Then Many Of Them Shot So Thick At Our Men In The Boats That
They Could Scarcely Handle Their Oars, Yet By God's Help They Got The
Boats Away, Though Many Of Them Were Hurt By The Poisoned Arrows.
This
poison is incurable, if the arrow pierce the skin so as to draw blood,
except the poison be
Immediately sucked out, or the part hurt be cut out
forthwith; otherwise the wounded man inevitably dies in four days.
Within three hours after any part of the body is hurt, or even slightly
pricked, although it be the little toe, the poison reaches the heart,
and affects the stomach with excessive vomiting, so that the person can
take neither meat nor drink.
The persons seized in this treacherous manner by the negroes were
Nicholas Day, William Bats, and John Thomson, who were led away to a
town about a mile from the shore. The 20th we sent a boat on shore with
eight persons, among whom was the before-mentioned John Thomson[295] and
our interpreter, who was a Frenchman, as one of the negroes spoke good
French. They carried with them two arquebuses, two targets, and a
_mantell?_ and were directed to learn what ransom the negroes demanded
for Bats and Day whom they detained. On coming to the shore and telling
the negroes the nature of their errand, Bats and Day were brought from
among some trees quite loose, but surrounded by some 40 or 50 negroes.
When within a stone's throw of the beach, Bats broke suddenly from them
and ran as fast as he could into the sea towards the boat; but
immediately on getting into the water he fell, so that the negroes
retook him, violently tearing off his clothes. After this some of the
negroes carried our two men back to the town, while the rest began to
shoot at our people in the boat with their poisoned arrows, and wounded
one of our men in the small of the leg, who had nearly died in spite of
every thing our surgeons could do for him. Notwithstanding this
unjustifiable conduct, our general sent another message to the negroes,
offering any terms they pleased to demand as ransom for our men. But
they gave for answer, that three weeks before we came an English ship
had forcibly carried off three of their people, and unless we brought or
sent them back we should not have our men, though we gave our three
ships and all their lading. On the 21st a French ship, of 80 tons came
to the place where we were, intending to trade with the negroes, and
seeing that the Frenchmen were well received by the natives, our general
told them of our two men being detained, and wished them to endeavour
to procure their release, promising L.100 to the Frenchmen if they
succeeded. We then committed this affair to the management of the
Frenchmen, and departed. Of our men who were hurt by the poisoned
arrows, four died, and one had to have his arm cut off to save his life.
Andrews, who was last hurt, lay long lame and unable to help himself,
and only two recovered.
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