Page:The Captivity of Hans Stade of Hesse.pdf/196

captured, after which they had set fire to the huts. Then Jeppipo Wasu (who had power of life and death over me, and who treated me very cruelly), as they (the people of Mambukabe) were his friends and allies, repaired thither, to assist them in re-erecting their huts, and for this purpose took with him all his friends from his village. He also had the intention of thence bringing (potter's) clay and root-meal (mandioca) with which to prepare the feast and eat me. And when he left, he ordered him to whom he had presented me, called Ipperu Wasu, to look well after me. Thus they were absent perhaps more than a fortnight, and they prepared every thing there.

Meanwhile came a ship from the Portuguese of Brickioka, anchored not far from where I was imprisoned, and fired a gun, so that the savages might hear and come to parley.

Now when they became aware of their presence, they said to me, "There come thy friends the Portuguese, and perhaps they desire to know if thou still livest, and they may possibly wish to buy thee." Then I said, "It will probably be my brother," for I supposed that the Portuguese ships which sailed past that part of the country, would inquire after me. Therefore that the savages might not think I was a Portuguese, I told them that I had among the Portuguese another brother who was also a Frenchman. Now when the ship arrived and I said it must be my brother, they would not believe otherwise than that I was a Portuguese, and sailed close enough to the ship to be able to parley. When the Portuguese had asked, how it fared with me, they had answered them, that they were to inquire no further about