Through Five Republics on Horseback, Being an Account of Many Wanderings in South AmericaRay, George Whitfield
Religion
Through Five Republics on Horseback, Being an Account of Many Wanderings in South America
Ray, George Whitfield
Ray, George Whitfield, 1868- -- Travel -- South America; South America -- Description and travel
bite should we eat until the promised knife was given. I was faint with
hunger, but from the load on the packhorse I procured the knife, which
I handed to my unwilling host with the promise of other gifts later. On
receipt of this treasure he gave orders to the boys standing off at a
distance to catch two chickens. The birds were knocked over by the
stones thrown at them. Two women now came forward with clay pots on
their heads and fire-sticks in their hands, and they superintended the
cooking. Without cutting off either heads or legs, or pulling out the
birds' feathers, the chickens were placed in the pots with water. Lying
down near the fire, I, manlike, impatiently waited for supper. Perhaps
a minute had dragged its weary length along when I picked up a stick
from the ground and poked one of the fowls out of the water, which was
not yet warm. Holding the bird in one hand, and pulling feathers out of
my mouth with the other, I ate as my forefathers did ages ago. Years
before this I had learned that a hungry man can eat what an epicure
despises. After this feast I lay down on the ground behind one of the
tepees, and, with my head resting on my most valued possessions, went
to sleep.
Having promised to give the priest and his wife another present, I was
awakened very early next morning. They had come for their gifts. Rising
from my hard bed, I stretched myself and awoke my servant, under whose
head were the looking-glasses. I presented one of these to the woman,
who looked in it with satisfaction and evident pleasure. Whether she
was pleased with her reflection or with the glass I cannot tell, but I
feel sure it must have been the latter! A necklace to the daughter and
a further gift to the old man gained their friendship, and food was
brought to us. After partaking of this I was informed that the king
desired to see me, and that I must proceed at once to his hut.
His majesty (?) lived on the other side of the river, close at hand.
This water was of course unbridged, so, in order to cross, I was
compelled to divest myself of my clothing and walk through it in
nature's garb. The water came up to my breast, and once I thought the
clothes I carried on my head would get wet. Dressing on the other side,
I presented myself at the king's abode. There I was kindly received,
being invited to take up my quarters with him and his royal family. The
king was a tall man of somewhat commanding appearance, but, save for
the loin cloth, he was naked, like the rest. The queen, a little woman,
was as scantily dressed as her husband. She was very shy, and I noticed
the rest of the inmates of the hut peeping through the crevices of the
corn-stalk partition of an inner room. After placing around the shapely
neck of the queen a specially fine necklace I had brought, and giving
the king a large hunting-knife, I was regaled with roasted yams, and
later on with a whole watermelon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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