226 Fracker's Narrative. [VOL. 4 Darkness soon came on, and during quently stopping to thrash myself from this night extreme and raging thirst the cold. And altho' nothing was more kept me awake, and pain kept me con- probable than that the first savage who stantly shifting positions. Daylight at should discover me, would instantly last appeared, my powers were too fee- murder me, as an impediment to plunble to undertake a journey over the hills der, I was prepared for his knife; and to the watering-place, though I would that my apprehensions were not groundhave given my all, which was but a mis- less, the sequel too mournfully shows. erable remnant of life, for a draught of But a certain presentiment of relief still the life-giving element. I therefore re- upheld my spirits, which were never less solved upon searching among the pipes depressed than upon this occasion. of wine, to find one which had its bung remembered that the great Director still inclining downward, that the wine had not forsaken me, since "God is might run out, if I could hammer out ever present, ever felt, in the wide waste the bung. My hunger, however,almost as in the city full." Every thing thereequalled my thirst, While in my way fore considered, to wait with fortitude to the wine, I espied at a short distance the will of Heaven was my ultimate deout of my course, a small keg, which termination. I was now more comfortI thought might possibly contain sal- ably situated than at any previous pemon, of which we had several hundreds riod, and I began to amuse myself by on board. I hitched towards it, but singing a few songs. I had a covering found it with one head out, and partly inside, and a keg of good wine outside. filled with sand. Nevertheless, I resol- One song, if not with energy, was sung ved to take it with me, and fill it with with great feeling, it was the wellwine. Coming to the casks, I found one that answered, I soon procured a billet of wood, struck out the bung and applied my mouth to the hole, drinking a great quantity. I afterwards rinced the keg, and nearly filling it with wine, returned with it slowly to the cask. I set it outside and crawled in; and began to ruminate upon my condition. I found it would be impossible without succour, to move much longer about, and determined to remain at home dur- socket. How I survived these scenes of ing the remainder of the day, and if sufficient strength remained on the next, as my only chance of relief, to rig a kind of signal with a pole or small spar, of which there were many, and a piece of cotton stuff for a flag, that,if any vessel should approach near enough, she might observe it. My first thought of endeavouring to get off the small boat, which I saw at a great distance, and to rig a kind of sail, and steer for Monte Video, I now abandoned. It was a mad idea,and would have been impracticable, as the boat's bottom, I afterwards learnt, was stove in. I knew that the next day I should be unable to make a farther search than I had done for provisions, as the method of getting along was slow and painful, being, as I before observed, by hitching myself backward with my right hand, and fre known and classical song of "How blest a life a sailor leads," &c. After this, by repeated drinking, owing to my excessive thirst, I was thrown into a doze of about half an hour. I soon a→ woke, and to beguile my feelings, began upon a psalm tune, and sung several to quiet the emotions caused by hunger, thirst, and pain. It was now three days and nights since I had tasted food, and my taper of life began to glimmer in the accumulated misery so long, when but barely alive on first gaining the shore, I scarcely can tell; the retrospect even now astonishes me. But frail mortality could resist no longer. My strength had utterly failed. I hailed the approaching night as the termination of my cares; considered the mean covering over me as my shroud, and the cask as my coffin, and waited with fortitude the hour of dissolution. But the next was the hour of deliverance! About four o'clock on the afternoon of Saturday,the auspicious 20th of September, I was aroused from my reveries by the sound of a horse's feet. Uncertain and careless who appeared, whether a friend or an enemy, I waited his approach with calmness, being absolutely indifferent in my choice "to sleep or die." At the next moment, a horse with a rider stop VOL. 4.] Fracker's Narrative. 227 ped before the cask. I hailed in Spanish who had just left me to return with asfaintly" Amigo," friend. He instantly sistance.' He asked me the road he took. alighted, and, struck at such a ghastly I told him, when he sprang upon his spectacle, as I then exhibited, he recoil- horse, and galloped off in the direction ed a few paces backward. Recover- the other had taken. ing soon from his dismay by seeing my He soon after re-appeared at the cask, helpless condition, he advanced, and with some others, seemingly with at stooped to learn by what strange means resolution of putting me to instant I had outlived the general wreck. He death; but most happily, the rewas a young man, a Creole, or half In- appearance of my deliverer with his dian, of benevolent features, and dressed father and several slaves compelled them partly in the ludian method. I told to alter their design, and they went off my tale in a few words, concluding by to plunder, abandoning their horrid purasking him the distance of a habitation, pose. My friend advised me to permit and the possibility of my reaching it, if him to dress me in some clothes from a he could bring assistance that day, and passenger's trunk, which they then broke promising that he should be rewarded open, alledging that in my present apfor his kindness. "In a few hours," pearance, I should be taken for a comsaid he, " I can return with assistance, mon sailor,and that, clothed in a decent as the next rancho, or hut, is but little manner, I should gain among them more than a league." He then expres- more advantage, respect, and comfort. sed his surprise at my providential es- I accordingly suffered the painful opecape, made the sign of the cross on his ration of dressing, but my leg, being so breast, praised St. George as my special greatly swelled, prevented my getting preserver; said I was fortunate in speak- over it any thing but a pair of loose ing the language so fluently, and that I drawers. I also got on a surtout and was greatly so in being discovered by waistcoat. I was then with difficulty him, whose mother, he said,lived at the nearest cottage, whither I should be conveyed. He said if I had fallen into the hands of the savages, they would certainly have dispatched me, for they were merciless and ferocious. "But, first," added he, I'll bring you something to eat, for you look half-starved." In about an hour, he re-appeared bringing a warm sausage, and some We arrived, at last, near dusk, at a mouldy bread, wrapped up in a towel. small cottage. A number of large dogs I greedily seized it,thinking I could de- gave notice of our approach, but were vour it at once, but was disappointed soon silenced by my companions, who to find I could not swallow a mouthful, assisted me gently to dismount. I was my throat being contracted, close, and welcomed, with many blessings, by the sore. As he was planning the means old woman, carried into the house, seatof my removal, I left it wholly to his ed in a chair, and stripped of my wet care, and only requested to be convey- clothes, and put into as good a bed as ed to a place of shelter and safety. He the hut afforded. This rancho was a then made his lasso, a line of green hide, small place of only one apartment, built with which they catch wild horses, fast like all others, of cane fastened together to the handle of the largest trunk, and with strips of green hide, plaistered with drove off. Shortly after he had gone, a mud, and a thatched roof. A fowl savage, or Guacha, of a fierce and mur- was killed by the old woman, and some derous countenance rode up, alighted good broth made and given me. After from his horse, and roughly asked who this, my leg was washed with hot vinI was. I replied,a shipwrecked seaman. egar, and my wounds dressed as well "Are you the captain?" No,' I au- as circumstances would admit. I conswered, 'I was the mate, and had pre- sidered myself as peculiarly fortunate in viously been discovered by a person, falling into the hands, and being under I lifted upon the back of a horse, and my 228 Fracker's Narrative. [VOL. 4 the care of, one of those alleviators of writing, and a chopping block: this I calamity, those indispensable attendants placed between my legs on the bed, of the bed of sickness, where is devel- covering it with a piece of baize, and oped the most estimable and endearing commenced writing. It was a tedious traits of character, usefulness, patience, business, and I could sit up no longer and compassion,-an hospitable old than to write one line at a time. I, woman. During the night, I drank a however, finished this necessary duty, great quantity, both of wine and water, and wrote two letters, one directed to The old woman had wrapped two junk W. P. White, Esq. who was the only bottles, filled with boiling water, and person I was acquainted with in Monte placed them against my feet, at the foot Video, and another to the owners in of the bed. My feet were much swoll- Buenos Ayres. These I gave to the en and wrinkled, and almost without General, who in two days forwarded feeling. The sudden application of them to the Capital. artificial heat to the blood, though well My discoverer, Pedro, was employed intended, had a most pernicious effect, this day, with two slaves, in recovering stagnating, corrupting, and destroying its some articles and provisions from the natural temperature, and causing great beach, which, he said, was now covpain its effects were felt for many ered with natives, breaking open trunks, months afterwards. This night I slept chests and bales of goods, staving in but little. The rays of the sun breaking casks of wine when any wanted to into the room, announced the morning drink, and exhibiting a confused scene of the sabbath, and I could,in truth,hail of plunder, fighting,and wanton waste. it as a welcome and sweet day of rest. The Indians here are generally I now took a view of the apartment of great size, long black hair hanging and furniture. The room was partly like snakes down their shoulders, long separated by a partition of cane-poles; bushy beards, and mustaches, a coarse inside of which, slept the old woman blanket wrapped round the middle, and and her two younger sons, upon the another, with a hole, through which floor, as there was but one bedstead, they thrust their heads, hung down their upon which I lay. Her eldest son, backs, a turban, or handkerchief on my discoverer, lay near me wrapped up their heads, horse-skin boots, stripped in his pauncho, or blanket.* At the from the animal's leg, and worn raw into farther end of the hovel was kept con- the shape of the feet. These, with a stantly burning, upon a table, on each sword nearly a fathom long, in an iron side of a crucifix, two candles, which is scabbard, gave them a most horrible an invariable custom when any one lies appearance. They, indeed, looked dangerously sick. A separate but for like demons. All wore large knives the kitchen was built outside. The fur- stuck in a sheath in their blanket behind, niture consisted of a few hide-bottomed which they made use of for every purchairs, some hide sacks and baskets, a pose, to kill cattle, cut up beef, eat hide sieve, and a few other articles, of meat, and stab their fellow-creatures. which hide was the principal material. The General came, in the evening, with several soldiers, and, at our earnest request, left a guard of three for our defence, who were well armed. The next day theGeneral again came, bringing with him several bottles of wire and cordial, taken from the beach. I desired him to inform me if it was I had, about this time, a great many possible to send a letter to Monte Vi- visitors, who all considered me highly deo. He replied that it was difficult, favoured by my patron saint, to whom as there was but little intercourse, but they attributed my "hair-breadth that he knew of a patriot officer, who, having a passport, would in a few days go to the city. I therefore, next day procured of the old woman materials for The old man, his father, who was a Spaniard, lived in another but,at a relation's, tor fear of the Guachas. 'scapes." Among them were many old women, who came upon horseback' from different parts to barter their commodities. A consultation was held among them respecting my fever, leg, and bruises; and they recommended a large leaf of an herb which grows VOL. 4.] Fracker's Narrative. 229 in those countries, which, dipped in hot relieved by the arrival of two clerks, an oil and vinegar, had a wonderful and Englishman and a Spaniard, from Monte salutary effect. Although the applica- Video, in consequence of receiving my tion was acutely painful during several letter, from the house of the consignees, nights, the swelling greatly subsided, in order to effect my removal to the excepting about the knee. During this city, and endeavour to secure some part time, I could not shift positions without of the property. The latter they found great pain; and I could instantly per- totally impossible, nothing of value beceive a change of the wind upon the ing found on the strand, every thing least motion, from electric pain. It having been carried off up country by was the work of half an hour to turn the natives. I was extremely rejoiced sometimes in bed. My appetite was at their appearance, and we concerted raging, and though I could not get so plans for my departure. They slept much as I wanted, owing to the care of one night at the hut, and next day,Sunmy attendants, I ate immense quanti- day, departed, having seen sufficient of ties, and drank all that came within my the character of the natives,and glad that reach, always keeping bottles of liquor they had escaped the knives of the under my pillow, for my night's supply. guachas, and vowing they would not I kept one small boy constantly bring venture their lives again among such a ing water, of which, during ten days, I murderous crew for the value of a ship believe I drank fifty gallons, besides and cargo. half a dozen bottles of cordial, a dozen The cannibals were daily and hourly of wine, ten gallons of the same in a growing more inexorable, and the dankeg, and several bottles of other liquors, ger every moment increased.—I had all of which Pedro had saved from the every reason to believe that on this beach. I would frequently whistle night they intended to make a desperate and sing to beguile the pain, and the attack upon the cottage, and to have old woman would ask the reason. I murdered all in their power,had not the told her I sung to kill the pain; but I fortunate arrival, at about sunset, of the saw she often thought from my strange long-wished-for cart, with a driver and behaviour, that my fever and anguish guide, both armed, put them in fear. had rendered me delirious. My appre- These were a valuable addition to our hension, however, of the savages, in force, and this night, during which they this weak state, and nervous debility of slept in the hut, I felt less apprehenbody and mind gave me, incessant anx- sive of danger. To death, and to daniety expecting every night that they ger the most terrific, I had been exposed, would break in, and knowing their mer- and had faced them with manly fortitude. ciless ferocity. The constant barking I had escaped from wild beasts, and of the watchful dogs, giving notice of met the fury of the elements without their approach, sounded like a sum- shrinking; but the horrid prospect of mons bell. One night when all had re- having my flesh gashed and lacerated, tired to rest, and the guards lay snoring and my limbs cut asunder by the knives upon the floor, the dogs set up a roar of the savages, gave me infinite anguish, ing yell, and soon after we heard the and boiling with rage and indignation, approach of footsteps, and a violent I could almost, at times, had it been in thumping at the door. Pedro aroused my power, have seized indiscriminate the guards, and opened it, and the destruction, and, like Samson of old, guards and old woman prepared for de- have sacrificed my life to relieve it from fence. I saw by the moonshine, five such a state of torturing suspense, and to hideous looking fellows, armed with take revenge upon the blood-thirsty rufswords and bayonets, standing before fians. the door. A sharp parley ensued be- The tenth day came, and we were to tween them and the guard. They depart.-A great number of blankets thought proper to make a speedy re- and coverings were thrown over me aftreat, stealing, in their way, a horse ter I was in the cart.--I shook the hands from the field. of the kind old woman and my delivOn the eighth day, I was agreeably erer most heartily. A crowd of rising 230 Fracker's Narrative. [VOL. 4 emotions almost stifled my expressions was ended. But as a faithful narrator, of gratitude and started the tears of I am constrained to give its me anchooverpowered feelings. I left them with ly sequel. After I had been in Monte fervent benedictions, and we drove off Video about six weeks, I received the slowly on our way, and arrived about shocking intelligence, that,on the night two o'clock at the gates of Monte Video. of the same day on which I left the -The novelty of the sight drew many cottage, the barbarous and merciless to the windows, as I lay upon my back savages attacked and entered the hut of in the cart, fairly exposed to their view and wonder. We stopped at the house of an English merceant, the consignee, who immediately came out, and with many friendly congratulations, assisted his slaves in carrying me up stairs. Here I was confined for nearly twenty days, and my leg was now shrunk and withered to as great an extreme as it was swelled before. By unexampled kindness I daily improved, and in three weeks was able to leave the room, and sit outside the chamber upon the walk. One of the owners of the ship happening at this time to be in Monte Video, speedily came to visit me and hear the account of the loss of his ship. When I had finished, and when he had heard of the hospitality of the old woman at the cottage, he immediately proposed a subscription among the merchants for her recompence and relief, regardless of his own loss, though he was half owner of the ship, and that uninsured. While under this hospitable roof, all that could contribute to alleviate pain, every thing that could add to my convenience and comfort, kindness, which left not a wish ungratified, I enjoyed in its fullest extent. Though a distressed foreigner, I was treated as a brother, and though a stranger, ever welcome to their board. For three weeks while on the bed of sickness, I was visited every morning by the worthy merchant, who, with his own hands would dress my wounds, thus emulating the example of the good Samaritan. It would be well if here I could conclude, and if here the hapless tale FAT the old woman, and finding no opposition, as the guards had gone to the encampment, plundered the hut of all she possessed, wounded the slaves who opposed them, and after repeatedly stabbing my worthy deliverer, finished with cutting his throat from ear to ear! How just are the words of the poet, "The ways of Heaven are dark and intricate. Man puzzled in mazes and perplexed with errors, sees not with how much art the windings turn, nor where the regular confusion ends." I was now rapidly gaining strength; my leg I could bear my weight on, and after remaining here for two months, I was able to take passage for Buenos Ayres, distant about a hundred and ten miles further up, and upon the opposite side of the river. I arrived there next day, and found a great number of acquaintance, who were very kind and friendly. A subscription was directly handed round among the English merchants, by the goodness of the owners, and about four hundred dollars were subscribed and collected for my benefit. Two hundred dollars were likewise collected for the relief of the old woman at the cottage, and about two hundred more previously in Monte Video, and sent down to her. I remained some months in Buenos Ayres, on account of lameness,and sailed from thence July 12th, 1818, and arrived at Baltimore, on the twelfth of September. On Sunday morning, October fourth, I arrived in Boston after an absence of two years and three months. CORNUCOPIA. From the London Monthly Magazine, Sept. 1818. MODERN RELICS. brought back from Paris to the monas ATHER G., a Jesuit, expresses tery of St. Peter at Erfurt :-" Among himself as follows, respecting the the relics are many highly valuable, treasures of art, &c. which have been which may be regarded as diamonds of |