THE PIRATES OF THE HIGH SEAS – Know Your Infamous Buccaneers, Their Exploits & Their Real Histories (9 Books in One Edition). Даниэль Дефо
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so well, that in a few Days he finished a Net, which he truck'd away for a Quantity of Sea Grass.
He was now set up for a new Trade, and was so industrious in it, that he work'd his Nets with much more Curiosity than any of his Partners, and of Consequence had better Business; so that in a little Time he was able to purchase a Piece of Dungeree Linnen with his own Earnings, of which he made himself a Wastecoat after the English Fashion, and a Pair of long Drawers; but he had not worn them above a Day or two when the Bankoo, or Steward of the Moorzacks, commanded him to leave off the Wastecoat, that he might appear like the rest, who wore nothing but a Piece of any Stuff they could get, about their Wastes, to cover their Nakedness.
Upon the whole, he found he should have no great Occasion to provide for his Back, which occasioned his being less diligent in his Work; however, he purchased a Mohaz Covering to keep him warm in the Night, with the Bankoo's Permission, and happening to talk sometimes with his Comrades about Nets, and describing how they were made in Europe, the Bankoo asked him if he could make one in the same Manner? But finding he was not to lay out his Earnings to please himself, he answered, he could not; however, an Accident fell out soon after which brought him into great Favour.
As it was Part of his Duty to go to the Bankoo's generally in the Morning, for the Allowance of Provision for the Day for himself and Comrade, he observed, that tho’ their Allowance was sufficient in all other Respects, it was very short as to Salt. One Day, when they had Plantanes, Rice and Oil, he begg'd hard for a little more Salt, but the Bankoo told him it could not be done without defrauding some of the rest, for Salt is exceeding scarce amongst them, having no Way of making it, nor any Way of providing it but by searching among the Rocks, near the Sea Side, where they pick it up in Bits about the Bigness of a Nut, and sometimes larger; here Nature makes it by the continual beating of the Sea in one Place; but the Quantities they are able to procure this Way are very small; wherefore, finding himself disappointed, he happened to say, that if he was at Liberty he could make Salt as plenty in Magadoxa as it was in Europe. The Bankoo the same Day acquainted the Accabo with what he had said, so that the next Day he was sent for: He was no sooner arrived in the Presence of the Accabo but he immediately asked him if he could make Salt? He answered, he believed he could, (and the Truth on't was he had often seen it made.) At the same Time he described the Manner of making it. The Accabo immediately order'd him to go to Work, and to have what Assistance he requir'd; he did so, and was so industrious and successful in it, that in six Months Salt was as plenty amongst them as any where else.
The Accabo sent for him again, and inquired of him concerning Fishing-Nets, as they were used in Europe: He described them to him; upon which he asked him if he could make one of them? He had been asked the same Question before by the Bankoo, and denied that he had any Skill that Way; but considering with himself now that since he was likely to pass his whole Life amongst these People, it was his Business to gain their Favour all the Ways he could, he answered, he never had made any; however, if he (the Accabo) thought fit, he would try and do the best he could.
The Accabo seemed mightily pleased with his Willingness, and asked him if he should want any to assist him? He answered he should, and desired eight Persons to be employed in Spinning, and six in Knitting. These People were to follow his Directions, accordingly they fell to Work, and, in the Space of two Months, finished a Net eighty Fathom long.
When it was finished the Accabo himself had a Mind to see what Effect it would have beyond their own Nets; accordingly he went on board one of their Junks, attended by his Favourites, having with him also several of their most experienced Fishermen: They had the good Luck to take a good Number of Fish the first Hawl, among which were several Sorts they had never before seen, being such Fish as will not take the Hook, and such as always keep deep in the Water. The Accabo appeared highly contented with this Success, and ordered several more of them to be made, which could be done without him now that he had shown them a Way, so that Fish soon became infinitely more plenty than ever it had been before.
The Molotto expected no less than to be rewarded with some extraordinary Recompence for the public Services; the least Favour he thought could be granted him would be to give him the Liberty of a Freeman, and to let him live as an Inhabitant of the City, and to get his living amongst them, by any Sort of Industry he could; but he found himself greatly mistaken, for all his Reward consisted in being sent back to the Moorzacks, upon the same Foot he had been before.
It is true, he passed his Time here with a great deal of Tranquility, and began to reconcile himself to the Thoughts of remaining there his whole Life, he was convinced that nothing he could do to ingratiate himself, would procure him any Favour or Liberty; and an Accident fell out which gave him a terrible Notion of their Severity: One of the Passaus or Guards, on a Night when it was not his Turn to be upon the Watch, went privately into the City, contrary to Orders, and returned again before it was Day, but not so privately but he was seen by some Person, who went and discovered it to the Accabo; the Consequence of which was, that he was sent for under a Guard the next Morning, and, being brought into the King's Presence, was, without any more Ceremony, executed in the following Manner: He was obliged to kneel down, leaning his Head forwards, whilst the Executioner, with a heavy Bar of Timber, struck him on the lower part of his Head, and beat out his Brains.
This Example so terrified the poor Molotto, that in fifteen Years he was in that Place he never ventured beyond the Limits, except when he was sent for by the Accabo, or to attend a Burial, which he was obliged to do when any of the Passaus or Guards died, for they were not buried among the Moorzacks, no more than any of the other of the common People.
But it is Time that we describe this Place, which is not only the greatest Curiosity of this Country, but would pass for a Piece of Magnificence in those Nations where Arts and Sciences are known, and it is fit to be the more particular in it, as it may appear strange, that those People who are Barbarians in all other Respects, should observe so much Pomp and Decoration in their funeral Ceremonies.
This burying Place, which they call Hoynatz, is pleasantly situated in a beautiful Valley between two Hills, about two English Miles from the City of Magadoxa; there are in it twenty nine Moorzacks or Tombs, all which were first built by the Kings, at whose Expence the Passaus or Guards are kept, their being four to each Moorzack, who watch two and two by Turns, who take Care of the Lamps, which continually burn within, and keep every Thing clean to the greatest Nicety.
Tho’ these Moorzacks may be said properly all to belong to the King, yet several other Persons of the first Rank are buried in them, by the King's special Favour, for he sometimes gives a Moorzack to some Favourite, as a burying Place for his Family; notwithstanding which Gift, when any of the said Family dies, the King's Permission must be asked anew for burying him in the Moorzack, the Reason is, that it frequently happens that when a Person who has this Kind of Right to be buried in a Moorzack disobliges the King, he takes no Notice of it as long as the Party lives; but when he dies, he forbids him to be buried in the Moorzack, by way of Punishment.
This may show what a Veneration they have for these Places, when they seem to think that all Happiness, as well as Honour, consisted in laying the Body after Death in one of these Moorzacks; and, indeed, it is one of the chief Pleasures of the King, as well as of the common People to visit these Places often, which they do with a Kind of religious Respect.
The largest Moorzack or Tomb of all is the King's own, no other Person being ever buried therein; it is eighty Foot square, built of black and white Marble mix'd, with a Kind of Cupola at Top, and over it a long Spire, the Inside, both Floor and Sides, is white Marble curiously polished, and the Cieling or Cupola painted green: There are in it forty five Boozes of Gold, standing on as many Pedestals of black Marble, of about four Foot high.
A Booze is a kind of round Pot with a Cover, about eight Inches deep, and five Diameter, in which are placed the Ashes of the Dead of those that are deposited there; I say the Ashes, because the Bodies are first burned.
There are also sixteen large Lamps of Gold, with nine Lights to each, four in a Corner, and one large one in the Middle,