I ascribed much of this to the pain arising from the wounded arm,
notwithstanding which he paddled with as much vigour as ever. As the
night came on, I entreated him to hold his tongue, but it was in vain,
and I felt assured that his reason was quite gone. He continued to
talk loud and rave without intermission, and I now considered our fate
as sealed. We had no water in the boat or provisions of any kind, and
I proposed that we should heave-to and catch some fish, telling him
that if he talked we should scare them away.
This made him quiet for a time, but as soon as we had hooked four or
five fish, he again commenced his history of the glorious martyrs. I
prayed him to be silent, for a short time at least, and he was so for
about four or five minutes, when he would break out into some
ejaculation, which I immediately stopped. At last he could talk no
more for want of water; his lips were glued together, and so were
mine. Nevertheless, I continued paddling for two hours more, when I
found by the canoe grounding that he had steered her on the beach.
There was no help for it. We landed and went in search of water, which
we found about half of a mile from where our canoe was beached.
We drank heartily, filled the calabash, and were returning to the
canoe, when he again commenced talking as loud as ever. I was in great
anger, but I put my hand before his mouth, beseeching him in a whisper
to be quiet. As we were doing this, we were suddenly sprung upon and
seized by several Indians, and in a minute were bound hands and feet.
"I knew it," cried the Portuguese; "I knew it would be so. Well, I am
prepared; are not you, my good friend?"
I made no reply. I felt that in his madness he had sacrificed his own
life and mine also; but it was the will of Heaven. The Indians left
two to guard us, and went down to the canoe, returning with their
muskets. I soon perceived that they were the same whom we had escaped
from the night before, and the one who had spoken a little English
when we were first captured now came to me and said, "White man paint
like Indian, steal gun--ugh."
When the Indians had returned from the canoe, our feet were unbound,
and we were again led away by the leather thong which was fast to our
arms. The Portuguese now began to find his tongue again, and talked
incessantly, the Indians not checking him; from which, it was evident
that they were on their own domains. After four hours' walking they
kindled a fire, and went to repose as before; but this time they took
our knives from us, and bound our legs so tight that they gave us much
pain. I did not expostulate, as I knew it was useless. My companion,
as the thong entered into his flesh, seemed pleased, saying, "Now my
martyrdom is commencing."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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