Part 1 (1/2)
The Wanderers.
by W.H.G. Kingston.
CHAPTER ONE.
OUR OLD HOME IN PENNSYLVANIA--REVERSE OF FORTUNE--ARRIVAL IN TRINIDAD-- UNCLE PAUL AND ARTHUR FOLLOW US--SETTLED ON AN ESTATE--SUSPECTED OF HERESY--OUR MOTHER'S ILLNESS--DON ANTONIO'S WARNING--OUR MOTHER'S DEATH--THE PRIEST'S INDIGNATION--WE LEAVE HOME--ARTHUR'S NARROW ESCAPE.
We lived very happily at the dear old home in the State of Pennsylvania, where my sister Marian and I were born. Our father, Mr Dennis Macnamara, who was a prosperous merchant, had settled there soon after his marriage with our mother, and we had been brought up with every comfort we could desire. Uncle Paul Netherclift, our mother's brother, who was employed in our father's house of business, resided with us; as did our cousin Arthur Tuffnel, who had lately come over from England to find employment in the colony.
Our father was generally in good spirits, and never appeared to think that a reverse of fortune could happen to him. One day, however, he received a visit from a person who was closeted with him for some hours.
After the stranger had gone, he appeared suddenly to have become an altered man, his vivacity and high spirits having completely deserted him--while both Uncle Paul and Arthur looked unusually grave; and young as I was, I could not help seeing that something disastrous had happened. My fears were confirmed on overhearing a conversation between my father and mother when they were not aware that I was listening.
”We must start without delay. I must not allow this opportunity of retrieving my fallen fortunes to pa.s.s by,” I heard my father observe, as he pointed to a paragraph in a newspaper which he held in his hand.
”The Spanish Government have pa.s.sed an edict, permitting all foreigners of the Roman Catholic religion to establish themselves in the beautiful and fertile island of Trinidad, where they are to be protected for five years from being pursued for debts incurred in the places they have quitted. Now, if we can manage to get there in safety, my creditors will be unable to touch me, and I shall soon have the means of paying my debts and recovering the position I have lost.”
”But, my dear husband, it would soon be discovered that we are not Roman Catholics; and we should be placed in an embarra.s.sing, if not in a dangerous position, were we to do as you propose,” observed my mother in a tone of expostulation. ”You would not, surely, have us conform, even outwardly, to a religion in which we have no faith?”
”Depend on it, no questions will be asked, as it will be taken for granted that all persons settling in the island belong to the ordinary form of religion sanctioned by the Government,” answered my father.
My mother sighed, for she saw that my father was wrong, and that, blinded like Lot of old by his desire to obtain worldly advantages, he was ready to sacrifice the religious principles he professed. I am compelled, though with much pain, to write this.
It was settled that we should start at once for Baltimore, to embark on board a vessel bound from that place to Trinidad. Uncle Paul and Arthur were to remain behind to arrange my father's affairs, and to follow us as soon as possible.
The only other person to whom my father made known his intentions, was Timothy Nolan, who had come out with him from Old Ireland, when quite a boy, as his servant.
”I must leave you behind, Tim; but you will easily find a far better situation than mine, though I shall be sorry to lose you,” said my father, after telling him of his intentions.
”Shure your honour won't be after thinking that I would consent to lave you, and the dear young lady and Master Guy, with no one at all at all to take care of them,” answered Tim. ”It's myself would be miserable entirely, if I did that same. It isn't the wages I'd be after asking, for to make your honour doubt about the matter. The pleasure of serving you in the days of trouble will be pay enough; only just say I may go, master dear, and shure I'll be grateful to ye from the bottom of my heart.”
My father could not resist Tim's earnest entreaties, and so it was agreed that he should form one of the party.
It was a sad day for us all when we set out on that rapid journey southward in the waggon, without wis.h.i.+ng goodbye to any one. Baltimore, however, was safely reached, and without delay we got on board the good s.h.i.+p the _Loyal Briton_, which immediately set sail.
My father seemed to breathe more freely when we were clear of the harbour. Our chief consolation was, that Uncle Paul and Arthur would soon rejoin us, as they expected to be ready for the next s.h.i.+p--to sail in about a month--and they would not have the difficulty in getting off which my father had experienced. It is a satisfaction to me to believe that, had they not been able to remain behind to make arrangements with his creditors, my father would not have left the country in the secret way he did; but the laws in those days were very severe, and had he not escaped, he might have been shut up in prison without the means being allowed him of paying his debts, while we all should have been well-nigh reduced to penury. Had such, however, been the case, I am very sure that Uncle Paul and Arthur would have done their utmost to support my mother and Marian, while I might soon have been able to obtain employment. This is a subject, however, I would rather not dwell upon.
Whether my father acted wrongly or rightly, it is not for me to decide; but I hold to the opinion that a man under such circ.u.mstances should remain, and boldly face all difficulties.
We had a prosperous voyage, and my father and mother appeared to recover their spirits. Marian and I enjoyed it excessively, as it was the first time we had been on the sea. We took delight in watching the strange fish which came swimming round the s.h.i.+p, or which gambolled on the waves, or the birds which circled overhead; or in gazing by night at the countless stars in the clear heavens, or at the phosph.o.r.escence which at times covered the ocean, making it appear as if it had been changed into a sea of fire.
At length we sighted the northern sh.o.r.e of the island which for a time was to be our home. As we drew near we gazed at it with deep interest, but were sadly disappointed on seeing only a lofty ridge of barren rocks rising out of the water, and extending from east to west.
”Shure it would be a hard matter to grow sugar or coffee on that sort of ground!” exclaimed Tim, pointing towards the unattractive-looking coast.
”Stay till we pa.s.s through the 'Dragons' Mouths' and enter the Gulf of Paria,” observed the captain. ”You will have reason to alter your opinion then, my lad.”
We stood on with a fair and fresh breeze through the ”Boca Grande,” one of the entrances into the gulf, when a scene more beautiful than I had ever before beheld burst on our view. On our right hand appeared the mountains of c.u.mana, on the mainland of South America, their summits towering to the clouds; on our left rose up the lofty precipices of Trinidad, covered to their topmost height with numerous trees, their green foliage contrasting with the intense blue of the sky. The sh.o.r.e, as far as the eye could reach, was fringed with mangrove-trees, their branches dipping into the sea. Astern were the four entrances to the bay, called by Columbus the 'Dragons' Mouths,' with verdant craggy isles between them; while on our larboard bow, the western sh.o.r.e of the island extended as far as the eye could reach, with ranges of green hills intersected by valleys with glittering streams like chains of silver running down their sides, towards the azure waters of the gulf.
We brought up in Chagaramus Bay, the then chief port of Trinidad, and the next morning we went on sh.o.r.e at Port Royal; for Port of Spain, the present capital, was at that time but a small fis.h.i.+ng-village. Several other vessels having arrived about the same time, there was much bustle in the place; and although numerous monks were moving about, no questions were asked at my father as to the religion he professed. It was, as he had supposed would be the case, taken for granted that we were, like the rest of the people, Roman Catholics.
He lost no time in selecting an estate at the northern end of the island, near the foot of the mountains, well watered by several streams, which descended from the heights above. A mere nominal rent was asked, and he had the privilege of paying for it by instalments whenever he should have obtained the means of doing so. Considering this a great advantage, he had sanguine hopes of success. He at once commenced a cacao plantation, of which some already existed in the island. It is a tree somewhat resembling the English cherry-tree, and is about fifteen feet in height, flouris.h.i.+ng best in new soil near the margin of a river.