United States or Curaçao ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Eugee's, and the next Morning set out farther, to go the Remainder of our Voyage by Land: At ten a Clock we pass'd over a narrow, deep Swamp, having left the three Indian Men and one Woman, that had pilotted the Canoe from Ashly-River, having hir'd a Sewee-Indian, a tall, lusty Fellow, who carry'd a Pack of our Cloaths, of great Weight; notwithstanding his Burden, we had much a-do to keep pace with him.
Eumolpus was glad to serve us, and swore by all that's sacred, he was privy to no design against us; and that he had very innocently brought us hither, for no other end, than for our company, having hir'd the vessel before he was acquainted with us: "But what designs on your lives are here?" added he, "Or have we a pyrate Hannibal on board?"
'Tis a great Misfortune, that most of our Travellers, who go to this vast Continent in America, are Persons of the meaner Sort, and generally of a very slender Education; who being hir'd by the Merchants, to trade amongst the Indians, in which Voyages they often spend several Years, are yet, at their Return, uncapable of giving any reasonable Account of what they met withal in those remote Parts; tho' the Country abounds with Curiosities worthy a nice Observation.
The Privy Councellor took it presently, whether he is a Crolian or no, says he, I cannot tell, but he has certainly done the Crolians so much Service, that if they had hir'd him to act for them, they could not have desir'd he should serve them better.
All her servants that were not coal-black must turn out; a fair complexion made her eyes and heart ake, she'd none but downright jet, and to exceed all example, she hir'd my mourning furniture by the year, and in case of my mortality, ty'd my son to the same article; so in six weeks time ran away with a young fellow."
These things put me in mind of the Prophet Ezekiel, and methoughts I heard the same Voice that spoke to him, calling me, and telling me, Come hither, and I'll show thee greater Abominations than these: So looking still on that vast Map, by the help of these Magnifying Glasses, I saw huge Fleets hir'd for Transport-Service, but never paid; vast Taxes Anticipated, that were never Collected; others Collected and Appropriated, but Misapplied: Millions of Talleys struck to be Discounted, and the Poor paying 40 per Cent, to receive their Money.
All the while he tells the dead Man's Relations, and the rest of the Spectators, who that dead Person was, and of the great Feats perform'd in his Life-time; all what he speaks, tending to the Praise of the Defunct. We had a very large Swamp to pass over near the House, and would have hir'd our Landlord to have been our Guide, but he seem'd unwilling; so we press'd him no farther about it.
Matters thus order'd, having, as all that wou'd thrive in the world, implor'd the assistance of Heaven, we began our march, but both Gito did not like his new slavery, and Eumolpus's hir'd servant, bearing most of our baggage, in a little time beginning to be uneasie in his service, wou'd often rest his burden; and with ten thousand wry looks, and as many curses for our going so fast, at last swore he would either leave his charge, or go quite away with 't.
"'Sdeath," said he, "d'ye think I'm a pack-horse, or a dray, that you load me thus? I was hir'd for a man, not a horse; nor am I less a gentleman by birth than any of you all; tho' my father left me in a mean condition." Nor content with reproaches, but getting before us, he lift up one leg, and, venturing his choler at the wrong end, filled our nostrils with a beastly scent.
Here the People began to stare again, and a Crolian cou'd not go along the Street but they were alway's looking for the long Ears, the Wolf's Claws, and the like; 'till at last nothing of these Things appearing, but the Crolians looking and acting like other Folks, they begun to examine the Matter, and found this was a meer Crolian Plot too, and this Man was hir'd to run these extravagant lengths to point out the right meaning.
Word Of The Day