The life and adventures of Peter Wilkins ... By R. S, a passenger in the Hector

Preface

BY A. H. BULLEN, EDITOR OF " THE WORKS OF JOHN DAY," "a COLLECTION OF OLD ENGLISH PLAYS," ETC. VOL. II. LONDON: REEVES & TURNER, 196 STRAND. 1884. THE LIFE and ADVENTURES OF PETER WILKINS, A Cornish Man : Relating particularly, His Shipwreck near the South Pole ; his wonderful Passage thro' a subterraneous Cavern into a kind of new World ; his there meeting with a Gawry or flying woman, whose Life he preserv'd, and afterwards married her; his extraordinary Conveyance to the Country of Glums and Gawrys, or Men and Women that fly. Likewise a Description of this strange Country, with the Laws, Customs, and Manners of its Inhabitants, and the Author's remarkable Transactions among them. Taken from his own Mouth, in his Passage to England from off Cape Horn in America, in the ship Hector. With an INTRODUCTION, giving an Account ofthe surprizing Manner of his coming on board that Vessel, and his Death on his landing at Plymouth in the Year 1739.

Illustrated with several Cuts, clearly and distinctly representing the Structure and Mechanism of the Wings of the Glums and Gawrys, and the Manner in which they use them either to swim or fly. By R. S. a Passenger in the Hector. In Two Volumes. VOL. II. LONDON Printed for J. ROBINSON, at the Golden Lion, in Ludgate-street; and R. DODSLEY, at Tally's Head, in Pall-Mali. MDCCLI. CONTENTS OF VOL. II 0

Chapter I

, PAGE A discourse on light — Quangrollart explains the word crashee — Believes a powl is a fruit — Gives a further account of Youwarkee's reception by her father, and by the king — Tommy and Hallycarnie provided for at court — Youwarkee and her father visit the colambs, and are visited — Her return put off till next tvinter, when her father is to come with her .

Chapter II

The author shows Quangrollart and Rosig his poultry — They are surprised at them — He takes them afishing — They wonder at his cart, and at his shooting a fowl — They are terribly frightened at the firing of the gun — He pacifies them ..... 12

Chapter III

Peter prepares for his father's reception — Arguments about his beard — Expects his wife — Reflections on her not coming — Sees a messenger on the rock — Has notice of Pendlehamby's arrival and prepares a treat CONTENTS. VIII 36 54 64

Chapter IV

PAGfc Peter settles the formality of his father's reception — Description of their march and alighting-^Receives his father — Conducts him to the grotto — Offers to beg pardon for his marriage — Is prevented by Pendlehamby — Youwarkee not known in her English habit — Quar ters the officers in the tent 28

Chapter V

The manner of their dinner — Believe the fish and fowl to be fruits — Hears his brother and the colambs are coming — Account of their lying — Peter's reflections on the want of the graundee — They view the arkoe — Servants harder to please than their masters — Reasons for different dresses the same day

Chapter VI

Quangrollart arrives with the colambs — Straitened for accommodation — Remove to the tent — Youwarkee not known — Peter relates part of his travels — Dispute about the beast-fish skins . . . . .46

Chapter VII

Go afishing — Catch a beast-fish — Afraid of the gun — How Peter altered his net — A fish-dinner for the guards — Method of dressing and eating it

Chapter VIII

A shooting proposed — All afraid of the gun but one private guard — His behaviour — Pendlehamby at Peter's request makes him a general — Peter's discourse thereon — Remainder of his story — The colambs return . CONTENTS. IX PACE 79 104

Chapter IX

Peter finds his stores low — Sends Youwarkee to the ship — Receives an invitation to Georigetti 's court

Chapter X

{Vatgif comes with a guard to fetch Peter — Lon<* debate about his going — Nasgig's uneasiness at Peter s refusal — Relates a prediction to him, and proceedings thereon at Georigetti s court — Peter consents to go — Prepares a machine for that purpose . . .84

Chapter XI

Peter's speech lo the soldiery — Offers them freedom — His journey — Is met by the king — The king sent back, and why — Peter alights in the king 's garden — His audience — Description of his supper and bed .

Chapter XII

The king's apartments described — Peter is introduced to the king — A moucheratt called — His discourse with the king about religion . . . . . .121

Chapter XIII

Peter's reflections on what he was to perform — Settles the method of it — His advice to his son and daughter — Globe-lights living creatures — Takes Maleck into his service — Nasgig discovers to Peter a plot in court — Revolt of Gauingrunt 13 1

Chapter XIV

Mold a moucheratt — Speeches of ragans and colambs — Peter settles religion — Informs the king of a plot — Sends Nasgig to the ship for cannon . . . 142 VOL. II. b X CONTENTS. PAGE 168 I9S

Chapter XV

The king hears Barbarsa and Yaccombourse discourse on the plot — They are impeached by Peter at a moucheratt — Condemned and executed — Nicor submits, and is released . . . . . . . .156

Chapter XVI

Nasgig returns with the cannon — Peter informs him of the execution — Appoints him a guard — Settles the order of his march against Harlokin — Combat between Nasgig and ihe rebel general — The battle — Peter returning with Harlokin 's head is met by a sweecoan — A pubtic festival — Slavery abolished

Chapter XVII

A visitation of the revolted provinces proposed by Peter — His new name ofthe country received — Religion settled in the west — Slavery abolished there — Lasmeel returns with Peter — Peter teaches him letters — The king surprised at written correspondence — Peter describes the make of a beast to the king ..... 1S5

Chapter XVIII

Peter sends for his family — A rising of former slaves on that account — Takes a view of the city — A description of it, and of tlie country — Hot and cold springs .

Chapter XIX

Peter sends for his family — Pendlehamby gives a fabulous account of the peopling of that country — Their policy and government — Peter s discourse on trade — Youwarkee arrives — Invites the king and nobles to a treat — Sends to Graundevolet for fowls . . . .211 CONTENTS. XI PAGE 247

Chapter XX

Peter goes to his father's — Traverses the Black Mountain — Takes a flight to Mount Alkoe — Gains the miners — Overcomes the governor's troops — Proclaims Georigetti king — Seizes the governor — Returns him the government — Peter makes laws with the consent of the people, and returns to Brandleguarp with deputies 225

Chapter XXI

Peter arrives with the deputies — Presents them to the king — They return — A colony agreed to be sent thither — Nasgig made governor — Manner of choosing the colony — A flight-race, and the intent of it — Walsi wins the prize, and is found to be a gawry

Chapter XXII

The race reconciles the two kingdoms — The colony proceeds — Builds a city — Peter views the country at a distance — Hears of a prophecy of the king of Norbon' s daughter Stygee — Goes thither — Kills the king's nephew — Fulfils the prophecy by engaging Stygee to Georigetti — Returns . . . . . .262

Chapter XXIII

A discourse on marriage between Peter and Georigetti — Peter proposes Stygee — The king accepts it — Relates his transactions at Norbon — The marriage is consummated — Account ofthe marriage ceremony — Peter goes to Norbon — Opens a free trade to Mount Alkoe — Gets traders to settle at Norbon — Convoys cattle to Mount Alkoe 277

Chapter XXIV

Peter looking over his books finds he has got a Latin Bible — CONTENTS. XII PAGE Sets about a translation — Teaches some of the ragans letters — Sets up a paper manufacture — Makes the ragans read the Bible — The ragans teach others to read and write — A fair kept at the Black Mountain — Peter s reflections on the Swangeantines . . ■ 287

Chapter XXV

Peter's children provided for — Youwarkee's death — How the king and queen spent their time — Peter grows melancholy — Wants to get to England — Contrives means — Is taken up at sea .... A GENUINE ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF PETER WILKINS.

Chapter I

A discourse on light — Quangrollart explains the word crashee — Believes a fowl is a fruit — Gives a further account of Youwarkee's reception by her father, and by the king — Tommy and Hallycarnie provided for at court — Youwarkee and her father visit the colambs, and are visited — Her return put off till next winter, when her father is to come with her. .HE next day I prepared again of the best of everything for my new guests. I killed three fowls, and ordered Pedro (who was as good a cook almost as myself) to get them ready for boiling, whilst we took a walk to the lake. Though we went out in the clearest VOL. II. A part of the morning, I heard no complaint of the light I took the liberty to ask my brother if the light did not offend him ; for I told him my wife could not bear so much without spectacles. — " What is that spectacle?

" says he. — " Something I made your sister," says I, " to prevent the incon venience of too much light upon her eyes." — He said the light was scarce at all troublesome to him, for he had been in much greater, and was used to it ; and that the glumms, who travelled much abroad, could bear more light than the gawrys, who stayed much at home : these stirring but little out unless in large companies, and that of one another, and very rarely admitted glumms amongst them before marriage. For his own part, he said, he had an office at Crashdoorpt,* which, though he executed chiefly by a deputy, obliged him to reside there sometimes for a long season together ; that being a more luminous country than Arn drumnstake, light was become familiar to him ; for it was very observable that some who had been used to it young, though they might in time over come it, yet at first it was very uneasy.

I was upon the tenter whilst he spoke, lest, before he had done, a question I had a thousand times thought to have asked my wife, should slip out of my head, as it had so often done before, and was what I had for years desired to be resolved in ; viz., what the meaning of the word slit * The country of the Slits. was, when applied to a man. So, on his pausing, I said that his mention of Crashdoorpt reminded me of inquiring what crashee meant, when applied to a glumm or gawry. " It would be no hard task," he said, " to satisfy me in respect of that, as I already understood the nature of the graundee ; " whereupon he went on thus : " Slitting is the only punishment we use to incorrigible criminals : our method is, where any one has committed a very heinous offence, or, which is the same thing, has multiplied the acts of offence, he has a long string tied round his neck, in the manner of a cravat • and then two glumms, one at each end, take it in their hands, standing side by side with him ; two more standing before him, and two behind him ; all which in that manner take flight, so that the string keeps the criminal in the middle of them : thus they conduct him to Crashdoorpt, which lies farther on the other side of Arndrumnstake than this arkoe does on this side of it, and is just such an arkoe as ours, but much bigger within the rocks.

When they come to the covett they alight, where my deputy immediately orders the malefactor to be slit, so that he can never more return to Nor mnbdsgrsutt, or indeed by any means get out of that arkoe, but must end his days there. The method of slitting is thus : The criminal is laid on his back with his graundee open, and after a re capitulation of his crimes, and his condemnation, the officer with a sharp stone slits the gume* between each of the filusest of the graundee, so that he can never fly more. But what is still worse to new-comers, if they are not very young, is the light of the place, which is so strong that it is some years before they can overcome it, if ever they do. " This discourse gave me a great pleasure ; there upon I repeated the dialogue that had passed between me and Youwarkee about my being slit, and how we had held an argument a long time, without being able to come at one another's meaning.

" But pray, brother," says I, " how comes that light country to agree so well with you?" — "Why," says he, " the colambat J of Crashdoorpt is reckoned one of the most honourable employments in the state, by reason of the hazard of it, and the person accepting it must be young : it was, by my father's interest at court, given to me at nine years of age; my friend Rosig has followed my fortune in it ever since, being much about my age, and has a post under me there : in short, by being obliged to be so much there, and from so tender an age too, I have pretty well inured myself to any light." By this time we had got home again to dinner, which Pedro had set out as elegantly as my country could afford, consisting of pickles and pre serves, as usual, a dish of hard eggs, and boiled fowls with spinage. * The membrane.

T Ribs. J Government. My guests, as I expected, stared at the fowls, but never offered to touch them, or seemed in the least inclined to do so. I was afraid they would be cold, and begged them to let me help them. I put a wing on each of their plates, and a leg on my own ; but perceiving they waited to see how I managed it, I stuck in my fork, cut off a slice, dipped it in the salt, and put it in my mouth. Just as I did they did, and appeared very well pleased with the taste. " 1 never in my life," says Rosig, " saw a crullmott*of this shape before ; " and laid hold of a leg (taking it for a stick I had thrust in, as he told me afterwards), intending to pull it out ; but finding it grew there, " Mr. Peter," says he, "you have the oddest-shaped crullmotts that ever I saw ; pray what part of the woods do they grow in ?

"— " Grow in ? " says I.— "Aye," says he, "I mean whether your crullmott-trees are like ours or not?" — "Why," says I, "these fowls are about my yard and the wood too." — " What ! " says he, " is it a running plant like a bott ? " t — " No, no," says I, " a bird that I keep tame about my house ; and these (showing him the eggs) are the eggs of these birds, and the birds [grow from them." — " Pr'ythee," says Quangrollart, "never let's inquire what they are till we have dined . for my brother Peter will give us nothing we need be afraid of." It growing into the night by that time we rose from table, I set a bowl of punch before them, * A fruit like a melon. + A gourd. made with my treacle and sour ram's-horn juice, which they pulled off plentifully. After some bumpers had gone round, I desired my brother to proceed where he left off, in the account of my wife's reception with her father.

"When my father," says he, "had recovered himself by some hours' repose, the first thing he did was to order my sister Youwarkee to be called ; who, coming into his presence, he took her from her knees, kissed her, and ordered all to depart but myself and Hallycarnie. Then bidding us sit down, says he to your wife, ' Daughter, your ap pearance, whom I have so long lamented as dead, has given me the truest cordial I could have received, and I hope will add both to my health and years. I have heard you suspect my anger for some part of your past conduct (for he had hinted so to her sister and me), which you justly enough imagined may be censured ; but, my dear life, I am this day, what I did not expect any more to be, a father of a new-born child ; and not of one only, but of many ; and this day, I say, daughter, shall not be spent in sorrow and excuses, or anything to interrupt our mutual felicity ; neither will I ever hereafter permit you to forget my for giveness, or attempt to palliate any of your pro ceedings; for know, child, that a benevolence freely bestowed is better than twice its value obtained by petition : I, therefore, as in presence of the Great Image, your brother and sister, at this instant erase from my mind for ever what thoughts I may have had prejudicial to the love I ever bore you, as I will have you to do all such as may cloud the unreserved complacency you used to appear with before me.

And now, Quangrollart,' says he, ' let the guard be drawn out before my covett, and let the whole country be entertained for seven days ; proclaim liberty to all persons confined ; and let not the least sorrow appear in any face throughout my colambat.' " I retired immediately, and gave the necessary orders for the speedy despatch of my father's com mands, which indeed were performed to the utmost ; and nothing for seven days was to be heard through the whole district of Arndrumnstake but joy and the name of Youwarkee. " My father, so soon as he had despatched the above orders, sent for the children before him, whom he kissed and blessed, frequently lifting up his eyes in gratitude to the Great Image for the unexpected happiness he enjoyed on that occasion ; and then he ordered Youwarkee to let him know what had befallen her in her absence, and where she lived, and with whom.

" Youwarkee was setting out with some indirect excuses ; but my father absolutely forbid her, and charged her only to mention plain facts, without flourishes. So she began with her swangean, and the accidental fall she had, your taking her in after it, and saving her life. She told him your continued kindness so wrought upon her, that she found herself incapable of disesteeming you, but never showed her affection, till, having examined every particular of your life, and finding you a worthy man, she could not avoid becoming your wife; and she said the reasons why she always declined being seen by her friends in their swan geans, was for fear she should be forced from you, though she longed to see us ; and that at last she was to come by your consent, and that, had it rested there only, she might have come much sooner, for that you would often have had her show herself to her friends, when you heard them, having strong desires yourself to be known to them.

" My father, upon hearing this, was so charmed with your tenderness and affection to his daughter, that you already rival his own issue in his esteem, and he is persuaded he can never do enough for you or your children. "The noise of Youwarkee's return, and my father's rejoicing, soon spread over all Norm nbdsgrsutt; and King Georigetti sent express to my father, to command him to attend with your wife and children at Brandleguarp, his capital. Thither accordingly we all went with a grand retinue, and stayed twenty days. The king took great delight, as well as the ladies of the court, to hear Youwarkee and her children talk English, and in being informed of you and your way of life ; and so fond was Yaccombourse (who, though not the king's wife, is instead of one) of my nephew Tommy, that, upon my father's return, she took him to herself, and assured my sister he should continue near her person till he was qualified for better preferment.

The king's sister Jahamel would also have taken Patty into her service ; but she begged to be permitted to attend her mother to Arndrumnstake ; so Hallycarnie, her sister, who chose to continue with Jahamel, was received in her room. " Upon my father's return to Arndrumnstake, he found no less than fifteen expresses from several colambs, desiring to rejoice with him on the return of his daughter, with particular invitations to him and her to spend some time with them. My father, though he hates more pomp than is neces sary to support dignity, could do no less than severally visit them, with Youwarkee, attended by a grand retinue, spending more or less days with each ; hoping when that was over, he should have some little time to spend in retirement with his daughter before her departure, who now began to be uneasy for you, who, she said, would suffer the greatest concern in her absence ; but upon their return from those visits, at about the end of four months' progress, they found themselves in as little likelihood of retirement as the first day ; for the inferior colambs were continually posting away, one after another, to perform their respects to my father, and all the inferior magistrates of smaller districts sending to know when they might be per mitted to do the same.

Poor Youwarkee, who saw no end of it, expressed her concern for you in so lively a manner to my father, that finding he could by no means put a stop to the goodwill of the people, and not bearing the thoughts of You warkee's departure till she had now received all their compliments, he resolved to keep her with him till the next winter set in in these parts, and then to accompany her himself to Graundevolet. In the meanwhile, that you might not remain]in an uneasy suspense what was become of my sister, he ordered me to despatch messengers express to in form you of the reasons of her stay ; but I told him, if he pleased, I would execute that office my self, with my friend Rosig, with which he was very well pleased, and enjoined me to assure you of his affection, and that he himself was debtor to you for the love and kindness you had shown his daughter.

"Thus, brother," says Quangrollart, "I hope I have acquitted myself of my charge to your satisfaction, and it only now remains that I return you my acknowledgments for your hearty welcome to myself and friend ; which (with concern I speak it) I am afraid I shall not have an opportunity to return at Arndrumnstake, the distance being so immensely great and you not having the graundee. To-morrow morning my friend and I will set out on our return home." Quangrollart having done, I told him I could not but blush at the load of undeserved praises he had laid on me ; but as he had received his notion of my merits from a wife too fond to let my character sink for want of her support, it would be sufficient if himself could conceive of, and also represent me at his return, in no worse a light than other men ; and though it gave me pain to think of losing my wife so long, yet his account of her health and the company he assured me she would return in, would doubly compensate my loss ; and I begged of him, if it might be with any con venience, he would let some messenger come the day before her, to give me notice of their approach.

As to their departure on the morrow, I told them I could by no means think of that, as I had pro posed to catch them a dinner of fresh fish in the lake, and to show them my boat, and how and where I came into this arkoe, believing, by what I had observed, it would be no small novelty to them. So, having engaged them one day more, we parted for that night to rest.

Chapter II

The A ut hor shows Quangrollart and Rosig his poultry are surprised at them — He takes them a-fishing — They wonder at his cart, and at his shooting a fowl — They are terribly frightened at the firing of the guti — Wilkins pacifies them. WAS heartily sorry to lose my brother thus quickly, and still more so to find it would be a long time yet ere I should see my wife ; however, I was resolved to behave as cheerfully as possible, and to omit nothing I could do, the few remaining hours of Quangrollart's stay with me, to rivet myself thoroughly in his esteem, and to dismiss him with a most cordial affection to me and the rest of my children here with him. I rose early in the morning, to provide a good breakfast for my guests, and considering we should be in the air most part of that day, I treated them with a dish of hot fish-soup, and set before them on the table a jovial bottle of brandy and my silver can ; this last piece I chose to show them, as a specimen of the richness of my household furniture, and the grandeur of my living, concealing most of my other curiosities till Pendlehamby my father-in-law's arrival, for I thought it would be imprudent not to have somewhat new of this kind to display at his entertainment.

After a plenteous meal, we set out on our plea surable expedition, having told Pedro what to get for dinner, and that I believed we should not return till late. We first took a turn in the wood, but I did not lead them near my tent, because I did not choose my wife should hear of that till she came. I then showed them my farmyard and poultry, which they were strangely surprised at, and wondered to see so many creatures come at my call, and run about my legs only upon a whistle, though before there were only two or three to be seen. They asked me a hundred questions about the fowl, which I answered, and told them these were some such as they had eaten, and called crullmotts, the day before. I afterwards carried them to hear the music of those plants that I call my cream-cheese, which, as there happened to be a small breeze stirring, made their usual melody.

When we had diverted ourselves some time in the wood, we went to the wet-dock, where I showed them my boat. At first view they wondered what use it was for ; to satisfy them in that I stepped in, desiring them to follow me ; but seeing the boat's agitation, they did not choose to venture till I assured them they might come with the greatest safety; at length, with some persuasion and repeated assurances, I prevailed on them to trust themselves with me. We first rowed to the bridge, where I informed them by what accident I was drawn down the stream on the other side of the rock, and after a tedious and dangerous passage, discharged safe in the lake through that opening. I then told them how surprised I had been, just before I knew Youwarkee, with the sight of her country-folks, first on the lake, and then taking flight from that bridge, and what had been my thoughts, and how great my terrors on that occa sion.

After we had viewed the bridge, I took them to my rill (for by this time they were reconciled to the boat, and would help me to row it), and showed them how I got water. I then landed them to see the method of fishing, for which purpose I laid my net in proper order, and fixing it as usual, I brought it round out at the rill, and had a very good haul, with which I desired them to help me up ; for though I could easily have done it myself, I had a mind to let them have a hand in the sport, with which they were pleased. I perceived, however, the fish were not agreeable to them, for when any one came near their hands, they avoided touching it : notwithstanding, having got the net on shore, I laid it open ; but to see how they stared at the fish, creeping backwards, and then at me and the net, it made me very merry to myself, though I did not care to show it.

I drew up at that draught twenty-two fishes in all, of which a few were near an ell long, several about two feet, and some smaller. When they saw me take up the large ones in my arms, and tumble them into the boat, they both, unrequested, took up the small ones, and put them in likewise ; but dropping them every time they struck their tails, the fish had commonly two or three falls ere they came to the boat. I asked them how they liked that sport, and they told me it was somewhat very surprising that I should know just where the fish were, as they could see none before I pulled them up, and yet they did not hear me whistle. I perceived by this they imagined I could whistle the fish together as well as the fowls, and I did not undeceive them, being well enough pleased they should think me excellent for something, as I really thought they were on account of the graundee.