Journal of Voyages: Containing an Account of the Author's being Twice Captured by the English and Once by Gibbs the Pirate...Dunham, Jacob
History
Journal of Voyages: Containing an Account of the Author's being Twice Captured by the English and Once by Gibbs the Pirate...
Dunham, Jacob
Voyages and travels
I occupied my time in selling goods and purchasing shell, skins, gums,
&c. and during my leisure hours partook of the sports of the Indians,
that I might pass away the time as agreeably as my situation would admit
of, not knowing how I could get away from the country, as the English
traders [the only people who visited the Musquittoes] had agreed never
to carry me to Jamaica, or take any letters that would assist me to get
to my family, fearing I should become a rival in the trade, and be the
means of introducing others into it.
About the first of November a Captain Humphreys, one of the Jamaica
traders, arrived in the harbor, and came on shore and took supper with
me. The Indian ladies got up a ball on the occasion. After dancing was
over, Captain H. and myself took a walk together. During which he said
to me, "Dunham, your case is a hard one, the old English traders on this
coast, myself among them, have agreed never to carry you to Jamaica, or
to assist you to get away from here, or take any letters from you to
Jamaica or elsewhere, notwithstanding we consider you a very clever
fellow; but if we assist you to get home, you will lead down twenty
Yankee traders and destroy our business with the Indians." Captain H.
appeared to possess the feelings that one seaman should have for
another, and continued, "Dunham, if you can get ready to go with me in
two days I will carry you to Jamaica; but I will not carry your shell,
or any other articles you have bought of the Indians." I expressed my
sincere thanks for his kind offer, but told him I did not wish to be
taken there for nothing; that I had money, and was willing to give him
one hundred dollars for my passage. I informed him that I had kept one
half barrel of pork and a case of gin hid away for some months,
intending to purchase a large canoe with them to carry me to the Bay of
Honduras, if no other conveyance offered. He refused to accept any
compensation whatever for my passage.
The next day I packed up my shell, amounting to five hundred and
seventy-two pounds, and the remnants of my goods, and sent them thirty
miles up the river Waa-waa-han to be left with my worthy old French
friend, Mr. Ellis. I then called on my landlord for his bill for the
rent of my store, and board for two or three months. He laughed at my
being so simple as to suppose he would charge anything for it, and
peremptorily refused; but as he was indebted to me for goods, I deducted
forty dollars from his account, which he reluctantly accepted. The
vessel being now ready for sea, the inhabitants of the village all
escorted me to the beach, bringing me many presents of fruits, and
shaking me by the hand, with downcast eyes bade me a hearty farewell.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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