other goods, had stolen an elephant from one of the rich planters, and forced him to carry them away into the mountains. I was now able to understand the whole story of the elephant, which I had met in the weeds, and which had brought me so far on my journey.
It seems the creature, after being taken and carried away, had escaped from his captors, and wandered in the wilderness for some time. When he met me, his social disposition and domestic habits led him to become my companion and friend. It appeared also, from the conversation I heard, that Grin had been partially tamed, and had taken advantage of some good opportunity to escape into the woods. His wound in the leg made him docile, and returned hun to his old habits of submission, when he fell in with me.
While I was thus able to read the story of the elephant and orang-outang I was at no great loss to understand the fate to which I was destined by my present masters.
It may seem incredible that any human beings can be so ferocious as to eat the flesh of their own race, but the fact is certain that this was once a common practice with the Battas, a people living in the kingdom of Acheen, and occupying the north-western part of the island. Every man guilty of certain crimes was doomed to be eaten alive. At the ceremony, the officers of justice presided, and the person most injured cut the first slice, seasoning it with salt, pepper, and citron. Finally the chief magistrate cut off the head, and carried it away in triumph.
This custom has been abandoned by the more civilized Battas, but I know it still to be practised by the wild hordes of the mountains. If I had entertained any doubts, they would have been dissipated by what I heard, for I was able to gather from the chattering around me, that my captors were only to wait till night, when they intended to have their horrid revel.
I was left, bound hand and foot, during the day, and the elephant also continued tied to his tree, though at a considerable distance. My situation was
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indeed most appalling. After the robbers had slept several hours, they began to prepare for my execution. They arranged a rude table or platform of dried sticks and logs, beneath a thick, massy group of cocoa-nut trees, which I knew was intended for the feast, and here, I had no doubt, I was to be served up for the meal. The night at last set in, and a blazing fire was kindled at a short distance. As the plot thickened, I saw the savages dancing, strutting, and making wild gestures around the festal board. At length, I was taken from the ground and carried to the pile of sticks. I was so firmly tied as to be utterly helpless. I had given up all hope, and made no resistance. Being laid on the platform, the savages returned to the blazing faggots, and again began their horrid dance.
At this moment, I heard a rustle in the cocoa-nut trees above me. Looking up, I saw reflected, in the glare of the fire, a fierce countenance, horrible to look upon. I thought, at first, that I was lacking my senses; but soon I discovered that the grizzly image was no other than Grin. He sat couched on his legs, with an enormous cocoa-nut in his hands. I can hardly tell why, but the presence of this creature inspired me with a gleam of hope.
I made a slight movement to try the strength of the cords that bound me. It seemed to me that I had the power of Samson, and I determined not to yield my life without an effort. Slipping one of my hands loose from my side, I was able to get my knife, which was hid in the leg of my trowsers. I had only time to cut the cords which bound my feet, when the savages in one rush came around me. Each had a long glittering blade, and the hideous Dock was foremost among the throng.
"So," thought I, "you are to have the first slice--we shall soon see how it will end." The robber stood a moment, preparing to strike his blow, when suddenly a terrible noise, half howl and half scream, burst from the trees. Then fell a cocoa-nut plump at the head of Dock, dashing him to the ground. At the same time, a gigantic figure was in the midst of the astonished group, yelling and sweeping about with ferocious gestures. The scene was too frightful and too unaccountable for the nerves of the Battas. They, naturally enough, imputed these sudden events to supernatural agent, and fled in uncontrollable terror into the woods. I soon cut my cords, released the elephant, mounted his back, and, with Grin behind, we departed.
My sagacious carrier seemed perfectly to understand the whole matter. Dark as it was, he threaded his way in the woods, choosing the open glade, and spreading out his legs into a kind of rolling gallop. He kept his trunk raised back for me to hold on by. As to Grin, he let him take care of himself. The poor fellow was several times swept off by the bushes, and when this happened, I fancied I could hear a gurgling laugh in the huge bowels of the elephant.
By daylight, we had reached the level, open country, and I could now see the ocean, spreading far to the north. By
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noon, we reached a broad river, and I could see a large town, on the opposite bank. In plunged the elephant, and first walking, and then swimming like a huge hogshead, he brought us to the other shore. In a few minutes we were in the main street of Acheen, and once more, I was safe among a people who acknowledged the acts and usages of civilization, at least, in some degree.
My arrival caused no little emotion among the Acheenese. When my adventures were made known, I became quite a hero. Hundreds of people came to see me, among whom were the king, and one of his fifty wives. The owner of the elephant soon claimed his property, but he had the grace to give me a kriss, or dagger, beautifully wrought, and set with a circle of rubies at the hilt. The value was at least a hundred dollars. As to poor Grin, I put him in charge of the captain of the American ship, Bald Eagle, lying at the mouth of the river some twenty miles from the city, for the stream is so shallow as to allow none but small vessels to come up to the place.
I gave special directions to have him carried to an old maiden aunt of mine at Sandy Plain, begging her to take care of him for my sake. I wrote a full biography of him, told all his good qualities, and, as she was a very good Christian woman, I fancied that she would take a deep interest in his welfare. My aunt had a small property, and it was generally thought she would leave it to me. I had been accustomed to cultivate her favor, and fancied this present of an orang-outang would advance me greatly in her good graces.
But we often make mistakes, where we deem ourselves most acute and sagacious. So it chanced in this case. A year after Grin was shipped, I got a letter from home, telling me that he arrived safely, and was placed under my aunt's care. For a time, the fellow behaved well enough--but pretty soon he began to grow mischievous. He had a great turn for mimicry, and was very apt to do everything he saw my aunt do. He would sit in a chair, put on her spectacles, open the bible, and appear to be reading it with great devotion. He would often steal to my aunt's side, when she was on her knees at prayer, and do just as she did. When he was caught in these tricks, he put on a very long face, and pretended to be perfectly serious and sincere.
All this was tolerated; but on one Sabbath day, the fellow got one of my aunt's old bonnets, put it on, and walked behind her to meeting. She did not see him; but as she went up the broad aisle, she saw the whole congregation in a titter. Looking suddenly behind her, she beheld Grin, walking on his hind legs, and very manifestly imitating her air and gait. The fellow made off as soon as he saw the fire in my aunt's eye; but the congregation could not get over it. Even the minister was on the point of bursting into a laugh in the midst of the sermon, and the choir was so disturbed in their recollection, that they were obliged to omit three verses of the first hymn.
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This soon brought matters to a crisis--for it got in to a penny piper, and was the occasion of a great deal of wicked fun. My aunt sent Grin to a museum, where he soon after died; but his skin was stuffed, and forms one of the chief curiosities of the place. She then made her will, in which she bequeathed me six cents, giving the rest of her property to religious institutions.
I found the city of Acheen to contain about 8,000 people, mostly natives. The houses are of bamboo, set on poles, some ten or fifteen feet high, along the margin of the river. There are many trees among them, and, at a little distance, the plain looks like a forest. The people are fond of the sea, and many of then, are pirates. They write on leaves of bamboo, with the point of a dagger, beginning at the bottom of the page.
They supply all Sumatra with firearms which they manufacture. Their fillegree work is famous. They are Mahometans in faith, and their city is the Mecca of all the Sumatran worshippers of the Prophet. The kingdom is independent, but was formerly much more extensive than at present, even claiming dominion over the whole island.
I obtained my clocks, shipped from Bencoolen to this place, and, in four weeks, sold them all. I now took passage on an Acheen sloop for Singapore; but it was a long time before I reached that place, as further chapters of my story will show.
ADVENTURES OF GILBERT GO-AHEAD, part 8 (from Robert Merry's Museum, August 1851, pp. 53-56)
CHAPTER VIII.
The little vessel in which I had embarked for Singapore was manned by seven men, all natives of Acheen, and a wild-looking set they were. Their eyes were black, sparkling, and snaky; their hair coarse, black, and hanging in shaggy locks over their foreheads. They were short and thin, but exceedingly active. The schooner was rather a crazy craft, built of small poles, partially flattened, and bound together partly by intertwined withes, and partly by bolts of copper. The two sails were of matting, very much in the Chinese fashion. It was quite curious, however, to see how well the active sailors contrived to make this rickety vessel glide along over the waters. Something was happening all the time to keep them employed; either a bolt broke, a withe gave way, a leak increased, or a rent was made in the canvass. Nevertheless, these incidents and accidents were met by great skill and ingenuity, and for a time no serious difficulties occurred. At the end of three or four days I noticed that the course of our vessel, instead of being to the north-west, as it ought to have been in order to reach Singapore, was to the south-east, almost in the opposite direction. When I spoke of this to the captain, he made me a shuffling reply, and as I mentioned it the next day, he told me to hold my tongue, that he was commander, &c. I now began to feel great anxiety. It was very clear that I had put myself In the power of a set of knaves who might, perhaps, murder me for my money, which was over a thousand dollars.
I now began to watch my shipmates, and soon perceived that they were watching me also. We continued our course, with light breezes for a week, so near to the land that I could sometimes see the azure tops of the mountains on our larboard side. I had no difficulty in perceiving that we were running down the outer coast of Sumatra. Occasionally we passed by small rock islands on our right. I soon made up my mind that I had got into one of the little pirate vessels which issue from Acheen, and scour the coast in quest of plunder. Of course, my situation was critical. If I was in the hands of pirates I could hardly expect them to spare my life or my property. In this state of things I had a good many thoughts, something like the following:
"Ah, Gilbert Go-a-head, you once thought yourself born to good luck, but you are always getting in scrapes, and are about the unluckiest dog that ever was heard of. Why, since you landed at Singapore you have been in a constant succession of adventures, dangers, accidents, and disappointments. Oh, Gilbert, Gilbert, are you not, after all your imagined Yankee caution, a careless, impudent, short-sighted ninny? How much better would it have been for you to have staid at home in Sandy Plain than
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to have come off here to be popped into the sea by a band of half-naked Malays. Well, well, when your hand is in the bear's mouth it's no time to consider how it got there. When you are in a trap, the question is how to get out. It's hard weather, Gilbert, but don't give up the ship. Remember how you gave the slip to Ram de Bang, at Lampong; how you ran away from the Battas at Bang-Bang; how you escaped the fiery serpents; and how you dodged even Dock, the wild robber of the mountains. After all, courage is the best shield in the hour of danger; so, cheer up, Gilbert, cheer up, and perhaps it may all come out right at last."
Such was the general tenor of my reflections. I had, indeed, no doubt of the bad intentions of the captain and his men, but I had hope of meeting some English or Dutch vessels going to Bencoolen, who might give me a chance of escape. We had now been out to sea ten days, when at evening we drew in close to the shore of a little island covered with low palm-trees. In the dusk, I could see a few small huts, made of bamboo, and as it grew dark I could discern several lights. We were soon in shallow water, and as I was looking upon the preparations to land, two of the sailors rushed suddenly upon me, threw me down, and by the aid of two others bound me hand and foot. I was then taken by the whole troop to the shore the party wading up to their waists. We soon reached the village, where a good deal of bustle had been occasioned by our arrival. The place proved to be a settlement belonging to a petty chief who owned the island, and whose capital was about two miles distant. I was carried thither, and, to make a long story short, I was sold as a slave to the Rajah, for sixteen bags of black pepper! The bargain being consummated, my Acheen friends departed, taking all my property with them. I gave them a hearty good-by in English, for when a man is angry he is apt to speak his native tongue.
It is necessary that I hasten along, or like Sally St. John's courtship, it will be without end. I remained three weeks in this island, which I christened Ladies' Finger, from its resemblance, in shape, to that charming feature of the charming sex. When I publish my map it will be seen off the outer coast of Sumatra, bearing about south-west by west from Bencoolen. It is sufficient to say, that having been employed by the Rajah, whose name was Mighty Mug, or something very like it, in polishing his nose-rings, scaring away his fleas, and fanning him while asleep from the influence of opium, I swam out to a Dutch vessel on her way to Java, and being received and kindly treated on board, I landed at that island just six weeks and three days after I had left Acheen.
Of all the islands in the Pacific, Java is one of the most interesting, on account of its history, its productions, and its present state. It is about half the length of Sumatra, and is somewhat more than half as large. Its extent is about equal to that of the State of New York. It is separated from Sumatra by the straights of Sunda, 70 or 80 miles wide. It has
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a range of volcanic mountains, from 4,000 to 5,000 feet high, running through the centre. The marshy districts around the mouths of the rivers, are cultivated with rice. Coffee is raised in great quantities, and large amounts are shipped to the U. States and to Europe. Indigo, cotton, tobacco, Indian corn, cinnamon, olives, and other fruits, are produced. Wild animals abound in the unsettled regions. The population is enormous, being estimated at nearly seven millions. Most of them are the native Malays, with some Chinese, Arabs, and others. There are native princes in the interior, ruling over several bands. These, however, are subject to the Dutch who hold dominion of the whole island, though the entire number of Europeans does not exceed 17,000. The capital is Batavia, at the north-eastern point. There are numerous manufactures; but the chief products are agricultural. The exports are valued at 30 millions of dollars a year. I had often heard of Java before I reached the island, but I had formed no adequate idea of its vast population. Think of almost one-third as many people as live in the whole United States, cooped up in a territory not much more extensive that the State of New York! I found Batavia, at which place I landed, to be a very large city, containing about 120,000 inhabitants, 3,000 being Europeans, chiefly Dutch, 25,000 Chinese, 1,000 Arabs and Moors, 10,000 Negro slaves, and the rest natives of various tribes. Never have I seen a more motley population. The climate is very hot, and many of the natives go almost naked, especially the children. The town is situated in a marshy spot at the mouth of the Jaccatra river, and is very unhealthy. It is intersected by canals, like the towns in Holland. There is very little difference in the heat between winter and summer. The Dutch have built a stadt-house, numerous hospitals, and several churches. The Mahometans have a mosque, and the Chinese several temples. There is also a newspaper published here.
When I first landed and saw around me evidences of civilization, I felt great relief. "Now," thought I, "I shall get along very well: I have got clear of the savages, and of course, I shall find friends." But these pleasant fancies soon faded away. I discovered that money is a very necessary thing when people live in good houses, have churches, good clothes, and many other good things. These are sold, not given away. I went to a hotel, and told my story. The landlord replied civilly that he had no room for me. I was totally destitute of money, and had no property but the clothes I wore. Even my cap had been given me by a sailor, in exchange for a ring of coral I chanced to have on my finger. I walked about the town for some time, looking at every dwelling, and peeping into every man's face, hoping to catch some idea that might answer my present turn, and help me out of my difficulty. Thus I walked on for some hours, and at last, getting a little tired and out of spirits, I sat down upon a log that lay partly on the land and partly in the wa-
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ter. I was on the skirt of the town, and some distance from any dwelling. It was past midday, and the sun was very hot.
This, however, I did not mind. Sitting on the log alone, I pursued my meditations for some time. My usual cheerfulness had deserted me, and I was giving way to despair, when a small fish, gliding along in the crystal water, attracted my attention. He sauntered about for some time, as if he had lost his way, or was in search of something he could not find. He swept round and round, in a circle, several times, and seemed in such a bother that I had a fellow-feeling for him, as if his situation was really similar to my own. "Well," said I, mentally, "I have heard that Timour, the Tartar, took counsel of an ant, when he got into trouble, and perhaps Gilbert Go-ahead may find a schoolmaster in a fish. At any rate I will see what the fellow will do. It must be pleasant to live in such a beautiful element as this pure water, and be able to go where you like only by a wag of the tail; yet the want of hands, feet, and legs must be a considerable drawback. It's true you save gloves, shoes, and pantaloons, and to one like me, who has no money, this is a valuable consideration. Yet, after all, I should hardly like to be a fish, except for a short time, and by way of experiment."
Just as I had finished this reflection I saw my scaly little friend gradually rise to the surface of the river. When he had come up so that the rim of his lip was visible above the water, he remained still for an instant, put his body in a line with a fly on the log, a foot from him, and then let drive a column of spray, which struck the insect and brought him half way down to the fish's mouth. The latter leaped at him vigorously, but the fly was a burly blue-bottle fellow, and escaped, though by the skin of his teeth. He soon came back, and took his station near the spot he had occupied before. Again the crafty sportsman drew near; again took deliberate aim, and again discharged his liquid arrow at his mark. The fly escaped as before, but he was well spattered, and, whirling wide in the air, took a final departure. But other flies were seen standing or creeping along the side of the log, and the shining little sportsman of mine made shot after shot, though for a long time without success. At last a fat Dutch-built fly, greatly resembling the burgomaster of Batavia, whom I had seen, was brought down by the fish, and taken into his jaws at a snap. As the fellow floated lazily away, I fancied I could see a smile of the greatest satisfaction beaming along the golden tissues of his gills.
Small things have often great results. This little creature, whose species is well known in Java by the name of the squirt- fly, had set me a good example. He failed nineteen times, but the twentieth effort was crowned with success. I hailed the incident as an omen of good, and, rising from my seat, departed for the city. What followed I will tell in my next chapter.
ADVENTURES OF GILBERT GO-AHEAD, part 9 (from Robert Merry's Museum, September 1851, pp. 65-71)
CHAPTER IX.
As I was passing along from the remote and somewhat solitary quarter of the city, where I had received a lesson in patience and perseverance from a fish, I chanced to meet two persons dressed like sailors, one a Malay and the other a Chinese. We fell into conversation, and they told me that they were to start the next day to join a company of bird's-nest hunters on the south of the island. Without much reflection I proposed to join them, and an arrangement was immediately entered into. I was to receive thirty cents a day, and one tenth part of the value of the nests I might collect.
Perhaps all my readers are not aware that among the many curious animals in the East India Islands there is a kind of swallow which builds its nest in clefts and caves along the rocky coasts, and that these, being formed partly of a glutinous matter, are collected and sent to China, where they are greatly admired for seasoning soups. The object of our expedition was to collect nests of this kind.
In two days our arrangements were made, and our party, consisting of five persons, left Batavia and proceeded in an easterly course toward the destined hunting-ground. The distance we were to travel was about 250 miles. Each man was supplied with a sack and a small quantity of dried meat, some pounded maize, a small bag of pepper mingled with salt, and about three dollars in money. The main body of the hunters had gone forward three weeks before in two small vessels, accompanied by the Dutch commissioner, for it must be understood that all these swallows, as well as their nests, belong to the government. As these vessels had the poles, hooks, ladders, ropes, and lines, and all other equipments, the little party to which I was attached were laden only with the articles that I have mentioned.
We set out before sunrise, and for about an hour travelled along the paved road which the Dutch have constructed on the eastern bank of the Jacatra river. When the sun came up we were on a considerable highland, from which we could see Batavia and the surrounding country. The port appeared crowded with vessels from all parts of the world, and among them were a great number of Chinese junks. The low part of the city seemed sunk in the mud, but the new town, on the hills behind, had a pleasant appearance.
The seasons in this part of the world were divided into the wet and dry. The wet season begins in October, and extends to March. The dry from March to October. Two crops were produced each year. It was now April, and the people were busy with their farms and gardens. As we passed along we saw them employed, some in cultivating rice, and some in producing sugar, while others were attending the plantations of coffee.
It was curious to see the several crops in different stages of progress, standing side by side. For instance, we saw one little farmer ploughing a rice field. By the side of it some men were sowing another. Next to this they were transplanting the shoots. In another field the grain was in flower. In another it had the yellow hue, indicating its approach to ripeness; and close by this the old men, women, and children were busied in reaping still another.
The rice is cultivated in the low grounds. The coffee plantations spread over the uplands, and seem to occupy a great part of the country. The fruit grows on a small tree, which attains the height of twelve or fifteen feet at the age of five years. In Java it is planted in rows, between which there are rows of the Dadap tree to shelter it from the excessive heat of the sun. Coffee is, in fact, one of the great products of Java, and a considerable portion of that which is used in Europe and America is from this island.
As we continued our journey we saw the inhabitants occupied in the production of various other articles. Some were cultivating sugar, some pepper, some tobacco, and some other things. I saw one nice field of green corn, which made me feel homesick. I plucked off one ear, the seeds of which were in the milk, and ate it down to the cob. It seemed to me the most delicious morsel I had ever tasted. Oh how did the
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sweet visions of bygone corn and beans rise upon my imagination! And then came to mind the old brown house in which I was born and brought up. There stood the old elm in front, and on its extreme branches the hanging nests of the golden robins seemed still dancing in the breeze. In the rear was the home lot--the scene of many a childish adventure, still fresh in remembrance. At its western extremity were the bars, which I had let down and put up a hundred times for the cows or the old mare, as they were taken from the pasture, and one that was crooked, triangular, and troublesome, both to get in and get out of the socket which held it up, seemed actually before me. And all these imaginings were called up by a breakfast of green corn! I believe I was born a philosopher, and therefore I fell into long musings, in which I very naturally discovered a remarkable resemblance between the bar of which I have just spoken and myself.
"What am I, after all?"--such was my train of thought--"but a crooked stick, so full of twists, and turns,and knots, that it can't lie still? Now, had I been like other people--had I been the straight stick instead of the crooked one, in our family, I might have been at this moment at home, helping my family along in the world. I might have been safe, and comfortable, and useful, instead of being an outcast and a wanderer here in this out of the way place, called Java, trudging on foot, with four little fellows who can't spell crucifix, and that too on an expedition for the purpose of catching swallows' nests for Chinese broth! WelL, well, 'What can't be cured must be endured.' 'What's bred in the bone can't get out of the flesh.' 'Long legs will run.' 'A sitting hen can't keep company with swallows.' 'I was born to be a traveller and there's no help for it.' 'What's done is done.' Here I am, and now I may as well make the best of circumstances."
Such were my meditations as we continued our walk at an even and moderate pace. We had left the high road, and were pursuing a kind of foot-path winding among villages and scattered farm-houses. All the dwellings of the peasants were slight edifices, resting on bamboo pillars, the sides and roofs being thatched with rattans, palmetto leaves, and wild grass. The beds are of mats, with loose rolls of palmetto for pillows. On these the people sleep without undressing. In the larger houses there are slight wicker partitions.
The people in their labors appeared cheerful and happy. The women and children were in the fields, performing the lighter tasks. Buffaloes, instead of oxen, were used for ploughing. In the gardens I saw a great abundance of beans, sweet potatoes, yams and fruits. In some places there were plantations of pistachio nuts, cinnamon, betel-leaf, &c. Java is exceedingly rich in its soil, and is very productive. The price of labor is about 6 cents a day for a man, and half as much for a woman. Many things are very cheap. A farm, a house, a wife,
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a pair of buffaloes, four goats, five pigs, a plough, a rake, a hoe, two sickles, and all the furniture and fixtures of the establishment may be bought for fifty dollars! Rice is the great article of food, and for six cents a day a man may live like a prince.
In the course of five hours, we had travelled fifteen miles. The heat was now very great, and we therefore got into the shade of some wild palmettos, that we might take our rest. After a very moderate meal, we lay down. I was soon asleep, but suddenly awoke, and feeling something cold gliding across my throat, I arose, and to my horror, saw that a snake about six feet long had been crawling over me. The noise I made waked up my companions, who asked what was the matter. I pointed to the serpent, who was now hiding himself under the grass. "Poh!" said one of the Malays, "it is only a cat."
"A cat indeed!" said I, "what do you mean by calling this serpent a cat?"
"Because it catches rats. These creatures are favorites with us: they live in our houses, and we often feed them with mice. They save us from the rats, which are terrible thieves, and would gnaw our houses down, if we had not these snakes to defend us!" Upon this, my companions composed themselves to sleep. I could not, however, close my eyes. I sat apart, and after a while, the serpent I had seen put his head out of the grass, and finding all quiet, silently took himself off.
Toward evening our party arose, and we continued our journey. The country grew less and less cultivated, and at night we found ourselves in a thick forest of teak trees, not a single human habitation being in sight. Here we spent the night--the next day we were up early, and soon began to wind among the mountains which occupy the middle portions of the island. Between the ridges we found numerous settlements, the people being in a rude state, but of a gentle character. Some of the hillsides and valleys were marked with indescribable beauty and fertility. Here were the abodes of countless flocks of doves, wild peacocks, and birds of paradise. Never have I seen such gorgeous displays, as among these feathered tribes. They were little accustomed to be hunted, and many of them allowed us to come quite near to them. They would sit on the low branches of the trees, turning their necks, burnished like rubies and emeralds, in the sun, as if on purpose to excite our admiration. There were at least ten kinds of doves, some of them not larger than our robins, and they were the most gentle, amiable little fellows I ever saw. It was quite curious to see the doves here, always billing and cooing and making love to one another, just as they are in our country.
On the fourth day of our journey we reached the top of the mountain ridge. On one side, the whole country was covered with a kind of whitish mist, but on the other, we could see the island sloping away to the sea. The air was here bracing and delightful. On the left, to the north, we had a view of the state of Surakarta, which is still held by its na-
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tive princes, though they acknowledge the sovereignty of the Dutch. We could distinctly trace the Solo, which is the chief river of Java, and runs through the capital of this province, to the sea.
The scenery among the mountains is very wild. The whole region seems to consist of volcanic ruins. The rocks appear like melted stones and metal thrown out of a furnace. Many of the peaks and ridges rise in dark and shaggy masses, up to the clouds, and totally without verdure. One night, we found it necessary to sleep in a ravine between two long mountain ranges. At sunset it threatened to rain, and therefore we made our bed high up the side of a cliff, rather than in the bottom of the gorge, as this might be inundated, in case of a heavy shower.
We were all fatigued by clambering up the rocks and descending the shingling sides of the mountains; and there we soon fell asleep. About midnight, we were awakened by terrible noises, which seemed alike to fill the air and the bowels of the earth. Suddenly these sounds ceased, and the meet deathlike stillness prevailed. The darkness was also intense. While we all stood waiting to see what might happen, a sudden flash of lightning filled the whole valley with an ocean of light. The next instant the thunder broke in terrible peals, shaking the hills, and seeming to rock them to their very foundations. In a few moments a deluge of water fell, and plunging down the steep and jagged sides of the mountain, foamed, roared and thundered to the bed of the ravine below. Huge masses of the cliffs were forced from their positions, and descended, with the maddened torrents, down the gorge. One of them struck the Chinese who was standing near me, and he disappeared with the rushing mass, not even having time to speak a word or utter a cry. The scene was indeed terrible, for total darkness prevailed, except that occasionally a stream of fire was struck out in the collision of the rocks, and the waters, whitened into foam, flashed dimly in the ravine gulfs through which they sped. The roar that filled the ear, was rendered still more hideous by the yells of wild animals, forced from their dens, and either wounded or perhaps crushed by the descended fragments. In the midst of this scene, which made me almost sink to the earth, bewildered and overcome, I suddenly saw what appeared to be two balls of fire, at no great distance. They evidently moved, and I could see that they were approaching me.
I may as well say that I wished myself, just at that moment, at Sandy Plain. Indeed, the thing was so terrible, and so unaccountable, that at first I concluded it must be a dream. Nevertheless, it was a fearful fact. There were the two balls of fire, and now they were within six feet of me. My excited vision enabled me to perceive that they were the eyes of a huge tiger, which I had reason to suppose was about to spring upon me. In this I was mistaken. The creature approached on his belly, creeping submissively like a cat or a dog, to my feet. Another flash of lightning enabled me to see the huge beast lying behind me, in a
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subdued and timid posture. It was evident that he had been overcome with fright at the terrible convulsion of nature, and with the instinct which often leads the most savage beast to crave the aid of man, he had now come to put himself under my protection. I took courage by this incident. "This creature is taught by nature," said I, mentally, "to seek shelter of man in the hour of danger; and does not even a higher intelligence call upon man himself to ask protection from the Father of all, in similar emergencies?" With this thought I turned my mind to the only source of true comfort, in those perils which often attend us, and when God alone can give us succor. I hardly need to add, that my earnest prayer was answered by a degree of relief and self- possession. Humbled by the displays of His power around me-- conscience-smitten at the thought of my forgetfulness of One who weighs the very mountains in a balance--while yet he watches over each of His children--I committed myself to God, in perfect confidence of His protection.
In this condition I remained for three fourths of an hour--when the dawn began to break, and the waters to subside. As the sun rose, the clouds had passed, the torrents had subsided into wills, and the hoarse thunder into plaintive babblings. The tiger had crept from his place at my feet, and I saw him restored to liberty and self-confidence, leaping along the ridges of the distant cliff. Setting out with my remaining companions, I now pursued my way, and I was happy, at the approach of evening, to find that we had now left the mountain region behind us. I had often heard of the terrible thunder storms in the mountains of Java, but their actual terrors I had never imagined, till I witnessed them.
Our route now lay through fertile but uncultivated districts, covered with rich forests of teak, palms of various kinds, and numerous trees of which I had never heard the name. Some of the woods were covered with creeping plants, which hung in rich and flowing festoons from tree to tree, making the whole scene appear like the decorated palace of some fairy queen. It was in this seeming paradise, that I saw the deadly upas, which is not a tree but a creeping shrub, so fatal as to be imagined to kill the birds that fly over it. Its poison is, indeed, most intense, but the idea of it infecting the air, is fabulous.
The forests in this quarter are the feeding-ground of numerous large quadrupeds, such as the rhinoceros, wild buffalo, wild ox, wild hog, deer of various kinds, &c., &c. Here, too, the serpents, which are abundant in Java, reach an enormous size, sometimes measuring thirty feet in length. There are tigers, both black and striped, with abundance of crocodiles to be found in the marshes. The orang-outang is also met with, though it appears to be rare. Monkeys of various descriptions teem in different parts of the island: in the wild districts I have just described they seem to people every forest and valley.
We had no weapons for hunting, and though we saw a great many of the ani-
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mals I have just mentioned, and had some adventures with them, these will hardly require to be told. I must, however, give an account of one little affair, half comedy and half tragedy, in which a monkey, a crocodile, and a boa-constrictor were the leading characters.
It was one morning that I stood beside a small lake, fed by one of the rills from the mountains. The waters were clear as crystal, and everything could be seen to the very bottom. Stretching its limbs close over this pond was a gigantic teak tree, and in its thick shining evergreen leaves lay a huge boa, in an easy coil, taking his morning nap. Above him was a powerful ape, of the baboon species, a leering race of scamps, always bent on mischief. Now the ape, from his position, saw a crocodile in the water, rising to the top, exactly beneath the coil of the serpent. Quick as thought he jumped plump upon the snake, which fell with a plash into the jaws of the crocodile. The ape saved himself by clinging to a limb of the tree, but a battle royal immediately began between the parties in the water. The serpent, grasped in the middle by the crocodile, made the waters boil with his furious contortions. Winding his folds round and round the body of his antagonist he disabled his two hinder legs, and by his contractions made the scales and bones of the monster crack. The water was speedily tinged with the blood of both combatants, yet neither was disposed to yield. They rolled over and ever, neither being able to obtain a decided advantage. All this time the cause of the mischief was in a state of the highest extasy. He leaped up and down the branches of the tree, came several times close to the scene of the fight, shook the limbs of the tree, uttered a yell, and again frisked about. At the end of ten minutes a silence began to come over the scene. The folds of the serpent were gradually relaxed, and though there were tremblings along the back the head hung lifeless in the water. The crocodile, also, was still, and though only the spines of his back were visible it was evident that he too was dead. The monkey now perched himself on the lower limbs of the tree, close to the dead bodies, and amused himself for ten minutes in making all sorts of droll faces at them. This seemed to be adding insult to injury. One of my companions was standing at a short distance, and taking a stone from the edge of the lake, hurled it at the ape. He was totally unprepared, and as it struck him on the side of the head, he was instantly toppled over, and fell upon the crocodile. A few bounds, however, brought him ashore, and, taking to the trees, he speedily disappeared among the thick branches.
[To be continued.]
ADVENTURES OF GILBERT GO-AHEAD, part 10 (from Robert Merry's Museum, October 1851, pp. 125-127)
CHAPTER X.
I am afraid I am occupying my readers with long stories of my long and weary travels. I must therefore hasten on with a rapid stride. The latter part of our journey was sometimes through wooded and watered tracts, the abode of immense numbers of bitterns, wild geese, and ducks of strange forms and hues, and sometimes through uplands covered with forests, or subdued by man, and made the scene of a rich garden-like cultivation.
At last we approached the coast, which consisted of a rocky barrier, terminating in lofty cliffs, at whose bases the ocean thundered with a never-ceasing roar. Here, at the south-eastern point of the island, was to be the scene of our labors, and here we found about fifty persons, engaged in collecting swallows' nests. In order to understand this operation the reader must imagine the shore to consist of rocks rising abruptly from the sea to the height of three or four hun-
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dred feet. These have been rent, worn and hollowed into a thousand fantastic forms by the sea: sometimes they hang in beetling cliffs over the surges below; sometimes they present deep fissures, winding into the rocks; and sometimes caverns, like chambers, are discovered, in which the ebbing and flowing tides keep up their hoarse and melancholy murmurs.
It is in the deep and dark fissures and excavations that the swallows build their nests; and here, in these giddy and dangerous places, it is the business of the nest-hunter to seek his treasures. To aid him in this pursuit he has ladders made of ropes, hooks, poles, and various other implements. With these he creeps down the cliffs, and in ease of need swings over them, after being suspended in the air by his rope ladder, while the waters, three or four hundred feet below, seem fretting and foaming in their impatience to receive and swallow him up.
When I first swung myself over one of these dizzy precipices and looked down to the distant waters, the blood rushed to my heart so suddenly as almost to deprive me of my senses. I felt, indeed, as if I was lost, but in a moment I recovered my self-possession. After this I gradually became familiar with my dangerous vocation, and was really delighted with it. The swallows resemble our chimney swallows, and are exceedingly numerous. The nests are made
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of earth and a glutinous substance with which nature has abundantly provided this curious bird. It seemed to me quite tasteless, and I imagine the fondness of the Chinese for it arises rather from fashion than any real flavor or peculiar nutriment to be found in it.
I spent two months in nest-hunting, and though some accidents and incidents took place, nothing happened of sufficient interest to require notice here, with one exception. There was a young Malay among our party who was noted for his courage and daring. He was a smooth, oily, little man, about two-and-twenty years of age. His hair was black as jet, and he wore it in a very full and bushy fashion. This fellow was one day hanging over the cliff, at least three hundred fed above the water, being suspended by a single rope. This was held by three men above. He chanced to look up, and he saw that the rope just over his head, having been rubbed across the edge of a sharp rock, was nearly cut in two. One of the three strands was already severed, and another was so fretted as to appear to be on the point of breaking. His situation was terrible. He shook the rope, to intimate to the men above that he desired to be drawn up but without the slightest expectation of being saved. He closed his eyes, to keep out the horrors of his situation. What was his astonishment, at length, to find himself on the height above. The last strand of the rope alone remained, but that was sufficient to save him. Such however, was the shock he had received, that his hair began to turn white at the roots, and in a short time his bushy black tresses were all as white as those of a man of seventy. The fellow was a sight to see--and ever after he went by the name of Cotton-head.
Having worked out my time at nest-hunting, I took advantage of an opportunity offered by a vessel going to China, and sailed for Borneo, which lies north of Java. The distance is about three hundred miles between the two islands, but as we were bound to Sambas, on the west coast, our voyage was at least a thousand miles. We were four weeks in performing it, but the weather was delightful, and as we sailed tranquilly along, I enjoyed it very much. I had, in truth, become a little tired of wandering, and getting into all sorts of strange adventures, and awkward difficulties. It now seemed to me that it would be very agreeable to go home and settle down in Sandy Plain, as a contented and useful member of society. But, alas! my restless and headlong propensities were not yet wholly wrought out of me, and new dangers, accidents, and escapes, were before me.
ADVENTURES OF GILBERT GO-AHEAD, part 11 (from Robert Merry's Museum, November 1851, pp. 158-160)
CHAPTER XI.
Borneo is altogether a very remarkable place. It is the largest island in the world, excepting only New Holland. It is 750 miles long, and 350 wide, and contains about four times an much land as the whole state of New York. The number of inhabitants is between three and four millions. Along the coast, the land is generally low and muddy; in the interior there are many hills and extensive plains, with several ranges of mountains, though none of great height. There are upwards of 100 rivers, several of them navigable; the principal is the Banjarmasia, which has a southerly course, and falls into the sea, near the town of the same name.
This island is rich in minerals. Diamonds are found in several places, especially in Landak. One has been found here worth a million of dollars, and was the property of a petty chief in the neighborhood. Antimony, iron, and tin are also obtained in abundance. Lying under the equator, the climate is hot. The soil in generally fertile, producing various trees, among which are ebony, iron-wood, mangrove, cocoa, betel, cinnamon, and sago. The champhor tree is also a native, and grows to a great height, being sometimes sixteen feet in circumference. The gum is obtained in the centre of the trunk, in the same manner as in Sumatra, which I have already described. Rice, maize, sugar-cane, plantain, and many other tropical fruits, are cultivated.
The animal wonders of this island are as varied and strange as those of Sumatra. The elephant, rhinoceros and leopard are confined to the northeastern corner of the island. The wild ox and troops of wild hogs inhabit the forests. In the thickets, which are here called jungles, there is an endless variety of apes and monkeys. Among these is a queer little fellow, without any sign of a tail, and covered with glossy brown hair. He is three feet high, and has an aquiline nose, sticking out an inch and a half from his face. There also is the orang-outang, as tall and strong as a
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man. There are several kinds of deer, small shaggy bears, not larger than raccoons, and tapirs three times as large as hogs. The marshes produce enormous serpents, and a variety of water-fowls, among which are herons five feet in length. The sea-shores abound with turtles, fish and oysters. Along the coasts numerous spermaceti whales are caught by English fishermen.
The inhabitants of Borneo consist of various races. The Dyaks are a savage people, believed to be the aborigines, and are scattered in small bands over the whole island. They are of middle size, with straight, black hair, black eyes, but without beard. The women are often very good looking, and are mild and amiable. Many of them are married to Chinese settled in the island. Rice is the principal food of the Dyaks, but they eat pork, fish, deer, and other wild animals, which they shoot by means of arrows blown through tubes. They also use bows and arrows, the latter being sometimes poisoned. Many of them reside in canoes along the shore; others dwell in houses raised upon posts stuck in the mud. Sometimes several tribes assemble in villages along the coast and rivers, and are governed by a single chief; but the interior tribes are independent.
The more civilized have adopted Mahometanism; but the savages believe in a future state, where a great part of their enjoyment will consist in owning slaves.
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They believe, if they can kill a man and get his head, he will become their slave in the other world. Hence, a system of murder has spread among these tribes. No one can marry, without the head of some one having been obtained by himself or his friends. At the funerals of persons of consequence, or when treaties of peace are made between chiefs, slaves and prisoners are decapitated in order to obtain these valued trophies. Piratical expeditions are often undertaken for no other purpose than to obtain the heads of those who may be captured. These hideous relics are dried in the sun, and then hung up in the houses.
ADVENTURES OF GILBERT GO-AHEAD, part 12 (from Robert Merry's Museum, December 1851, pp. 176-178)
CHAPTER XII.
Beside the Dyaks, there are tribes at Borneo which resemble negroes, having woolly hair. The west coast is occupied by Malays, Chinese and Dutch colonies. In the northwest there are some descendants of Moors, who emigrated hither from Hindostan. At the north, there are bands of people from various neighboring countries. Along the shores, there are several tribes, whose origin is unknown, living always in canoes, and moving about from place to place.
On the northwest is a Malay kingdom governed by a Sultan, who affects great dignity. This is called Borneo proper. The people here have some arts, and considerable trade. They cast excellent cannon, and manufacture arms and ammunition.
There are several settlements in the northeast, made by people called Suluks. The country here abounds in lofty forests and plains, covered with wild cattle, introduced by the Spaniards two hundred years ago. Gold, iron and tin ore are obtained here, being found upon the surface of the ground. Sago, rice, betel-nut, camphor, wax, pepper, cinnamon, tortoise-shell, swallows' nests, and various kinds of wood, with canes and rattans, are exported from this region. On the eastern coast, there are several small states, of which Coti-Lama is the largest. Coti-Lama, fifty miles up a river of the same name, has 300,000 inhabitants. Considerable trade is carried on by these people with Singapore.
On the west coast the Dutch have two settlements, Sambas and Pontiana, about ninety miles apart. The former is the place where I arrived, after leaving Java. I found it meanly built, without a single habitation of stone, or any other substantial material. Even the government officers live in low, wooden buildings, covered with thatch. The huts of the natives are raised on posts, the people ascending to them by ladders, which are taken up at night. There are also many miserable dwellings built upon floats in the river. The Dutch are few in number; the other inhabitants are made up of Chinese, Malays, and various races gathered from other parts of the island, and the neighboring shores of Asia.
My adventures in Borneo were in no respect remarkable. I had no clocks to sell, and I was very anxious to get back to Singapore, where I had still a pretty good stock. After remaining at Sambas about four weeks, I embarked on board a Chinese junk, and after a voyage of
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twenty one days, we reached Singapore.
I fancied, on my return to Singapore, all my clocks in good order, but I had some disagreeable subjects of reflection. I had now been absent from home more than a year, I had made great exertions and suffered many hardships, and had also got rid of more than half my property; and here I was, without a cent in my pocket. This was rather discouraging, especially as I was very strongly inclined to the opinion that my misfortunes were the result of my own want of prudence, reflection and care.
It seemed to be high time that I should now adopt a different line of conduct. One day, as I sat in my room, I took one of my clocks, wound it up, and addressed it as follows: "Mr. Clock, for the present, be so kind as to consider yourself as one GILBERT GO- AHEAD, while I play the school-master and give you a few lessons. Whatever you may think of yourself, Gilbert, you are a long, lean, lank, unlucky fellow. You think yourself shrewd, sharp, and up to almost everything; yet here, among nations of barbarians, you have been the sport of fortune, and have come back with an empty purse; you have been robbed, imprisoned, hunted, chased, and driven from country to country; you have been beset by venomous serpents, have come near being roasted alive by savages, have been carried off by a hippopotamus, and only saved your life by the kind services of an orang-outang."
"Oh Gilbert, Gilbert! what will become of you, if you go on at this rate? Don't make excuses; you are a careless, headlong, break-neck fellow. The best way for you is to give up your roving propensities, sell out your clocks, and go straight back to Sandy Plain. There you should settle down, be industrious, honest and faithful, and you will be a useful and respected citizen, like your father before you. Don't speak, Gilbert. Tut, tut, not a word! I know very well what you would say. You would pretend that you wanted experience; that your faults have been those of youth and ambition. Perhaps you will promise to do better hereafter."
"Alas, my friend, it is very easy to make promises, and very easy to break them. However, I will not be hard with you, my boy. Here you are, on the other side of the world; and, with even your long legs, you cannot get home in a hurry. Besides, you have got some clocks left, and if you are wise and discreet, you may do something yet. Let us calculate: you have eighty-one clocks left; these, at thirty dollars apiece, would bring $2.430--pretty good sum, after all. Well, well, there is some hope of you, Master Gilbert, if you will take the right tack. Sell out these clocks as soon as possible, and then go home; but keep in mind your dangerous propensity to run off on new projects--to engage in wild adventures--to look before you leap."
Having given myself this excellent advice, I went forth, determined to follow it to the letter. About three days after, I was waking along upon the wharf, by the side of which I saw a Chi-
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nese junk. I went on board, where I found the supercargo, a smooth, yellow, oily little man, not more than five feet high. I fell into conversation with him, and found that he was making up a cargo for the city of Nankin. Forgetting all my prudent resolves, I made a bargain on the spot, to have him take me and my clocks along with him. Inconsistent as my conduct may appear in the eyes of my readers, I may as well confess the truth. In four days, I was on board the junk with all my property, and bound for the Celestial Empire.
From this point, I began a new series of adventures; but whether I shall ever commit them to the eyes of the public is a matter upon which I have not fully made up my mind. I met one of my acquaintances the other day, who had come direct from New York in an American vessel. He told me that he had read some accounts of my adventures, in Merry's Museum, and that there was a great dispute among the young sages who subscribed to that periodical, whether the whole story was not a hoax. He told me that he was fully of that opinion himself. He especially ridiculed my account of the ride on the hippopotamus, and the biographical sketches of poor Grim.
This touched me to the quick, for whatever may be my faults, I do net like to be accused of dealing in round plump fibs. I parted with my friend, with the remark that ignorance is often the father of unbelief, and I have since consoled myself with the reflection that other great travellers, before my time, have been made the subjects of ridicule, even while telling the truth, because they gave accounts of things that had not been heard of before. I recollected the instance of Le Vaillant, a French traveller in Africa, who was called a romancer, because he said he had killed a cameleopard. They would not believe him, even when he showed them the skin. So it was with Bruce, who went into Abyssinia, and described the people as cutting slices of steak out of the side of an ox, then covering up the place with the skin, and driving him along. In both these cases, it has been found, by subsequent travellers, that the authors told the truth, and that the witty sneers of wags and wiseacres were only the idle offspring of ignorance and conceit.
[To be continued.]