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Show XVII. THE NARRATIVE OF LE BARBU: Now when Bnrbu, the bearded man, who had been dwelling among the people of Culos, had been shorn of the long and matted hair and beard, which had made him much more fearful to the eye th:m any among the savages thcmsclvcs ,- nnd when our righ~ wortl1y captain had commanded that we should bathe and cleanse him, nnd had gi\•cn him shi1·ts of fine linen and clothes from his own wardrobe, so that he should once more nppcar like a Cl1ristian man among his kindrcd,-nlbcit he seemed to be greatly disquieted, and exceedingly awkward thcrciu,-thcu did he conduct him into the corp! de garde, where our people were all bidden to assemble. There, being seated aU, Bnrbu, thcSp:miard, being entreated thereto by our right worthy captain, proceeded to unfold the full relation of the grievons strnit and peril by which he had f:.tllcn into tlw po'~er of King Cnlos, and of what happened to him thereafter. And i\ was curious to sec how thnt he, n. Spaniard born, and not illeducntcd in one of the goodly towns of old Spii.in, in all gentle Jenrning, should, in tho space of fifteen years sojourn among tl10 savages, have so greatly suffered the loss of his native tongue. Slow was he of speech, and greatly minded 00 piece out with the TIIF. NARRATIVE OF LE llARllU. 219 Indian language the many words in which the memory of his own had failed him. Well was it for our und':lrstanding of what he delivered, thnt so many of us had been di'I'Clling among the redmen at other timc.'i,-to speak nothing of i'Ion!:icur ])1l~rlach, l\fon!!icur Ottigny, both licutcnnnts in the garrison, and )Ionsicur J,n lloche F crricrc, who, with another, by special commandment of our captain, had dwelt for a matter of SC\'Cral monllH! among the people of King Olata Utina. By means of the help brought by these, we were enabled to find the meaning of llm!!e words in \vhich Barbu failed in his Spanish. So it was that we follmved the fortunes of the bearded man, according to the na.rrntive as hero set down. Then, at tho repented entreaty of Monsieur J,audonnicre, Barbu arose nnd spoke : " First, Sen or Cnptain, I have to declare how much I tl1ank you for the protection you have given me, the kiudncS.'i which has clad me once more in Christian garments, a.nd the cost and tr:wail with which you ha.vc recovered me from my bonds among tho heathen. Albeit, that I feel strangely in these new habits, and that my native tongue comes ba.ck to me slo1vly ''~"h•'n I would speak from n full and overflowing heart, yet will J strive to make you sensible of nll thf! (nets in my sa.d history, and of the great gratitude which I fuel for those by whose bcncl'olence I may fondly hope that my troubles nrc about to encl. I know not now the day or SeMon ''"hen we left tho port or Nombrc de Dios, innn excellent sl1ip, well filled with treasures or the mine, nnd a goodly company, on om return to the land of our fathers beyond the sea. My own share in th~ wealth of this ' 'csscl was considcra.ble, a.nd I h:ul other trc:1surcs in tho person of a de:n· brother, a.nd a sister who |
