1688

                         OROONOKO: OR, THE ROYAL SLAVE

                               by Mrs. Aphra Behn

                    OROONOKO: OR, THE ROYAL SLAVE

                                [1688]

  I do not pretend, in giving you the history of this Royal Slave,
to entertain my reader with adventures of a feigned hero, whose life
and fortunes fancy may manage at the poet's pleasure; nor in
relating the truth, design to adorn it with any accidents but such
as arrived in earnest to him: and it shall come simply into the world,
recommended by its own proper merits and natural intrigues; there
being enough of reality to support it, and to render it diverting,
without the addition of invention.

  I was myself an eye-witness to a great part of what you will find
here set down; and what I could not be witness of, I received from the
mouth of the chief actor in this history, the hero himself, who gave
us the whole transactions of his youth: and though I shall omit, for
brevity's sake, a thousand little accidents of his life, which,
however pleasant to us, where history was scarce and adventures very
rare, yet might prove tedious and heavy to my reader, in a world where
he finds diversions for every minute, new and strange. But we who were
perfectly charmed with the character of this great man were curious to
gather every circumstance of his life.

  The scene of the last part of his adventures lies in a colony in
America, called Surinam, in the West Indies.

  But before I give you the story of this gallant slave, 'tis fit I
tell you the manner of bringing them to these new colonies; those they
make use of there not being natives of the place: for those we live
with in perfect amity, without daring to command 'em; but, on the
contrary, caress 'em with all the brotherly and friendly affection
in the world; trading with them for their fish, venison, buffalo's
skins, and little rarities; as marmosets, a sort of monkey, as big
as a rat or weasel, but of marvelous and delicate shape, having face
and hands like a human creature; and cousheries, a little beast in the
form and fashion of a lion, as big as a kitten, but so exactly made in
all parts like that noble beast that it is it in miniature. Then for
little paraketoes, great parrots, mackaws, and a thousand other
birds and beasts of wonderful and surprising forms, shapes, and
colors. For skins of prodigious snakes, of which there are some
threescore yards in length; as is the skin of one that may be seen
at his Majesty's Antiquary's; where are also some rare flies, of
amazing forms and colors, presented to 'em by myself; some as big as
my fist, some less; and all of various excellencies, such as art
cannot imitate. Then we trade for feathers, which they order into
all shapes, make themselves little short habits of 'em and glorious
wreaths for their heads, necks, arms, and legs, whose tinctures are
unconceivable. I had a set of these presented to me, and I gave 'em to
the King's Theater, and it was the dress of the Indian Queen,
infinitely admired by persons of quality; and was unimitable.
Besides these, a thousand little knacks and rarities in nature; and
some of art, as their baskets, weapons, aprons, etc. We dealt with 'em
with beads of all colors, knives, axes, pins, and needles; which
they used only as tools to drill holes with in their ears, noses,
and lips, where they hang a great many little things; as long beads,
bits of tin, brass or silver beat thin, and any shining trinket. The
beads they weave into aprons about a quarter of an ell long, and of
the same breadth; working them very prettily in flowers of several
colors; which apron they wear just before 'em, as Adam and Eve did the
fig-leaves; the men wearing a long stripe of linen, which they deal
with us for. They thread these beads also on long cotton threads,
and make girdles to tie their aprons to, which come twenty times, or
more, about the waist, and then cross, like a shoulder-belt, both
ways, and round their necks, arms, and legs. This adornment, with
their long black hair, and the face painted in little specks or
flowers here and there, makes 'em a wonderful figure to behold. Some
of the beauties, which indeed are finely shaped, as almost all are,
and who have pretty features, are charming and novel; for they have
all that is called beauty, except the color, which is a reddish
yellow; or after a new oiling, which they often use to themselves,
they are of the color of a new brick, but smooth, soft, and sleek.
They are extreme modest and bashful, very shy, and nice of being
touched. And though they are all thus naked, if one lives forever
among 'em there is not to be seen an undecent action, or glance: and
being continually used to see one another so unadorned, so like our
first parents before the Fall, it seems as if they had no wishes,
there being nothing to heighten curiosity; but all you can see, you
see at once, and every moment see; and where there is no novelty,
there can be no curiosity. Not but I have seen a handsome young Indian
dying for love of a very beautiful young Indian maid; but all his
courtship was to fold his arms, pursue her with his eyes, and sighs
were all his language: while she, as if no such lover were present, or
rather as if she desired none such, carefully guarded her eyes from
beholding him; and never approached him but she looked down with all
the blushing modesty I have seen in the most severe and cautious of
our world. And these people represented to me an absolute idea of
the first state of innocence, before man knew how to sin. And 'tis
most evident and plain that simple Nature is the most harmless,
inoffensive, and virtuous mistress. 'Tis she alone, if she were
permitted, that better instructs the world than all the inventions
of man. Religion would here but destroy that tranquillity they possess
by ignorance; and laws would but teach 'em to know offense, of which
now they have no notion. They once made mourning and fasting for the