After The First Transports Of His Grief Were Over, He Began To
Expostulate With His People, Telling Them (As Far As We Could Understand)
How Well I Had Treated Them, Both In This And My Former Voyage, And How
Base It Was In Them To Commit Such Actions.
He then took a very minute
account of the things Mr Sparrman had been robbed of, promised to do all in
his power to recover them, and, rising up, desired me to follow him to my
boat.
When the people saw this, being, as I supposed, apprehensive of his
safety, they used every argument to dissuade him from what they, no doubt,
thought a rash step. He hastened into the boat, notwithstanding all they
could do or say. As soon as they saw their beloved chief wholly in my
power, they set up a great outcry. The grief they shewed was inexpressible;
every face was bedewed with tears; they prayed, entreated, nay, attempted
to pull him out of the boat. I even joined my entreaties to theirs; for I
could not bear to see them in such distress. All that could be said, or
done, availed nothing. He insisted on my coming into the boat, which was no
sooner done than he ordered it to be put off. His sister, with a spirit
equal to that of her royal brother, was the only person who did not oppose
his going. As his intention in coming into our boat was to go with us in
search of the robbers, we proceeded accordingly as far as was convenient by
water, then landed, entered the country, and travelled some miles inland,
the chief leading the way, enquiring of every one he saw.
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