We had no sooner given orders for our little camp, and given leave to
our negroes to lay down their loads, but they fell to work to build our
huts; and though they were tied as above, yet they did it so nimbly as
surprised us. Here we set some of the negroes quite at liberty, that is
to say, without tying them, having the prince's word passed for their
fidelity; and some of these were ordered to help the carpenters, which
they did very handily, with a little direction, and others were sent
to see whether they could get any provisions near hand; but instead of
provisions, three of them came in with two bows and arrows, and five
lances. They could not easily make us understand how they came by them,
only that they had surprised some negro women, who were in some huts,
the men being from home, and they had found the lances and bows in the
huts, or houses, the women and children flying away at the sight of
them, as from robbers. We seemed very angry at them, and made the prince
ask them if they had not killed any of the women or children, making
them believe that, if they had killed anybody, we would make them kill
themselves too; but they protested their innocence, so we excused them.
Then they brought us the bows and arrows and lances; but, at a motion of
their black prince, we gave them back the bows and arrows, and gave them
leave to go out to see what they could kill for food; and here we gave
them the laws of arms, viz., that if any man appeared to assault them,
or shoot at them to offer any violence to them, they might kill them;
but that they should not offer to kill or hurt any that offered them
peace, or laid down their weapons, nor any women or children, upon any
occasion whatsoever. These were our articles of war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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