: palpitating heart cleared the market, walked briskly down four or five streets, and came to the suburbs among the sand and filth of the shores here it was dark, and I thought I heard a clattering of feet behind me; I pushed on my husband, patted my children's heads, got to the water's side, and then the moon gave out a ray of light; a boat was close to me. I helped in my husband, seated my darling children, put my infant in my husband's arms, and sank down in an agony of suspense waiting for the ferryman, who just then, was running towards his boat, and preparing to jump in it; he sprang in, and in doing so, I saw by the indistinct light, another form leap in also. My heart beat stronger, however I felt the boat move, the oars were put in these muddy and filthy waters, and to my inexpressible delight, and a joy I cannot forget or paint, we were in one half hour, in another country, and released from the wretched slavery in which we had been held for the greater part of the year. But who can express my surprise, when I beheld the person who had intruded in our boat? It was no other than Zillah, the eldest of the offspring of Joktan, a creature about fifteen years of age. For a moment I was terrified, lest her intentions might be to ensnare us; but, at length I said, knowing that no one dared deliver us up, "why, how now, Zillah! on what ground are you come? what do you want? where have you left your parents? and when are you going to return to them?" "I am not going" said Zillah, very composedly. "I knew all along you intended to escape, and I determined to come with you, be that time when it might." "But why do you leave your father and mother" asked I? "Because said she, "I want to be with you, and to see the world." said I, "But it is very unkind of you to leave your parents "and what am I do with so disobedient a creature as you are, Zillah? you will have your own way, you are very rebellious ; you are very headstrong, and you always gave me a great deal of trouble?" "I will give you no more trouble" answered the young "I will do better; I will serve you, savage; and go where you go, and do as you do. I knew you would escape if the doors were left open, and my little brothers were not near you to set up a hue and cry, so I watched and followed you, and here I am." I could hardly refrain a smile, yet, half pleased and half vexed, I said, "very well Zillah, if you will stay, I cannot turn you out of doors, but I am afraid you will be a sad trouble and plague to me. You know you love all kinds of mischief, you care not for a falsehoood, and in fact, though you are somewhat better than your family, yet I may say, you are worse than many." Zillah only laughed at my remarks, for she was sly enough to watch my countenance, and seeing thereon more of complacence than of displeasure, for I was rejoiced beyond bounds at my liberty, she considered herself fully licensed to stay, and turning round herself she produced a bundle of my clothes and useful articles, which she had most considerately ran in for before she followed us to the water's edge, and had now brought. Indeed, I could not but feel, that to this girl we owed much; she had but to have given the signal, and it would have set the whole market-place in an uproar; we might have been siezed by those lawless savages, and have been cut to pieces in the scuffle. I had reason indeed, and glad I was to think that matters had turned out so happily, wherefore, I paid the ferryman with a chain of gold which I had been permitted all along to keep and wear round my neck, and leaving him well content with a prize, no matter how gained, I set off with a light heart and foot, for the great and civilized city before us. 1 CHAPTER V. Journey by land to the city of Mosques-Arrival-Fire in the Town-Behaviour of the Mahomedan inhabitants-Magdalena and family flee for their lives-Meet a Caravan going to the city of Images-Entrance into White Pagan Town-Similarity of the inhabitants, in their customs, religion, &c., to Black Pagan Town-Passage over the mountains of Art, Science and Revelation to Bull Town-Entrance into Fool Town-Bay of Idols-Rivulet of "Head work" passes through the town-Streets and their names-Bosom Idols of the natives-Departure from Fool Town— Arrival in the metropolis of the world, Jezebella-Description of the city, &c.-Miserable plight of Magdalena and family-The religion, &c., of Jezebella-Zillah's conversation with her mistress upon the character of the people, &c. THE Country we were in I found was still called Impostor Land, though independent of the countries on the other side of the river, included under the same general denomination, and composed of different independent states, in the same way, for instance, as Tuscany is a different state from Lombardy, and yet are both called Italy. We walked on with indescribable emotions towards the CITY OF MOSQUES, which we entered on foot, presenting, certainly, no very showy appearance, however my husband was in high spirits, his arm was better, and he even advanced before me to chose an inn. He entered one and we followed, and to us, who had been so long among savages, the accommodations appeared most cheering, nay luxurious. I took my children into my own room, and ordered a closet for Zillah by herself, and we retired to rest, though it was broad day-light. It was now, to my great surprise and joy, that Mr. Markwell produced from his bosom a purse of gold, which he brought with him from the barge, and had dexterously contrived to hide it from that time to this. "Take you this, Magdalena," said he, "I may, perhaps, be in greater danger than you would be of losing it. We have another sort of people, I apprehend, to deal with than heretofore. Once in Jezebella I can have money enough at a banker's with whom I am acquainted." I joyfully took the purse, and was composing myself to sleep, when lo! a cry of Fire! Those streets, so narrow that one might shake hands with another out of the window of opposite houses, were now on fire at the other end of the city. The fire raged; the natives smoked their pipes, pronouncing the word "Allah,” and beating their breasts, saying, "It was their fate. Mahomet willed it, and yet, Dogs of infidels! Dogs of heretics!" was heard with a murmur and a curse. The innkeeper came up and knocked at our door. He put his finger to his mouth, as if commanding secresy. "The city is on fire," said he, very softly. "Strangers! unbelievers! are accused. If you have a present to give, hasten to give it, and be gone. I will lead you to a back way to the suburbs. Be quick, and be gone!" Alas! alas! how soon was our expected enjoyment at an end! My husband sighed deeply, and I could not help crying out, "Oh, this world." However I was fain to submit; so putting a piece of gold into my host's hands, I summoned Zillah, and purchasing a loaf of the man, we trod the courts at the back of his house, and pacing the suburbs, got into the outworks of the city, and at two miles distance, seeing a caravansary, we entered it and staid awhile to recruit our exhausted strength. The man, however, evidently liked us not, and we prepared to set off as soon as possible. As we were quitting the spot a sort of merchant came up, and asked if we were disposed to purchase beasts of burden. We eagerly replied in the affirmative, and Mr. Markwell bargained for two horses, which, though old and heavy, were nevertheless a great comfort to us and the children; Zillah and the infant riding behind me, while the other children were with their father. As now we were doubtful of our way, we were so fortunate as to espy a caravan of merchants going to MAGI, a great city, where the sun is the god of the natives; but our business lying in another direction, we bought a camel, which had been laden with provisions now consumed by the company, and hired an experienced driver, and thus we had a guide through various states and towns, in all of which we found more or less to disappoint, and vex, and dishearten us. We at length entered upon the magnificent city WHITE PAGAN Town, where their idols are chiselled out of solid blocks of marble; where their buildings are vast, one theatre capable of containing forty thousand people; where the priests kill animals and look inside their warm bodies to tell their own and other people's fortunes; where they have peace or war, according as the birds of prey fly this way or that, in twos or sixes together; where they set men to fight wild beasts, and sit by, full dressed, to see the sport. Oh, how did all such things convince me that these people were formerly inhabitants of the horrid cities I had passed through in my days of slavery! BULL TOWN also, which we saw afterwards, convinced me of the same thing, for there the people do anything they like, even such performances as I saw in the days of my bondage, and even worse, because they go in a more underhanded way to work, and for every horror they commit, they can get excused and whitewashed, if they will only buy a piece of paper, called a bull, of their Pope or Father, as he calls himself the governor. A pretty father truly, thought I; I am sure that is being like my savages indeed. But we were obliged to cross a great chain of mountains before we reached the last-mentioned place. This we found very fatigueing, though there was a pass which was considered very easy, and which indeed formed the high road. This pass was known by the name, "STEP," and it was cut out between the rock Art and the rock Science, and the stupendous mountain, Revelation, which reared its magnificent head like a Rock of Ages, above all the rest; (a) its summit being utterly inaccessible and covered with Eternal Snows, on which the daring foot of man has never yet stood. These mountains cost us much labour to cross, but when man has accomplished the task, he looks back to what he has seen, and forward to what he has attained, with indescribable pleasure in the vast and wide view; but as he proceeds he loses the impression (") unless engraven on his heart by some adamantine pen, or, as Job says, "with lead in a rock for ever." (c) But we were now hastening to the most extraordinary of all the various places we had seen yet, and this was a vast and thickly peopled city, called FOOL TOWN. (d) Here, indeed, are to be met inhabitants of the whole world, the chief rulers, however, are known by the title of "Princes of Zoan."(e) The city is several miles long and wide, near the edge of the bay of Idols, not very near the water however, because of the effluvia arising from the filth and scum of the shores, as indeed they are throughout the world. One inimitable and unerring pen has described these spots, and writes that "they are all together become filthy; there is none (in them) that doeth good, no not one;" and elsewhere it is described as "the filth of the world," and that this "filthiness is in her skirts." A muddy rivulet passes through the principal streets of this place, called "Headwork," and in its neighbourhood are seen the dwellings and temples of worship of every nation of that hemisphere. Among the large streets I noticed the following in striking letters, painted on the corners : Infidel Street, Heretic Square, Reprobate Place, Fanatic Alley, Hypocrite Circus, Apostate Terrace, Socinian Crescent, Antinomian Street, Pharisee Quadrant, Sadducee Buildings, Jews Court, Deist Street, Papist Park, Koran Gardens, Pagan Barracks, &c. &c.; and in every such street or square there was a place of worship erected, in which crowds assembled on particular days, to hear their priest discourse on the superiority of their worship over that of other men. We went into some of these temples and observed the priests. I distinctly saw something as (a) 1 Tim. vi. 20; Zephan. i. 5. (d) Job xxx. 8. (b) Matthew xiii. 20, 22. (c) Job xix. 24. |