Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746Byron, John
History
Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746
Byron, John
Chiloé (Chile); Patagonia (Argentina and Chile); Wager (Ship)
was large, there were but four jesuits in it, nor were there any more
of that order upon the island. In the morning Captain Cheap was sent
for by the father provincial: their conversation was carried on in
Latin, perhaps not the best on either side; however, they made shift to
understand one another. When he returned, he told us the good fathers
were still harping upon what things of value we might have saved and
concealed about us; and that if we had any thing of that sort, we could
not do better than let them have it. Religion seemed to be quite out
of the question at present; but a day or two after the corregidore
being informed that we were heretics, he desired these jesuits would
convert us; but one of them told him it was a mere joke to attempt
it, as we could have no inducement upon that island to change our
religion, but that when we got to Chili, in such a delightful country
as that was, where there was nothing but diversions and amusements,
we should be converted fast enough. We kept close to our cell till the
bell rang for dinner, when we were conducted into a hall, where there
was one table for the fathers, and another for us. After a very long
Latin prayer, we sat down and eat what was put before us, without a
single word passing at either table. As soon as we had finished, there
was another long prayer, which, however, did not appear so tedious as
the first; and then we retired to our cell again. In this manner we
passed eight days without ever stirring out; all which time one might
have imagined one's-self out of the world; for excepting the bell
for dinner, a silence reigned throughout the whole, as if the place
had been uninhabited. A little before dark, on the eighth evening,
we heard a violent knocking at the gate, which was no sooner opened
than there entered a young officer booted and spurred, who acquainted
the fathers that he was sent by the governor to conduct us to Chaco.
This young man was the governor's son; by which means he obtained
a commission next in authority, upon this island, to his father. He
ought to have been kept at school, for he was a vain, empty coxcomb,
much disliked by the people of the island. After taking leave of the
jesuits, who I imagined were not sorry to be rid of us, after finding
their expectations balked, we set out, having about thirty soldiers on
horseback to attend us. We rode about eight miles that night, when we
came to an Estancia, or farm-house, belonging to an old lady who had
two handsome daughters. Here we were very well entertained, and the
good old lady seemed to have great compassion for us. She asked the
governor's son if he thought his father would have any objection to my
passing a month with her at her farm. As she was a person of rank in
this island, he said he would acquaint his father with her request,
and made no doubt but he would grant it. I observed our soldiers,
when they came into the house, had none of them any shoes on, but
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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