LETTER LIV.
Unwilling to lose my time in sleep, I rose at an earlier hour than my comrades, and had the opportunity of inspecting the whole of M. Heynemann’s collection before breakfast; also of hearing his observations and remarks respecting the Indians, with whom he had long been in habits of intimate association. At breakfast Messrs. Fenner, Paùels, and Heynemann planned our journeyings for the two or three succeeding days, informing us that we might have an opportunity of seeing numbers of the inhabitants of the forest in their native dwellings, in the environs of an old estate, called Savonette, about twenty miles higher up the river; and remarking that, according to the nature of our expedition, we should be unable to proceed further with any prospect of comfort or gratification. We could not oppose the opinions of these gentlemen; therefore, embracing their proposal, we agreed to pursue our journey to Savonette with the evening tide, and after visiting an Indian village, and the other curiosities of the spot, to return to M. Heynemann’s.
The morning was pleasantly spent in examining the collection of Indian curiosities, and of specimens in natural history; but more especially in hearing M. Heynemann relate his adventures among the men and women of the woods; whom he termed Bucks and Buckeen, these being the names commonly given to them in the colonies. We were also amused by seeing M. Heynemann and one of the Indians shoot with their common bow and arrow, and blow the poisoned arrow at a mark, from its tube. The accuracy of the Bucks, in using both these weapons, was described to us as being minute almost to a wonder. The common arrow employed in their wars, or for the purpose of killing game, is nearly six feet long, made of a peculiarly straight and fine reed, without a knot or inequality in its whole length, and strengthened at the point with a piece of sharpened bone, having a barb at one side. At the shaft it is furnished on each side with a piece of cut feather, in order to steady it in its flight. Sometimes a thin piece of hard wood, pointed, and cut in many notches at the sides, is fastened to the reed, and forms the end of the arrow: but those who have mixed with the colonists, for the most part arm the extremity with a sharp piece of steel. The arrows used for striking fish are forked, having three iron points, with a barb near the end of each, the middle point projecting considerably beyond the others. The bow is usually two or three inches longer than the arrow, and when strung, is not, at its greatest curvature, bent more than an inch and a half from the cord. Various kinds of wood are used for the bows, the most beautiful of which is called letter-wood, a name which it has obtained from its peculiarly marked appearance, being richly mottled, as if stained by art, and somewhat resembling the skin of a snake. The string is made of the silk-grass, and is remarkably strong. An Indian can hit a chicken with tolerable certainty, at nearly a hundred yards distance. He is very particular respecting his arrow, and examines it with great care, in order to ascertain that it is perfectly straight, before he attempts to use it. His attitude, when pulling the bow, is highly graceful, and exhibits the human figure to much advantage.
The arrow which the Bucks are in the habit of poisoning is made of a light hard wood. It is about ten or twelve inches long, and of the thickness of an oat straw. It is blunt at one end, and cut to a point at the other, that which is sharpened being dipped in the poison. The manner of using it is by blowing it from a cylindrical tube, about seven feet in length. A bit of cotton is lightly put in at one extremity of the tube, the arrow is dropped in at the other, and falls to the cotton; the lips are then applied, and the arrow is forced forward by a sudden puff, or jerk of the breath, and is thus shot to the distance of eight or ten yards with surprising accuracy. So expert are some of the Bucks in the use of this tube, that at twelve or fourteen feet distance, they will strike the arrow almost to a certainty upon the edge of a penknife stuck on the back of a chair. The tube is made of a species of reed, and they are very careful in preserving it. Indeed, from the difficulty of finding it perfectly straight, a good one becomes highly valuable to them, and its worth is enhanced by an idle fancy which prevails among them regarding the cutting of the reed. It commonly grows in wet places, or wide stagnant marshes; and superstition has stationed an evil spirit to defend it, whence the Indians have the apprehension that some ill must befal him who ventures in to procure the reed. This weakness has probably originated from some of them having been injured by alligators or serpents—evil beings which commonly inhabit such-like places.
We asked many questions respecting the poison used upon the arrows, but M. Heynemann did not seem to have possessed himself of the secret. He described it as a compound of the juices of three different plants; but he had not correctly ascertained the mode of preparing it; nor do we learn that it has ever been formed by any European; although some travellers have described it with a degree of precision, which might seem to imply a full and correct knowledge of its composition. It is a vegetable extract, and we are informed that it is unquestionably prepared from several different plants, sometimes more, and sometimes fewer in number, but whether, in either case, all that are used are necessary to the efficacy of the poison is a dubious question. Its fatal effects are certain and almost instantaneous, provided the minutest particle of it mixes with the blood. You already know that a quantity of this poison has been carried to England, and that experiments, made with it in London, have proved the rapidity and certainty with which it destroys animal life.
M. Heynemann gave us a plentiful dinner, and sweetened its flavour with an unaffected welcome. He expressed himself much gratified that we had made so long a journey to visit him; and confirmed his professions by his obliging conduct, and his bounty in entertaining us. In the afternoon we lost our kind conductors, M. Paùels, and M. Fenner, who left us in order to return to their respective homes, but not until they had earnestly enjoined us to repeat our visits at Arends, and at Johanna, on our way down the river. Being thus deprived of our friendly interpreters, M. Heynemann sought to remedy the evil by calling to our aid an old non-commissioned officer, who had acquired a knowledge of our language, from having been in the English service during the American war. Attended by this aged soldier, we set off by six o’clock in the evening for Savonette, the late home of M. Heynemann, where he had long resided amidst whole tribes of Indians, and received honors as their captain or chief. Under his direction, many of them had been taught to labour, and although without much of industry, the plantation Savonette had been cultivated principally by the Bucks. Studious to promote our comfort, the generous Heynemann had put into our boat some food, drink, candles, and other necessaries for the journey. One of our party being seized with a fit of affection for a handsome Indian specimen which he had seen, pleaded sickness, and declined proceeding with us to Savonette: but the major domo discovering the nature of his complaint, pleaded, in his turn, the necessity of attending the sick, and remained behind likewise, in order to administer the kind offices of hospitality.
The effect of the tide, so far from the sea, was very inconsiderable, and scarcely sufficed to counteract the current of the river: hence this stage of our journey became a heavy labour to the slaves. The day soon closed in, and being enveloped on each side by the impenetrable gloom of the forest, we moved slowly along the limpid surface, amidst all the solemn stillness of night. It was two o’clock in the morning when we reached the Indian plantation (if so I may term), Savonette, having been nearly eight hours in the boat, and much of the time in the dark. This was a sadly tedious sitting, but we were relieved from the fatigue of it, part of the time, by lighting a candle, and amusing ourselves with our books.
We regretted the lateness of our arrival the less, on account of its affording us an opportunity of seeing some of the Indians as they were sleeping in their hammocks, and observing their manner of disposing themselves to rest for the night.
On quitting the boat, we ascended what, in this country, might be called a hill, and proceeded to the house formerly occupied by M. Heynemann, which is situated upon a more sound and dry soil than is common on the borders of this river. Near to the water was an Indian hut, built like the common sheds of England, the roof only being covered, and the sides left entirely open. Desirous of witnessing their mode of sleeping in their native dwellings, we made no calculations of peril, on the score of unexpectedly disturbing these rude inhabitants of the woods in the night; but without hesitation, entered the house, and advanced, with our light, close up to their hammocks. In the middle of the hut was burning a small fire of wood, immediately over which were suspended three hammocks, made of the bark of a tree, and open like net-work. Two were placed abreast very near to the fire, and the third directly above the others. In one of the lower was lying a naked Indian man: over the sides of the others were hanging several legs and arms, and two heads, which we discovered to belong to a boy and a woman, who were lying naked together in the same hammock: in the upper one was another man with his long legs projecting out, soliciting his share of influence from the fire below: but, from the breeze being freely admitted at the sides of the hut, it was manifest that the fire was more intended to protect them from insects, than to add to the heat of this almost equatorial climate. We rambled about until three o’clock, availing ourselves of this moment of unexpected visitation, to gratify ourselves with all the variety in our reach. We looked into every hut we met with, and observed the above to be the common mode of taking rest for the night. It was matter of surprise to us to find how little these people were incommoded by our sudden, and nocturnal appearance among them. They expressed no concern at our presence, nor evinced the slightest apprehension or curiosity regarding us. Not so with Vandyke, a hardy Dutch soldier, whom M. Heynemann had stationed at Savonette, as a kind of manager, and deputy post-holder, in order to take charge of the estate, and maintain a friendly intercourse with the naked inhabitants of the Bush. This man, like the Bucks themselves, was living almost in a state of nature. The natives of the forest were his only companions, and from some of his habits, it might have seemed that, in their society, he had forgotten the duties of civilization: yet, in his general conduct, he was attentive and respectful, and appeared to possess the soft feelings of humanity. No European resided nearer to him than at M. Heynemann’s, and the few, who were there, he seldom saw; nothing therefore could exceed his surprise, on waking in the dead of the night, and finding a party of officers, armed, and in scarlet uniform, standing at his bedside. You will imagine that it was with difficulty he gave credit to his senses, or believed that he was actually awake. Although I carefully remarked the expression of his countenance, his incoherent replies, and all his agitated movements, you will better conceive the effect of such a visit upon his mind than it is possible for the pen to describe it. Vandyke’s bed, like the couch of the Indians, was a simple hammock, and only differed from theirs, in being made of cotton instead of the bark of a tree. In another hammock close at his side, was lying a naked Indian woman, whom he had selected from the woods as his wife. She appeared to be ill, and we were led to ask some questions regarding the means of procuring her medical relief, when Vandyke, with an air of nonchalance, instantly replied, “Och! als zy ziek is, moet ik eene andere hebben,” which may be thus translated, “when she grows sick, I turn her into the woods and take another.”
Vandyke was too much astonished at our unexpected appearance, as well as too much a soldier, to remain quietly in his hammock, while he saw a party of officers unprovided; he rose, therefore, very quickly, and, conducting us to the best room he had, set before us such fare, as his scanty means enabled him to collect, and kindly bade us welcome; then pointed out to us some hooks, whereon to suspend our sleeping births for the remainder of the night. Our chamber very much resembled an old barn. The repast presented by Vandyke was cassada bread, with Hollands and water: but the hospitality of M. Heynemann had prevented us from being thrown upon the humble fare of Savonette—compared to which our boat was a luxurious larder.
The convenience of hammocks was never greater, nor more striking than upon this occasion. In such an apartment beds or mattresses would have been objects of terror to us, but suspended in our netting, we lay in comfort, bidding defiance to lizards, thick cobwebs, dirt, vermin, and all other annoyances.