[The Eventful History Of The Mutiny And Piratical Seizure by Sir John Barrow]@TWC D-Link book
The Eventful History Of The Mutiny And Piratical Seizure

CHAPTER I
14/39

She soon made her appearance on board, but, not being able to speak, she sat down and gave vent to her passion by weeping.

Shortly after a breeze springing up, the ship made sail; and finding it now necessary to return into her canoe, 'she embraced us all,' says Captain Wallis, 'in the most affectionate manner, and with many tears; all her attendants also expressed great sorrow at our departure.

In a few minutes she came into the bow of her canoe, where she sat weeping with inconsolable sorrow.

I gave her many things which I thought would be of great use to her, and some for ornament; she silently accepted of all, but took little notice of any thing.

About ten o'clock we had got without the reef, and a fresh breeze springing up, our Indian friends, and particularly the queen, once more bade us farewell, with such tenderness of affection and grief, as filled both my heart and my eyes.' The tender passion had certainly caught hold of one or both of these worthies; and if her Majesty's language had been as well understood by Captain Wallis, as that of Dido was to AEneas, when pressing him to stay with her, there is no doubt it would have been found not less pathetic-- Nec te noster amor, nec te data dextera quondam, Nec moritura tenet crudeli funere Dido?
This lady, however, did not sink, like the 'miserrima Dido,' under her griefs; on the contrary, we find her in full activity and animation, and equally generous, to Lieut.


<<Back  Index  Next>>

D-Link book Top

TWC mobile books