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YOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD,

INCLUniN'O

TRAVELS

AFRICA, ASIA, AUSTRALASIA, AMERICA,

FROM MDCCCXXVII TO MDCCCXXXII.

BY JAMES HOLMAN, R.N. F.R.S.

- Man loves knowledge : and the beams of truth
More welcome, touch his understanding's eye,
Than all the blandishments-'of sound his ear,
Than all of taste his tongue.'* — Akenside.

VOL. I.

LON-DON :
SMITH, ELDER, AND^ CO., CORNHILL
BOOKSELLERS, by appointment, TO THEIR MiUESTIES.
1834.

ADVERTISEMENT.

It is necessary to observe that this Work is designed to extend
to Four Volumes, to be published in regular succession ; each
Volume to embrace a distinct portion of the whole, and to be com
plete in itself. The entire publication will form a consecutive series
of the Author's Voyages and Travels round the World.
The present Volume contains : — Madeira — TeneriiFe — St. Jago —
Sierra Leone — Cape Coast — Accra — Fernando Po — Bonny, Calabar,
and other Rivers in the Bight of Biafra — Prince's Island — Ascen
sion — Rio Janeiro — and Journey to the Gold Mines.

TO

THE QUEEN'S
MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

Madam, I KN0V(^ not how to express my deep
sense of gratitude for the honor your Majesty has
conferred upon me, in permitting me to lay at
your Majesty's feet this record of a voyage of
circumnavigation. Your Majesty's great condescension, has given
me an opportunity of expressing my loyalty and
attachment to your Majesty's person, — sentiments,
¦which are shared in common by all his Majesty's
subjects. The example of a QuSen, who adds
dignity to the highest station, by making the
Throne the seat of all the Virtues, is universally
felt by every class of Society ; and it only re
mains for me to give utterance to an ardent prayer

IV

that your Majesty may long be spared to a nation
that is so sensible ofthe influence of your Majesty's
exalted character.
With the most profound feelings of gratitude
and devotion, I have the honor to subscribe myself,
Your Majesty's
Most faithful Servant,
James Holman.

Windsor, March 25, 1834.

CONTENTS OF VOL. I.

CHAP. L
PAGE
Passion for Travelling — Author's peculiar Situation — Motives for going
Abroad — Resources for the Blind — Embark in the Eden, Capt. Owen, for
sierra Leone — Lord High Admiral at Plymouth — Cape Finisterre — Ar
rival at Madeira — Town of Funchal — Wines of Madeira — Cultivation of
the Grape — Table of Exports — Seizure of Gin — Fruits and Vegetables —
Climate — Coffee, Tea, and Sugar Cultivation — Palanquin Travelling —
Departure from Bladeira . . . . .1
CHAP. II.
-Teneriffe — Town of Santa Cruz — Female Costume — Incident at a Ball — Bad
Roads — Climate — Productions — Population of the Canary Islands — Im
ports and Exports — Various Qualities ofthe Wines — Fishery — Leave Santa
Cniz — Crossing the Tropic of Cancer — Shaving and Ducking — General
Remarks — Make St. Jago — Anchor at Porto Praya — Sickly Season —
Death of the Consul and his Wife — Consul's Sister — Governor's Garden
and Watering-place — Population of the Island — Produce — The Orchilla
Weed, its growth, uses, and varieties — Cause of Fever — Departure for
Sierra Leone . . . . ,_ . .31
CHAP. III.
Arrival at Sierra Leone — Mr. Lewis — Black Washerwomen — Visitors on
board — Capture of Leopards — Mortality — Funeral of Mr. Lewis — Educa
tion of Native Childj-en — Regimental Mess — Curious Trials at a Quarter
Sessions-^Depredations of the Kroomen — Causes of Unhealthiness — The
b

i CONTENTS. PAGE
Boollam Territory — Lieutenant George Maclean's Mission — Election of a
King  Regent's Speech — Macaulay Wilson — Ceremonies of the Corona
tion  Character of the BooUams — Christian and Mahommedan Mis
sionaries  Aspect of the Country— Cession of Boollam to Great Britain
—Extraordinary Trial for Crim. Con. — News of the Death of Mr. Can-
uing . ..... .^^7

CHAP. IV.
Auction at Sierra Leone — Timber Establishments in the River — Tombo,
Banco and Tasso Islands — Explosion of a Vessel at Sea — Liberated Afri
cans — Black Ostlers — Horses Imported — Slave Vessel — Colonial Steam
Vessel — Road and Street Repairs — Continued Rains — Suggestion for pre
serving the Health of European Seamen — General Views of the Colony —
Population — Parishes — Supply of Provisions— Description of Freetown —
Curious Letter from Black Labourers — Original .Settlers — Present Inha
bitants — Trade with the Interior — Strange Customs of Native Merchants —
Anecdote of Sailors — Injurious Example of the Royal African Corps —
Vaccination of Natives — Medical Opinion — Departure from Sierra Leone, 97

CHAP. V.
Cape St. Ann — Dangerous Shoals — Old Sailors — Liberia — Origin and His
tory of the G)lony — Failure at Sherbro Island — Experiment at Liberia —
Difficulties Encountered by the Settlers— Diflferences with the Natives —
Final Adjustment — Improving State of the Colony — Laws and Morals —
llemarks on Colonization . . . .135

CHAP. VI.
The Kroo Country— Religion ofthe Kroo and Fish Men— Emigration ofthe
Natives — Sketch of their habits and customs — Purchase of Wives  The
Krooman's ne plus ultra — Migratory propensities — Rogueries exposed 
Adoption of English Names — Cape Palmas — Dexteritj- of the Fishmen 
Fish towns — ^The Fetish — Arrival at Cape Coast — Land with the Go
vernor — Captain Hutchison — Cape Coast mode of taking au airing 
Ashantee Chiefe — Diurnal occupations— School for Native Girls  Domes
tication of Females— Colonel Lumley — Captain Ricketts— Neglect of Por
tuguese Fortresses— A native Doctor .... 18J

CONTENTS. VU
PAGE
CHAP. VII.
Recollections of the Ashantee War — Battle of Essamacow — Accession of Osay
Aquatoo to the Throne — Battle of Affatoo — Investment of Cape Coast —
Flight of the Ashantees — Martial Law proclaimed — Battle of Dodowah —
.\shantee Mode of Fighting — Death of Captain Hutchison . . 209

CHAP. VIII.
Embarkation — Departure for Accra — Land Route — Accra Roads — Visit to
Danish Accra — Dilapidations of the Fortresses at Dutch and English Accra
— Captive Queen — Mr. Thomas Park — Cause ofhis Death unknown — De
parture for Fernando Po — First view of the Island — Anchor in Maidstone
Bay — Early History ofthe Settlement — Capt. Owen's Expedition — Visited
by the Inhabitants — Site for the Settlement determined — Author's Mission
to the King of Baracouta — -Visit of the King — Native Costume — Ecstacy of
the Natives — Distribution of Presents — Second Visit to the King — His
Majesty's evasive Conduct — Renewed Interviews — A Native Thief — In
tended Punishment — Cut-throat, a Native Chief — Visit to King-Cove —
Purchase of Land . . . . . . 231

CHAP. IX.
Native Simplicity — Resources of the Blind — Royal Village — Gathering of
Natives — Native Priests — Royal Feast — Inhospitable Treatment — Uncom
fortable Quarters — Vocabulary of the Native Language — Beauty of the
Female Character — Women of Fernando Po — Anecdotes — Aspect of the
Country — Productions — Preparations for the Settlement — Discovery of a
Theft — Mimic War Customs — Native Chiefe — Female on Board — Monkey
for Dinner-^Flogging a Prisoner — Accident to a Sailor — A Voyage of
Survey round the Island — River named after the Author — Geographical
and Meteorological Observations — Insubordination — A Man Overboard —
Deserter taken — Death of the Interpreter — Method of Fishing — Visitors
from St. Thomas — Ceremony of taking Possession of Fernando Po — Inter
view with a Native Chief — Celebration Dinner — Indirect Roguery — Chief
aud his Wife — Hospital near Point William — The Guana— Mistake at Sea
 Suggestions on the Slave- Trade — Fishing Stakes — Schooner on a Mud-
flat .••• • 69

CONTEJSTS,

CHAP. X.

Slave Canoe — Duke's Pilot — Old Calabar Town — Consternation on Shore,
and disappearance of the Slave Vessels — Fruitless Pursuit of the Slavers —
EyoEyo, King Eyo's Brother — Old Calabar Festivals — Attempted Assassi
nation, and Duke Ephraim's Dilemma — Obesity of the King's Wives — Or
deal for Regal Honours — Duke's English House — Coasting Voyage to the
Bonny — Author discovers Symptoms of Fever — The Rivers of St. Nicholas,
Sombrero, St. Bartholomew, and Sfea. Barbara — ** The Smokes" — Cap
ture of a Spanish Slave Vessel in the River St. John — Nun, or First
Brass River, discovered to be the Niger — Natural Inland Navigation —
New Calabar River — Pilot's Jhu Jhu — Foche Bland — Author Sleeps on
Shore — Bonny Bath — Interview with King Peppel — Ceremony of opening
the Trade — Rashness of a Slave Dealer — Horrible Fanaticism — Schooner
at Sea — Return to Fernando Po . . . . 356

CHAP. XI.
Reverence for Beards — Native Shields — Petty Thefts — Tornado Season —
Author departs for Calabar- — Waterspout — Palm-oil Vessels — Visit to Duke
Ephraim — Escape of a Schooner with Slaves — Calabar Sunday — Funeral
ofthe Duke's Brother — Egbo Laws — Egbo Assembly — Extraordinary Jlode
of recovering Debts — Superstition and Credulity — Crueltj- of the Calabar
People to Slaves — Royal Slave Dealer — Royal Monopoly — Manner of Trad
ing with the Natives — Want of jMissionaries — Capt. Owen's .\rrival — Visit
Creek Town with King Eyo — The Royal Establishment — Savage Festivi
ties — Calabar Cookery — Old Calabar River . . . 333

CHAP. XIL
Captain Owen's Departure — Runaway Slave — Egbo again — Duke's Sunday
— Superstitious Abstinence — Anecdote of a Native Gentleman — Breaking
Trade — Author's Visit to Creek Town — Bullocks embarked — Departure
from Calabar — Chased by mistake — Dangerous Situation — ^Mortality at
Fernando Po — Detection of a Deserter — Frequency of Tornados — Horatio
hove down — Capture of a Slave \'essel — Loss of JMr. Morrison — Another
Slave Vessel taken — Landing a part ofthe Slaves — Author's Daily Routine
— Gardeu of Eden — Monstrous Fish — Continued IMortality — jMarket at
Longfield . . . , . . . 404

CONTENTS. IX
PAGE
CHAP. XIII.
Scarcity of Provisions in Fernando Po — Diet of the Natives — Their Timidity
— Its probable Cause — The Recovery of a liberated African Deserter — De
parture from Fernando Po — Reflections on the Uses of the Settlement-
Causes of Failure— Insalubrity of the Climate — Probabilities of Improve
ment — Arrival off the mouth of the Camaroon River — Chase of a Bri
gantine — Her Capture — Her suspicious Appearance — Slave Accommoda
tions — Pirates of the North Atlantic Ocean — Prince's Island — Visit to the
Governor — Drunken Frolic of a Mai-ine — Provisions — Delicious Coffee — .
Account of the Town — Population — Varieties of Colour in the Inhabitants
— West-bay — luhospitality of the Governor and Merchants — Visit to a
Brazilian Brigantine — Difficulty of obtaining a Passage to Angola — De
parture of the Emprendadora — The Eden leaves Prince's Island — Crossing
the Equinoctial Line — Dolphin and Flying-fish — Trade-winds — Ascen
sion Island at Daybreak — Landing — Description of the Settlement — Turtle
— Goats* Flesh — Abundant Poultry — Island Game — Aboriginal Foes —
Unfaithful Friends — Gladiatorial Sports — Privileges of Settlers — Traffic —
Roads — Water — Culture of Soil — Produce — Vegetables — Live Stock — Po
pulation — Emplopnents — Hours of Labour — Recreations — Departure from
the Island — Recollections of Ascension on a former Voyage — Dampier, the
Navigator— The Variables — An Affidavit on Crossing the Line — Change of
Weather — Dutch Galliot — -Passage for the Brazils—Parting of Friends . 424
CHAP. XIV.
Dutch Galliot — An Agreeable Companion — Melancholy Account of St. Jago
— Beauty in Tears — Manner of obtaining Salt and Water at Mayo — Plea
sures of a Galliot in a heavy Sea — Dutch Miscalculation — Distances — An
Oblation to Neptune and Amphitrite (new style) — Melange, Devotion and
Gourmanderie — Curious Flying -fish — Weather — Whales — Cape Pigeons —
Anchor off Rio Janeiro — Distant Scenery — Custom-house Duties — Hotel
du'Nord — Rua Direito — Confusion thrice confound«d — Fruit Girls, not
fair, but coquettish — Music unmusical, or Porterage, with an Obligato Ac
companiment — Landing-place — An Evening Walk — A bad Cold— Job's
Comforter — Shoals of Visitors — Captain Lyon's Visit, and Invitation to
the Author — Naval Friends — Packet for England — English Tailors — De
parture for Gongo Soco — The Party — Thoughts on Self-Denial — Uncom
fortable Quarters — Changes of Atmosphere — Freedom by Halves ; or leji-
handed Chai-ity — Serra Santa Anna — Valley of Botaes — The Ferreirinho,

CONTENTS. PAGE
or little Blacksmith — -Dangerous Ascent of the Alto de Serra — P^t, an Uni
versal Disease — An English Settler — Rio Paraheiba — Valencia — iCuriosity
of the People — Unceremonious Inquisitors — Comforts ofa Beard — Castor-
Oil for burning — Rio Preta — Passports — Entrance to the Mine Country —
Examination of Baggage — Attention without Politeness — The Green-eyed
Monster, " An old Man would be wooing.'' . , . 455

CHAP. XV.
Advantages of Early Travelling — Funelle — " A Traveller stopped at a Widow's
Gate" — Bright Eyes and Breakfast — Smiles and Sighs — The Fish River —
Cold Lodgings — Fowl fllassacre — Bad Ways — Gigantic Ant-hiUs — The
Campos — Insect Warriors — Insinuating Visitors (Tick) — The Simpleton
— Bertioga — A Drunkard — -Cold Shoulders — Mud Church — Feasting and
Fasting ; or, the Fate of Tantalus — Method in a Slow March — Gentlemen
Hungry and Angry — No " Accommodation for Man or Horse" — A Prac
tical Bull — Curtomi — Hospitable Treatment at Grandie — Horse Dealer —
A " Chance" Purchase — Bivouac — Mule Kneeling — Sagacious Animal —
Quilos — A Mist — Gold-washing — Ora Branca — Hazardous Ascent of the
Serra D' Ora Branca — Topaz District — A Colonel the Host — Capoa — ^Jig-
ger-hunters — Mineralogical Specimens — Mortality of Animals — Pasturage
— Account of Ora Prijta — Gold Essayed — Halt — Journey resumed — Ar
rival at Gongo ^oco . . , , ,477

LIST OF THE EMBELLISHMENTS.

Portrait of the Author ....

Frontispiece.

Santa Cruz, Teneriffe ....

page 32

Distant View of Fernando Po . . .

240

Cut-throat, a Fernando Po Chief

262

Settlement of Clarence ....

338

View of Ascension 

451

TRAVELS,

ETC. ETC.

CHAP. I.
Passion for Travelling — Author's peculiar situation — Motives for
going Abroad — Resources for the Blind — Embark in the Eden,
Capt. Owen, for Sierm Leone — Lord High Admiral at Plymouth
— Cape Finisterre — Arrival at Madeira — Town of Funchal —
Wines of Madeira — Cultivation of the Grape — Table of Exports
— Seizure of Gin — Fruits and Vegetables — Climate — Coffee, Tea,
and Sugar Cultivation — Palanquin Travelling — Departure from
Madeira. The passion for travelling is, I believe, instinc
tive in some natures. We have seen men persevere
in their enterprises against the most formidable
obstacles ; and, -without means or friends, and even
ignorant of the languages of the various countries
through which they passed, pursue their perilous
journeys into remote places, until, like the knight
in the Arabian tale, they succeeded in snatching a
memorial from every shrine they visited. For my
own part, I have been conscious from my earliest
youth of the existence of this desire to explore dis
tant regions, to trace the varieties exhibited by
1 B

2 PASSION FOR TRAVELLING.
mankind under the different influences of different
climates, customs, and laws, and to investigate
with unwearied solicitude the moral and physical
distinctions that separate and diversify the various
nations of the earth.
I am bound to believe that this direction of my
faculties and energies has been ordained by a -wise
and benevolent Providence, as a source of consola
tion under an affliction which closes upon me all
the delights and charms of the visible world. The
constant occupation of the mind, and the continual
excitement of mental and bodily action, contribute
to diminish, if not to overcome, the sense of depri
vation which must otherwise have pressed upon
me ; while the gratification of this passion scarcely
leaves leisure for despondency, at the same time
that it supplies me with inexhaustible means of
enjoyment. When I entered the naval service I
felt an irresistible impulse to become acquainted
with as many parts of the world as my professional
avocations would permit, and I was determined not
to rest satisfied until I had completed the circum
navigation of the globe. But at the early age of
twenty-five, while these resolves were strong, and
the enthusiasm of youth was fresh and sanguine,
my present affliction came upon me. It is impos
sible to describe the state of my mind at the pros
pect of losing my sight, and of being, as I then
supposed, deprived by that misfortune of the power
of indulging in my cherished project. Even the

AUTHOR S PECULIAR SITUATION. 3
suspense which I suffered, during the period when
my medical friends were uncertain of the issue,
appeared to me a greater misery than the final
knowledge of the calamity itself. At last I en
treated them to be explicit, and to let me know
the worst, as that could be more easily endured
than the agonies of doubt. Their answer, instead
of increasing my uneasiness, dispelled it. I felt a
comparative relief in being no longer deceived by
false hopes ; and the certainty that my case was
beyond remedy determined me to seek, in some
pursuit adapted to my new state of existence, a
congenial field of employment and consolation.
At that time my health was so delicate, and my
nerves so depressed by previous anxiety, that I did
not suffer myself to indulge in the expectation that
I should ever be able to travel out of my own
country alone ; but the return of strength and
¦vigour, and the concentration of my views upon
one object, gradually brought back my old passion,
which at length became as firmly established as it
was before. The elasticity of my original feelings
being thus restored, I ventured, alone and sightless,
upon my dangerous and novel course ; and I can
not look back upon the scenes through which I
have passed, the great variety of circumstances by
which I have been surrounded, and the strange
experiences with which I have become familiar,
without an intense aspiration of gratitude for the
bounteous dispensation of the Almighty, which

4 MOTIVES FOR GOING ABROAD.
enabled me to conquer the greatest of human evils
by the cultivation of what has been to me the
greatest of human enjoyments, and to supply the
void of sight with countless objects of intellectual
gratification. To those who inquire what pleasures
I can derive from the invigorating spirit of travel
ling under the privation I suffer, I may be per
mitted to reply in the words of the poet.
Unknown those powers that raise the soul to flame.
Catch every nerve, and vibrate through the frame ;
Their level life is but a smouldering fire,
Unquench'd by want, unfanned by strong desire.
Or perhaps, with more propriety, I may ask, who
could endure life without a purpose, without the
pursuit of some object, in the attainment of which
his moral energies should be called into healthful
activity? I can confidently assert that the effort
of travelling has been beneficial to me in every
way ; and I know not what might have been the
consequence, if the excitement with which I looked
forward to it had been disappointed, or how much
my health might have suffered but for its refresh
ing influence.
I am constantly asked, and I may as well answer
the question here once for all, what is the use of
travelling to one who cannot see? I answer. Does
every traveller see all that he describes? — and is not
every traveller obliged to depend upon others for
a great proportion of the information he collects ?

MOTIVES FOR GOING ABROAD. 5
Even Humboldt himself was not exempt from this
necessity. The picturesque in nature, it is true, is shut out
from me, and works of art are to me mere outlines
of beauty, accessible only to one sense ; but perhaps
this very circumstance affords a stronger zest to
curiosity, which is thus impelled to a more close
and searching examination of details than would
be considered necessary to a traveller who might
satisfy himself by the superficial view, and rest con
tent with the first impressions conveyed through
the eye. Deprived of that organ of information, I
am compelled to adopt a more rigid and less sus
picious course of inquiry, and to investigate analy
tically, by a train of patient examination, sugges
tions, and deductions, which other travellers dismiss
at first sight ; so that, freed from the hazard of being
misled by appearances, I am the less likely to adopt
hasty and erroneous conclusions. I believe that,
notwithstanding my want of vision, I do not fail to
visit as many interesting points in the course of my
travels as the majority of my contemporaries : and
by having things described to me on the spot, I
think it is possible forme to form as correct a judg
ment as my own sight would enable me to do : and
to confirm my accuracy, I could bring many living
witnesses to bear testimony to my endless inquiries,
and insatiable thirst for collecting information. In
deed this is the secret of the delight I derive from
travelling, affording me as it does a constant source

6 RESOURCES FOR THE BLIND.
of mental occupation, and stimulating me so power
fully to physical exertion, that I can bear a greater
degree of bodily fatigue, than any one could suppose
my frame to be capable of supporting.
I am frequently asked how I take my notes. It
is simply thus : I keep a sort of rough diary, which
I fill up from time to time as opportunities offer,
but not from day to day, for I am frequently many
days in arrear, sometimes, indeed, a fortnight
together : but I always vividly remember the daily
occurrences wliich I wish to retain, so that it is not
possible that any circumstances can escape my
attention. I also collect distinct notes on various
subjects, as well as particular descriptions of inte
resting objects, and when I cannot meet -with a friend
to act as my amanuensis, I have still a resource in
my own writing apparatus, of which, however, I
but seldom avail myself, as the process is much
more tedious to me than that of dictation. But
these are merely rough notes of the heads of sub
jects, which I reserve to expatiate upon at leisure
on my return to old England.
The invention of the apparatus to which I allude
is invaluable to those who are afflicted with blind
ness. It opens not only an agreeable source of
amusement and occupation in the hours of loneli
ness and retirement, but it affords a means of com
municating our secret thoughts to a friend, without
the interposition of a third party ; so that the in
tercourse and confidence of private correspondence,

RESOURCES FOR THE BLIND. 7
excluded by a natural calamity, are thus preserved
to us by an artificial substitute. By the aid of
this process, too, we may desire our correspondent
to reply to our inquiries in a way which would be
quite unintelligible to those to whom the perusal
of the answer might be submitted. This appa
ratus, which is called the " Nocto via Polygraph,"
by Mr. Wedgwood, the inventor, is not only useful
to the blind, but is equally capable of being rendered
available to all persons suffering under diseases of
the eyes ; for, although it does not assist you to
commit your thoughts to paper with the same
facility that is attained by the use of pen and ink,
it enables you to write very clearly and legibly,
while you have the satisfaction of knowing that
you are spared all risk of hurting your sight. It
is but an act of justice to refer such of my readers
as may feel any curiosity on this subject, to Mr.
Wedgwood, for full particulars respecting his
various inventions for the use of the blind.
Having given these personal explanations — ren
dered necessary by the peculiarity of my situation,
and the very general curiosity which appears to
exist on the subject, if I may judge by the fre
quency of the interrogatories that are put to me —
I will now conclude my preliminary observations,
Nor wUl I thee detain
With poet's fictions, nor oppress thine ear
With circumstance, and long exordiums here ;
but place myself at once on board H.M.S. Eden,

8 EMBARK IN THE EDEN
at Woolwich, on the 1st of July, 1827, having
been previously invited to take a passage to the
coast of Africa, by her captain, W. F. W. Owen,
Esq., who was appointed superintendent of a new
settlement about to be established on the island of
Fernando Po. The commission with which this
gentleman was charged, afforded him peculiar ad
vantages, as he was to retain the command of his
ship, independently of the Commodore on the
African station, for the purpose of faciHtating his
operations in the island. I had resolved to visit
Sierra Leone, and other places on the western
coast of Africa, principally from an early anxiety
I felt to explore that part of the world, and also,
strange and paradoxical as it may appear, for the
benefit of my health. That a man should %'isit
Sierra Leone for the benefit of his health, seems
to be as unreasonable as if he were to seek for the
vernal airs of the south in the inclement region of
Siberia. But, I am strongly inclined to believe,
that the apprehensions of European travellers on
this subject are often as fatal as the climate that
produces them. In my own case, I was not only free
from any apprehensions concerning fevers and those
diseases which are incidental to a tropical climate,
but, having been recommended to try the effects
of a warm region, I anticipated an improvement
in my general health from a short residence at a
spot, which incautious modes of living, in addition
to the insalubrity of the clim-ate, have rendered

FOR SIERRA LEONE. 9
fatal to SO many of my countrymen. At the same
time, I am not insensible to the fact, that all
Europeans are more or less susceptible of those
disorders which are prevalent within the Tropics ;
especially on the western coast of Africa, in Bata
via, Trincomalee, and different parts of the West
Indies ; but it is equally certain that fear is a great
predisposing cause of disease, and that the despon
dency to which most persons give way while they
are under the influence of its effects, increases the
mortality to a considerable extent. It has been
generally observed, that those persons who happen
to be so actively engaged in any engrossing pur
suit, as to have no leisure for the imagination to
work upon their fears, are less liable to the fever,
and, if attacked, are better able to encounter its
virulence, than the timid and cautious. In the
event of an attack, if the patient keeps up his
spirits, and prevents desponding thoughts from
occupying his mind, there is every reason to hope
for a favourable result —
The sons of hope are Heaven's peculiar care,
Whilst life remains 'tis impious to despair.
There are, of course, some constitutions more sus
ceptible of the disease than others ; and it may
also be observed, that young people are more ex
posed to danger, than those who have passed the
meridian of life.
We left Woolwich on the following day, July
the 2nd, for Northfleet, where we remained a week.

10 LORD HIGH ADMIRAL
for the purpose of making observations, regulating
the chronometers, &c. We also took in our guns,
26 in number, of the following calibre — 18 32-
pound carronades, 6 18-pound ditto, and 2 long
9-pounders, with a full proportion of shot. This
quantity of metal alone (for the carriages had been
previously taken on board and fixed at Woolwich)
brought the ship bodily down in the water four
inches, drawing, when on board, 15 feet 2 inches
forward, and 15 feet 6 inches abaft. We also re
ceived, on the day after, as much powder as could
be put in the magazines. On Monday, the 9th,
we left our moorings, and proceeded down the
Thames, anchoring for the night. On the follow
ing day we arrived in the Downs, where we re
mained for about six-and-forty hours, and from
thence proceeded down Channel, and anchored in
Plymouth Sound, on Saturday the 14th of July,
immediately after which I accompanied my
brother. Lieutenant Robert Holman, R. N., who
came on board for me, to his house at Ply
mouth, where I spent a very agreeable time,
amongst my old shipmates, relatives, and friends.
For the last few days, indeed, my enjoj-ment was
marred by illness, but that was merely the bitter,
which a wise Providence mingles in the cup of
life. The period of my stay at Plymouth happened to
be one of general congratulation and excitement,
owing to the arrival of his present Majesty, then

AT PLYMOUTH. 11
Lord High Admiral ; who came there on a visit of
inspection. His Royal Highness held regular
levees, which were numerously attended. The
opportunity to wait upon his Royal Highness was
to me a source of sincere gratification, of which I
gladly availed myself. But I must acknowledge
that a faint hope arose in my mind, that the pecu
liar circumstances in which I was placed might
interest his Royal Highness on my behalf, and
lead to some change in my situation favourable to
the objects I had so long cherished. I ventured to
indulge in the thought, which, perhaps, I scarcely
suffered myself altogether to define, that I might
be relieved from the obligations of my appointment
at Windsor, by which I am under restrictions,
both as to time and space ; and be permitted to
enjoy some equivalent consideration, which would
leave me free to prosecute the plans to which I
had devoted the whole energies of my mind. As
it was, I had only obtained permission to go
abroad for the benefit of my health ; but the
remedy was in itself an incitement to further
travel, so that I should no sooner have reaped
the advantage of my leave of absence, and with
renewed health, acquired an increased desire for
exploring distant countries, than I should be com
pelled to relinquish my undertaking, and the ap
prehension of a sudden recall constantly presenting
itself to my mind, checked in a great measure the
enjoyment of my pursuit. But my sanguine

12 DEPARTURE FROM PLYMOUTH.
wishes, and unconfessed hopes, faded like a dream ;
and I turned again to the sea, to contemplate the
bounds that were placed to my ambitious projects.
Had it been otherwise — could I have followed
unchecked the course of my own impulses, I should
not have circumscribed my plan to any precise
limits, but would have pursued my travels, where-
ever the slightest point of interest encouraged me
to proceed.
Possibly it is better as it is. I have much reason
to be grateful for the protecting hand of Pro-vidence
that preserved me throughout my wanderings ; and,
had I been less restrained by the force of circum
stances, I might not now, perhaps, possess the
power of recording the results of my researches.
In consequence of having been confined to my
bed by severe indisposition, I was unable to walk
to the boat when the Eden was ready to sail, and
had nearly lost my passage ; but my anxiety to
proceed overcame, all my difficulties, and ill as I
was I saved my distance by hastening in a coach
to the waterside, where Captain Owen had kindly
provided a boat for my reception.
On the 29th we got under weigh at 9 a. m.,
with a fresh breeze from the eastward.
Gallant before the wind she goes, her prow
High bearing and disparting the blue tide
That foams and flashes in its rage below.
Meantime the helmsman feels a conscious pride,
And while far onward the long bUlows swell,
Loolis to the lessening land, which seems to.^;^-, ' farewell I'

CAPE FINISTERRE. 13
We did not long enjoy our easterly breeze, for
in the evening the wind became variable, the
rain fell in torrents, accompanied with lightning
and thunder, and the night was dark and dismal,
with an irregular sea, which made the ship very
uneasy ; then followed one of those scenes of con
fusion which can be witnessed only on shipboard ;
the creaking of timbers as they were strained by
the conflict of the elements, the uproar of a multi
tude of voices, the ludicrous accidents arising from
the pitching and rolling of the vessel, things break
ing loose in all directions, chests flying from side
to side, crockery smashing, people hallooing, others
moaning and groaning, accompanied with frequent
evomitions, and occasionally a general scream, from
some extraordinary crash. With tumultuous noises
of this kind I was entertained as I lay on my bed,
not from sea-sickness, but from previous indisposi
tion. Towards morning the wind settled in the
N.W., blowing very strong, and the Eden conti
nued rolling a great deal the whole day. This
breeze fortunately kept up the two following days,
when the weather became very fine, and the wind
light and variable. The whole of this day (Thurs
day, August 2nd) we were in sight of Cape Finis
terre. On Sunday the 5th the weather was very
fine and warm, with a moderate breeze ; -vye had
eleven sail of vessels in sight, the greater part of
which, from their regular order of sailing, were
supposed to be the experimental squadron under

14 ARRIVAL AT MADEIRA.
the command of Sir Thomas Hardy. Divine ser
vice was performed by the Rev. Mr. Davy, a Church
Missionary, who, with his wife, was bound to
Sierra Leone, to perform the duties of a missionary
and teacher to the liberated Africans; his wife
taking upon herself to instruct the female part of
that community. The following day, in 36| deg.
N. lat., we saw several flying fish, which I men
tion merely because it was thought to be very
unusual to see them so far to the northward.
On Wednesday, the 8th of August, we came in
sight of Porto Santo. The first appearance of land
always produces a degree of interest in the ship even
to sailors, but to passengers it is generally the
cause of great excitement. In the afternoon we
saw Madeira,* and on the following day we rounded
the west end of the island, and stood for Funchal
Roads, having passed along the north side in order
that Captain Owen might ascertain its length,
which he found to be thirty-four miles ; this was
precisely the same distance that he had calculated
it to be on a former measurement. He had taken
this trouble a second time, in consequence of some
navigator having expressed a different opinion on
the subject. In the evening we anchored in thirty-
six fathoms water, the Loo Rock bearing n. by e.
We found a Portuguese sloop of war and several
small merchant vessels lying here. The next
-* Madeira received its name in consequence of being covered with
wood ; the word " madeira" in the Portuguese signifying timber.

TOWN OF FUNCHAL. 15
morning I went on shore with the surgeon and
purser of the Eden, both of whom have since died
of fever on board the same ship.
The general landing place for ships' boats is at
the Loo Rock on the west side of the bay, which is
at the extremity of the town on that side, and you
have more than a mile to walk over a very badly
paved road before you arrive at the centre of the
town ; you may, however, land on the beach near
the custom-house, from whence you immediately
enter the best part of the town, but the surf is
sometimes so rough that you cannot attempt this
point -without risking a ducking, or the upsetting of
your boat, which you must immediately haul up
on the beach or keep outside the surf.
Notwithstanding we had left England in the
height of summer we found a great difference in
the climate, the weather being exceedingly hot.
On the following day I was invited to dine and
take up my residence at Mr. Shortridge's during
our stay at Madeira. We met a large party at
dinner, consisting of Captain Owen, with some of
his officers, the Rev. Mr. Deacon, and a number
of the most respectable English residents. Madeira
is so frequently visited by ships from different parts
of Europe, and has been so fully described, that it
may, perhaps, appear superfluous to attempt any
further account of a place already so well known ;
but as all men are supposed to possess a certain
portion of vanity, and as travellers are proverbially

16 WINES OF MADEIRA.
accused of laying claim to the discovery of some
facts which had escaped the observation of their
predecessors, I venture to throw together, into as
brief a compass as possible, the result of my inqui
ries,, in the hope that I may add something to that
which is already known, and, at all events, with a
strong confidence in the accuracy of my remarks.
The wine, being of vital importance to the pros
perity of the island, presents the first claim to the
attention of a stranger. A sort of controversy, with
better reasons on the one side than the other, prevails,
respecting the relative qualities of the wines pro
duced at the north and the south sides of the island ;
in which the vineyards at the north side have suf
fered what appears to be an indiscriminate and
injudicious censure. The grape chiefly gro-vra
there is the Virdelho, which the most experienced
planters allow to be productive of the strongest and
most esteemed of their wines ; and when it is of
the growth of the southern vineyards it is held in
the highest estimation. It must, however, be
admitted that the northern aspect is unfavourable
to the grape, and that the greater proportion of the
wines from that side are only fit for the still. The
cause of this may be referred to a variety of cir
cumstances ; such as the marked difference in the
soil and aspect and the mode of cultivation, the
vines being trained upon trees ; whilst on the south
side the more approved system is practised of train
ing them upon horizontal trellis Avork, raised two

CULTIVATION OF THE GRAPE. 17
or three feet from the ground, by which the plant
is supported and the fruit exposed to the full influ
ence of the sun. A great superiority of flavour is,
no doubt, thus obtained : on the north side, the
grapes are entirely of the white kind, whilst on the
south there is a great variety, but chiefly of the
red, from which it is said the finest wine is made.
The famed vineyards of the Malmsey and Sercial
wines, are towards the west end of the south side.
There is but a very small quantity of either grown
on this spot of the first rate quality, or indeed of
any value as a characteristic wine, for on the east
ernmost part of this situation there is- a constant
flow of water rushing from the summits of the rocks,
that greatly deteriorates the value of the growths
over which its influence extends. The practice of
plucking the leaves of the vines to admit the genial
heat of the sun to the fruit, as well as a free circu
lation of air, has been found most beneficial in bring
ing the fruit to perfection. This process is also a
source of emolument to the planter, as the leaves
form an excellent food for fattening cattle destined
for the shambles, giving also to the meat a fine
and delicious flavour.
The wines of Madeira generally may b.e divided
into three denominations, and may be thus de
scribed. Tinto is a red wine, the produce ofthe Burgundy
grape, transplanted to Madeira. It is drank in
perfection in the second and third years, before it
1 c

18 CULTIVATION OF THE GRAPE.
has deposited its extractive matter, after which it
becomes a full bodied Madeira wine, of the usual
colour and flavour.
Sercial is the produce of the Hock grape : a pale,
lively, and very high-flavoured wine. It ought
not to be drank in less than seven years, and it
requires a much greater age to reach perfection.
Malmsey, when genuine, is a rich and highly
cordial wine. There is a variety of it called green
Malmsey, bearing some resemblance to Frontignan.
The first quality of the Madeira wine is certainly
equal to the finest production of the grape in any
part ofthe world, for its aromatic flavour and benefi
cial effects : therefore it is much to be lamented that
so small a quantity of it, in its pure state, should find
its way to foreign markets : and that its character
should be sacrificed to the sordid speculations of
any unprincipled traders. Wine drinkers in Eng
land are very commonly deceived into the idea
that a voyage to the East or West Indies is suffi
cient to ensure the excellence of the wine ; but this
is an obvious fallacy, for if the wine were not of a
good quality when shipped from the island, a thou
sand voyages could not make it what it never had
been. ' It is well known to every merchant in
Madeira, that a great proportion of the wines so
shipped are of an inferior quality, and are pur
chased in barter by persons who are commonly
known by the name of truckers.
I may here observe, as a general remark, that

WINES OF MADEIRA. 19
fine Madeira wines are equally improved by the
extremes of heat and cold, and that damp is always
hurtful to them.
Burgundy vines have lately been introduced into
Madeira. The generally received opinion that the
wines of Teneriffe and the Azores are brought here
for the purpose of giving them the Madeira flavour,
and sending them to foreign markets as the produce
of the island, is very erroneous. Although smug
gling is openly carried on, and to an extent that
ought to set at rest so fallacious an opinion, any
one acquainted with this island must be aware of
the utter impossibility of introducing foreign wines
with a view to exporting them again as native pro
duce ; for, in the first place, the whole of the inha
bitants would be likely to resist such an attempt,
from a conviction that the introduction would
militate against their own interests, and from the
obvious apprehension that the increased quantity
as well as the inferior quality of the adulterated
wines, would injure the character and reduce the
price of their own.
The great increase too, which it would occasion
in the amount sent out of the island, would render
it very difficult for the speculators in the spurious
wines, to avoid detection. It is, therefore, much
more reasonable to suppose, that these mixtures
take place in the markets to which the wines are
sent : the great demand for them tempting the per
sons engaged in the traffic, to embark in an im-

20 WINES OF MADEIRA.
position which has had the effect of deteriorating
the wines so materially, that at last they began to
lose their preWous character, to get out of fashion,
and, consequently, to fall off in demand as well as
in price. This system of intermixing different
wines, to swell the quantity of some favourite wine,
is known to prevail to a great extent in those of
France and Portugal. The Clarets of the London
market, are principally prepared for the purpose,
and, in the transit, lose much of the pure nature of
the original production : and the quantity of adul
terated Port that is sold in England is almost in
credible. It is also a well known fact, that there
is more Tokay* sold on the Continent and in Eng
land, in one year, than the limited space where it
is grown, on the mountains of Hungary, could pro
duce in twenty years.
But there is also, independently of this vitiation
to which the wines are liable, another cause for the
inferior quality of those wines which are really the
produce of the islands. A few Englishmen, and
other foreigners, of a grade very different from
that of the respectable English merchants who
have been long established here, hit upon the ex
pedient of exporting wines instead of attending to
the business which they had originally established
on the island. They thought it would turn out
profitable to buy up cheap, and, of course, inferior
* The vine of Italy was originally introduced to the mountains of
Tokay, ill the fourteenth century, bv Louis I. of France.

TABLE OF EXPORTS.

21

wines, for the purpose of sending them to the Eu
ropean markets, under the impression that any
thing would sell that was known to be the genuine
production of Madeira. By this method of en
larging their business, the worst description of the
native produce got abroad, and was substituted in
place of the best. There are, of course, a great
variety of qualities ; but there is not a greater
quantity of the first quality than is required to
flavour their inferior wines ; and it is only by ap
propriating it to that purpose, that they could be
enabled to furnish a sufficient quantity for the im
mense demand in the various markets which they
have to supply,
It will be seen from the following account of the
exportation of wine from Madeira, that the demand
was rapidly decreasing in 1825, 6, and 7, owing
to the causes above mentioned.

1825.

18-26.

1827.
Pipes of
no Gall.
Hds.5/55.
Q.C.
0/274
iQ.C. 0/15
Mf:!L:^Bas.Q.c.iQ.c
Pipes.
Hde.
Q.C. iQ.C.
January, 1367
0
0
1092 1
371
1
0 1
Feb. 751
0
1
420 1
573
0
0 0
March, 1915
0
0
905 1
252
0
1 1
April, 2463
0
1
0
777 1
i958
1
1 1
May, 1252
1
0
1826 1
1539
0
1 0
June, 1112
1
0
866 0
0
635
0
1 1
July, 1329
1
1
488 1
0
567
1
1 0
August, 677
0
0
978 1
0
279
0
1 1
Sept. 741
0
1
317 0
0
Oct. 1338
I
0
730 1
1
Nov. 881
1
0
703 1
0
Dec. 599
0
0
1
289 1
0
0
14,425
9
7
4
9,391 10
6
9
5,274
3
6 5
22 SEIZURE OF GIN.
I am informed, that smuggling is so common a
practice in this island, that there is no difficulty
in procuring any prohibited article you may de
sire : among the most abundant are French brandy
and Dutch gin. The former of these articles con
tinued to be smuggled, in large quantities, for
some time after the prohibition, from an idea that
it was the best spirit they could use, and under an
apprehension that the wines could not maintain
their character without it : — experience, however,
has shewn them, that they can not only do without
French brandy, but that the spirit which is made
on the island, is much better adapted to their
purpose. An extensive seizure of gin was made during
our short stay at Madeira, under the following
circumstances : A boat went off to a Dutch vessel,
on the same evening that she left the port, which,
no doubt, had been previously arranged, and took
300 cases of gin, which she landed at the n. e.
side of the island. , She remained there that day,
and proceeded, under the obscurity of the follow
ing night, towards the town of Funchal; but
on her way she struck, and must have been
wrecked but for the assistance of a fishing-smack
that happened to be near at the moment. The
fishermen were, as a matter of course, easily
bribed to assist the smugglers in landing and de
positing the illicit store in a cavern at Prior Bay,
a little to the westward of Funchal. The next day,

SEIZURE OF GIN. 23
however, a most unfortunate accident revealed the
whole proceeding. Two lovers had formed an ar
rangement to make an excursion from Funchal to
Kama de Loba, and leaving the former place in a
small boat, were in due time landed at Prior Bay.
They had not proceeded far, before they discovered
the cave, and tempted, by its coolness and its soli
tary situation, they entered it, when, to their sur
prise, they saw a man lying in a remote part of
the interior. As he appeared to be sleeping very
soundly, they ventured to look farther in, when
they perceived a great number of cases deposited in
an obscure corner ; and, suspecting that they were
placed there to elude the vigilance of the revenue
officers, they immediately communicated the fact
to some persons in the Custom-house, in the hope
of being rewarded for their zeal. The Custom
house people, who were probably already aware
of the circumstance, did not appear to be very
anxious to interfere, and told the disappointed in
formers that they might take a few cases for them
selves, and say nothing more about the matter.
Shortly afterwards, however, the affair reached the
ears of the Governor, who immed,iately sent a
military party to seize upon the illicit deposit, the
contents of which were demonstrated by the potent
effects which they had upon the soldiers.
The stone fruits of Madeira are in general of a
vei'y inferior quality, arising from mere want of
attention to their cultivation ; for where the trees

24 FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
have been planted in a favourable situation, and
otherwise attended to, the produce is excellent ;
but they are generally scattered about the vine
yards, and treated with the utmost carelessness,
being very rarely pruned or dressed. It is sup
posed that they are permitted to grow in this irre
gular way for the purpose of attracting the lizards ,
insects, and grubs from the vines, as it was found
that they always preferred the more solid nutri
ment of the stone fruit, especially the peach.
These grubs are so numerous, that they will scarcely
allow a single apricot or peach to ripen unperfo-
rated, consequently, the planters are obliged to
pluck, in a green state, what they would other
wise desire to see expanding to full maturity.
Query.— Why do the insects prefer the peach
tree to the vine ? Is it from the resinous quality of
the former ?
There is also an abundance of apples and
pears, but of a bad quality, occasioned by the
same causes. The mulberry, fig, and guava, suc
ceed better; they are both abundant and good,
but there are not any plantains or bananas. On
the higher lands, that is, above the general height
of the vineyards, the walnut and chesnut grow
most luxuriantly, and are both ornamental and
useful. The chesnuts are so plentiful that, in the
fruit season, they form a considerable article of
food amongst the lower orders of the people. The
fine old forest trees, the original occupiers of the

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 25
soil, are disappearing rapidly, even from the
deepest ravines ; in situations easy of access they
have been long since destroyed by the lawless and
thoughtless despoiler.
I must not omit some reference to the vegetables
of Madeira, and in particular the potatoe, which
grows as fine here as in any part of the world. The
cultivation of this edible has of late so much in
creased, as in some districts to constitute the chief
food of the natives. The apparently unfavourable
situation on which it is principally planted, affords
a convincing proof of the superiority, in habits of
active industry, of the peasantry of this island over
the Portuguese peasants in general. Instead of
being indolent and supine, and indisposed to em
brace the means of ameliorating and improving
their condition, they are, on the contrary, enter
prising, hardy, and persevering. The potatoe is
chiefly reared on the ascent of Pico Rueva, at an
elevation of 6,000 feet above the level of the sea,
and many of the beds are within 300 feet of the
summit.* The ground above a certain height be
longs to Government, and the people have only a
trifling tax to pay for any portion th^t they choose
to cultivate. Onions, pumpkins, melons, cucum
bers, &c. &c. are in the greatest abundance. Beef,
mutton, and poultry, of good quality, are to be
* In the mountains of the Caraccas the potatoe grows wild, and
in great abundance; but as they are left unnoted, they are usually
not much larger than the ordinary gooseberry. — See Humboldt.

26 CLIMATE.
obtained at moderate prices, and fish in the
greatest abundance. '
Madeira may be said to be in general very
healthy ; but in the autumn diarrhoea is a common
complaint amongst the lower orders, caused by
eating bad and unripe fruits, and drinking the
washings of the wine-press, a beverage made by
throwing water on the husks of the grapes, after
the operation of pressing out the wine has been
performed, and then submitting them to a second
pressure. It is not an unfrequent occurrence, that parts of
the crews of ships that touch at the Island, suffer
from eating unripe fruits, which are often incau
tiously allowed to be brought on board, particu
larly the peaches, which the commanding officers
of vessels would do well to prohibit by every
means in their power. The Portuguese boats are
always ready to bring off great quantities of such
trash, which no one can eat with impunity. The
changes of the weather, for which the inhabitants
are not sufficiently prepared by clothing, may be
added as another cause of disease.
The planting of coffee has lately become very
general in the vicinity of Funchal, chiefly in gar
dens and places not favourable for the culture
of the vine, and this plant generally presents a
most thriving appearance, producing a berry
which is highly esteemed, and is in such demand
at Lisbon that there is no doubt that the cultiva-

COFFEE, TEA, AND SUGAR. 27
tion of it, will, hereafter, become an object of
some consideration ; and I may here observe, that
it is already gradually extending. The quality of
this berry is so superior as to have rendered it an
article df exportation, and the people more readily
resort to this new branch of culture, from the de
cline in the demand for the secondary wines.
Our Consul has recently introduced the tea plant
at his seat up the mountain, from which some
favourable specimens have already been obtained.
The manufacture of sugar has also been tried on
the island, but although the cane succeeds un
commonly well, the expense of conveying it to
Funchal, together with that of the process of ex
tracting the juice, and the want of skill in granu
lation, has rendered the experiment too costly, it
being found that Brazilian sugar can be had
cheaper than the native production.
Sunday, Augmt \2th, 1827. — I accompanied
Mr. Shortridge to the English Chapel, where the
congregation was small, in consequence of the ab
sence of the merchants and their families in the
country, during the summer months. The service
was performed by the Rev. Mr. Deacon, who is a
member of the Established Church, and holds the
appointment of Chaplain to the English residents,
of whom there are a great number, consisting of
merchants, shop-keepers, servants, and a few in
valids. I do not, however, consider it the best
place in the world for the last description of visi-

28 PALANQUIN TRAVELLING.
tors. Bermuda is well known to be a much more
healthy climate ; from the land not being so high,
the weather is less variable, and the temperature,
of course, more equal. Madeira, notwithstanding,
has two advantages over Bermuda, worthy of con
sideration ; it presents more agreeable and better
society, and offers greater facilities of intercourse
with England ; so that the accounts from home
are more frequent and recent.
I left town in the afternoon, to dine with Mr.
Webster Gordon, who resides at the mount near
the Church of Nostra Senhora del Monte, about
three miles in the country ; where I was invited
with Captain Owen and some of his officers. They
went on horseback, while I, being still rather an
invalid, hired a palanquin by the advice of my
friend, Mr. Shortridge. Having heard a good
deal of the luxury of palanquin travelling in the
East, I thought it would be a very pleasant mode
of conveyance on a hot day ; but instead of finding
it swing loftily, like a hammock, as I expected, I
discovered much to my mortification, that, when on
the shoulders ofthe bearers, it was raised only about
eighteen inches from the ground, and consisted of
a solid frame of wood, suspended from a pole with
two iron stanchions, and covered on each side by
a cloth flung over the pole, to serve as a curtain.
In this I was placed, in a half sitting, half recum
bent posture, which I need scarcely observe was
not very agreeable. When I got out to call at a

POPULATION. 29
gentleman's house, before I reached my ultimate
destination, I found that the cramp in the calves
of my legs had so disabled me, that I could
scarcely stand, and it was a considerable time
before I could walk unaided and free from pain.
I anticipated every moment that my bearers
would have complained of the road, which was
badly paved, and very steep the greatest part of
the way ; but they were fine, hardy, muscular
men, and quite indifferent to a toil with which
habit had rendered them familiar. Each bearer
carries a long stick in his hand, which assists to
support and steady him, over the uneven ground.
On arriving at Mr. Webster Gordon's, I was
agreeably surprised to find that I had been pre
viously acquainted with Mrs. Gordon and her
mother in Italy.
The population of the town of Funchal is said
to be about 25,000 ; and that of the whole island,
including Funchal, 120,000.
Invalids have, latterly, more facilities for obtain
ing lodgings than they had in former years, the
inhabitants finding it their interest to direct their
attention more to that particular. The resident
British may be estimated at about 250, including
children ; and since my return to England, I have
been informed, that, during the last year, there
were upwards of 100 invalid visitors from America.
I passed the short time the ship remained very
pleasantly, and I could have wished that it had been

30 DEPARTURE FROM MADEIRA.
longer ; not only on account of the salubrity of
the climate, but for the advantage of being enabled
to collect more information. Some of the officers
went to the Coural, a celebrated part of the island
for extensive and beautiful scenery. In the after
noon of Tuesday, August lAth, we embarked, and
sailed out of Funchal Bay on the same evening,
directing our course for Teneriffe. Our consort
the Diadem, transport, had left the bay a few
hours before. From Funchal, Madeira, to Santa
Cruz, Teneriffe, the course is s. 6 deg. e. ; dis
tance 252 miles.

CHAP. n.
Teneriffe — Town of Santa Cruz — Female Costume — Incident at a
Ball — Bad Roads — Climate — Productions — Population of the
Canary Islands — Imports and Exports — Various Qualities of the
Wines — Fishery — Leave Santa Cruz — Crossing the Tropic of
Cancer — Shaving and Ducking — General Remarks — Make St.
Jago — Anchor at Porto Praya — Sickly Season — Death of the
Consul and his Wife — Consul's Sister — Governor's Garden and
Watering-place — Population of the Island — Produce — The Or-
chiUa Weed, its growth, uses, and varieties — Cause of Fever —
Departure for Sierra Leone.
Wednesday, 15th. — Fresh breezes and cloudy,
with the wind and a swell from the eastward. At
sunset passed within six or seven miles to the east
ward of the Great Salvage Islands.
Thursday, 16th. — At daylight saw the island of
Teneriffe,* and at nine anchored in Santa Cruz
Roads, in nineteen fathoms water ; the flag-staff on
the mole bearing w. by N. We saluted the Spanish
flag with thirteen guns, which was returned.
Mr. M'Gregor, our Vice-consul, came on board,
when he immediately recognised me, as having
seen me at Hamburg about three years before.
On his returning to the shore he was complimented
* This island was named Thenariffe, or the White Mountain, by
the natives of Palma; Thenar, in their language, signifying a moun
tain, and Ife, white — the Peak of Teneriffe being always covered
with snow.

32 TOWN OF SANTA CRUZ.
with a salute of seven guns, according to regula
tions. I accompanied some of the officers on shore
to take a ramble over the town. I regretted to
learn from Mr. M'Gregor that Mr. Bruce, our
Consul-General for the Canaries, was in England.
This circumstance was a serious disappointment to
me, as I had a letter of introduction to that gen
tleman from a friend of his at Madeira, who assured
me that he possessed so vigorous and intelligent a
mind, and was so intimately acquainted -with the
island of Teneriffe, where he had loiig resided,
that I could not fail to obtain much valuable infor
mation from him that was not generally known.
My friends were very much pleased with the
cleanly appearance of the town and good pave
ment, affording a striking contrast to Funchal,
which, like most Portuguese towns, was dirty and
badly paved. There was another agreeable sight;
the Spanish women, who were generally handsome,
with an interesting character of expression in their
faces, which is much heightened by their beautiful
dark eyes and jet-black hair. Their dresses are
remarkable for their neatness.
The town of Santa Cruz stands near the sea, on
a plain of about two miles square, at the foot of
the mountains. The population amounts to about
6,000 souls. It has a well fortified sea-line of
defence, and a mole protected by a fort. It was
on landing at this mole that Nelson lost his arm,
and Captain Boscawen his life. The English

c3

a

p> di

,4

INCIDENT AT A BALL. 33
colours taken on that occasion are preserved as
trophies in the principal church. Few persons are
seen walking about during the day, and those only
ofthe lower orders. The women wear large shawls
thrown over their heads, hanging very low down,
and a round black hat with a high crown. A
friend of mine once visited the island in one of
H. M. ships at the time of the Carnival, and on
the last day of the festivities there was a public
ball, to which tlie officers of the ship were invited.
They went early to see as much as they could of
the inhabitants, and their opinion of the ladies was,
that they looked more like English than Spanish
women in almost all respects, except their remark
ably black eyes and hair. Before the dancing
commenced the ladies were all blindfolded, and
each provided with a stick, when they were con
ducted to one end of the room, where a jar full of
bon bons was suspended, which they were desired
to break, but the blows from their delicate hands
were not able to accomplish it, and one of the gen
tlemen at last performed this task for them, when
there was a general scramble among the gentlemen,
from a desire to procure some of the contents to
present to their fair partners.
The Diadem transport anchored here soon after
us. Friday, 11th. — The York, East Indiaman, was
lying off this place in the forenoon whilst her boat
went on shore with letters. Some of the officers
1 D

34 BAD ROADS.
took horse this morning a,nd went to the town of
Laguna, which is about six miles from Santa
Cruz. They found the road in a terrible state,
from a quantity of large stones and rubbish, which
a late hurricane, with heavy rain, had brought
down from the higher lands. Their ride was a
very cheap one, for they only paid half a dollar
for each horse, including a guide — a rare occur
rence for Englishmen to find any thing cheap in a
foreign country. Port Oratava, which lies on the
opposite or north side of the island, the prin
cipal town for commerce on it, is 21 miles by
land from Santa Cruz ; and it is said to be 36
miles from Oratava to the summit of the Peak,
a journey of at least two days' ascent from the
latter place, which is the starting point.
Our visit to this island was too short to be of
much interest to a traveller, for it would have
required at least a week to have -visited the Peak
only and returned to Santa Cruz, which I cer
tainly would have done if the ship had remained a
sufficient time ; as I also wished to have visited
Porto Rueva, at Madeira, but on my arrival at
that island I had not sufficiently recovered my
strength after the indisposition I experienced on
leaving England.
They have at Teneriffe, (besides horses, asses,
and mules,) camels, which are much in use as
beasts of burden. Smoking is a very general
practice here, and consequently there is no want of

CLIMATE. 35
ordinary cigars ; but I was surprised to find that
Havannah cigars are very difficult to be procured.
They can be obtained, however, but at an exorbi
tant rate, in consequence of the risks attending the
smuggling. Tobacco is a royal monopoly, and the
duty is so high, that it amounts almost to a prohi
bition, and. consequently affords great temptation to
smuggling. They have ice at their command here
in abundance, which is a great luxury for a hot
climate. They bring it down from the mountains,
and use it very commonly in lemonade, creams,
and for many other purposes. It is desirable to call
here on your way to a hot climate, if it were only
to procure a few good drip stones, the best of which
are brought from Grand Canary, and which are to
be had in great plenty, and very cheap, from one
to three Spanish dollars each, which is the most
current coin of this island.
Teneriffe, in climate, soil, produce, and gene
ral appearance, strongly resembles Madeira, froiy
which it is distant 240 miles, due south. The
principal towns are Port-Oratava, Oratava, Realexo,
and Caracheco, on the north side of the island ;
and on the south, Santa Cruz, Candilaria, and
Adexi ; besides the inland towns, Laguna, (the
capital) about two leagues from Santa Cruz, Me-
tanza, and Victoria, all on the road between Santa
Cruz and Port-Oratava, which are at an elevation,
varying from 3,000 to 5,000 feet above the level of
the sea. This affords a considerable variety of

36 PRODUCTIONS AND POPULATION.
climate, and choice of residence. Teneriffe, how
ever, possesses but little English society, conse
quently there are few comforts or inducements for
invalids. There is an extensive plain of table
land and corn country round Laguna, which is
a bishop's see, with an income of 30,000 dol
lars per annum. The governor of the province
resides at Santa Cruz. There is also a bishopric
at Grand Canary (where the audience, or supreme
court is held), worth about 50,000 dollars a-year.
Teneriffe, from its great elevation, and gradual
slope to the sea, possesses every variety of vegeta
tion from the tropic to the frozen regions. In
the first or lower region are found the date, palm,
pine-apple, alligator-pear, and sugar cane, tea and
coffee trees, lemons, citrons, oranges and grapes ;
the next region is that of grain and fruits, and trees
of temperate climates ; next follow the chesnuts,
pines (Pinus Cananensis), and other hardy Alpine
trees ; then the region of heaths, laurels, and other
evergreens ; and at the extreme limit of vegeta
tion, a considerable distance from the summit, the
white broom (Spartium Nubigenum.) The popu
lation of the Canary Islands is about 200,000, viz.
Teneriffe, 80,000 ; Grand Canary, 60,000 ; Palma,
25,000; Lanzerota, 15,000; Forteventura, 10,000;
Heirro, 4,000 ; Gomera, 6,000.
The exports, exclusive of the coasting trade, are
wines, barilla, orchilla Aveed, rock-moss, safflower,
(hay-saffron,) and silks. The imports are sugar.

QUALITIES OF THE WINES. 37
cocoa, oil, tobacco, paper, &c. from Cadiz ; earthen
ware, from St. Lucia ; brandy, from Catalonia ; dry
goods, cloth, iron, and hardware, from England ;
and staves, soap, candles, and rice from the United
States of America.
The volcanic nature of the soil of the Canary
Islands renders it extremely favourable to the culti
vation ofthe -vine, which grows luxuriantly in Tene
riffe, where more than three-fourths of all the wines
exported from the Canaries is produced. The Tene
riffe wines are of the same description and varieties
as the wines of Madeira, namely, Tinto, Verdelho,
Gual, Listan, Malvasia,* &c., but they are not equal
in quality to the fine wines of the south side,
yet superior to the wines of the north side, of
that island. They are distinguished by what may
be called the generic denominations of dry and
sweet. The dry is well known by the name of
Vidonia, and the sweet as Malvasia. The first
quality of the former can only be obtained from the
most respectable merchants, it being a very com
mon process to convert it, by admixtures, into a
counterfeit of Madeira, or sherry, and occasionally
to drug it with port. The strongest quality of the
celebrated wine called sack,f is made in Teneriffe,
Grand Canary, and Palma.
* Mahnsey, or sack.
t This word is erroneously supposed to be a corruption of " sec,"
or dry, but both Canary and sherry sack of old times (as well
as the present) was a siveet and rich wine, and the name could

38 BARILLA — ROCK MOSS.
Carbonate of soda is obtained from the sal sola
soda, extensively cultivated at Lancerota and Forte
ventura, It is gathered in September, dried, and
then charred or fused into a ringing, hard, cellular
mass, of a greyish blue colour. A small quantity
is made also at Grand Canary. The barilla of the
Canary Islands has been sold in England so high as
8QZ. a ton, and as low as 61. ; at the present time,
(December, 1833) it is worth 91. 10s. a ton. The
depreciation is caused chiefly by kelp, and other
substitutes found in the British alkali, a French
chemical discovery, manufactured from sea salt,.
from which the other ingredients are detached, by*
combination with sulphur, and acids subjected to
heat. The imports of barilla from the Canary
Islands to this country are about 3,500 tons a-year.
The United States of America, and of late years,
Brazil, also, take off a few cargoes of this article.
Lancerota produces, annually, about 300 tons of
barilla ; Forteventura about 1500 tons.
Rock moss (Parmelia perlata) is worth about-
701. a ton, and is one of the innumerable lichens
common to the Canary Islands ; it is used in the
manufacture of cudbear for the dyers. There is
also a spurious kind, with difficulty distinguished
from the good.
Silk is chiefly produced at Palma. There is
not, therefore, have been so derived. The term sac is more
likely to be a contraction of the word " saccharine," or it may
have been adopted in consequence of the wine being made from
half-dried grapes.

FISHERY. 39
but little exported from Teneriffe. It might, how
ever, be produced in immense quantities, the white
and red mulberry tree being indigenous and luxu
riant in the middle region of the island, and the
climate so mild, that the insect could be hatched
and reared under wooden sheds, without any diffi
culty. The great defect in the Teneriffe silk is
the coarseness of the fibre, from want of dexterity
in winding it off the cocoons, and in regulating
the heat to which it ought to be subjected during
that separation.
A considerable emigration used to take place
annually from the islands, and particularly from
Lancerota and Forteventura, to the Spanish Main,
and to Cuba, where those islanders were much in
request, as labourers and muleteers ; and often
prospered so well as to be enabled to return home
enriched : but the practice has been prohibited
since the declaration of independence of Spanish
South America.
There is a considerable fishery carried on from
the Canary Islands, on the coast of Barbary, for
a species of bream, which is salted in bulk, and
sold very cheap, and in great quantities. This
trade is pursued in decked schooners, or lugger-
rigged vessels, of from 60 to 70 tons burthen,
which run down before the trade wind to their
station, where they remain until they procure a
cargo, when they beat up to the island, take in a
fresh cargo of Cadiz salt, and again return to their

40 CROSSING THE TROPIC,
Station. They have very little intercourse with
the Arab tribes of that coast, but they sometimes
bring back a few lion, tiger, and leopard skins, and
ostrich feathers. I am happy to learn that our
knowledge of the natural history of these islands is
likely to be soon very much increased, by the inde
fatigable exertions of P. B. Webb, Esq., a gentle
man well known to the scientific world, who is now
engaged at Paris in publishing the result of his
researches in different branches of natural history.
In the afternoon we took in some oxen and wine,
and left Santa Cruz roads at seven in the evening.
From Santa Cruz to Porto Praya, St. Jago, the
course is s. 26 deg. w. 920 miles.
Monday, 20th — Having crossed the tropic of
Cancer last evening. Captain Owen granted the
ship's company permission to perform the cus
tomary ceremony of shaving and ducking all those
who had not previously passed the tropic. When
ever a ship is intended to enter the southem
hemisphere, this marine exhibition is not per
formed until she reaches the equinoctial line.
Although this ceremony has been frequently de
scribed, I do not think it right to pass it over alto
gether unnoticed ; I will therefore make a few
general observations by way of comment on the
practice. A sea voyage is at the best a monotonous life,
and a long voyage is only to be wished for by the
few whose health it is calculated to improve ;

SHAVING AND DUCKING. 41
therefore, any little variety, that produces even
but a temporary excitement, is desirable ; and in
this point of ^dew only, is the old custom of shaving
and ducking (which, by the bye, is a barbarous
one) at all excusable.
When it is permitted to be practised, it should
only be under certain regulations, as the conse
quences have frequently been very serious, for
want of some salutary restrictions ; in some cases
the harmony that has existed amongst the society
on board has been destroyed ; actions at law, and
duels, fevers from exposure during the day's
amusement, have ensued : it is, therefore, impe
ratively necessary that the law should take cogni
zance of this custom, and enforce some rigorous
rules for the government of all commanders of
vessels, whenever circumstances should permit
the indulgence of this indefensible practice. In
the first place, the ship should be always put under
snug sail ; and that part of the vessel, in which
the scene takes place, should be completely
screened in, and no cruel or offensive practices
permitted. The Captain should always have the
power of protecting his officers and passengers
from being compelled to submit to the demands
of old Neptune, by paying a small fine for the
exemption : say cabin passengers, five shillings,
steerage passengers half-a-crown. The sum total of
these fines should be divided among those sailors
who had previously crossed the line ; and, if any

42 SHAVING AND DUCKING.
of the sailors on board should be found to throw
water, rope yarns dipped in tar, or in any other
way insult, or annoy, persons who do not take a
part in their proceedings, they should be punished
as they would for a similar breach of discipline at
any other time. There is one example, which I
feel at liberty to quote, and which was nearly the
occasion of a court-martial on the senior lieutenant
of one of H. M. ships that arrived in Simon's
Bay during my residence at the Cape of Good
Hope. The circumstance was as follows : — The
purser of the ship had shut himself up in his cabin,
determined to resist any forcible attempt to make
him undergo the ceremony of shaving ; but those
who were engaged in it, were resolved that he
should not be permitted to escape : they accord
ingly forced the door of his cabin, from which
they got him out, dragged him on deck, and per
formed the ceremony, in spite of his efforts and
remonstrances. The charge against the first lieu
tenant was, I understood, for encouraging the
persons who committed this act of violence. This
formed the grounds of an application for a court-
martial, which was only prevented from taking
place by the intercession of some officers of rank.
It is satisfactory to be enabled to add, that this
barbarous and unworthy custom is rapidly falling
into disuse.
Wednesday y 22nd — A moderate trade wind, and
all sail set. At daylight saw the island of Sail,

CAPE DE VERD ISLANDS. 43
bearing e.s.e. 15 miles. At half-past 5 in the
afternoon saw the island of St. Jago,* when I went
to the fore top-mast head, for exercise and amuse
ment, while others went to see the land. At 11
brought the ship to the wind, and stood off the
land at a convenient distance for going into Porto
Praya on the following day.
At daylight, made all sail, and stood towards
the anchorage, with a light breeze and very fine
weather. At noon anchored off Porto Praya, in
12 fathoms water and sandy bottom. Extreme
points of the bay from w.|s. to e.|s. Garrison flag
staff N.N.W. 2 w.
Our Consul-General for the Cape de Verds (Mr.
Clark) waited on Captain Owen, from whom we
learnt, that His Majesty's ship. North Star, sailed
from this port five days before, and that a very
heavy gale of wind arose from the s.w. on that
night. We were also informed, that this is the
most sickly part of the year, in consequence of its
being the rainy season, which commences at the
beginning of August, and continues to the end of
October ; during which time the winds are fre
quently from the southward and westward, making
it hazardous to anchor at this port in those months.
* The islands of Mayo, Bonavista (or St. FUippe), and St. Jago,
were the first ofthe Cape de Verds discovered, in May 1461, by
Antonio de Nolle, a Genoese in the service of Portugal ; and St. Jago,
was the first settled. The remaining seven were also discovered the
same year, by Portuguese subjects, namely, St Antonio, St. Vincent,
St. Lucia, St. Nicholas, Sail, Fuego, and Bravos.

44 DEATH OF THE CONSUL.
The whole of this time is generally very sickly, so
much so that the principal authorities are glad to
leave the island, and repair to Fuego, which is the
highest, and also considered to be the most healthy
of all the Cape de Verd group. The Chief Justice
and his family left Porto Praya, for Fuego, in a
Portuguese sloop of war, on the day we entered it,
the Governor having previously left for the same
destination. There were many of the inhabitants suffering
from fever, while we were at St. Jago, and two of
the Consul's family were among the number, and
I lament to relate, that not long after our depar
ture, both the Consul and his -svife fell victims to
this too commonly fatal fever of St. Jago, leaving
his sister, an amiable and accomplished young lady,
dangerously ill of the same disease. The case of
this lady was one of the most melancholy interest.
She was entirely unprotected by the presence of any
country people ofher own, except a gentleman, who,
happening to call there on his way from England
to Sierra Leone, was induced to remain on the
island, at the request of Mrs. Clark, for the purpose
of acting as Vice-Consul, during the severe illness
of her husband. This gentleman, after perform
ing the painful duty of reading the burial service
over the Consul-General and his lady, was himself
attacked by the same fever, and after struggling
for a length of time against it, was, at last, sent off
to the island of Mayo, just in time to save his life,

consul's SISTER. 45
leaving the Consul's sister behind, reduced to the
last extremity of the disease, with scarcely any
symptoms of life remaining, and attended only by
her Portuguese friends, and any occasional English
visitors who landed incidentally from their ships
for refreshments, on their way to other parts of
the world. At last, however, she happily reco
vered, but after a very severe struggle, and a pro
tracted illness, and then she could not return
direct to England, but was obliged to go to the
Brazils, in a French schooner, before she could
procure a passage home. I shall give, hereafter,
some further details of this young lady's history,
leading to the attachment which afterwards sprung
up between her and her medical attendant, who
fell in love with her during a second attack of ill
ness, and there is no doubt that her fortitude and
good sense had a great share in the admiration
with which she inspired him.
Friday, August 2Ath. — Soon after breakfast I
accompanied Captain Owen, the Rev. Mr. and
Mrs. Davy, and some of the officers of the ship, to
pass the day at the Consul's. We took a walk be
fore dinner, to visit the few places that were wor
thy of any notice ; we first went to the fort. This
fort was forty-seven paces long and seven broad,
where the only objects of interest were the graves
of two Captains in the Navy. One of them con
tained the remains of an old shipmate of mine,
Capt. J. Eveleigh, who was mortallly wounded when

46 governor's GARDEN.
commanding the Astrea, in company with the
Creole, during an engagement with two French
frigates, the Etoile and Sultane, on the 23rd of
January, 1814, off the Cape de Verds. I sailed
in the same ship with this officer when I first went
to sea. He was then junior lieutenant of the Royal
George, bearing the flag of Lord Bridport, I met
him some years afterwards, when he was lieute
nant of the Isis, bearing the flag of Admiral HoUo
way, on the Newfoundland station, in which ship I
was a passenger from England to Newfoundland,
on my way to join the Cleopatra, as lieutenant, on
the Halifax station. The other grave was that of
Capt. Bartholomew, of the Lieven frigate, who
died while he was occupied in the survey of these
islands. The late Consul-General had been purser
of that ship, and, poor fellow, both his grave and
that of his wife were made near his former captain's.
From thence we went to visit the Governor's
garden, which lies in a low swampy situation,
much below the town, and not far from the sea,
where the boats are obliged to land to procure
water, subject to the inconvenience of the surf,
which sometimes renders it very difficult to get the
casks off. The water at this island does not de
serve the bad character given of it by some persons.
It is, in fact, very good, and it must, therefore,
have been from negligence in procuring it, either
by disturbing it too much, or by using bad bungs,
which allowed the salt water to get in while floating

WATERING PLACE. 47
off, that it acquired its unfavourable reputation. It
is supplied by several springs, issuing from the side
of the hill at the back of the town, which unite
into one stream, and as it approaches the sea,
expands and forms into a basin, the nearest part
of which is forty yards from the beach. As this
is rarely dry, ships may be easily watered, by
landing their casks through the surf; and, when
filled, floating them off to the ship. However,
when it is dry, or nearly so, as was the case when
we were there, you are obliged to roll the casks a
considerable distance from the beach to a well in
the Governor's garden, from which they must be
filled. This mode is both tedious and laborious,
while the sailors are almost sure to get drunk on
a bad spirit called aqua dent, which is sold to them
secretly by the blacks, who are ever on the watch
to elude the vigilance of the officers employed in
that service.
During the time of the former Governor, (the
present one not ha-ving been long in command,)
this garden received great attention, and was kept
in excellent order ; but the present Governor does
not take any interest in it himself, and, conse
quently, it is very much neglected ; indeed, there
appears to be such a general apathy in all the
people at Porto Praya, that it seems more like a
place allowed to go to decay, than a colony under
an European Government, visited so constantly by
vessels from all parts of the globe.

48 LANDING PLACE.
The population of Villa de Praya is about
4,000, and that of the whole island about 28,000,
which are principally blacks. A large proportion
of the male population of St. Jago, are enrolled in
the militia, and armed with boarding pikes ; 300
of whom are compelled, in rotation, to attend
every Sunday, at their own expense, for the pur
pose of exercising at Villa de Praya. The regular
troops do not amount to more than 400 for the
whole of the islands.
This place owes its support entirely to the ships
that call here for provisions ; and the quantity of
stock, fruit, vegetables, and water, that is pur
chased annually at the island is immense. A con
siderable sum of money is also spent by passengers,
who go on shore for their amusement.
The landing at St. Jago is, at all times, indif
ferent, and in the rainy season frequently very bad,
both on the rocks, and on the beach, for there are
two distinct places of debarkation. Yet, with a
little attention, and a small amount of labour, a
more secure landing-place could very easily be
made, by cutting a few steps in two or three favour
able situations, that would readily admit of the
improvement ; whereas now you are obliged to
watch the swell, and step out on pointed rocks,
or an irregular surface, at the risk of falling
back into the boat or the water ; or bruising your
self severely on the rocks. Captain Owsn and
myself once fell, when he was kindly assisting

ORCHILLA WEED. 49
nie out of the boat. The best time for landing
on the rocks is at half-tide. I was informed that
materials have been collected for constructing a
pier, a project, for which nature has provided an
excellent site ; but, from the poverty of the go
vernment, or some other cause, it has been post
poned. This is the more extraordinary, as the
Portuguese government has hitherto been in the
habit of transporting to St. Jago convicted felons,
by whom public works could have been cheaply
accomplished. Angola, however, has latterly been
adopted as the principal convict settlement of the
Portuguese. Hides, goat skins, and salt, are exported from
these islands, but the chief and most valuable
produce is the orchilla weed. It is a government
monopoly, and is at present farmed out to a man
named Martiney.
As the orchilla weed is a production, the prac
tical application of which in various ways is dif
fused over a large surface of utility, and as its
peculiar properties are not very generally known,
a minute description of its nature and uses, which
I have procured at some cost of time and research,
may not prove uninteresting.
The orchilla is a delicate fibrous plant, springing
up in situations that are apparently the most un
favourable to the sustenance of vegetable life.
When gathered it has a soft delicious odour, which
it retains for a great length of time. Mr. Glas, in
1 E

50 ORCHILLA WEED.
his history of the Canary Islands, gives so clear
and accurate an account of its growth, that I will
avail myself of his description, as being not only
the best I have met with, but as containing all
the necessary particulars. " The orchilla weed,"
he observes, " grows out of the pores ofthe stones
or rocks, to about the length of three inches : I
have seen some eight or ten inches, but that is not
common. It is of a round form and of the thick
ness of common sewing twine. Its colour is grey,
inclining to white : here and there on the stalk we
find white spots or scabs. Many stalks proceed
from one root, at some distance from which they
divide into branches. There is no earth or mould
to be perceived on the rock or stone where it
grows. Those who do not know this weed, or are
not accustomed to gather it, would hardly be able to
find it, for it is of such a colour, and grows in such
a direction, that it appears at first sight to be the
shade ofthe rock on which it grows."
Mr. Glas adds, that the best sort is of the dark
est colour, and nearly round ; and that the more
white spots or scabs it exhibits the better. It is
found in considerable quantities in the Canary
Islands, the Cape de Verds, the Azores, and the
Madeiras, and such are the nice varieties and pro
perties incidental to the different soils, (if they
may be so called,) or climates, that although the
above clusters of islands are at no great distance
from each other, the difference in the produce

ORCHILLA WEED. 51
makes a very considerable difference in the value
of the article. It is also found on the coast of
Barbary, and the Levant, and on that part of the
coast of Africa, which lies adjacent to the Canary
Islands ; but, owing to the want of seasonable
rains, the produce of the latter is not rapid or
abundant, although the quality is excellent. It
has been suggested, that the orchilla was probably
the Gertulian purple of the ancients ; a conjecture
which is strengthened by the fact, that the coast of
Africa, where the orchilla abounds, was formerly
called Gertulia. That the vivid dye which resides
in this weed was known to the ancients, does not
admit of any doubt.
The plant belongs to the class Cryptogamia, and
order Algae, of the Linnean system, and to the
class Algae, and order Lichenes, of the natural
system. Professor Burnett, in his Outline of
Botany, informs us, that " Roccella, a corruption
of the Portuguese Rocha, is a name given to
several species of lichen, in allusion to the situa
tion in which they are found ; delighting to grow
on otherwise barren seaward rocks, that thus pro
duce a profitable harvest. Tournefort considers
that one species at least (R. tinctoria) was known
to the ancients, and that it was the especial lichen
(XttXi)") of Dioscorides, which was collected on
the rocky islands of the Archipelago, from one
of which it received the name of the ' purple of
Amorgus.' "

52 ORCHILLA WEED.
Of all the known varieties of orchilla, that which
is grown in the Canary Islands stands the highest
in estimation, and brings the greatest price. In
the collection of the weed, which is always per
formed by the natives, the risk is imminent : they
are obliged to be suspended by ropes over the
' cliffs, many of which are of stupendous height,
and loss of life frequently occurs in these perilous
efforts to contribute to the luxury of man. Such
is the esteem in which the orchilla ofthe Canaries
is held, that it has recently reached the enormous
value of 400Z. per ton. That from the Cape de
Verds is next in quality, but of much greater im
portance, in reference to the quantity produced.
Madeira and the Azores produce the next qualities.
The same plant, though of a very inferior character,
is found in great abundance in Sardinia, in some
parts of Italy, and also on the south coast of Eng
land, Portland Island, Guernsey, &c. but of so
poor a kind that it would not reward the expense
of collection.
The original mode of preparing orchilla, that
which was practised by the ancients, is said to
have been lost, and many chemical experiments
exhausted in vain for its recovery. In 1300, how
ever, it was rediscovered by a Florentine merchant,
and from that period preserved as a profound
secret, by the Florentines and the Dutch. It
appears that the Florentines were not satisfied with
keeping the preparation of orchilla a mystery

ORCHILLA WEED. 53
from the rest of the world, but that they endea
voured to lead all inquiry into a false channel, by
calling it tincture of turnsole, desiring it to be be
lieved, that it was an extract from the heliotro-
pium or turnsole : the Dutch also disguised it in
the form of a paste, which they called lacmus or
litmus. The process is now, however, generally
known, and simply consists of cleaning, drying,
and powdering the plant, which, when mixed with
half its weight of pearl ash, is moistened with
human urine, and then allowed to ferment : the
fermentation, we are informed by Professor Bur
nett, " is kept up for some time by successive
additions of urine, until the colour ofthe materials
changes to a purplish-red, and subsequently to a
violet or blue. The colour is extremely fugitive,
and affords a very delicate chemical test for the
presence of an acid. The vapour of sulphuric acid
has been thus detected as pervading to some ex
tent the atmosphere of London."
I understand — and for some valuable particulars
I here beg to tender my acknowledgments to Mr.
John Aylwin, merchant of London— that the great
object obtained from this vegetable dye, is the
production of a red colour, without' the aid of a
mineral acid. But the utility of the orchilla is not
confined to the purposes of manufacture. It has
been successfully employed as a medicine in al
laying the cough attendant on phthisis, and in
hysterical coughs, It is also variously used in

54 ORCHILLA WEED.
many productions, where its splendid hue can be
rendered available, and imparts a beautiful bloom
to cloths and silks.
The introduction of the weed into England came
originally through the Portuguese. The Cape de
Verd Islands having long been a possession of the
crown of Portugal, orchilla became a royal mono
poly, and was transmitted in considerable quanti
ties to Lisbon, where it was sold by public auction ;
from Lisbon it gradually found its way to England,
France, Germany, &c. The recent political con
test in Portugal, caused a total suspension of the
shipment of orchilla at the islands. About six
months ago, there were two cargoes at Bona Vista
waiting for orders, one of them (a vessel of
about 66 tons) put to sea, and arrived safe at
Lisbon only a few weeks before Admiral Napier's
naval victory. When the news of the result of
that battle reached the island, the holders of the
remaining cargo proposed to hand it over for a
consideration to certain parties in the interest of
Donna Maria, and it was accordingly consigned to
a Portuguese house in London. The vessel in
which it was sent was called the Saint Anne, of 60
tons, and sailed under British colours : the cargo
consisted of 564 bags,* each containing 2 cwt.,
and the whole sold for 15,000Z. I mention this cir-
¦* The bags in which the weed of the Cape de Verds is packed,
are marked with the initials of the island of which it is the produce,
and indicative of its quality which is at all times uniform.

ORCHILLA WEED. 55
cumstance as an occurrence worth being recorded ;
the arrival of a vessel to England direct from the
islands being a great novelty, accounted for, in
this instance, by the political events which threw
the trade out of its regular channels.
The principal manufactories of orchilla in Eng
land are London and Liverpool, but there are
many others in different parts of the country. The
chief manufacturers are Messrs. Henry Holmes
and Sons of Liverpool, and Mr. Samuel Preston
Child of London. The manufactured orchilla is
frequently shipped to Germany, Holland, &c., in
its fluid state, with a small proportion of weed in
each cask for the satisfaction of the purchasers.
The inferior qualities of the weed, and also a
variety of mosses that have the same properties as
the orchilla, only in a minor degree, are dried and
ground to a fine powder, which is denominated
cudbear, and is applicable to the same purposes
as the weed itself.*
It is a curious illustration of the importance that
is attached to the weed generally, and to the weed
of the Canaries in particular, that, within the last
twenty years, the latter production was considered
in London as a remittance equivalent to specie,
* A regular trade with Sweden for moss has been long established.
A variety of mosses, different in their growth, but aU producing the
colour foimd in orchilla, are to be met with on the hills and rocky
places, at a distance from the sea, in every country where the weed
'tself is indigenous.

56 ORCHILLA WEED.
and was invariably quoted in the usual channels of
commercial intelligence with the price of gold and
silver, thus :—
Doubloons . . per ounce
Dollars . . ditto
Orchilla Weed . per ton
A bark called the Cape Packet, bound on a
whaling voyage in the Pacific, arrived and sailed
again to-day. Our consort the Diadem transport
arrived this afternoon, and sailed the following
evening, being Saturday 25th.
Sunday, August 26th. — The Consul General, with
his wife and sister, came on board to attend divine
service, and pass the remainder of the day.
Monday, 27th. — Very fine weather. At 7 in the
morning, I accompanied the Rev. Mr. Davy to pass
the day with the Consul's family. A bark from
England, bound to the Cape of Good Hope, an
chored in the roads to-day. A brig, loaded with
timber, bound from Sierra Leone to England, was
cast away on this island some time since, and the
wreck was purchased by our Consul. He accord
ingly made an agreement with some people for the
purpose of having it broken up, with the under
standing that he was to retain the copper bolts,
and they were to have the wood for their labour.
I fear that this did not prove a good speculation
on the side of the Consul, as he found it necessary
to be nearly always on the spot, from a very rea
sonable suspicion that the workmen would steal

CAUSE OF FEVER. 57
some of his bolts. It is not unlikely, that so great
an exposure to the sun as this occasioned him, had
no small share in predisposing him for the fever
that afterwards attacked him.
The cause of so much fever at St. Jago, may be
traced to the peculiar situation of the town,
which stands on an elevation between low swampy
grounds, the exhalations from which pass over it
as they arise.
There are a great number of horses, horned cattle,
goats, pigs, &c. bred here. There was formerly an
extensive traffic in slaves carried on between these
islands and the coast of Africa, which I was in
formed is not yet wholly abolished. The best an
chorage amongthe Cape de Verds is at St. Vincent's.
What should prevent the Portuguese giving it up
to us, so that we might form an establishment for
any ships to call there, instead of going to St. Jago,
where they so often make fever an accompani
ment with their refreshments ? His Majesty's ship
Tweed, visited this place on her way to the Cape
of Good Hope station, and a great proportion of the
young officers who slept on shore, died within a
fortnight afterwards.
The bay abounds with fine fish, yet there are
not many taken, therefore the town is badly sup
plied, owing entirely to the indolence of the inha
bitants. At 5 in the afternoon we made sail out of Porto
Praya, leaving it without regret, except what we felt

58 DEPARTURE FOR SIERRA LEONE.
in parting from the Consul and his family. There
was also a Consul for the United States, but
he was not on friendly terms with Mr. Clark.
Their differences, however, were very soon settled
by the great pacificator, death, for they were not
long after interred near each other in the fort.
Visiting the Portuguese was quite out of the ques
tion, as very few of them had the power of enter
taining strangers, excepting one old woman known
by the name of English Mary, and she was well
paid for her civilities. She could give you a sort
of dinner with bad wine, bad spirits, and fruit.
You could also get your things badly washed here,
that is, wetted and well beaten for money. The
Portuguese troops vary from black to white, with
all the intermediate shades, in ragged party-
coloured clothing : but a truce with the Colonial
Portuguese : — I am now bound to an English
colony, where I fear I shall not find every thing as
it ought to be, and that is Sierra Leone, which
bears from Porto Praya about s.e. by e. ^e. 720
miles. P.S. The port charges at St. Jago are not heavy,
as they do not exceed sixteen dollars for a vessel of
any size or nation.

CHAP. III.
Arrival at Sierra Leone — Mr. Lewis— Black Washerwomen — Visi
tors on board — Capture of Leopards — Mortahty — Funeral of
Mr. Lewis— Education of Native Children— Regimental Mess —
Curious Trials at a Quarter Sessions — Depredations of the Kroo
men — Causes of Unhealthiness — The BooUam Territory — Lieut.
George Maclean's Mission — Election of a King — Regent's Speech
— Macaulay Wilson — ¦Ceremonies of the Coronation — Character
of the Boollams — Christian and Mahommedan Missionaries —
Aspect of the Country — Cession of Boollam to Great Britain —
Extraordinary Trial for Crim. Con. — News of the Death of Mr.
Canning.
Saturday, September 1st, 1827. — There was a
moderate breeze from the s.w. and fine weather to
day. At noon, lat. 9° 20' n. Ion. 16° 6' w. Cape
Sierra Leone s. 73» e. 173 miles. Imagining that
I was avoiding a lady who was intentionally ad
vancing to address me on the quarter deck to-day,
I stepped back and measured my length across the
gunroom skylight, which, fortunately for me, had
a piece of wood lengthways in the middle of it, to
rest the sashes on, or I must have paid the officers
a visit in their mess-room in a very unceremonious
manner; I had however the good luck to escape
with a slight bruise.
Sunday, 2nd — At six in the morning we got
soundings in 50 fathoms of water, and at eight in
29 fathoms. Lat. 8° 29' n. Ion. 13" 56' w. Cape

60 ARRIVAL AT SIERRA LEONE.
Sierra Leone s. 81° e. distant thirty-six miles. At
three in the afternoon we saw the land, and at the
the same time a schooner, (which we afterwards
learned was the Joseph and Mary from Sierra
Leone bound to England.) Soon after this we saw
the brig Ark coming out of the harbour of Sierra
Leone, which returned into port on the 7th, and
sailed again on the 14th of the same month. This
brig had the Aid-de-camp of the late Sir Neil
Campbell on board, who died nearly three weeks
before our arrival, and this officer was the bearer of
despatches relating to Sir Neil Campbell's death,
&c. Shortly before midnight we anchored off the
town of Sierra Leone in 14^ fathoms water, and
found that our consort the Diadem transport had
arrived only a few hours, although she left St. Jago
three days before we started. We had not any
visitors from the shore that night, in consequence
of the lateness of the hour at which we came to
anchor ; but we had a great number on the follow
ing day to make up for it.
Monday, September 3rd. — At 7 in the morning
Mr. Lewis, the agent victualler, came on board to
see Captain Owen, and some of his old friends,
whom he had previously known on board H. M.
ship Leven. This gentleman, however, had ano
ther motive for coming on board at so early an hour ;
he had felt unwell for several days, and having
boasted a good deal about his infallible method of
keeping off the fever, namely, by the use of brandy

BLACK WASHERWOMEN. 61
and water and cigars, he did not choose to apply
to any medical man on shore, knowing that the
circumstance would be immediately spread among
his acquaintances ; he therefore applied to the
surgeon of the Eden for some medicines, which of
course he obtained ; but mark the result — on that
day week the officers of the ship were invited to
attend his funeral.
About 8 o'clock the ship was crowded with black
women, who came on board to procure clothes for
washing. Some brought a little fruit, and all
brought a very long tongue, for there was such a
clatter that it was almost impossible to catch one
word that was said, and they clustered round our
breakfast table without any ceremony, which was
not very pleasant, in consequence of the variety of
odours they carried with them, from the de
lightful one of fruits and flowers, to the broadly
contrasted smells which I suppose were peculiar to
their colour.
In the course of the forenoon Colonel Denham,
Mr. Kenneth Macauley, and many other gentle
men, came on board to wait on Captain Owen,
and the officers. We found that Colonel Lumley,
the Commandant of the troops, had assumed the
reins of government on the decease of Sir Neil
Campbell, (August 14th) with the title of Lieutenant
Governor. We learnt that the place was still very
sickly, but the rainy season w^s drawing to a close,
and sickness diminishing.

62 CAPTURE OF LEOPARDS,
Tuesday, 4^^.— The two previous days had for
a wonder been fine, but the usual weather for
the season returned to-day, namely, frequent and
heavy showers, with a bright sun at intervals.
Took a ride on horseback with Mr. Campbell
before dinner, and afterwards dined with that
gentleman, in company with Dr. Burn.
Mr. Campbell had two leopards, which he
purchased tvith the intention of sending to Eng
land, secured in one of the out-buildings in his
yard. They were brought from the Rio Pongas,
about 80 miles to the northward of Sierra Leone,
and were taken near that river in the folio-wing
manner: — Some black fellows ha-ving discovered
a leopard's den, about a dozen of them, armed
with muskets, placed themselves to watch the de
parture of the dam in quest of prey. When they
went to examine it they found two young ones,
not larger than good sized cats, which they
immediately bagged, and conveyed to the town.
They were soon followed by the dam, but she
would not venture to attack so great a number of
persons; she continued, however, to hover about
the town for several weeks, before she despaired of
recovering her young.
Wednesday, 5<A.— Continued heavy rain in the
morning, and showery throughout the day. We
hired 30 Africans, called Kroomen,* who are
* Although these men are hired under the denomination of Kroo
men, they are generally Kroo, and Fish men, who inhabit the country
between Sierra Leone and our settlement of Cape Coast Castle.

FUNERAL OF MR. LEWIS. 63
always ready to serve as seamen on board of a man
of war, or any other vessel, so long as they con
tinue on that coast. They are usually entered as
supernumeraries on the ship's books for pro-visions
and wages, in the same manner as British seamen.
They are employed on any service which would
expose Europeans too much to the climate, such
as wooding, watering, pulling in boats, &c. I
shall hereafter give further particulars of these
people, and their country.
Saturday, %th.—\ accompanied Mr. Macauley,
to wait on his honour, the Lieutenant Governor,
Colonel Lumley, who continued in his Command
ant's quarters at the barracks, situated on a hill,
which at first rises gradually from the town, but
becomes much steeper as you ascend. We then
accompanied Captain Perry and Mr. Green to the
regimental mess, where we lunched. It is worthy
of remark, perhaps, that three out of four of these
gentlemen, namely, the Lieutenant Governor,
Mr. Macauley, and Mr. Green, whom I was in com
pany with at the barracks this morning, died long
before my return to England. Dined at Mr. Ref-
fell's, the acting Chief Justice, where there was a
large party, consisting of the Lieutenant Governor,
and all the principal official characters of the place.
Captain Owen, &c.
Monday, 10th. — Notwithstanding the heavy
rain to-day, a large party of the friends of the late
Mr.;Lewis, (agent victualler, who died last night

64 EDUCATION OF NATIVE CHILDREN.
at 1 1 o'clock,) assembled at his residence near
King Tom's point, to witness his interment, under
a large tree not far from the house. It was dis
tressing to observe a favourite dog of the deceased
gentleman howling about the grave of his late
master. He offered so much resistance to those
who attempted to remove him, tliat it was with
great difficulty he could be prevented from throw
ing himself into the grave after it had received the
coffin. Mr. Miller, who was a volunteer serving for a
commission in the Royal African Corps, died to
day from the effects of fever.
Tuesday lliA.— Some slight showers in the fore
part of this day, and fine in the afternoon, when
the Rev. Mr. Da-vy took me to -visit a school for
free black children under the charge of Mrs.
Taylor, widow of a late missionary in this colony.
Although this is but a day-school, there is a pro
bability of its doing some good with all who attend
it, and a great deal of service to a few. But
it is in vain to attempt to civilize savage nations
through the medium of book instruction alone.
Previous habits exercise so powerful an influence
over the mind, that the value of precept is hardly
felt. The good impressions which are made by
the teacher in the morning, are obliterated by
the example of ignorant parents in the evening; so
that the result of an education imparted in this
way, is merely to sharpen the natural cunning of

EDUCATION OF NATIVE CHILDREN. 65
youth, and give them an increased power of evil,
by the fragments of information they thus acquire.
If we would have our efforts to improve their
condition, really effective, we should deal with
them as with foundlings. They should be removed
from the contagion of their former intercourse, and
apprenticed out to persons who would look after
their morals, and where they would have no bad
examples set them, so soon as they were capable
of applying their faculties to objects of utility.
The instances are very rare where these African
children have fulfilled the expectations of their
benevolent benefactors ; I am persuaded that an
establishment for a limited number, in which the
end proposed should be the completion of the work
of civilization, would be incalculably superior to
the attempts to accomplish that desirable purpose
-with great numbers in so imperfect a manner.
Wednesday, Sept. 12th. — Heavy and frequent
showers, from last evening till near noon to-day,
when it cleared up, and continued fine all the af
ternoon. This forenoon, I accompanied Mr. Ken
neth Macauley to the Court House, and attended
the opening ofthe general quarter sessions.*
Friday, lAth. — Attended the Court to-day with
* There were only nineteen prisoners in the calendar, one of
whom was a soldier, Patrick Riley, for a desperate attempt to murder
a Serjeant with his bayonet. The rest of the prisoners were prin
cipally Kroomen, and other black fellows, for house-breaking, steal*
ing, &c. &c. F

66 REGIMENTAL MESS.
Mr. Macauley, where I heard various cases of petty
larceny. The morning was fine, but it became
cloudy in the evening, and very dark with much
lightning. The latter is a strong intimation of the
expected tornadoes, with which the rainy season
terminates, as well as commences. . Captains Owen
and Harrison, Lieutenant Woodman (agent for
transports), and myself, dined with the Governor
at his regimental mess. There were also present,
all the principal officers of the civil establishment.
Could our friends in England have witnessed the
hilarity that prevailed at that banquet, in such a
country, and at that melancholy season of the year,
they would have scarcely credited what they saw
and heard. Many who were seated there on that
day, are now no more ! The assistant surgeon of
the North Star, who was serving on board a
schooner, that was tender to that ship, died to-day.
His death was supposed to have been much acce
lerated by the gloomy apprehensions that entered
his mind from the moment he was seized with the
fever. Saturday, 15fA. —Attended the Court, and
heard some amusing trials for house-breaking, and
stealing therefrom ; in one case there were Kroo
men against Kroomen : — Tom Coffee and Bottle of
Beer— against another Bottle of Beer.
Sunday, 16th. — Very fine day. Accompanied
the Rev. Mr. Davy on board the Eden, where he
performed divine service : after which we dined

CURIOUS TRIALS. • 67
with Captain Owen, and returned on shore in the
evening, when I accompanied him to a chapel in
the parish of St. George's, Freetown, where he
performed the evening service. There are a great
number of Independent chapels in the town, sup
ported by the free black population, and with
black preachers. I unfortunately witnessed a trial
in the Court, that did not redound much to the
credit of one of these preachers. As it is very
novel, and not a little amusing in its way, I think
I cannot do better than to give, in its proper place,
the opening speech on the day it occurred, as de
livered in the Court by the plaintiff's counsel, who
was a black gentleman. It was the first cause of
the kind that ever was tried in this cplony, where
morality does not appear to be so highly appre
ciated as in some countries of Europe.
Monday, 17th.— Very fine warm day. I attended
the Court as usual to-day ; and heard two trials of
the same nature as most of the others ; distin
guished also by the same difficulty of obtaining the
truth from most of the witnesses, who are quite in
different to the responsibility of an oath, because
they have no qualms of conscience ; but if their
priests were to fetish them, it is probable they
might be induced to give their testimony more
honestly. Sentence was this day awarded . to all
the prisoners that had been tried, as follows : —
John Rhode, a native of the Rio Pongas, for
petty larceny.

68 TRIALS AT THE QUARTER SESSIONS.
Grando, a Krooman, for assault.
Yellow Will, a Krooman, for receiving stolen
goods.* Peter, a Krooman, for stealing from a dwelling-
house. John Festing, a discharged soldier, for ditto.
Jim Johnson, a liberated African, for grand
larceny. Ben Kroo, a Krooman, for ditto.
Jack Freeman, a Krooman, for receiving stolen
goods.* John Freeman, a Krooman, for ditto.
Several other prisoners found "not guilty,"
were discharged by proclamation, and the sentence
on Patrick Riley, a private soldier in the Royal
African Colonial Corps, for maliciously stabbing
with intent to murder, was respited on the motion
of counsel, until a reference should be made as to
the application to this colony, of the statute under
which he was indicted ; — the 43rd Geo. III. cap.
58th, commonly called Lord EUenboroughs Act.
It is some gratification to know, that, notwith
standing these sessions have been unusually heavy,
still, that out of 19 prisoners in the calendar, only
two were liberated Africans, although this class of
persons forms nine-tenths of the community of the
colony, and that but one of them was found guilty ;
whereas, the time ofthe Court was taken up with the
-* In these cases the principal felons remained unknown.

DEPREDATIONS OF THE KROOMEN. 69
crimes committed by Kroomen, 13 of whom were
tried for various offences. The evidence disclosed in
these cases, afforded the strongest grounds for the
measure now in progress for reducing the number
of such strangers, by sending all above 600 from
the colony ; and more particularly what are termed
headmen. These fellows, who perform no kind of
work, it would seem, from what transpired in two
or three of the robberies brought to light before
the public on this occasion, live on the labour,
and proceeds of plunder, obtained by the younger
hands, who first leave their country under the pro
tection of these headmen, and who are the mere in
struments of this privileged class, contenting them
selves -with planning the felonies committed by
their dependants, and thus generally escaping the
consequences of detection ; while, at the same time,
they alon,e benefit in the pecuniary advaptages of
this criminal course of life. The organization of
professional criminals, and the presence of the
principle of co-operation amongst rogues, who live
by the commission of a variety of depredations on
society, are not confined to such places as London
and Paris. The schemes and resources of the
headmen, considering the limits and differently
constituted sphere of their operations, are quite as
admirable as those of the more practised thieves of
the modern Babylon.
Tuesday, September 19tth. — About one o'clock
this morning, we had a violent tornado, which we

70 TRIAL AT THE QUARTER SESSIONS.
had expected, from the frequent lightning of the
last four or five days ; also, from the near approach
of the termination of the rainy season. The morn
ing was very fresh and clear after it ; but, in the
afternoon, it became cloudy and close. Burglaries
are frequently committed by the Kroomen in
Sierra Leone, under cover of the storm, it being
a favourable time, from the difficulty of hearing
their operations, as well as from the disinclination
the inhabitants feel to go out in such heavy rain
and wind, to examine their stores and out-houses.
Wednesday, 19th. — Hea-vy rain from last even
ing till nine this morning. Attended the Court,
where I heard the trial of an action brought by a
house-carpenter against the executors of an estate,
for work, forming part of a contract that he had
made with the late Tascoe Williams, Esq. ; the ex
ecutors objecting to pay any part, because the
whole of the contract had not been performed,
although it appeared, that he was ready, but they
were not willing, that he should complete it : a
verdict was, of course, given for the carpenter.
At three in the afternoon, I accompanied Capt.
Owen to dine with Capt. Arabin, on board the
North Star, which was to sail for the Gambia on
the following day, taking a detachment of the
Royal African Corps thither, under the command
of Lieutenant Nott. There was, at one period, so
much sickness at Sierra Leone, that this young man
(then an ensign) was the Commanding Officer
IN Barracks !

causes of UNHEALTHINESS. 71
Thursday, September 20th. — Very fine weather.
Accompanied Mr. Macauley in a ride on horse
back, through the grass-field, to a village called
Portuguese Town, and round Barrack Hill, passing
the new, and afterwards the old burying-ground,
&c. The grass-field is said to be that part of Sierra
Leone, which is the principal cause of the un
healthiness of the town, it being, in heavy rains,
partly covered with water ; however, there are
other causes in addition to this, that are said to
contribute to the unhealthiness of the place. One
of these is a belt of wood on the hill above the
town ; which must considerably impede the cur
rent of air, and, if this was cleared and cultivated,
it would greatly improve the salubrity of the place ;
but, I fear, the greatest evil of all is insurmount
able, under existing circumstances, as it is not
-within the control of the colonists. This is the low
marshy land that lies on the other side of the bay,
and directly opposite the town, called the Boollam
shore, where a friend of mine (Lieutenant George
Maclean, Royal African Corps, who is, at present,
at the head ofthe Council at Cape Coast) went a
few months before my arrival, on an important
mission from the Governor of Sierra Leone, to be
present at, and thereby countenance and confirm
their choice in, the election of a king.
The origin of the connection between our colony
at Sierra Leone, and the natives of the Boollam
territory is very interesting, and will form an ap-

72 BOOLLAM TERRITORY.
propriate introduction to a sketch of Lieutenant
Maclean's visit during the election ofa King.
In the year 1804, the colony of Sierra Leone was
attacked by the Native Powers, and a body of
blacks to the northward of the Boollam territories
was put in motion for the purpose of assisting the
other native tribes in overwhelming the white
population at Freetown. The King, or Chief of
the North, (or, as they call themselves, the Sherbro
Boollams,) who has since been known by the name
of King George, and through whose territories the
hostile tribes must needs pass, being a firm ally of
the King of Great Britain, declared that on no
account whatever would he permit them to pass
through his country to attack a British settlement:
and he carried his point so effectually as to render
the expedition fruitless. In consequence of the de
termined and friendly conduct of this Prince, a de
putation of whites from Freetown was despatched to
him, with an invitation to visit Sierra Leone, which
invitation he accepted. While at Freetown, he
was crowned with all solemnity by the name of
King George. He continued on the most amicable
terms with the Government of Sierra Leone until
his death, which took place the 19th of May, 1826,
at the advanced age, it is said, of upwards of one
hundred years, a point which it would be difficult
to ascertain accurately, as these people are entirely
ignorant of their own ages. Since this period the
throne of the Boollams has been vacant ; it being

BOOLLAM TERRITORY. 73
now, however, the intention of the people to proceed
to the choice of a King, according to their custom ;
and it being deemed of considerable importance
from the vicinity of Boollam to Sierra Leone, that
a person should be elected who was known to be
friendly to the English settlement, it was deter
mined by his Excellency the Governor that a per
son should be sent as a commissioner to be present
at the election and coronation ; whose duty it
should be to support the claims and secure the
election of a person known to the English by the
name of Macaulay Wilson, who, being a near
relation of the late King George, and having been
educated in England, being also a man of consi
derable abilities, was deemed in every way worthy
of the throne.
The election of Macaulay Wilson having been
accomplished, it would then become the duty of
the Commissioner, on the part of the English Go
vernment to use every means in his power to induce
the new King, with the numerous chiefs and head
men, to accede to, and sign, a convention, whereby
the sovereignty of Boollam was to be ceded to the
King of Great Britain, under certain Jimitations
and restrictions specified in the treaty. The attain
ment of this point, would, of course, be attended
with great difficulty ; but it had become of the
utmost importance for the suppression of the slave
trade that the attempt should be made ; for slave
dealers who were actually carrying on their traffic

74 LIEUT. Maclean's mission.
in Freetown, upon the least alarm, removed to
Boollam with their unfortunate -victims, and being
then out of British territory were in perfect secu
rity. The following is Lieutenant Maclean's per
sonal narrative of his mission.
" Yougroo, Boollam, Marck 3rd, 1827.
' ' I left Freetown this morning in the Government
barge, with Mr. S. (a person appointed to accom
pany me as interpreter) and arrived in the course
of the evening at the Boollam shore. On landing
I proceeded to Yougroo, called by the late King,
George Town, where I was received by the King
(esse), by Dalmahoumedii, a powerful Mandingo
chief, with a number of other chiefs, and headmen.
" There was a very good house (constructed after
the country fashion) assigned us as a place of resi
dence. After taking possession, I was -visited by
the different chiefs and head men, who came to pay
their respects, or, as they phrase it, -to do service to
me, as representing the Governor of Sierra Leone.
These consisted principally of Boollam chiefs, who
had seldom left their own country ; and a few,
notwithstanding their vicinity to a white colony,
who had scarce ever seen a white man before.
There were, also, not a few Mandingo chiefs, who
had acquired property and influence in Boollam,
and which was daily increasing. These Mandin-
goes are possessed of considerable intelligence and
great cunning, by which means, and by the genius

LIEUT. Maclean's mission. 75
of their religion (Mahommedan), they invariably,
though gradually, acquire the superiority over the
native rulers of those countries in which they choose
to settle. In Boollam this was becoming very
apparent ; and as the Mandingo chiefs are all either
covertly or openly, supposed to be engaged in the
slave trade, and consequently opposed to the Eng
lish Government, I was. instructed particularly to
guard against, and to oppose their interest in the
election of the King. Dalmahoumedii, whom I
mentioned, above, is the principal Mandingo chief
in Boollam, and is by far the best informed man
that I had seen here. He is even well conversant
in European politics. He is a man of large pro
perty, and has a town of his own, called Madina,
inhabited entirely by Mandingoes.
"For the ground-rent of this town and neighbour
hood, he pays a nominal duty to the king of the
Boollams, as his superior, although, in fact, his
power and influence in the country is nearly equal
to the king's own. On the day of my arrival, he
sent me, ready cooked, in the European style, an
excellent dinner, of which I, of course, could not
do less than ask him to partake. Althpugh a Ma
hommedan, he drank wine freely, in compliment, as
he said, to me, although I could perceive that he
enjoyed it exceedingly. He told me, in the course
of conversation (carried on principally through an
interpreter) that he had, at that time, no fewer
than 85 wives. His brother, who had died some

76 customs of THE BOOLLAMS.
time previously, left 75 wives, all of whom he was
entitled, by the custom of his country, to have
married ; he told me, however, that he only chose
45 of them, all of whom he wedded in one day.
In the evening a number of these ladies favoured
us with their company, some of whom were very
fine women. They also seemed to drink their wine
with great relish.
"Rejoicings commenced at sunset, and continued
during the whole night. I had a guard of honour
placed over my residence, to prevent intrusion
during the night ; which, however, I found it im
possible to prevent altogether, as during the elec
tion and coronation of a king, the laws ' sleep,'
nor can any crime, short of murder or an attempt
to murder, be punished during that space of time,
which generally extends to 14 or 16 days. The
natural consequence of this is, that all the most
idle and worthless of the neighbouring nations, or
tribes, flock to a place where they can practise all
manner of crimes with impunity. Many persons,
particularly minstrels, or bards, had walked up
wards of 400 miles from the interior, to be present
at the election about to take place at Yougroo.
"The town of Yougroo, I was told, generally con
tained but about 500 or 600 inhabitants, although,
during the election, &c. there must have been, at
least, 5000 or 6000 persons present.
" The mourners for the deceased king, of whom
there are 16 in number, are the most extraordi-

ELECTION OF A KING. 77
nary figures that can possibly be conceived. One
half of their faces (the upper half) is painted white,
forming a hideous contrast with their black coun
tenances. The mourners (literally ' makers of the
cry,' i. e. lament) are appointed immediately on
the death of the king,* and continue their func
tions until the election of a new king takes place,
however long it may be before that event may
happen. They are generally girls of from ten to
fourteen years of age, and are, while mourners,
held sacred and inviolate.
" Sunday, March 4ih. — This day was appointed
for the formal election of a successor to the throne
of King George. By noon, the whole of the chiefs
and headmen were assembled in the Palaver House,
when the Regent, or person appointed to admi
nister the government during the interregnum, pro
posed, in a speech of some length, John Macaulay
Wilson to be the future King of the Boollams.
Previous to this, a deputation had been sent re
questing my presence. I accordingly attended in
full dress, along with Mr. S  . The Re
gent's speech, as literally translated by my inter
preter, and immediately after noted down by me,
was as follows : —
* King George was the first king of Boollam, that had been al
lowed to die a natural death, through fear of getting ' a palaver,' as
they term it, with Sierra Leone. Previous to this, they always
(despatched their kings wJien they considered them about to expire,
sacrificing two human victims, whom they buried in the same grave.

78 regent's SPEECH.
" ' We have now met, headmen and brethren,
to perform a great duty, and to exercise a great
privilege. It becomes our duty to elect a successor
to our vacant throne, "the cry" (i. e. the mourn
ing) being about to close. We have now no king ;
if we look to his hearth, there is no one there ; if
we call upon our king, no one answers ; thus are
we, as children without a father; as a family with
out a head ; whom then shall we choose to sit in
the seat of our late venerable king ? Who shall walk
in the footsteps of him, whose sayings were the
sayings of wisdom, and out of whose mouth pro
ceeded justice : whom, I say, shall we elect, but
his own son,* who listened to him when alive, and
who will not forget him now that he is dead ?
" ' You have long known this person ; and you
know that he will not bring disgrace upon your
choice ; but that he will do those things which a
King of the Boollams ought to do ; that he will
discourage wickedness, encourage the righteous,
and do justice to all men ; I therefore propose that
John Macaulay Wilson be elected King of the
Boollams. 't The speaker of the above was an
old man, highly respected by all classes, named,
' Nain Banna.' It becomes his duty, immediately
* Meaning that the late king loved him as a son.
f It is but right to state, that the above speech was read over
sentence by sentence, to the person who spoke it, and that he de
clared it to be almost literally reported, and seemed much astonished
how it could have been taken down.

KING ELECTED. 79
on the king's death, to assume the government as
Regent ; he is, however, on that account ineligible
for the throne.
" After some conversation among the chiefs, con
sisting principally of tributes of praise to the late
king, it was formerly announced to me, ' that
John Macaulay Wilson was elected King of the
Boollams : — that he held the Boollam Country in
the palm of his hand : — and that the scales of jus
tice hung upon his finger.' I was also entreated
to report to his Excellency the Governor of Sierra
Leone, the choice they had made, and their hopes
that it would meet with his approbation. The
people expecting that I should address them, I
rose, and by my interpreter, said, ' that I should
not fail to report to my master. His Excellency
the Governor of Sierra Leone, the good order and
unanimity which had prevailed in the assembly ;
that I had no doubt but His Excellency would
approve of the object of their choice that day ; that
from what I had heard of their new king, I had
no doubt, but that he would justify the confidence
they had placed in him ; and I trusted that the
same good sense and attention to the true interests
of their country, which they had shewn that day,
would guide all their future deliberations. In con
clusion, I begged leave to congratulate them, on
having chosen such a ruler ; and to congratulate
their king, on the distinction that day conferred
upon him.'

80 CEREMONIES OF THE CORONATION.
"The day closed as usual with every manner of
licentiousness. ^^ Monday, March 5^^.— This being the day ap
pointed for the inauguration of the new king, it
was ushered in with the firing of musketry and
other demonstrations of joy. At 10 a. m. the
chiefs and headmen assembled, and immediately
proceeded to the performance of certain mysteries,
which take place in the depths of the bush ; and
to which the initiated only are admitted.
"At noon they emerged from the bush, having
the new king with them ; whom they now re
garded as a complete stranger, providentially sent
them from heaven to be their ruler.
"A deputation now requested my presence at the
Palaver House, to which they were then conduct
ing the king ; the headmen and people dancing
around him, as he passed through the streets, in
the most fantastic manner. On my arrival the
late Regent pronounced a very long harangue in
the Boollam language, which was repeated sen
tence by sentence in the Mandingo and English by
the respective interpreters. In this speech, which
however I did not note down, Nain Banna re
hearsed what had from time immemorial been the
practice of the Boollams, in cases such as the pre.
sent, and declared that all the rites and mysteries
proper for the occasion, had been duly performed.
He then pronounced a long encomium on the
virtues of their late king, and concluded by paying

CEREMONIES OF THE CORONATION. 81
his respects to the new king, and myself, respec
tively, which he ended with the highest term of
respect which the Boollams know : — ' May you
live for ever.'
" He then requested permission to introduce to
the assembly, a stranger whom they were in future
to revere, ' King Bey Sherbro ;'* after which. Bey
Sherbro received the homage of his subjects.
During this time a number of minstrels played
upon their several instruments, some of which
were very ingenious and musical. Those in par
ticular, who had come a long distance from the
interior, executed with spirit and taste some very
beautiful airs ; much finer, indeed, than any
native music I had yet heard. They accompanied
their instruments with extempore recitatives in
praise of those chiefs whom they knew. I was, of
course, included, as they expected that I would be
inclined to reward them handsomely. Each min
strel of any repute had a person attached to him
by way of fool or jester, several of whom acted
their parts very well, and strongly reminded me
of Shakspeare's clowns.
"Dalmahoumedii was in the assembly, surround
ed by a number of followers, but he appeared to
feel that he had lost ground. He took no part in
the proceedings.
"If it were fair to estimate the character of a
* The new appellation of John Macaulay Wilson.
1 G

82 CHARACTER OF THE BOOLLAMS.
people, by their conduct during a period of un
bounded license, I should say that they were gene
rally, almost universally, a nation of thieves,
idlers, and drunkards. It was with difficulty, in
deed, I could preserve my own private stock of
wines, &c. I was assured, however, that such is not
their general character, although they are, no doubt,
like all Africans, extremely indolent and attached
to the old customs of their country. To even the
most absurd and superstitious of these, they cling
with such tenacity, that it would be a work of in
calculable labour, and of many years, to induce
them to abandon them altogether, even after they
should be made conscious of their absurdity and
barbarity. The European Missionaries of the
present day would never do it. It was attempted
some years ago with much zeal, but there is not at
this moment, I believe, a single convert to Chris
tianity in Boollam, to reward the labour, or repay
the expense, which was lavished on that object.
But a very different success has attended the efforts
of the disciples of Mahommed in propagating the
doctrines of the crescent. Not only in Boollam,
but in all the neighbouring districts ; even in the
Peninsula of Sierra Leone itself, there are twenty
converts to the crescent, for One to the cross ; and
the reason is obvious ; the Christian Missionaries
begin at the wrong end ; they insist upon first
making people Christians, and then morality and
civilization, they say, follow as matters of course :

CHRISTIAN AND MAHOMMEDAN MISSIONARIES. 83
and they present Christianity in its most inattrac-
tive form, to men accustomed to the uncontrollable
indulgence of their passions. The Mahommedans
know the genius of the people better, and without
altering the spirit of their religion, they exhibit it
in a manner exactly suited to that genius, as far as
regards externals ; and in such a form, that the
adoption of it even flatters the vanity of the con
vert. Thus, in the article of dress, the Mahomme
dans have a peculiar or distinguishing cap ; to be
entitled to wear which, is, in itself, a matter very
flattering to the vanity of the young worshipper of
the crescent ; and I am convinced, that were it in
cumbent upon Christians to wear in public a red
cross on the shoulder or hat, that it would be the
means of drawing many to listen to the doctrines
of Christianity : and really I can see no sin in the
means thus adopted.
" This evening I despatched the barge to Sierra
Leone, with an account of our progress, and
requesting the Convention to be immediately
transmitted, together with the usual presents to be
given to the new King and chiefs. In the mean
time every measure was taken, and argument used
(with occasional presents), to induce the chiefs and
headmen to consent to the cession of the sove
reignty of the country to Great Britain.
' ' Tuesday, March 6th  This morning I walked out
to make a few observations, and to form some idea
of the capabilities of the Boollam country. What

84 ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY.
struck me, in the first instance, was the great fer
tility, and natural beauty ofthe surrounding coun
try, which it was really painful to contrast with the
extreme ignorance and indolence of its inhabitants.
There is not, perhaps, a country under Heaven
more calculated tp repay the exertions of industry,
from the richness and fertility of the soil ; as also
from the flatness of the country, which would pre
vent the soil from being carried away by the rains
when cleared of the bush. It is in my opinion far
more adapted for agricultural purposes than the
Sierra Leone side of the bay. Spices of almost
every description grow naturally and in abundance ;
and it would require but little capital, with indus
try, to make the soil produce sugar, coffee, tobacco,
and indigo in great plenty. In short, the produce
of the Boollam countiy might, without very great
labour be made to rival that of either our East or
West India possessions, in fact almost every article
imported into Great Britain from either is indige
nous to this soil. The indolent and lazy natives,
however, cultivate little excepting rice. The arti
cles procured from the British settlement at Sierra
Leone, such as fire-arms, gunpowder, tobacco, rum,
&c. are got in exchange for timber, and occasionally
labour. " During my residence in Boollam, it frequently
struck me, that a British Settlement on the Bool
lam coast would be highly desirable, say at Ma
dina. For the reasons stated above, I am almost

CESSION OF BOOLLAM TO GREAT BRITAIN. 85
certain that practical agriculture would soon become
prevalent, inasmuch as it would soon become pro
fitable. Another, and a very strong inducement to
settlers would be, that Madina, and indeed the
whole range of the Boollam coast, is very healthy.
What is called the country fecer in Sierra Leone, is
scarcely known in Boollam.
" To-day five or six of the mourners came to do
ser-vice to me, which they performed by bending
their heads to the earth, and, in that position,
moaning in a low tone the praises of the deceased
King, mixed with compliments to myself.
" At midnight I received letters from Sierra
Leone, by which I had the satisfaction of learning
that His Excellency approved of my measures.
''Wednesday, March 7 th. — This day I succeeded
in removing the numberless evasions and objec
tions urged by the chiefs against the treaty.
" In effecting this measure Mr. S — 's exertions
were of the greatest service.
"In the evening we were a good deal amused
by the natives fishing on the beach. They caught
a great number of fish, such as snappers, cat-fish,
soles, sharks, &c.
''Thursdaydtth. — This day the convention arrived,
and the blanks being filled up, and the treaty so
lemnly signed and ratified, I had the satisfaction on
Friday, March 9th, 1827, of hoisting the British
flag, and of taking possession of Boollam in the
name of His Britannic Majesty."

86 TRIAL FOR CRIM. CON.
Such is the narrative of Lieutenant Maclean,
respecting a people whose habits are as peculiar as
his account of them must be interesting to English
men. September 21st, 1827. — On this day I attended
the Court, to hear the trial to which I have
already alluded. It was a case of adultery, and
the parties were all free blacks. The action was
brought by a carpenter against the Rev. Samuel
Thorpe, a preacher at one of the Independent
chapels, for criminal conversation with his wife ;
and, as I have a copy from the records of the
Court, I think it will be much more satisfactory to
insert the document in full, than to supersede it by
any desultory remarks of my own. It -will give a
clear and characteristic idea of the state of society
amongst these people. The occurrence was so un
usual, that it created no small astonishment, that
such a case should be brought into Court. The
following is the address of the plaintiff"s counsel,
and the verdict. BERNARD V. THORPE.
" Gentlemen ofthe Jury,
" I bespeak your attention and indulgence. I
am not only this day the advocate of my client,
but I am lending my humble efforts to defend,
perhaps I ought to say, assert, the divine right
and sacredness of the social compact of marriage,
the palladium of every married man's family, hap-

TRIAL FOR CRIM. CON. 87
piness and comfort. I will remind you, gentle
men of the jury, that this is the first action of the
kind that has been tried on these boards since the
colony has been ceded to the British crown. —
Among you, gentlemen of the jury, I see fathers,
brothers, and husbands, to all I appeal this day on
behalf of my client, and of this colony. Shew the
world this day, by your verdict, that you will not
suffer with impunity the foul crime of adultery to
be committed in the face of a rising family ; shew
the value in which you hold the solemn engage
ments of your female relatives ; let your verdict
warn the seducer that he dare not trespass on any
man's honour, or blight with apathy, for one mo
ment, any pleasure or gratification of his conjugal
tenderness. " It has been too common in actions of this
kind, for the defendant to treat with contumely
the humble situation of the injured prosecutor. I
do not apprehend much from any such attempt in
this cause. I acknowledge, gentlemen, that my
client is a very humble individual, but he is a re
spectable and an honest man, by trade a carpenter.
I see, gentlemen, on your countenances, that his
humble lot shall not deprive him from having his
happiness considered as dear to him as to any man,
and equally inviolate ; for you need not be told,
that the comforts and happiness of the rich and
the poor originate from one source : as it is not
necessary to be rich to feel with acuteness the pain

88 TRIAL FOR CRIM. CON.
to which our weak frames are subject, or to enjoy
with, zest the most pleasurable sensations, so the
poor possess the same advantages ; indeed, it is
the poor to whom family happiness must be the
greatest solace ! the rich have various resources to
derive comfort from ; the poor seldom more than
centres in their family. But before I attempt to de
scribe to you the sufferings of my client, I shall enter
rather minutely into the actual situation in life in
which the plaintiff and defendant in this action are
placed : if unnecessary to some of you, yet there
may be others who naturally demand this expla
nation should be given ; I trust this will be ad
mitted as my apology.
" I will begin with the defendant; because, in
deed, gentlemen, he is the more highly favoured
man ; I mean, gentlemen, that Providence has
blessed him with a much greater share of this
world's goods ; he is known to man by the solemn
designation of the Rev. Samuel Thorpe ; yes, gen
tlemen, the defendant in this action, for criminal
conversation with the wife of my client, is, or very
lately was, a preacher of morality ; an expounder
of that divine doctrine which inculcates the pre
cept, ' Do unto others, as you would have others
do unto you ;' he is a gentleman, who, beholding
with horror the degeneracy of the times, and be
lieving, no doubt, it required some extraordinary
exertions to recal us unto virtue, has voluntarily,
for no idea of gain, or means of livelihood, pub-

TRIAL FOR CRIM. CON. 89
licly devoted his talents to the pulpit. Such con
duct, if we had not other most opposite circum
stances to disclose, would have called forth our ad
miration and applause ; for, gentlemen, the pulpit,
in the sober use of its legitimate peculiar powers,
must stand acknowledged, while the world shall
stand. The most important and effectual guard.
Support and ornament of virtue's cause.
" The defendant, gentlemen, is also a rich man;
he is, to say the least, in very easy circumstances;
we see, in this colony, several valuable possessions
of his ; and we behold, at one ofhis houses, a store
from which is retailed valuable merchandise. The
defendant, gentlemen, I am instructed to say, is
verging towards the decline of life ; to have ar
rived at those years, when the hey-day of the blood
might well be expected to have gone by, and that,
while he preached morality, he would find no con
stitutional impediment to prevent his practising it.
I am persuaded, gentlemen, that, if a cause of the
present nature had been brought before you, in
which the defendant had been a young unmarried
man, you would have made some allowance for the
infatuation of his youthful passions ; but when, as
in the present instance, we find experienced age ;
the well-informed man ; the promulger of that
divine law, which denounces everlasting punish
ment to the adulterer, is brought before you,
charged, although a married man, with this of-

90 TRIAL FOR CRIM. CON.
fence, I feel I must, indeed, commit an act of
injustice to you all, if I did not declare, that, in
such a case, I am convinced your feelings cannot
be otherwise than aroused to visit such a criminal
with your vengeance.
" My instructions suggest to me more than I
will utter ; yet, I must confess, that I have been
struck with the sacred profession of the defendant,
and the pertinacity with which it appears he com
mitted the offence against my client, for which
you are now called upon to award him the only
remuneration the law allows ; I cannot refrain from
asserting my belief, that the defendant's feelings
must have been strangely perverted ; he, doubt
less, made his full calculation upon his outward
profession, and his inward inclinations, and, I be
lieve, I do him no more than justice, when I put
into his mouth, and suppose by him uttered in his
private moments, the expression used by an arch
hypocrite of former days :
I sigh, and with a piece of scriptm-e.
Tell them God bids us do good for evil :
And thus I clothe my naked villany
With odds and ends stol'n forth of Holy Writ ;
And seem a saint, when most 1 play the devd.
" I regret, very much regret, gentlemen ofthe
jury, I am thus obliged as a faithful advocate
before you ; but I have still another feature to
disclose, and here I must declare, that it has as
tonished me more than I shall attempt to describe.

TRIAL FOR CRIM. CON. 91
I alluded before, gentlemen, to the circumstance
of the defendant's being a married man. Yes ! he
has a wife living in Freetown, whom (from fear she
should take a right from his substance) he has
turned out upon the world ! to the generosity — the
kindness — of the stranger ! surely we may infer,
that he may be left at home with more ample means
to gratify his passions. He has also no children ;
this I am sorry for on his account ; surely he
would have paused before he would have offered
them such an example ; before he would systema
tically set about the seduction of a woman, sur
rounded even by her grand-children.
" I turn now to my client ; but, indeed, I have
little more to add respecting him. He is poor,
because he has many claims on his industry ; his
wife has born him several children ; and some of
these children are grown up, and married, and in
their turn have children ; the connexion between
the plaintiff and his wife has therefore been of long
standing, in fact on their entrance into life they
became attached to each other. The connexion
was not for several years sanctioned by the rites of
our religion, but it was not less a marriage ; the
assent of the heart was complete, and it has been
sanctioned by what the parties thought binding ;
further ceremony could only add more publicity to
the engagement. Yet after many years mutual
intercourse, they resolved to give that intercourse
every tie, and were consequently legally married

92 TRIAL FOR CRIM. CON.
according to the rites ofthe Church of England. I
mention these particulars because I apprehend my
learned friend will set about pulling their family
history to pieces, and endeavour to shew that my
client and his wife might have had some little
family jars ; be it so, gentlemen, let him make the
endeavour : I will tell him that their jars are the
pleasures of the married life ; they are the torna
does of the marriage state, which clear away the
mists and fogs, that, alas, will at times intrude
themselves, to make the succeeding calm more sus
ceptible of enjoyments ; I warn you I speak by
experience ; and my learned friend Samo, on this
sacred subject, can offer nothing but theory ; think,
gentlemen, how dearly'they must have valued each
other, when after a lapse of many years — after all
their little storms of life — they yet resolve to make
their union indissoluble, by adding thereto the
celebration of those rites of our church, which has
for its maxim ' that those whom God has thus
joined together no man shall put asunder.'
" Contrast this with the conduct ofthe defendant,
his own wife an exile from his bed and board, for
no cause, except the lordly will of the defendant.
A woman, against whom scandal has not yet dared
to whisper ; still, (although she has suffered much
from the violent conduct of her husband) still, I
say, striking' for personal attractions and accom
plishments ; and is avowedly of an unspotted
character. Let the defendant, therefore, but at-

TRIAL FOR CRIM. CON. 93
tempt to pry further than he has done into the
private habits of my client, as regards his wife,
and I shall not hesitate still further to tear down
the beautiful appearance of adopted sanctity, sim
plicity, and innocence of deportment, with which
he has hedged himself round.
"My client had been often led to believe that all
was not right between his wife and the defendant,
even before the time of the criminal conversation
now prosecuted for. I am aware that my learned
friend may allege that : —
Trifles light as air.
Are to the jealous confirmation strong
As proof of holy writ ;
"But, gentlemen, can you for a moment believe
that there was no art, no perseverance, no con
tinued attention, no working on the passions before
the criminal moment ; but that the victim fell at
once into the commission of the adulterous inter
course alleged ? Human nature forbids such an
idea. The female mind, always timid, would
think of her ties — her husband— her children —
her grand-children; and prevent her, before, at
least, all her fears. I challenge the defendant to
name, even in one slight instance, any thing in the
conduct of my client's wife, that such a ready
compliance could be expected.
"On Thursday night, the 17th of May last,
between nine and ten o'clock at night, the defen
dant sent his lad to call Mrs. Polly Bernard to his

94 TRIAL. FOR CRIM. CON.
house. You must know, gentlemen, that Mr.
Samuel Thorpe then lived (and for aught I know
does now) in the same street, and within a short
distance of the dwelling of my client, but which
was then exclusively occupied by his wife. The
object of thus sending for Mrs. Bernard by the
defendant, is alleged, I am informed, for the
simple purpose of making his bed. It is really
astonishing that this gentleman could not be con
tent to have his bed made by some ofhis men
servants ; that he did not hire a female, consider
ing his ample means. Now the real object for
which Mrs. Bernard was thus called to the house
of the defendant became soon apparent. After her
ingress the light ceased to throw its shade through
the casement— the windows and doors were closed
upon the guilty pair. Too much cunning gene
rally defeats its own intention : not far distant from
this scene of unhallowed pleasure stood the keen
eye of jealousy, watching the progress of the night
in order to preserve what custom had made her
consider as her own. Yes, gentlemen, Mrs. Samuel
(another intimate acquaintance ofthe Rev. Samuel
Thorpe,) some time after Mrs. Bernard had entered
the house of the defendant, rushed to the house —
knocked at the door and got admittance. On get
ting inside, the only object she sought was Mrs.
Bernard. Although in the dark she called her by
name— what eye so keen as that of a jealous wo
man : she attacked Mrs. Bernard, as Mrs. B. sat

TRIAL FOR CRIM. CON. 95
on the bed of Mr. Samuel Thorpe. Both females
exerted themselves to the utmost ; one to the assault,
the other to repel such violence. Only conceive,
gentlemen, what a fine figure for the painter and
the moralist was here exhibited ; at the dark hour
of night, two married women fighting most lustily
in the bed-chamber of the pious defendant ; while
he (taken by surprise) kept pacing his piazza,
unable to recollect what he had best do, and trem
bling with fear that the indiscreet uproar would
lead to his exposure. I will pass over the effects
of excited passion, and merely inform you, that to
identify the person so as to leave no subterfuge,
Mrs. Samuel carried away as trophies ofher resent
ment, some handkerchiefs and an ear-ring, she had
taken from Mrs. Bernard.
"Well then, gentlemen of the jury, you see the
defendant, detected in connection with the wife of
one man, by the wife of another, whose passions he
had raised to jealousy by prior intercourse — whe
ther criminal, or not, I leave to your judgment —
that is not, to-day, my duty to decide.
" Mrs. Samuel, in the excited feelings of the
moment, smarting under the seeming neglect and
vacillating conduct of the defendant, as regarded
herself, flies from house to house, spreading the
dishonour of the plaintiff ; the news soon reaches
the injured husband ; his wife has absconded from
consciousness of guilt — he seeks her out, charges
her with her crime — she confesses it — and now,

96 NEWS OF MR. canning's DEATH.
gentlemen, he is forced to fly to you, to redress his
wounded sensibility and affection."
The Jury, having heard counsel on the other side
returned a verdict for the plaintiff, damages Fifty
Pounds. The schooner Thomas arrived from England
this morning after a passage of 35 days. By her
we heard of the death of Mr. Canning, which
caused an extraordinary sensation. A warm dis
cussion sprang up among the Freetown politicians,
as to who should form the next Ministry, each
person, of course, electing a Prime Minister for
himself, and making a Cabinet after his own taste.

CHAP. IV.
Auction at Sierra Leone — Timber Establishments in the River —
Tombo, Bance and Tasso Islands — Explosion of a Vessel at Sea
— Liberated Africans — Black Ostlers — Horses Imported — Slave
Vessel — Colonial Steam Vessel — Road and Street Repairs —
Continued Rains — Suggestion for preserving the Health of
European Seamen — General Views of the Colony — Population
— Parishes — Supply of Provisions — Description of Freetown —
Curious Letter from Black Labourers — Original Settlers — Present
Inhabitants — ^Trade -with the Interior — Strange Customs of Native
Merchants — Anecdote of Sailors — Injurious Example of the
Royal African Corps — Vaccination of Natives — Medical Opinion
— Departure from Sierra Leone.
Monday, Sept. 24th. — Still stronger signs of the
breaking up of the rainy season, more frequent
hea-vy showers, with thunder and lightning for the
last two days. A fine morning, but squally and
showery in the afternoon. There was an auction
held to-day of the effects ofthe late Tasco Williams,
Esq.; one peculiar feature of which is worth noting.
The persons who had assembled were hospitably
entertained with bread and cheese, and abundance
of -wine and spirits, with a view, no doiAt, to in
crease the animation and excitement of the scene.
Whether the bidders became extravagant in con
sequence, I do not know, but I think it very
likely ; at all events I suspect that the auctioneer
was trying an experiment on the animal spirits
1 H

98 TIMBER ESTABLISHMENTS.
of the company. This custom, although by no
means familiar to Englishmen, is very generally
practised in the north of England. It is probably
a relique of ancient manners.
I left Freetown, about five in the afternoon,
with Mr. McCormack to visit his timber establish
ment at the island of Tombo, a distance of twenty
miles up the river, which we made, -with a slight
breeze, in about three hours. We passed two simi
lar establishments, the one on Tasso, and the other
on Bance Island, of the former of which Messrs.
Babington and Macauley are the proprietors, the
latter belonging to Mr. Williams. The account I
received of Mr. McCormack's enterprise was fiiU
of interest.
When that gentleman first visited Tombo, he
found the interior covered with a dense jungle,
and the shores choked up with mangroves. There
was only one solitary hut on the island near the
beach, which was used as a resting place for boats
trading up the river. At that time there was a
slave factory in full occupation at Bance Island.
It would be very difficult to compute the expense,
and almost impossible for persons who are not
practically acquainted with African mangroves
and jungle, to estimate the exertion and perseve
rance which must have been necessary to bring
this place to its present state of improvement.
The wildness of the surface has given way before
the hand of industry, and that which was some

MR. McCORMACKS ESTABLISHMENT. 99
years before a wilderness of underwood, now pre
sents an aspect of cultivation. The whole of this
point is as clear as the streets of Freetown ; and
on a fine open situation, where the breeze plays
from almost every point of the compass, an excel
lent stone house, with out-offices, has been erected.
The site is well chosen and the building is scarcely
inferior to the best houses in Freetown. The
upper part is used as a private dwelling, and the
lower part is appropriated to storage. A good
boat-house, a saw-pit, upwards of twenty plastered
huts, for the mechanics and labourers employed
on the spot, and a well cut through the solid rock,
from whence excellent water is obtained, complete
the conveniences of the establishment.
Mr. McCormack does not fell any timber in the
island ; he merely uses his location here as a
depot for the wood which is brought down the
rivers Rokelle and Porto Logo from the upper
countries. For this trade he contracts with the
natives inhabiting the lands lying near the shores
of the rivers, and the wood is floated down on rafts
to Tombo, where ships come to take in their cargoes.
The African oak is so hea-vy that the natives are
obliged to raft it on wood of a much lighter specific
gravity. This trade is of considerable benefit both
to our colonists and the native tribes. It not only
promotes a friendly intercourse between them, but
affords constant employment to great numbers of
the latter, by which they are enabled to secure

100

EXPORT OF TIMBER.

many of the comforts of civilized life, of whicli
they must otherwise have been destitute. It has
also had the happy effect of releasing them from
vassalage, which formerly prevailed universally,
and which was in some degree necessary as a pro
tection against the arbitrary power of the different
chiefs during the existence of the slave trade.
A statement of the annual export of timber from
Tombo, since the commencement in 1816, will shew
with what rapid strides the trade has increased.

In 1816
1817
1818
1819
1820 1821
1822 1823
1824 1825
1826

716 logs.
7,087 do.
1,341 do.
2,251 do.
6,271 do.
4,454 do.
1,429 do.
4,593 do.
10,093 do.
22,206 do.
24,456 do.

There is a mud bar across the river about one
mile and a half below Tombo ; and as the depth
here is not more than 14 feet at high water, vessels
ought not to load more than 13 feet before they
drop below.
Tuesday, Sept. 25th. — Heavy rain in the night,
but a fine warm day. Soon after noon I left Tombo,
and visited Bance Island. The only objects of
interest that presented theihselves were the remains

CURIOUS EPITAPH. 101
of an old slave factory, and a burial ground. The
road to the latter place was by a path through a
lime and orange plantation, which grew so luxu
riantly that it quite obstructed our way, and we
were compelled to have a black pioneer, who went
before us with a sword to cut down the thorny
branches. In this remote and lonely place I found the
following epitaph on a tombstone, which appeared
to me so curious that I caused it to be tran
scribed. Here lies
The Residue of
The Honourable Sea Captain,
George Andrew Hioet,
Born in Denmark, the 6th of September, 1746,
Married January 8th, 1766,
to the virtuous Lady
Mary Catherine Schive,
who, extremely sorrowful,
with two good-natured Daughters,
deplores
the too early Death
of this now eternally-blessed Person.
Died on the Coast of Guinea,
the 15th October, 1783.
His Body reposes here,
waiting for a glorious Resurrection,
whilst his Soul is in the hands of God,
where no pain can reach.
In this place we discovered a tombstone of the
date of 1680, but unfortunately the inscription was
illegible.

102 ALLIGATORS.
We made an excursion to the island of Tasso
before dinner, and returned to Bance Island where
we passedth e night. On approaching Tasso, we saw
a large alligator, which Mr. McCormack fired at,
but apparently without any effect. It is a well-
known fact that the scales of these creatures will
turn a bullet. They abound in the river, and are
very fearless and ravenous. Some of the men be
longing to the timber rafts, who incautiously trusted
themselves in the water, have been on several oc
casions seized by the alligators and carried off,
sometimes escaping with the loss of a leg or an
arm ; at other times, when the people on the rafts
happened to sit at the sides, with their feet hanging
over, the alligators have been known to seize them
by their legs and drag them into the water. They
have been taken of the enormous length of 18 feet.
Wednesday, Sept. 26th. — The night being very
fine, we got up at half-past two, and left Bance
Island to return to Sierra Leone, where we arrived
in less than four hours, pulling the whole way,
having a very fine boat belonging to Mr. McCor
mack, with a crew of able bodied blacks.
Mr. McCormack related to me the foUowins,- cir-
cumstance which occurred to him in a vessel trading
along the Gold Coast, and by which he was placed
in a situation of great peril. In the middle of the
night he heard a sudden cry of " Fire," and at the
same moment a volume of flame issued from the
fore-hatchway ; in a lew seconds after another burst

SHIP ON FIRE. 103
forth from the main hatchway ; so that before he
had time to collect his thoughts as to what ought
to be done, the whole of the middle of the vessel
was in a blaze. The crew were thrown into con
sternation, and speedily crowded the deck in a state
of confusion, bordering on frenzy. The despair of
their situation was increased bj* a knowledge of the
fact, that a great quantity of gunpowder, which
had been embarked for the coast trade, was stowed
below, while there was but one available boat to
get off the men before the ship should be blown into
the air, which they momently expected. But there
was no time for reflection : each man looked to
his own safety, and a rush took place, through the
fire, towards the after-part of the deck, to reach the
boat. The poor fellows who thus risked a passage
through the flames, that now curled up fearfully,
and swept the whole surface of the vessel, were
dreadfully burned, and looked more like demons
than men. But, at last, after much difficulty,
they succeeded in lowering the boat into the sea.
Those, however, who got in first, seeing that the
whole crew must inevitably perish if they suf
fered a greater number to crowd the* boat than
she could with safety contain, pushed off from
the ship as speedily as they could. If they had
yielded to the impulse of their feelings, every soul
must have perished ; for, although they might
have escaped from the fire, they must, of necessity,
have swamped the boat. Fortunately, however.

104 LIBERATED AFRICANS.
the boat got off in safety; but she had made a very
short distance when the vessel blew up. Several
poor wretches, seeing that their fate was not to be
averted, had leaped into the sea, and were drowned;
while others, who clung despairingly to the vessel,
were annihilated by the force of the explosion. One
poor black boy, nerved by desperation, flung him
self overboard, and swam after the boat, which,
with great exertion, he overtook. Through Mr.
McCormack's interposition he was taken on board.
The crew of the boat, so sudden was their resolu
tion taken, had not time to provide themselves
with a supply of provisions, although they were a
considerable distance from the shore : they snatched
up such trifling articles as happened to be at hand
in the hurry of their departure, and trusted them
selves to Providence for the rest. This melancholv
accident was occasioned by the insubordination of
some of the sailors, who forced their way through
the bulk-head into the fore-hold, to get at a cask
of spirits.
In the evening I accompanied Mr. Macauley in
a drive to the village of Kissey, one of the settle
ments of liberated Africans. Its population is nearly
a thousand souls, composed of the descendants
of natives of Aco, who were taken from a slave
vessel on the river Lagos in the Bight of Benin.
The immediate neighbourhood of this village, which
is aboutiAie miles from Freetown, supplies a great
part ofthe grain and vegetables that are brought to

SCHOOL FOU FEMALES. 105
that market. We called on the Doctor of the
village, who was a black man, and we afterwards
went to the chapel, where we heard a liberated
African preach to his black brethren.
Thursday, September 27th. — I dined with a party
at the house of Colonel Denham, the celebrated
African traveller. I would gladly offer a tribute
of admiration and respect to the memory of this
distinguished gentleman, but the language of
panegyric is superfluous.
Our party consisted of the Lieutenant-Governor,
Captains Owen and Harrison, of the navy ; Dr.
Barry, ofthe medical staff, &c. &c.
Friday, September 2%th. — Soon after noon I ac
companied Captains Owen and Harrison, Mr.
Reffle, the acting Judge, and the Rev. Mr. Davy,
all mounted on good steeds, to visit some of the
¦villages established for the liberated Africans.
The first part of our journey was very hilly. We
passed through Gloucester and Regent Town,
on our way to Bathurst, near which we were over
taken by a thunder storm ; but, before the heaviest
part of it reached us, we got into good quarters at
Mr. Da-vy 's residence, where we found Mrs. Davy
expecting us, and prepared to entertain us in a
most friendly and hospitable manner. This lady
undertakes to instruct the African females, of all
ages, not only in the mere education of letters, but
in all the moral duties of civilized society. As a
proof that her efforts were not altogether unavail-

106 BLACK OSTLERS.
ing, it may be observed, that her domestics con
sisted of some of her pupils, whom she had selected
for the performance of the household duties. Mo
rality here is at a very low ebb amongst the adult
native population, and infidelity in the married
state is a common occurrence. During our short
stay, a poor fellow came to complain to Mr. Davy
that his wife had gone to live with another man,
and that when he went to demand her restoration,
the guilty paramour and his friends turned him off
with a sound beating. The circumstance did not
seem to excite much surprise, although Mr. Davy
gave every possible attention to the poor fellow's
case, as he never omitted any opportunity of exert
ing his influence for the moral benefit of the com
munity. In the course of the day I had an opportunity of
examining a snake which a Timmanee black car
ried, as ladies wear boas in England, round his
neck, which is a common practice. It was about
a yard long, and six inches in circumference. The
blacks frequently extract the teeth of these reptiles,
even those of the most venomous species, a process
which renders them harmless. In the evening we
returned to Freetown. The black ostler, who is
generally a Krooman, performs in this country a
double duty, for he not only attends the horse in
the stable, but accompanies him on his journey,
keeping pace with the animal at whatever rate his
master pleases to ride. This would be a very good

IMPORTATION OF HORSES. 107
punishment for some of our ostlers who are in the
habit of cheating the horses out of their corn. To
compel the rogues to share fatigue with the
animal, might teach them to treat them with more
humanity. Horses are sometimes brought to this
country from St. Jago, but they do not live long.
A smaller and hardier breed comes from the Gam
bia, and the climate seems to agree very well with
them. Neither English nor St. Jago horses live
long at Sierra Leone, and the cause assigned for
this is, that the coarse grass, which grows so rapidfy
in this country, has too little nutriment in it to
support the animal under the exhausting effects of
such a climate ; and it is observed that he is con
tinually though gradually wasting away, notwith
standing his appetite is most voracious ; that at
length he partially loses the use of his hind legs,
becomes weak across the loins, and for the waift of
nervous energy, a paralysis ensues, and the horse
ultimately dies. But if he is given more stimula
ting food there is a chance of his doing well ; or
at any rate of his living much longer than he other
wise would on such poor food as he usually gets.
Saturday, September 29th. — The Henri Quatre,
a beautiful brig, arrived yesterday afternoon from
the Bight of Benin, with 548 slaves on board, a
prize to H. M. S. Sybille. This vessel was after
wards fitted out as a tender to the Commodore's
ship, and well known, as the celebrated Black Joke,
for her success in capturing other slavers. To-day

108

COLONIAL STEAM VESSEL.

I accompanied the Rev. Mr. Davy on board. A
multitude of slaves crowded her deck in a state of
nudity. The spectacle was humiliating in every
sense, and the immediate effect upon the olfactory
nerves was excessively disagreeable and oppressive.
We found the officer who had charge of the vessel
confined to a small space in the after-part of the
deck near the tiller. The pressure of this dense
mass of human beings was suffocating, and the
crowd was so great that one poor slave who had
fallen overboard in the night, on the voyage, was
never missed until the following morning.
From the Henri Quatre we, went to visit a
steam-vessel called the African, which was to sail
this afternoon, with 300 persons on board, and as
much provisions as she could stow. Her immediate
destination was Cape Coast Castle, where she was
to wait the arrival of the Eden. She had formerly
been employed in the Colonial service on this
coast, but had lately been laid up for want of re
pair. Captain Owen, however, being desirous to
forward a number of mechanics and labourers
belonging to the free population of Sierra Leone, to
the new settlement at Fernando Po, thought that
this vessel might answer his purpose, and save
Government the expense of chartering a ship ex
pressly for that service ; he therefore applied to the
Colonial Government requesting that he might be
allowed the use of her ; which, after many pre
liminary arrangements, occasioning much delay.

STREET REPAIRS. 109
was at last granted. One condition was, that he
should send her to England after she had com
pleted the service required of her. He therefore
ordered Lieutenant Badgeley, with a small party
of men, to clear her out and prepare her for sea, as
she was at that time half full of mud and water,
and employed some mechanics to repair her en
gines, which were completely out of order.
At five this afternoon I went to the race course,
to be present at a private match between two gen
tlemen's horses. Besides these private sports, there
are regular annual races at this place.
The roads, which are very much cut up during
the rainy season, are always repaired on its ter
mination, commencing immediately after Michael
mas. I found that there were gutters, which had
been cut by order of Sir Neil, Campbell, (three or
four feet deep, and from one to two wide) in various
directions, to carry off the quantity of water occa
sioned by the heavy rains. The utility of these
gutters in drawing off the water was sufficiently
obvious, but they were found to be very dangerous
both to men and horses in the dark ; accidents fre
quently occurred, and on one occasion a horse
had his legs broken. They were also dangerous
to wheel vehicles, whenever it became necessary
to cross them : indeed, the inconvenience of
these drains, without bridges, was considered to
be so much greater than the advantage, that it
was determined they should be filled up, and that

110 CONTINUED RAINS.
the rain should be left to take its own course over
the surface of the ground, as before. The magis
trates, who are elected annually, are obliged to
superintend the repair of the roads, both in the
town and its neighbourhood, in addition to their
ordinary duties ; and all offenders who are sentenced
to labour on the public works, or to confinement in
the house of correction, are compelled to assist in
the necessary repairs. The expense of keeping the
roads in good order is defrayed by a tax of six
days' labour on every inhabitant of the towns and
villages in the colony, which, however, may be
commuted to a fine of seven shillings and sixpence.
After the race, I went to Mr. Barber's to dine.
This gentleman has a small plantation of ginger
and arrow-root, which succeeds uncommonly well ;
also some plants of the blood orange from Malta,
and some young cinnamon trees ; which, I should
observe, are by no means uncommon in this
colony. Mr. K. Macauley has also a small plantation of
coffee, which prospers very well. In fact, all the
tropical fruits and plants must succeed here, if
proper attention be paid to them.
Sunday, September 30th. — The morning was fine,
but the afternoon showery ; rain, indeed, appears
to be quite a matter of course, either in the morn
ing or evening. I had now been upwards of a
month in Sierra Leone, and I found that it rained
without fail in some part of the four-and-twenty

TIMBER TRADE. Ill
hours, and sometimes throughout the whole day
and night ; yet, the rainy season had nearly ex
hausted itself when I arrived, and some short
time before, it had rained for three weeks with
out intermission. These alterations of the wea
ther, however, had no effect whatever on me,
for, rain or shine, I went about, at all hours, as
much at my ease as if I had been in England ;
and instead of suffering any illness or annoyance
from the fluctuations and uncertainty of the season,
I really found my health improved.
The brig Atalanta came down the river this
morning, and anchored off Freetown, ha-ving taken
in a cargo of timber at Bance Island. There was
not a single vessel left up the river, which was
remarked as an extraordinary circumstance, for
since the year 1816, when the contract for African
timber commenced, such an event had not taken
place. From the observations I made while I remained
at Freetown, it occurred to me that a plan might
be adopted, with good effect, for improving the
management ofthe timber trade. I should recom
mend that an old ship be moored in the river, a
little above Freeto-wn, and housed over for the pur
pose of receiving the crews of such vessels as go up
the river to take in their cargoes. The object of
this arrangement would be to give the crews an
opportunity of refitting, rigging, and repairing
the sails of their own vessels, or of any others that

1 12 EMBARKATION OF SOLDIERS.
might require assistance, while the Kroomen
were employed loading the ships under the
direction of the mates, or such other persons as
might be appointed to that duty.* By this
plan (with a proper check to prevent the sailors
from going on shore too often, every reasonable
indulgence being allowed them on board the hulk)
many valuable lives might be saved, and those de
lays averted which now occur so often, from the
difficulty of procuring hands for the homeward
bound voyage, to supply the place of those who
had been carried off by fever.
Tuesday, Oct. 2nd. — On calling at the barracks
this morning, to take leave of the officers of the
Royal African Corps, from whom I had received
some very kind attentions, I was sorry to learn
that Lieutenant Green, who had always been one of
the most cheerful of the party, had been taken iU
with the fever that morning, and that, from the
great depression of his spirits, serious doubts were
entertained of his recovery.
Wednesday, 'Srd. — The ship Redmond arrived
to-day from England, bringing letters from thence
up to August 23rd. His Majesty's ship Eden, re
ceived on board to-day 60 black soldiers, of the
Royal African Corps, to perform garrison duty at
* All the headmen understand enough of English to perform any
labour under the direction of Englishmen, and the Kroomen are a
hard-working body of men.

POPULATION. 113
Fernando Po, under the command of Lieutenant
Mends. A gentleman in charge of the ordnance died
this afternoon.
Before I take leave of Sierra Leone, a few gene
ral retrospective glances at the colony may not be
without interest. First, of the population. There
are not exceeding 110 Europeans in the colony,
two-thirds of whom are under 30 years of age. This
may, probably, in some degree, account for the
great mortality that prevails amongst them.
In Freetown alone, there are between 5000
and 6000 coloured men, all of whom are free.
In the village of Kissey, three miles and a quar
ter from Freetown, are contained 1,100 souls, all
liberated Africans.
In Wellington, six miles and a quarter from
Freetown, about 800, composed principally of li
berated Africans, with a few disbanded soldiers
from the 2nd West India regiment.
In Allen town, three miles from Wellington,
about 150, all liberated Africans.
In Hastings, twelve miles from Freeto-wn, 600,
composed of liberated Africans and disbanded
soldiers. In Waterloo, nine miles fi'om Hastings, 900,
composed of liberated Africans and disbanded
soldiers. In Wilberforce, two miles and a half from Free
town, 100, all liberated Africans.
1 1

114 PARISHES.
In York, twenty miles from Freetown, about
600, composed of liberated Africans and disbanded
soldiers. In Kent, twelve miles from York, about 500,
composed of liberated Africans and disbanded
soldiers. In Gloucester, three miles from Freetown, 700,
all liberated Africans.
In Leicester, one mile from Gloucester, 100, all
liberated Africans .
In Regent Town, one mile and a half from
Gloucester, 1000, all liberated Africans.
In Bathurst, two miles and a half from Regent
Town, 1000, all liberated Africans.
In Charlotte, three quarters of a mile from Ba
thurst, 900, all liberated Africans.
In Bassa town, three miles from Charlotte, 130,
all liberated Africans.
In addition to these there are about 400 inhabi
tants at the island of the Bananas, 100 at the vil
lage of Calmunt, and many others of whom no
correct amount can be given, residing at various
little villages along the coast, perhaps their entire
number may be about 200 ; if so, it will make the
population of the whole colony about 15,000, The
names of the parishes to each town are as follows :
St. George's in Freetown.
St. Patrick Kissey.
St. Arthur Wellington.
St. Francis Hastings.
St. Michael Waterloo.

DESCRIPTION OF FREETOWN. 115

St. Paul in

Wilberforce.

St. Thomas

York

St. Edward

Kent.

St. Andrew

Gloucester.

St. Charles

Regent Town.

St. Peter and James

Bathurst.

St. John

Charlotte.

Freetown is well supplied with fish every after
noon at sunset, most of which is brought in by
boats that go outside the harbour in the morning,
and return in the evening. Unfortunately, there
is an immense number of sharks generally in the
harbour, which sometimes commit great depreda
tions. Sierra Leone is about six miles within the cape
of that name, and lies at the entrance of the river.
The town is laid out with great regularity, and
the streets are spacious. It is two miles in length
near the water-side, and about one mile in width,
gradually ascending from the beach to the hills at
the back of the town. The intervening space be
tween a short distance beyond the extremity of the
town and the summit of the hills is principally
unreclaimed forest land, which was originally por-
tioned out amongst the first settlers in the colony.
From want of means, however, or some other cause,
the colonists never cleared those grounds, nor
did they offer them on sufficiently reasonable terms
to enable others to do so. This is the more extra
ordinary, as it is generally supposed that if the
wood were removed, it would greatly improve the

116 CURIOUS LETTiER.
salubrity of the air in the town and neighbour
hood, as well as open a new source of profit to
the proprietors, it being already well known that
all tropical productions thrive most successfully in
this soil. Coffee,, cocoa, arrow-root, sugar-cane,
&c. have been tried -with the utmost success. The
houses of the Governor, several of the respectable
merchants, and some of the natives, are built of
stone. There is a church also, on a very magni
ficent scale ; indeed, so ambitious was the design
of this building, that the Colonial Government do
not appear to have been able to afford the expense
of furnishing the interior, and have accordingly
run up an ugly brick wall in the centre, for the
purpose of appropriating one half of it to religious
duties, and the other to public offices. The church,
as it was built, was evidently too capacious for the
congregation that was likely to attend the service
of the established religion, particularly as a great
portion of the population consists of Dissenters,
who have men of their own colour and way of
thinking for preachers. ^ I have heard some of
their black divines, but cannot say that I was much
edified by their discourses.
The following extraordinary letter from two
master workmen, free blacks, who were employed
on the church, received by a Member of Council,
while I was on a visit to him, will serve as a spe
cimen of the advancement in education that some
of these poor fellows have made. The letter is
given literally from the original.

ORIGINAL SETTLERS. 117
"Sierra Leone, Sept. I8th, 1827.
" Honourable Sir,
" I have the honour of sendin
to you this morning with humble manner I was
to the Honour D. Denney yesterday, about the
trouble what I have, I was take work from the
church-yard, and I finish it, the gentlemen I
must made petition and I cannot tell who will go
to please to help me from this trouble if I -will get
the money from the gentleman. Shew me the
way for get the money by your Honour all the
people what I hired I do not know how to do with
myself — only you one I know because I was under
your brother if any trouble to much for me I
cry to you with humble manner I am poor black
man — " I remain
' ' Your affectionately and obedient servant,
"Joseph Rickett and George Dune,
" Sierra Leone Labourers."
" To the Honourable
K. Maccauley, Esq. M. C. Spc.
Freetown."
The original settlers of this colony, we learn
from " Murray's Historical Discoveries," con
sisted of about four hundred blacks, and sixty
whites, (the latter chiefly women of abandoned
character,) who arrived, at Sierra Leone the

118 present inhabitants.
8th of May, 1787. These blacks, as is well known,
were part of those that went to Great Britain ;
having been sent with the white loyalists, among
the Bahama Islands, Nova Scotia, and England,
at the conclusion of the American war : and twelve
hundred more of the same description of American
blacks agreed to leave Nova Scotia for Sierra
Leone, on terms proposed to them by the Sierra
Leone Company, where they arrived in March, 1792 :
and in December, 1793, Lieut. Beaver arrived at
Sierra Leone, with the few survivors that had
abandoned the colony of Bulama.
The present inhabitants are principally com
posed of negroes of a variety of nations ; Maroons
from Jamaica, negroes who were captured or
had deserted in the American war, some from
England, some from Nova Scotia, some from
disbanded West India regiments, and many prize
slaves, that come under the name of liberated
Africans, who from their industry and prudence
have saved a little money and settled at Freetown
in various capacities. There are besides a great
number of persons residing here in succession
under the denomination of strangers. These are
people from various parts of the interior of Africa,
namely, Timmanees, Foulahs, Mandingoes, &c. &c.
There are also a great number of Kroomen, for
merly upwards of a thousand, but a late order in
council reduced them to 600, with the intention of
introducing and encouraging the liberated Africans

TRAlbE WITH the INTERIOR. 119
to come forward as labourers, fishermen, me
chanics, sailors, soldiers, &c. &c.
Sierra Leone has a large market-house, with a
market held daily, where the inhabitants may be
well supplied with most of the tropical fruits and
vegetables, and some from Europe. Poultry is
abundant and reasonable. Beef and mutton are
in most common use. The animals are small, a
quarter of beef weighing on an average between
50 and 60lbs. and a quarter of mutton from 5 to
81bs. Pork and lamb are seldom sent to table,
and I never met with veal. The colony is prin
cipally supplied with stock, (viz. bullocks, sheep,
and fowls,) by the Foulahs, Mandingoes, Sousoos,
and Timmanees. They carry the fowls on their
head in a large basket, and their necessaries in a
sheep-skin bag fastened on the top of it. Perhaps
the reason why veal and lamb are but rarely seen
at table is in consequence of the bullocks and sheep
having to travel a considerable distance, and fresh
pork is almost too gross a food for a hot country.
The trade with the nations of the interior is
chiefly confined to the Foulahs and Mandingoes,
who bring small quantities of gold with them,
which they exchange for European articles to
carry home. Their mode of travelling to the
colony is not a little curious. They first appoint
one of their number as head man, who is referred
to on every occasion, and who is answerable for
the conduct of the whole. They generally come

120 NATIVE MERCHANTS.
down in numbers of from six to thirty, and some
times more. Each man carries on his head a kirid
of basket, made of the rattan cane, in which is
contained his shirt, a calabash, some rice, and a
bag made of sheep-skin, which holds the alcoran,
some rice, bread, a knife, scissors, and other
useful articles ; also a small pouch in which
they carry their gold, averaging about 51. sterling
each person. They secure the bag by fastening
the sides of the basket together, and binding .it
round with strong twine which they make from
grass. On the top of the basket they tie their bow
and quiver of arrows loosely, so that they can get
at them readily, in case they should be attacked in
the woods by wild animals, or by any of the diffe
rent tribes whose settlement they pass through in
coming down. They also carry a bamboo cane
about six feet long, and three inches in circumfe
rence, with a piece of iron, about six inches long,
and sharp at the point, fixed into the end of it;
this they make use of as a spear. They also carry
a long knife or sword, which is slung over the arm
by a belt. They partly live on the wild fruits of
the country, and occasionally get something at the
villages through which they pass ; generally walk
ing between the hours of six and ten in the
morning, and two and six in the afternoon each
day. When they arrive at Porto Logo, (which
place is the termination of their land journey) they
engage a canoe to take them to Freetown, for

CUSTOMS OF THE AFRICAN TRADERS. 121
which they used to pay four dollars a head, but it
is now reduced to one, and this charge they are
accustomed to levy afterwards upon the merchant
with whom they intend to deal, looking upon it as
a bonus included in the traffic. They also apply
to the merchants in Freetown, for accommodations
during their stay, which is from ten days to a
month. They will not trade either on the first or
second day, but go round the town examining the
different goods in the shops, and ascertaining
the prices. In this preliminary proceeding they
are assisted by their countrymen, who have been
long resident in the colony and are acquainted
¦with the English language. These interpreters
make their living by cheating in every possible
way, both the poor traveller and the merchant.
When they begin to trade it. takes one day for
the head man to settle the investment of the gold
in the merchant's hands, which he has received
individually from his companions, giving a separate
receipt to each : after which they all assemble to
choose their goods to the amount of each person's
portion. This is an affair of three or four days.
They do not, however, think it necessary to leave
the colony so soon as their business is settled, but
remain some time after idling about the streets.
Two or three days before they really intend return
ing by the canoe to Porto Logo, the whole party
call and say that they are -gding, which is intended
as a hiftt to prepare some present for them. They

122 ARTICLES OF BARTER.
repeat their visit the next day, and if they do not
receive a present from you, they address you in
the following manner. ' ' Friend, ' ' (calling the mer
chant by his name, and holding out his hands with
extended arms,) " do you see my hands? do you
not see that they are empty ? When I go back to
my country, my countrymen will ask me if I have
seen the great merchant ! they will say they doubt
me, asking me, at the same time, where are your
presents ? and if I have nothing to shew they will
call me a liar, saying that the great merchant never
allowed any one that went to see him, to go away
empty-handed. I came from my country on pur
pose to see you. True, I have brought you but little
trade this time, but when I go back to my country,
and say I have seen the great merchant, and shew
them the presents I have received, then they will
all want to come, and bring plenty of trade." This
of course concludes with a present to propitiate the
grasping spirit of the African petty dealer.
The goods principally preferred by the Foulahs
and Mandingoes, are powder, muskets, fowling-
pieces, flints, swords, spear-pointed knives, India
blue baft, India white baft, India scarlet silk taffety,
red cloth, beads, and tobacco, which they make
into snuff, being the only manner in which they
use it.
The following amusing dialogue occurred be
tween two sailors who happened to be on the
military parade when the soldiers were at drill.

ANECDOTE OF SAILORS. 123
going through the evolution of marking time,— a
military manoeuvre by which the feet, as well as
the whole body of the person, are kept in motion,
presenting a similar appearance to that which they
exhibit when they are actually marching. One
observed the other watching the movements ofthe
corps very attentively, with his eyes fixed and his
arms akimbo : "What the h-11 are you looking at?"
he inquired. "Why, Jack," replied his companion,
"I'm thinking there must be a d— d strong tide
running this morning." "Why?" said he. "Why?"
answered the other, " why, because these poor
beggars have been pulling away this half hour, and
have'nt got an inch a head yet !"
The custom of sentencing soldiers to serve inthe
Royal African Corps, must naturally be attended
with bad consequences, not only to the soldiers
themselves, but to the natives. If we desire to
enlighten a savage race, we could scarcely devise
a worse plan than that of sending amongst them the
refuse ofa civilized country, who carry into the new
community, the worst vices and crimes of an old
country. These soldiers consider themselves to be
exiled for life from their native land, and as they en
tertain no hope whatever, under such foriorn circum
stances, of redeeming their character, they abandon
themselves to debauchery, and give a free vent to the
most debasing tendencies of their nature. The in
fluence of this injurious example, which is a thousand
fold more powerful than all the precepts of the

124 INJURIOUS EXAMPLE OF
preachers, upon the minds of the Africans, must be
obvious. It weakens the effect, even if it does not
altogether obliterate the impressions of that mora
lity which we so studiously labour to inculcate.
The African says, " The white man tells us not
to do those things which are wicked in the sight
of God ; yet, in the same breath, he commits
the very guilt against which he warns us. The
white man tells us that drunkenness is a crime in
the eyes of God, yet he drinks until his senses be
come stupified ; he tells us not to curse and blas
pheme ; yet the most terrible oaths are on his lips.
Which are we to follow ? the white man's words
or his actions ?" If we wish to command respect,
and to impress upon the savage the real advan
tages of civilization, we should send out only such
persons as would be likely to secure a complete
influence and ascendancy over the uninstructed
people, and so demonstrate to them, by the force
of actions, the purity and stability of the Christian
faith, the importance of education, and the prac
tical benefits of social organization. If it be neces
sary, as no doubt it is, to send out Europeans to
serve in the African Corps, tliey should he sent
in the capacity of officers, or non-commissioned
officers : privates of good character might be se
lected, who would volunteer to go out on certain
conditions, perhaps on some such tei'ms as these : to
serve as corporal for a limited period, after which
time, if their conduct had been unimpeachable, to

THE ROYAL AFRICAN CORPS. 125
be advanced to the rank of Serjeant, when, having
served in that rank for a prescribed period, they
might be permitted to return home on a pension.
Two years might be assigned as the first period of
service, and three as the second, making altoge
ther a service of five years in Africa, which, con
sidering the opinion that is popularly entertained
respecting the climate, might be deemed of suffi
cient duration. I am aware that this suggestion
is liable to one objection arising from the prejudice
that is generally entertained against the climate,
namely, the difficulty that would arise, in the first
instance, in obtaining volunteers ; nor am I en
tirely prepared to say, that the objection is without
force. But the plan might be tried, and the temp
tation which would be held out, by the certainty of
promotion, might, probably, be considered an ade
quate compensation to the risk : and, in case any
individual should have conducted himself through
out the whole period of his service, to the entire
satisfaction of his officers, and should subsequently
-wish to remain at the colony, it might be ad-
viseable to offer him a small government appoint
ment, or, in some cases, the reward might be ex
tended to a commission in the Colonial Corps. If
this could be carried into effect, it would certainly
be attended -with considerable advantages; it would
procure respect for the British name, recal the
savage from his life of recklessness, and put a final
stop to those disgraceful scenes of profligacy which

126 VACCINATION OF NATIVES.
are so frequently witnessed in the streets of Sierra
Leone. Having requested my friend Dr. Barry, who was
at the head of the Medical Staff at Sierra Leone,
to procure me what information he could on the
subject of vaccination and small-pox, in Africa, he
most obligingly forwarded me the following docu
ment, which, for the sake of perspicuity, is put
in the form of question and answer.
Replies to Dr. George Gregory's Queries on Vacci
nation and Small-pox, Sierra Leone, 24th Sep
tember, 1827.
1st. Is vaccination generally practised among
the infant negro population ?
2nd. Whence do they derive their stock of
lymph ?
3rd. What is the degree of confidence placed
in it?
Vaccination is not at all practised among the
negro population, by native vaccinators; it is,
however, practised among certain branches of the
negro population by European surgeons ; the negro
population of Sierra Leone consists of Nova Scotian,
and Maroon settlers, liberated Africans, and several
of the aboriginal African tribes, namely, Timma
nees, Mandingoes, Soosoos, Boollams, Sherbros,
&c. &c. &c. The three first mentioned of these
branches of the negro population, having greater
intercourse with Europeans, are better acquainted

MEDICAL OPINION, 127
with European customs, and have, of course, im
bibed more of European notions and prejudices,
on such subjects as the one now under considera
tion, than the aboriginal inhabitants of this part
of Africa ; vaccination, therefore, is, and has been,
practised among them to a considerable extent,
the stock of lymph being derived from, and kept
up by, frequent renewals from England. That
their confidence in it, as a measure preventive of
small-pox, is great, I judge from the anxiety which
they shew, and the eagerness which they manifest
to have their children vaccinated when the small
pox is raging around them ; while, under ordinary
circumstances, and when their fears have been
lulled by the absence of this fatal epidemic, an ab
sence which they well know is probably but tem
porary, they exhibit such an unaccountable apathy
regarding vaccination, that a stranger might well
suppose they had no faith in it as a prophylactic
measure; notwithstanding this, I believe they have
great confidence in it, although, from circum
stances to which I shall presently allude, that con
fidence has declined considerably.
4th. How soon does the areola arrive at its
greatest height in those countries ?
The areola surrounding the vaccine vesicle is, I
think, at its greatest height about the eleventh or
twelfth day after vaccination, if the lymph used
has been genuine.
5th. Does small-pox prevail there ?

128 SMALL-POX AFTER VACCINATION.
6th. Does small-pox prevail there after vacci
nation ?
Small-pox prevails occasionally, and there are
instances of its having occurred even in a confluent
form after vaccination : one genuine instance of
this kind came under my notice in the year 1824,
in the person of a liberated African girl, of about
sixteen years of age ; vaccination had been per
formed in this case, by the late Dr. Nicol, Deputy
Inspector of Hospitals, and was considered satis
factory; the case proved confluent; the secondary
fever was accompanied by a severe diarrhoea,
which carried off the patient about the thirteenth
day. Another well authenticated instance of the
same fact, occurred in the early part of the present
year, in the family of a respectable Nova Scotian
settler ; other cases of a similar nature have been
reported by the inhabitants; but I do not consider
that, in these cases, the proofs of a pure previous
vaccine disease have been satisfactorily established ;
when vaccination has been carried on for some time,
from the same stock of lymph, the disease is apt
to degenerate and become spurious, from which
cause we require a frequent renewal of lymph fi-om
England, in order to keep it in continuous and
successful operation ; the spurious disease, on the
fifth day, generally shews itself in the form of a
small globated papula ; on the eighth day, it pre
sents sometimes an ash-coloured pustule, contain
ing purulent matter ; at other times, and less fre-

SMALL-POX AFTER VACCINATION. 129
quently, a brown-coloured scale, having a small
quantity of purulent matter under it, capable of
producing, by innoculation, a disease similar to
itself; the great prevalence of a disease among the
negro population, called " craw craw," is consi
dered as materially influencing that change in the
properties of the pure vaccine lymph, which has
been just noticed : that apathy and indolence of
which I have already accused the negro popula
tion, leads them to consider the appearance of dis
ease in the arm, after vaccination, as the test of
safety from small-pox, great as the difficulty some
times is, in getting them to bring forward their
children for vaccination, it is still greater to pro
cure the examinations in its progress and matura
tion ; the mere appearance of disease in the arm,
is supposed to carry along with it immunity from
small-pox ; and, on the occurrence of the epidemic
at an after period, it may be easily foreseen how
wretchedly and how fatally this confidence in the
spurious disease may be misplaced ; I, therefore,
do not consider, that, in all the cases spoken of
among the inhabitants, as cases of small-pox occur
ring after vaccination, there existed satisfactory
proofs of the patient having previously undergone
the genuine vaccine disease ; yet, I am sorry to
say, that from such occurrences as these, vaccina
tion has rather lost ground in the opinion ofthe
negro population.
7th. Is small-pox an increasing malady ?
1 K

130 VACCINATION.
Small-pox is not an increasing malady ; it is
generally introduced here from the slave cargoes
of vessels detained by the squadron, and sent here
for adj udication ; were this source of its renewal
removed, I am persuaded that small-pox would,
in the course of a few years, be almost unknown in
this part of Africa.
8th. Can the vaccine virus be retained on points
and glasses, so as to be fit for use ?
The vaccine lymph, if taken on points, will not
retain its virulence seven days in this country :
this observation is established by repeated trials ;
if taken on glasses, I would not be disposed to
depend on its activity when kept longer than four
teen or sixteen days, though I have kno-wn it some
times to retain its original properties for four or
five weeks ; if preserved in glass bulbs, hermeti
cally sealed, in the manner practised by the Na
tional Vaccine Institution, I have known its pro
perties unimpaired after keeping for three months-
repeated trials have convinced me of the excellence
of this mode of preserving the vaccine lymph,
and, I believe it to be the best and surest that has
been yet devised of transmitting the lymph. from
England to tropical countries : next to this me
thod, I believe the crusts have proved the most
successful. 9th. Are the young negro population pitted with
he small-pox ?
The negro population are pitted with the small
pox in the same manner as Europeans.

VACCINATION. 131
10th. Are there periodical vaccinations of large
districts ? or, is each child vaccinated soon after its
birth ? if the latter, how soon ?
The practice, in these cases, is, as long as the
vaccine lymph continues to produce a genuine dis
ease, to keep it up by the weekly vaccination of all
comers. Children are rarely vaccinated under
four weeks old ; but there is no rule observed on
this head.
11th. What sort of scars are usually left in the
arms? The scar bears the shape of the original vesicle,
and is slightly depressed below the surface of the
surrounding skin; the surface of the scar is marked
by a number of small depressions of various shapes,
corresponding, I believe, with the cells in the ori
ginal vesicle.
12th. Is vaccination, in hot countries, attended
¦with feverish symptoms ? and, if it is, on what day
do they begin ?
Vaccination is, sometimes, in this country, at
tended -with feverish symptoms ; but, in the most
marked cases, so far as I have seen, these symp
toms have been so slight, as almost to escape com
mon observation. I have not remarked on what day
they begin.
13th. Is vaccination ever followed by any erup
tions ?
I have seen only one case of this : an eruption
appeared on the sixth day after unsuccessful vac-

132 REGRETS AT LEAVING.
cination ; it was diffused over the whole body, and
is now in progress. W. Ferguson,
Assistant Surgeon, Royal African Corps.
N. B. The case alluded to, in the last of the
above replies, was, in the first instance, papular
eruption ; the base of each papula being surrounded
by an inflamed ring ; the eruption was thickest
on the thorax, and on the arms ; in its progress,
the eruption became pustular, the pustules being
in circumference about half the usual size of the
vaccine vesicle ; on the twelfth day, the crusts had
dropped from some of the smaller pustules ; and,
by the seventeenth day, they had all dropped off,
leaving a mark, but not in any manner pitted;
and which, I think, promises to be permanent.
W. F.
Thursday, October- Ath, 1827. — At length the
day arrived when I was to quit Sierra Leone, and
I might say with some regret ; for, during my re
sidence there, I had been very hospitably and
agreeably entertained by the principal government
officers, as well as by several of the most respect
able merchants; a.nd I had found a sufficient variety
of objects of interest, to yield ample occupation
for the mind. I could have desired to remain some
time longer, particularly as the fine weather, and
what is called the healthy season, was fast coming
on, which would have afforded me more time to

DEPARTURE FROM SIERRA LEONE. 133
examine and reflect on what was of interest to the
colony as well as to the mother country ; but I was
conscious of a feeling of still deeper regret, and of
a different character from that of mere curiosity ;
— it was the pain of parting from those whose kind
sympathy had led them to take more than a com
mon interest in my pursuits, and to whose friendly
and constant attentions I was indebted for the ad
vantages I enjoyed while I remained in the colony.
The apprehension, too, which was afterwards
fatally realized, that many of us should never meet
again, was calculated to embitter my leave-taking,
even more poignantly. Of the friends who were
then around me at Sierra Leone, the greater num
ber are now no more ; the principal persons amongst
whom are the following : Colonels Lumley and
Denham ; Mr. K. Macauley (member of council) ;
Mr. Barber, Mr. Leavers, Mr. Reffel (acting
judge), Mr. Magnus (clerk of the court), Lieu
tenant Green, R. A. C, and several gentlemen
volunteers of the same corps.
At daylight in the morning, just as the ship was
preparing to get her anchors up, a heavy tornado
came on, and the rain continued for some hours
after the violence of the wind had subsided. Not
withstanding the rain, however. Colonel Lumley,
the Lieutenant-Governor of the colony, and his
private secretary. Lieutenant McLean, R. A. C,
came on board at eight o'clock for a passage to
Cape Coast, where the Lieutenant-Governor was

134 SHIP AT SEA.
going for the purpose of delivering the fortress of
Cape Coast Castle into the hands of the British
merchants, who were to take possession of it with
a militia force, which they were permitted to or
ganize for their own protection : the Government
allowing them a stipulated sum to support the
necessary establishment, at the same time with
drawing the troops of the Royal African Corps,
and all the government stores, part of which were
to be sent to Fernando Po, and the rest to Sierra
Leone or England.
At ten o'clock we got under weigh, and made
sail out of Sierra Leone harbour. The Horatio, a
schooner, which Captain Owen had purchased to
take provisions, mechanics and labourers to Fer
nando Po, was to have sailed in company vrith us,
but from some unaccountable delay, she did not
join us till we got to Cape Coast.* At noon. Cape
Sierra Leone bore e. a s. distance seven miles ;
and the Banana Islands s. i e. The afternoon
cleared up, and the wind was very light. From
Sierra Leone to Cape St. Ann, the course is s. 57°. e.
distance 86 miles. From Cape St. Ann to Cape
Mesurada the course is s. 60 degrees e. distance
123 miles.
• Fenao Gomez, a Portuguese, was the first person who rented
a monopoly of the trade of the Coast of Guinea, on consideration of
his paying 300 milreas per annum for five years; and he was to
discover 100 leagues of coast per annum, beginning at Sierra Leone.
He finished his discoveries at Cape St. Catherines.

CHAP. V.
Cape St. Ann — DangerousShoals — Old Sailors — Liberia — Origin and
History of the Colony — Failure at Sherbro Island — Experiment
at Liberia — ^Difficulties Encountered by the Settlers — Differences
with the Natives — Final Adjustment — Improving State of the
Colony — ^Laws and Morals — Remarks on Colonization.
Friday, October 5th. — There was a moderate
breeze from the westward, and fine weather. At
eight o'clock, finding, by our calculation, that we
had rounded the shoals of Cape St. Ann, we
altered our course more towards the land, intend
ing to run along the Gold Coast, within sight of
the shore. These shoals are the most dangerous
part of the west coast of Africa ; and there is good
reason to believe that many vessels have been
wrecked on them, particularly in former times.
There is but little doubt that H. M. (late) ship
Redwing was lost here, for there has been no trace
of her since the day she sailed from Sierra Leone,
(the afternoon of which was very squally) except
ing a small mast that was picked up on the coast,
to the northward, with her name on it ; and as she
was bound from Sierra Leone to Accra, she had oc
casion to go round these shoals, which commence
about 30 miles from Cape Sierra Leone, But there
is an additional cause for apprehending that such

136 AN "ancient mariner.'
was her fate, for I was informed by an officer, that
he heard Captain Clavering say, that he did not
believe in the existence of these shoals ; it is not
improbable, therefore, that, with an idea of shorten
ing his passage, he might have attempted to have
gone nearer to them than prudence would justify,
and thus tempted the danger which he held to be
apocryphal. They might also have neglected to
sound sufficiently often, an error which I have fre
quently witnessed, and which arises from a mistaken
wish to save trouble and time — a poor excuse for
risking the loss of lives and property. I am sure
this will not be the case with Captain Owen, for I
believe he knows the ground under water where his
ship is in soundings, as well as that which he sees
above it ; and among the jokes of the crew of his
ship, there was one on his late surveying voyage,
uttered by an old sailor, who said, that as soon
as he was paid off, he would set up a pubhc-
house in Wapping, with the sign of The Bag and
Nippers,* and the words " Watch, there, watch !"
written underneath. Notwithstanding this poor fel
low's joke, he entered a second time with Captain
Owen, on board the Eden, for an equally hazardous
voyage, which he did not survive. I was near him
* This is a small bag filled with air, for the purpose of floating
nippers that are attached to it, through which the line passes, being
intended to fasten itself to the line on the surface of the water the
moment you check it on perceiving the lead strike the bottom, by
which means more correct soundinE;,? arc obtained.

LIBEIUA. 137
in his last moments, when the fatal signal of ebbing
life — the rattles in the throat — fell on the ear like
the melancholy sound of the muffled drum in a
dead march.
Sunday, 7th. — Light airs and variable, with rain
at times. Cape Mesurada in sight great part of
the day. Under the eastern side of this Cape is
the American settlement of Liberia. The origin
and progress of this colony present so many points
of interest, that I am induced to lay before my
readers a succinct account of its early history. I
am chiefly indebted for the materials of this sketch
to a pamphlet, which I procured in Sierra Leone,
published a short time before in Washington.
The first efforts of the American Colonization
Society were directed to Sierra Leone in 1818,
when two Agents were sent there to purchase land
for a new colony ; on their arrival at their destina
tion, two men of colour, well acquainted with the
coast, accompanied them on a voyage of explora
tion. Having examined all the places which ap
peared suitable for their purposes, they finally
made arrangements for forming the new colony on
Sherbro Island, about 100 miles south of Sierra
Leone, when one of the agents returned to America,
the other ha-ving died on his passage. The Society
now resolved to fit out an expedition immediately,
in which they were greatly aided by the President,
the object seeming to be well calculated to pro
mote the political advantages of the United States.

138 ORIGIN OF LIBERIA.
The first colonists left America in February, 1820.
They consisted of two government agents, one
from the society, and eighty-eight persons of
colour. These emigrants were very unfortunate :
they arrived just at the commencement of the
rainy season, the damps of which were much in
creased by the unhealthiness of the low, marshy
ground of the Sherbro. The result was that all
the agents, and a great number of the colonists
died ; the remainder wisely abandoned a specula
tion so fruitful of risk. These people remained at
Sierra Leone until new agents were sent out, and
another spot selected for colonization. The new
scene of operations was Liberia.
The territory on which the first settlement of the
colonists of Liberia was made, forms a tongue of
land of twelve leagues extent, in no part more
than a league in width, and in some parts con
tracted to half that distance. This peninsula is
so connected with the main land, as to represent a
scale beam, the narrow isthmus answering to the
pivot ; which isthmus is formed by an acute angle
of the Junk river on the eastern side, that falls
into the sea at the s. e. extremity of the peninsula ;
and an acute angle of the Montserado river on the
western side, which falls into the sea at the n. w.
extremity. Thus the n. e. side of the peninsula
is washed by the above rivers ; and the whole of
the s. w. side by the sea. The north-western ter
mination of this linear track of country is Cape

description of the colony. 139
Montserado, which towards the extremity rises to
a promontory, sufficiently majestic to present a
bold distinction from the uniform level of the
coast. The town of Monrovia is situated on the inland
side of the peninsula, on the s. w. bank of the river
Montserado, about two miles within the extremity
of the Cape. The original settlement approached
within 150 yards of the water, and occupied the
highest part of the spiral ridge, which traverses a
large part of the peninsula, and rises at this place
to about 75 feet. At the time this territory was
purchased by the agents of the American Coloniza
tion Society, in December 1821, this tract of land
was covered by a dense and lofty forest, entangled
with vines (a very large description of parasitical
plant, so called) and brushwood, which rendered it
almost impervious to new settlers.
Opposite the town, are two small islands con
taining together less than three acres of ground.
The largest of these islands is nearly covered with
houses built in the native style, and occupied by a
family of several hundred domestic slaves, for
merly the property of an English factqr, but now
held in a state of qualified vassalage (common in
Africa) by a black man.
This little community lives so entirely within its
own resources, that the individuals composing it
are little known by their neighbours; their utter
indifference to whose politics, however, does not

140 native tribes.
preserve them from their dislike and envy, which,
without the protection of the American colony,
would soon be converted into acts of oppression.
There are four tribes in the neighbourhood of
this coast, viz. the Deys, who extend along the
coast twenty-five miles to the northward of Mont
serado, to the mouth of the Junk about thirty-six
miles to the south-eastward. Next, towards the
interior, the Queahs, a small and quiet people,
whose country lies to the east of Cape Montserado.
The Gurrahs, a more numerous and toilsome race,
occupying the country to the northward of the
upper part of the St. Paul river. And further
into the interior, the Condoes, whose warlike cha
racter renders them the terror of all their mari
time neighbours.
On the beach, one mile to the north of the new
settlement, there is a small hamlet belonging to
the Kroomen, a people entirely distinct in origin,
language, and character, from all their neighbours.
They originate from the populous tribe, whose
country is Settra Kroo near Cape Palmas, and are
well known as the pilots and watermen of the
country. The number of families belonging to
this hamlet, scarcely exceeds a dozen, and may
comprehend fifty individuals.
The purchase of the Montserado territory being
effected, it was first occupied by such American
emigrants as could be collected early in the fol
lowing year, at which time the indications of hos-

opposition of the chiefs. 141
tility exhibited by the Dey people, demonstrated
but too distinctly the insincerity of their engage
ments -with the new settlers, the first division of
whom, consisting chiefly of single men, were met
with menaces, and positively forbidden to land.
This purpose they, however, effected upon the
small island of Perseverance, situated near the
mouth of the Montserado, where they were kindly
received by Mr. S. Mill, an African by birth, who
was at that time occupant, and from whom the
island had been purchased by Dr. Ayres on behalf
of the Society.
After many ineffectual attempts to conciliate the
friendship of the Deys, the ferment of opposition
seemed to have subsided, and Dr. Ayres received
an invitation to meet the chiefs at a friendly con
ference in King Peter's town. This amicable
appearance, however, proved to be a mere ru,se de
guerre, and the doctor found himself a prisoner in
the hands of his faithless allies. Nor could he
obtain his freedom until he consented to receive
back the remnant of the goods, which had been
advanced to the natives the preceding month in
part payment for their lands, but, in according
this enforced compliance to their wishes, he con
trived eventually to elude their purpose of eject
ment, by pleading the impossibility of removing
the emigrants until vessels could be procured for
their use.
The individuals at this time upon the island pf

142 TREATY WITH KING GEORGE.
Perseverance, did not exceed twenty persons. The
only shelter for them and their store was that afford
ed by half a dozen diminutive native huts; the island
itself was a mere artificial formation, which being
always becalmed by the high land ofthe Cape, was
extremely unhealthy; it was also entirely destitute
both of fresh water and firewood — which circum
stances, added to the insalubrity ofthe air, and the
closeness of their dwellings, soon produced a sensible
effect upon the health of the settlers. Happily at
this critical juncture a secret arrangement was con
cluded with King George, (a monarch who claims
the right of jurisdiction over the northern district of
the Peninsula) and by virtue of his authority the
settlers were permitted (in consideration of certain
presents, consisting of rum, trade-cloth, and tobacco)
to cross the river and commence clearing the forest
for the site of their intended tow^n. Being sti
mulated to exertion, by the union of interest and
self-preservation, their labours proceeded with
surprising rapidity, and in a very few weeks pre
sented the skeletons of twenty-two dwelling houses,
ranged in an orderly manner to form the principal
street of their town. Unfortunately, at this period, so
promising to their hopes, and so honourable to their
assiduity, a circumstance occurred that interrupted
their avocations in the most painful manner, and
plunged them into a disastrous war with the natives,
A small vessel, the prize of an English cruiser,
bound to Sierra Leone, and having on board about

UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT. 143
thirty liberated Africans, put into the roads for
water, and had the misfortune to part her cable
and run ashore below George's town, where she
was in a few hours beaten to pieces by the heavy
surf. She was immediately claimed by the natives
on behalf of their king, whose alleged rights they
came forward to maintain by the force of arms. —
In attempting to board, however, they were opposed
and beaten back by the prize-master and his crew.
The American settlers, perceiving the extreme
danger of their English visitors, hastened to their
relief, bringing with them a brass field-piece, which
they turned against the assailants, who, terrified by
so unaccustomed a mode of warfare, hastily retreated
towards their forest-bound hamlet, leaving the Eng
lish officer, his crew, and the Africans at liberty-
The damage on both sides was, however, conside
rable ; on that of the natives it consisted of many
wounded men and two killed; on that of the stran
gers, in the total loss of their vessel, with most part
of their stores and property ; but on that of the
settlers the injury sustained was fatally severe, it
consisted of the destruction by fire of their most
valuable and requisite stores, amounting in actual
worth to three thousand dollars : a loss incalcu
lably increased by their necessities.
The accident arose from some mismanagement
of the fusee, used for the cannon, a spark from
which communicating with the thatch of the public
storehouse so rapidly spread into a flame, that it was

144 HOSTILITY OF THE NATIVES.
only by the most daring courage that the powder,
some casks of provisions, and a few other stores were
rescued from the devastating element.
The natives meanwhile, exasperated at the inter
ference of the settlers, and maddened by the sight
of their wounded and dead brethren, were only
restrained from taking summary vengeance by the
dread of the artillery. Even this fear could not
prevent their occasionally venturing near enough
to fire upon the settlers and their new allies, — these
furtive and for the most part futile indications of
malignity, were, however, always easily repelled
by a single shot from a four or six-pounder, which
usually put the assailants for the time being to an
immediate flight. But it was not to this mockery
of warfare with King George's warriors that the
annoyance of the settlers was limited. Many and
various were the vexations to which the hostility of
the Deys subjected the unhappy adventurers ; in
the mere act of obtaining water (for which purpose
they had to pass through the enemy's town) their ob
stacles were endless. While the demolition of their
unfinished houses, secretly accomplished by their
persecutors, and similar injuries constantly prac
tised, ultimatly compelled them to discontinue their
principal work. At length the vigilant hatred of
their savage enemies, resolved itself into a mode of
attack which robbed the settlers of all present means
of resistance. — Watching their opportunity when
the boats went up the river Montserado, in search

TRIAL OF KING PETER. 145
of water, they sheltered themselves beneath the
large trees and rocks which overhung the narrowest
parts of the river, from whence they fired upon
the boats at pleasure, alike without the possibility
of receiving any injury, or of their victims avoid
ing the danger by a hasty retreat. In this adven
ture, one colonist and an English seaman lost their
lives, and two other persons were slightly wounded.
The recurrence of such events did not fail to
keep up a spirit of animosity between the Dey
tribe and the colonists, whose principal crime in
the eyes of the natives, was their aversion to the
slave trade ; an aversion which struck at the root
of all the interest, fears, and prejudices of the
Deys. Old King Peter, the venerable patriarch of
the nation, and with whom the first treaty for the
purchase of the ground had been negotiated, was
capitally arraigned and brought to trial on a
charge of betraying the interests of his subjects, by
selling their country. The accusation was sub
stantiated, and it became doubtful whether the
punishment of high treason, would not be ex
ecuted upon a monarch, whom they had been
accustomed to venerate and to obey for more than
thirty years.
Under these circumstances the settlers became
seriously alarmed respecting the nature of the in
tercourse which might become necessary to the
policy of Bacaia, the king of the larger island, and
from whom they had received many proofs of
1 L

146 INTERFERENCE OF KING BOATSWAIN.
friendship, in secret supplies of fuel and water.
But as his plantations, with numerous detached.
bodies of his subjects, were entirely exposed to the
power of the Deys, it seemed absolutely requisite
that his friendship with that tribe should not be
affected by any further acts of kindness to a people
so inimical to their views. Hence the suspicions
of the colonists became naturally excited against
Bacaia. It appeared that the considerations
which had been so painfully entertained on the
part of the colonists, operated no less powerfully
upon the mind of the chief ; for he immediately
summoned to his aid one of the most powerful
and famous chiefs of the Condoes, by whose pro
tection he had for many years been sustained ia
his dangerous contiguity to such quarrelsome neigh
bours. King Boatswain, whose political influence over
the maritime tribes of the country was nearly ab
solute, and whose name had long been the terror of
his countrymen, replied to the request of his pro
tegee with that prompt alacrity which charac
terized all his actions, almost immediately arriving,
in person, accompanied with an armed force suffi
cient to carry into effect any measure that might
seem most desirable to their chief. He, with that
apparent modesty in which extreme pride delights
to dress itself, and which is but another way of
exhibiting innate confidence, assured his allies,—
that he came not to pronounce sentence between the

HIS DECISION. 147
coast natives and the strangers, but to do justice to
all. He next convoked the head chiefs of the
neighbourhood to a meeting with the American
Agents, who were but just returned to the settle
ment, having been absent during the last mentioned
events, and principal settlers, who on their part
were required to set forth their grievances and
the nature of their claims. These complained of
the dishonesty ofthe Deys, in withholding the pos
session of lands which they had sold, and of the
hostile acts committed against the colonists by
King George's people. These charges were fol
lowed by a clamorous discussion on the part of
the accused ; which the haughty judge having
heard, as long as his patience served, at length
closed, by abruptly rising, with the remark, that,
* ' as the Deys had sold their country, and accepted
a part payment for it, they must abide the con
sequences of their indiscretion ; and that their
refusal of the balance due to them could not annul
nor affect the sale. Let the Americans," said
he, " have their lands immediately. Whoever is
unsatisfied with my decision, let him say so." —
Then turning to the Agents, " I promise you,"
said he, "protection. If these people give you
further disturbance, send for me. And I swear,
that if they oblige me to come again to quiet them,
I will do it effectually, by taking their heads from
their shoulders, as I did that of old King George
on my last visit to Settle their disputes."

148 DISTRESS OF THE COLONISTS.
The necessity of an acquiescence in this decree
being by common consent allowed, no farther
opposition was offered by the natives, and the
usual interchange of presents having been effected,
the colonists resumed their labours with increased
zeal and confidence.
On the 26th of April, the colonists took formal
possession of the Cape, but unfortunately so much
time had been lost in contesting with the natives,
that, notwithstanding all their industry, the rainy
and tornado season set in while the dwelling-
houses were still roofless. In the island sickness
began to make terrible ravages ; both the Agents
were among the sufferers, and it was soon evident,
that unless a removal from their insedubrious situa
tion should be speedily effected, the consequences
would be finally fatal. Nor was this their only
trial, for in the midst of this appalling visitation,
the gaunt spectre famine reared its ghastly head,
and threatened them with new terrors. In cir
cumstances so dispiriting, where despair seemed
about to crush the weakened energies of the \^r
bourers, and -vvhere nothing but activity could
preserve them from the loss of life ; it was perhaps
more honourable to Dr. Ayres' benevolence than
to his policy, that he proposed to convey the set
tlers back to Sierra Leone. It is, however, a fact
worthy of record, as well as of admiration, that
only a small part of the emigrants embraced
this proposal. The rest, consisting of twenty-six

THEIR PERSEVERANCE. 149
persons capable of bearing arms, with a few women
and children, together with Mr. Wiltberger, the
Society's assistant agent, remained to combat the
difficulties of their situation ; thus nobly affording a
pledge to find for themselves and their brethren a
present home, and for the oppressed African, or
the captured slave, a safe asylum on this once
hostile coast.
The settled rains of the season now set in with
unusual violence, and the struggles and hardships
endured by this little band cannot be easily ima
gined. However, so great was their persevering
industry, that before the first of Ma,y several
dwelHng-houses had been rendered habitable, with
a small frame-house for the Agent ; and a store
house sufficient for their purposes had been con
structed of servicable materials.
In the beginning of July the colonists completed
their removal from the island, each took possession
of the humble dwelling that was henceforth to
constitute his home. The Agents had meanwhile
both sailed for the United States, leaving the set
tlement under the management of one of the
emigrants (Elijah Johnson of New York), who
acquitted himself so much to the satisfection of the
settlers that he now enjoys one ofthe most respect
able situations in the municipal government, con
ferred upon him by the people.
Still the most economical division of their rapidly
diminishing store of provisions, could not enable

150 THE COLONISTS REINFORCED.
them to exist through more than half of the rainy
season, and as no present produce conld be de
rived from the soil, their prospects continued
dark and dispiriting, circumstances which de
rived no inconsiderable addition from the fact that
their stores had been reported to the managers in
the United States as sufficient for a twelvemonth's
consumption. But, as though fortune, at length
won to admiration of their heroic fortitude, had
determined to recompense their sufferings, a
vessel arrived, unexpectedly, with a moderate
supply of stores, and thirty-seven persons patro
nized by the Colonization Society.
This vessel had encountered many difficulties on
her passage, but she arrived safely off Cape Mont
serado on the 8th of August, being the middle of
the rainy season ; here Mr. J. Ashmun, who had
with a truly philanthropic feeling undertaken the
direction of this expedition, received the first ac
counts of the departure of the Agents, and the dis
asters of the colony. A fresh difficulty now arose
in providing dwellings for the newly arrived
emigrants, as well as a larger and more secure
storehouse for transport stores. And it was not
until after four weeks of incessant labour that Mr.
Ashmun had the satisfaction of seeing the pas
sengers and property all safely landed, and pro
vided with shelter to secure them from the rains of
that inclement season.
He next lost no time in ascertaining the external

THEIR MEANS OF DEFENCE. 15]
relations of the settlement with respect to the tem
per of their neighbours, and for this purpose pro
ceeded to conciliate those kings whose alliance he
domed most desirable. He encouraged them to
trade with the colony, and sought to establish
them in amicable bonds, by receiving their sons
and subjects for the purposes of instruction in all
those points which form the basis of civilization.
Yet, notwithstanding these pacific measures, a
hostile and malign spirit on the part of the Deys,
could not be wholly concealed. These symptoms
rendered it advisable that measures of permanent
defence should be adopted, and on the 18th of
August the present Martello tower was conse
quently planned and the building actively com
menced. Their military force was, meanwhile, extremely
slender, consisting of not above thirty men capable
of bearing arms. They had forty muskets, but
out of six guns attached to the settlement, one only
was fit for use, four of the remaining number being
without carriages. There were no flints, and but
little ammunition. It was soon perceived that a
system of defence was to be originated, without
either the materials or artificers usually consi
dered requisite, but undaunted by obstacles like
these, each difficulty seemed to stimulate the inge
nuity of the colonists to fresh activity and untried
resources. With immense labour the guns were transported

152 prevalence of fever.
over the river, and conveyed to the height of the
peninsula, where they were mounted on rough
truck carriages. Thirteen African youths (attached
to the United States Agency) were next exercised
in the daily use of arms. A master of ordnance
was also appointed to repair the small-arms, and
to make up a quantity of cartridges, as well as to
arrange minor details for service.
But their chief difficulties arose from the neces
sity of clearing the heavy forest from the neigh
bourhood of the town, and of keej»ng a constant
nightly watch : a duty which required no less than
the services of twenty men ; but, arduous as these
were, they were carried on with unremitting dih-
gence by all whose health remained unaffected by
the climate.
At the commencement of the third week after
his arrival, the Agent was attacked -with fever ;
and, a few days after, his wife, whose affectionate
devotion had induced her to accompany him, was
seized with symptoms fatally. The sickness, from
this period, made so rapid a progress amongst the
last division of emigrants, that, in a short time,
there were but two of their number who were not
on the sick-list.
Notwithstanding the domestic calamity, and the
enervating debility which bowed the energies and
spirit of the Agent, he continued, at every inter
mission of fever, to direct the operations of the
colonists, and to organize such a plan of defence

THE COLONY FORTIFIED. 1 53
as he considered necessary to secure the safety of
the settlement ; so that, in the event of his death,
they might not be deprived of their security.
To accomplish this purpose, five heavy guns
were stationed at the different points of a triangle,
which enclosed the whole town ; each angle rest
ing on a point of ground, sufficiently command
ing to enfilade two sides of the triangle, and to
sweep over a considerable extent beyond the lines.
These guns were to be covered by musket-proof
triangular stockades, of which two would be suffi
cient to contain all the settlers in their wings. The
brass piece, and two swivels, mounted on travelling
carriages, were stationed in the centre, ready to
support the post exposed to the heaviest attack :
these detached works were to be all joined together
by a paling, intended to enclose the whole settle
ment ; meanwhile, the Martello tower was to be
carried on -with all possible speed; and it was
hoped that this, when completed, would almost
supersede the necessity of the rest, and form an im
pregnable barrier to the efforts of any native force ;
while the tangled brushwood, and newly-felled
trees, were to form a formidable and impracticable
hedge forest side.
With all the details of this plan, the most intel
ligent of the colonists were made familiar, so that
they might be carried into effect for the good of
those who might happen to survive.
On the 8th of November, while these warlike

154 THE NATIVE TRIBES
preparations were still far from being completed, in
telligence arrived at the colony, that King George,
who, with his people, had previously evacuated the
neighbouring town, and to whom the African youths
had deserted, was advancing upon the settlement
with a force, composed of such people, from among
all the neighbouring tribes, as had the daring to
set the authority of King Boatswain at defiance.
Happily for the colonists, they had a means of ac
quiring intelligence of their enemy's deliberations
and intentions, of which that enemy was little
aware ; a circumstance which enabled them effec
tually to guard against surprise, and of which the
Agent took advantage to press the necessity of cool
ness and determination upon the attention of the
men. On the evening of November 10th, the army of
King George made its appearance, at the distance
of little more than half a mile to the westward of the
settlement, where it encamped for the night. The
number of warriors comprising this force, was ge
nerally estimated at nine hundred ; but, as the
chiefs were the only persons who could tell the ex
act amount, and each was afterwards interested to
diminish the account of their individual subjects,
it is probable that the force was much greater than
it was allowed.
The most wakeful vigilance was kept up by the
settlers throughout the night ; but the out-piquet
having imprudently ventured, in violation of their

attack THE COLONY. 155
orders, to leave their station at the dawn of day,
were immediately followed by the native force;
who, suddenly presenting a front of ten yards in
width, fired a volley, and then rushing forward,
took possession of the post, towards which they
had been so incautiously led, and from which the
men were driven without having been able to dis
charge their guns. Had the enemy possessed the
skiU, or the self-denial to have kept their advan
tage, the colonists must have been utterly de
stroyed ; but such was their avidity for plunder,
that, abandoning every thing for the pillage of four
houses in the outskirt of the settlement, they so far
impeded and confused the main body of their army,
that the colonists had time to recover from their
panic, and, by keeping up a rapid fire with the
brass field-piece, they brought the whole body of
the enemy to a stand. A detachment of muske
teers, with E. Johnson at their head, was, mean
while, despatched round the enemy's flank, which
considerably increased their disorder, and, in about
twenty minutes, the main front of the assailants
began to recoil, but from the numerous obstacles
presented to their rear, the entire absence of disci
pline, and the difficulty of giving a reversed order,
without method, to so large a body, and added to
all, the delay arising from their practice of carrying
off their dead, their retreat was, for a time, ren
dered impossible ; and the violence used by those
in front, to hasten this measure, only increased

156 VICTORY OF THE COLONISTS.
the difficulties of its accomplishment. The colo^
nists, perceiving their advantage, quickly regained
possession of the western post, and brought their
long nine-pounder to rake the whole line of the
enemy, who, pressed together into so dense a body,
that a child might have walked on their heads
from one end to the other, remained thus de
fenceless, and exposed to the destructive fire that
was poured upon them by a cannon of great
power, at no more than sixty yards distance;
every shot from this tremendous engifie did im
mense execution, and savage yells filled the forest
with horrible echoes. These gradually died away,
as the terrified host fell back. At eight o'clock
the well-known signal for their retreat was sounded,
and immediately after, small parties were seen
running off in different directions. One large
canoe, employed in carrying a party across the
mouth of the Montserado, venturing within the
range of the long gun, was struck by the shot, and
several men killed.
On the part of the settlers it was soon ascertained
that considerable injury had been sustained. One
woman who had imprudently, and contrary to express
orders, passed the night in a house outside the forti
fications, and which happened to be at the point first
attacked, received thirteen wounds, and had been
placed aside as dead, (after incredible suffering she,
however, recovered.) Another, flying from the house
with two infant children, received a wound in the

LOSS OF THE ENEMV . 157
head, and was robbed of both her babes ; but she
herself providentially escaped. A young married
woman, with the mother of five small children,
finding their house surrounded, barricadoed the
door, in the vain hope of resistance. It was forced,
when each of the women seizing an axe, held the
barbarians in check several minutes longer ; they
were, however, speedily overpowered, and the
youngest stabbed to the heart : the mother instinc
tively springing through the window to preserve
her suckling babe, providentially escaped, but the
babe recoiling through fright, was left behind and
fell into the enemy's hands.
It was not possible to ascertain the number lost
by the enemy, but it must have been very consi
derable, as it is calculated that the killed carried
away by water alone amounted to not less than
150. Many others were conveyed along the beach
on mats ; and twenty-seven bodies were at one
period found by a party of friendly Condoes em
ployed by the Agent to remove them ; and long
after this action the offensive effluvia from the wood
proved that the researches of these persons were
still incomplete.
The numerical force of the settlers at tliis period
amounted to 35 persons, including six native youths
not sixteen years of age. Of this number, but one
half were engaged. After this action it was deter
mined to contract the lines, and to surround the
central houses, and stores, with a musket-proof

158 DESPERATE STATE OF THE COLONY.
Stockade, and before night more than eighty- yards
of this erection were completed.
The work was carried on with no other interrup
tion on the following day, than the necessary one ,
of burying the dead : and was so speedily com
pleted that by the fourteenth of the month half the
number of men were, by the contraction of the
lines, relieved from camp duty : thus obtaining for
each a larger portion of rest during the day, which
enabled them to perform their night watch with
renewed vigour. An additional gun was mounted
and posted on the same day, and every hour -wit
nessed some progress in the discipline or defences
ofthe colonists.
It was at this period that a friendly message,
accompanied by a small present, consisting of the
country's produce, sent by Prince Tom Bassa, a
chief of some distinction, inspired something like
encouragement to the hopes of the desolate little
band ; but it cannot be denied that their despon
dency outweighed their hopes, on discovering that,
exclusive of rice, there remained but fifteen days
provision in store. Each individual was now
placed on an allowance per diem, scarcely sufficient
to sustain animal strength, especially when such
constant demands were made upon their industry
and vigilance. No supplies could be obtained
from the natives, in whose hands seven infant chil
dren were retained as captives, added to which the
enemy's troops, though repelled, had not dispersed,

RELIEVED BY CAPT. BRASSEY. 159
and the colonists remained in daily expectation
of a fresh incursion upon their little territory ;
to complete all carae the cruel conviction that their
stock of ammunition was insufficient to maintain
more than an hour's defence.
These considerations, as well as the fear that the
infant captives might fall victims to their infuriated
enemies, determined the Agent to make another
attempt to open a treaty for peace with the hostile
chiefs, and after great difficulty he succeeded in
conveying a message to their council (then in the
act of debating a second attack), descriptive of the
wishes of the colonists to maintain peace, and of
their equal determination to oppose an invasion,
with measures still more destructive than those
under which their assailants had already suffered.
These negotiations being unsatisfactorily enter
tained for some time, a day of humiliation and
prayer was set apart at the settlement, after which
the preparations for resistance were carried on as
before. Fortunately, at this juncture a trading
vessel touched at the Cape, from which the most
pressing wants of the people obtained relief, and a
few days after, a still more bountiful supply was
received through the disinterested kindness of
Captain Brassey of Liverpool, who, unsolicited and
without prospect of remuneration, nearly exhaust
ed his own stores to relieve the necessities of the
sick and wounded, and presuming upon a long
acquaintance with the people of these parts, he

160 THE NATIVES AGAIN DEFEATED.
undertook to negociate for peace ; his efforts were
however not successful ; and immediately after the
departure of his vessel a considerable army ad
vanced upon the colonists ; they, however, on their
part were better defended than on the former occa
sion, and although the force against which they
had to contend was more numerous and better
disciplined than before, yet as the forest in the
neighbourhood of the town was now converted into
a wide plain, the assailants were obliged to approach
under a fire from the cannon, the rapidity of which
to them appeared like magic.
The natives sustained these destructive measures
with surprising fortitude and perseverance ; several
times throwing themselves on their faces to allow
the shots to pass over them, and rene-wing their own
fire immediately after each discharge. But a con
test so unequal could not be long maintained—
in seventy minutes from the commencement of the
attack a final victory was accomplished ; and the
terrified fugitives dispersed as suddenly as they
had appeared, many throwing themselves into the
water and diving to avoid the shots that were fired
after them. The loss on the part of the natives
was supposed not to be greater than upon the
former occasion, but its results were longer and
more fearfully remembered. Three men belonging
to the colony, serving at the guns on the eastern
post were wounded, Gardiner and Crook danger
ously. Tines mortally ; the Agent received three

HAPPY RESULT FROM A FALSE ALARM. 161
bullets through his clothes, but providentially
escaped without any bodily hurt.
There was at this time but little surgical know
ledge, less skill, and no instruments at the settle
ment. Its dispensary was liberally furnished with
James's powders and febrifuges ; but for broken
bones, and extracting pieces of pot-metal or
copper ship-bolts from shattered limbs, there had
been no provision whatever. A dull penknife
or razor were substituted for lancets ; and for
probes there was nothing to be had but pieces
of priming wire ; the sufferings of those compelled
to carry in their cankering wounds the corroding
metal, were indescribably afflicting ; ahd served to
exemplify, most completely, the cruelty of placing
men subject to the casualties of war, beyond the
reach of surgical assistance.
A movement on the following night, supposed
to indicate hostility, induced the officer, on duty at
the western post, to open a pretty brisk fire of
musketry, with several discharges from the large
guns. This, however, proved a most fortunate
circumstance, for it was not only the cause of
bringing immediate relief to the settlement, but
was finally productive ofthe most beneficial results.
The English colonial schooner. Prince Regent,
laden with military stores, having as passengers
Captain Laing ofthe Royal African Light Infantry,
and a prize crew commanded by Midshipman
Gordon, belonging to H. B. M. sloop of war. Driver,
1 M

162 A TRUCE WITH THE NATIVES.
six days from Sierra Leone, bound for Cape Coast,
was at the time in the offing (a little past the
Cape). So unusual a circumstance as cannonading
at midnight could not fail to attract notice, and the
vessel lay to till morning, when a Krooman carried,
on board intelligence of the situation of the settle
ment, and was immediately despatched on shore
with offers of assistance.
On the following day the officers landed, and
kindly undertook to mediate on behalf of the
colonists. An interview with the native Chiefs
was without much difficulty procured, their
warriors ha-ving dispersed, and themselves being
overwhelmed with vexation and shame. After
a little show of affected reluctance, they were
easily induced to sign an instrument by which
they became bound to observe an unlimited truce,
and to refer all their future differences with the
settlers to the arbitration of the Governor of Sierra
Leone. It is scarcely necessary to remark that
having no real grievances to submit, they never
had recourse to this provisionary reference ; from
which time the colony has been considered invin
cible to native force, and consequently has been
permitted to prosecute its plans in the utmost
tranquillity, uninterrupted even by the semblance
of war.
The death of the amiable and lamented Gordon,
with eight out of eleven generous seamen, who
volunteered their services to remain on the settle-

COLUMBIAN PRIVATEER. 103
ment to guarantee the truce settled by Captain
Laing, was the first event that occurred to interrupt
the general joy that prevailed after the consumma
tion of peace ; these gallant fellows all fell victims
to the climate, within four weeks after the departure
of the Prince Regent, on the 4th of December.
On the 8th of the same month, the colonists
received fresh assistance through the friendly offices
of Captain Wesley and his officers, whose vessel, a
large privateer schooner, under Columbian colours,
came to an anchor off the town. By the aid of
mechanics, obtained from this vessel, the settlement
was put into a superior state of defence, while the
sufferings of the wounded were alleviated by the
assiduous attentions of a skilful surgeon. After
conferring upon the settlers countless obligations
during a term of four weeks. Captain Wesley's
vessel sailed, bearing with it the sincerest wishes of
a grateful people.
The Agent's health, which had promised improve
ment, sunk into a state of hopeless debility, and by
the 16th of December, medicines utterly failed, to
produce any beneficial effect. It was at this period
that a remedy of the most singular nature was
presented to him by a French charlatan, who,
accidentally touching at the Cape, offered his
services ; a drowning wretch it is said will catch at
a straw, and from despair rather than hope the
Agent submitted to his adviser, and consented to
try the effects of his prescription. A potion was

164 MR. ASHMUN's RECOVERY.
accordingly prepared, of which one ingredient was
a spoonful of calomel! Having administered this,
the Frenchman proceeded on his voyage, leaving
the patient to abide the consequences ofhis docility.
Such, however, was the weakness of his system,
that he could neither throw it off, nor take it into
circulation for five days. The crude poison was
then voided, and a distressing salivation ensued,
in the course of which all other morbid symptoms
disappeared : by the middle of February, he was
restored to health and the active duties of his
station . Two out of the number of captive children
had been delivered up for a small gratuity ; five still
remained, for whose release an extravagant ransom
was demanded, terms steadily rejected by the colo
nists. It speaks well, however, for the humanity
of the natives, that their first object had been to
place these young prisoners in the care of expe
rienced nurses. These protectresses so entirely won
the affection of their charges, that when the chiefs
determined eventually to restore them unransomed
to their parents, they were obliged to be taken from
their nurses by main force.
The long illness of the Agent, had relaxed the
principle of industry and order, which he had
been so anxious to establish ; and on his recovery
he found that it required all his influence to rouse
the colonists into those exertions, which were
necessary to secure their comfort, and the safety of
their stores, during the rainy season. The huts

ARRIVAL OF THE U. S. SHIP CYANE. 165
were still without floors, and except the storehouse
there was but one shingled roof, so that through
the thatch of nearly ail, the rain could easily pene
trate in continued streams.
The store of provisions was now consumed, and
still remained unreplenished by any shipment from
America, while the neglect of effective financial
arrangement on the part ofthe Colonization Society
at home, rendered'it difficult for the Agent to make
purchases from occasional vessels, and he had
already a larger pecuniary responsibility, than as
an individual he could justify either to himself or
others ; the productions of the country had been
rendered available, but the few disposable goods
which the settlers possessed were now all exhausted
in their purchases.
Matters had arrived at this extremity, when, on
the 12th of March, the welcome intelligence ofthe
arrival on the coast of the U. S. ship Cyane, R. T.
Spence, Esq. was announced, by a Krooman from
Sierra Leone. By the judicious and indefatigable
exertions of that officer, the hulk of the disman
tled and long-condemned schooner Augusta, was
again floated, and metamorphosed into a seaworthy
and useful vessel, on board which Captain Spence
placed a crew and a quantity of stores for the new
settlement, under the command of Lieut. Dashiell.
Not satisfied with these important services, he ren
dered the Agent's house habitable, and caused the
Martello tower to be completed, chiefly by the la-

166 DEATH OF DR. DIX AND MR. SETON.
hour ofhis own crew, before the 20th of April ; and
it is to be deeply regretted that the sickness which
had begun to make fearful inroads in the crew of
his ship, during her stay at the Cape, terminated
in the death of no less than forty persons, soon
after her return to America.
Dr. Dix, the surgeon of the Cyane, became the
earliest victim of a too generous zeal for the ad
vancement of the colony. The tears of gratitude
fell upon his grave, which was closed over his re
mains by the hands of a sorrowing community.
The case of the amiable Seton is still more worthy
of memorial, in him the blossoms of youth had
just ripened into the graceful bloom of manhood,
giving to a person naturally prepossessing, the
higher ornament of a benevolent disposition, and
accomplished mind. He perceived that his services
would be invaluable to the colony, and he became
the voluntary companion of the solitary Agent. His
conciliating manners, and judicious counsels, com
pleted the conquest of public approbation, and ren
dered his decease (which took place on board the
Oswego, five days after he had re-embarked for
the United States), a subject of unmitigated grief
to the whole colony.
The arrival ofthe above-mentioned vessel, bring
ing an accession of sixty-six emigrants from the
middle states of America, with ample stores and a
physician, terminated the difficulties of the colo
nists, and since that period, the settlement has

FRESH ARRIVALS OF EMIGRANTS. 167
continued rapidly improving in all those resources
necessary to the comforts of peace ; as well as in
those means of defence which serve, at once, to re
pel, and even defy the incursions of war.
From this period the affairs of the colony have
rapidly improved. In a short time after peace was
restored, sixty-one new emigrants, and a supply of
stores, under thecharge of Dr. Ayres, augmented the
resources of the colonists ; but that gentleman was
obliged, in consequence of the state of his health,
to resign, at the close of 1823, the superintendance
of the interests of the colony to Mr. Ashmun, who
continued, until the period of his death, to act as
principal Colonial Agent to the Society. To Mr.
Ashmun 's admirable management of the affairs of
the colony, much of its contentment and security
may be attributed. He purchased from its natural
owners, all the territory he occupied ; and as not
an acre was taken without an equivalent, the na
tives were well pleased to cultivate an intercourse
that was at once so profitable and desirable. In
1825, a number of fresh emigrants arrived, whose
pursuits were of an agricultural nature, and as
they desired to go into the jungle at once, and
commence operations, a negotiation was opened
with the neighbouring tribes for the purchase of
land. The ground selected was a tract of about
twenty miles, varying from one to three miles
in breadth, lying on the navigable part of the
St. Paul's river. The advantages of this accession

168 EXTENT OF TERRITORY.
of territory, consisted in the opportunity it afforded
the settlers of dwelling on their plantations, instead
of being compelled to live in the town, at an in
convenient distance from them ; in the fertility of
the soil, which was sufficiently rich to enable the
emigrant to support himself and his family, a short
time after his arrival ; in making the agricultural
settlement more available and compact ; and in
securing the trade of the St. Pauls river, which
was an object of great importance. Subsequently
to that period, other additions have been made to
the possessions of the colonists ; and, at present, the
colony extends nearly 150 miles along the coast, and
a considerable distance into the interior. The go
vernment of the colony commands eight trading
stations, established on the purchased land for the
convenience of, and intercourse with, the natives,
from Cape Mount to Trade Town ; and the pro
spects and advantages of the colonists, are every
day improving.
The laws by which a colony so prosperous and
happy is governed, must suggest a subject of deep
concern to every man who is interested in any
project, that has for its end the promotion of the
well being of any section of his fellow-creatures.
In this little colony, which has succeeded so effec
tually in securing the confidence and attachment
of the natives, the utmost vigilance appears to have
been exercised from the commencement, to pre
vent any dangerous precedents from being esta-

LIBERIAN CONSTITUTION. 169
blished, that might afterwards be cited for the
defence of customs injurious to the interests of the
settlei-s. One of the first principles adopted, even
before the regulations by which the colonists were
governed assumed the tangible shape of law, was
that all persons born in the colony, or residing in
it, should be free, and enjoy all the rights and
privileges of citizenship known to the United
States of America, which was taken as the model
of the Liberian Constitution in all respects, except
that anomaly, the institution of slavery. It must
always continue to be a matter of surprise and
regret, that a country which expended so much
blood on the purchase of its independence, should
sanction within its boundary the existence of
slavery as a legal right. The ermine is said to die
if a single stain fall on its spotless skin, and one
would suppose that the giant republic of the new
world would be equally susceptible throughout her
mighty frame of the taint of slavery ; but, perhaps,
there is a fine moral in the fact, to shew us that
the works of man, even in his most elevated in
spirations, must of necessity be imperfect. ' The
wisdom and power of the Godhead alone can pro
duce perfection.
The colonists of Liberia resolved to avoid the
error of the parent country. They began by
banishing the very name of slave, and they have
persisted in their resolution to keep themselves free.
Under the provisions of their constitution, the

170 MILDNESS OF THE LAWS.
Colonization Society is empowered to make such
regulations as may appear requisite for the govern
ment of the colony, until it shall withdraw its
superintendence, and leave the colonists to
govern themselves ; the common law, as it is
in force in the United States, is applied to the
jurisdiction of Liberia. In 1824 a regular plan for
the civil government of the colony was dra-wn up,
and a digest of laws framed, which have been ap
proved of, and are now in full operation. By this
plan, the Agent is invested with sovereign power,
subject only to the decision of the colonial board;
municipal and judicial officers are appointed ; the
choice of certain offices is vested in the colonists,
subject to the approval of the Agent; and standing
committees of agriculture, of public works, of colo
nial militia, and of health are appointed, whose
duties are clearly defined and rigidly enforced.
The criminal code is singularly mild : the
highest degree of punishment being expulsion
from the colony, which is a very beautiful exem
plification of the sense of honour and integrity
that the colonists entertain, when, for the most
flagrant violations of civil rights and good order,
they deem it a sufficient disgrace and infliction to
cast out the guilty person from all further commu
nion, the property of the exile being given to his
heir; or, in lack of an heir, reverting to the
general stock.
The remarkable success which crowned the

SUPPRESSION OF SLAVERY. 171
efforts of the settlers in Liberia, has subsequently
led to the consideration of more extensive plans
for the establishment of colonies for liberated
slaves. Of course, in proportion as the circle of
manumission is enlarged, the provision for the
future welfare of the emancipated blacks must be
increased : — with a double view, therefore, not
only to prepare adequate settlements for their re
ception, but by the exercise of an active liberality
to encourage the spirit of freedom which was
found difficult of accomplishment at first, but
which ultimately yielded to the energies of the
opponents of the slave trade in America. Many
attempts had been made in the United States to
abolish, or at all events diminish the practice of
slavery, but in vain ; for it appears, however start
ling and apocryphal the statement may seem,
that the English Government, during the period
that they exercised sovereignty in the Union,
always refused to sanction the abrogation of
slavery. Even so far back as 1698, the mother
country rejected a proposition made by the as
sembly of Pennsylvania, to levy a duty of 10/. per
head on the importation of slaves ; which was in
tended to operate as a prohibition. Indeed, one
of the proximate causes of the Declaration of Inde
pendence (July 1776) was the unrestricted intro
duction of slaves. Soon after the American war
had terminated, it was suggested as an appropriate
measure, in fulfilment of views which had been so

172 PLANS FOR EMANCIPATION.
long defeated by the influence of English autho
rity, to establish a colony on the coast of Africa,
but the continued pursuit of the degrading traffic
by almost all the powers of Europe, prevented the
benevolent projectors from carrying their design
into effect. Twenty years afterwards, the plan
was revived, and the most strenuous exertions
were made in the different States to organize a
body of opinion, which should finally triumph over
the self-interests and reluctant morality of the
slave-owners. At this period, one of the diffi
culties which the philanthropic abolitionists ex
perienced was the want of a suitable refuge for
such slaves as they might be enabled to liberate.
The legislature of Virginia, which contains nearly
one-third of the black population of the Union,
pledged itself to release all its slaves, if Congress
would undertake to provide an adequate asylum
for them. President Jefferson negotiated in vain
for a territory in Africa, and the Brazils. The
legislature of Virginia again renewed its pledge,
and as much of the bigotry of former times had
now been obliterated by the diffusion of enlight
ened principles, the renewal of the proposition
was followed by the best results. General
Mercer, familiarly designated as the Wilberforce
of America, opened a correspondence with the
principal advocates of emancipation, which ulti
mately produced the formation of the American
Colonization Society, on the first of January, 1817.

COLONIZATION SOCIETY. 173
The labours ofthe Society were greatly facilitated
by the laws ofthe Union, which left to each State
the uncontrolled power of legislating for itself on
the subject of slavery. The members of the
Society had therefore merely to address themselves
to the humanity and understanding of the slave-
OA\Tiers, in order finally to attain their purpose.
The progress of moral truth, however slow, is
always certain, and the issue of those proceedings
has been such as the excellence of their object
might have led us to anticipate. Several of the
States have already signified their willingness to
forego all the pernicious advantages of slavery.
And the number of slaves offered gratuitously by
owners in different parts of America, vastly exceed
the present means of the Society to provide for
them in Africa. The legislature of Maryland
appreciate so highly the utility and importance of
the settlement of Liberia, that they have voted in
the first instance a considerable sum, to be appro
priated annually to its support, and have subse
quently, within the last six months, voted two
hundred thousand dollars for the purpose of as
sisting in the formation of another settlement on
the same principles.
It is, therefore, sufficiently evident, that what is
now required to complete the united objects of
manumission and colonization, is, not so much the
consent of the slave-owners, as the power of carry
ing the design into operation. Mr. Elliot Cresson,

174 MR. CRESSOn's VISIT TO ENGLAND.
of Philadelphia, an active and enthusiastic sup
porter of the cause, visited England in 1832, for
the purpose of drawing attention to the subject,
and of appealing to the well-known generosity of
a country that has uniformly taken the lead in ad
vancing the interests of civilization. A Society was
formed, under the patronage of H. R. H. the Duke
of Sussex, with the view of extending colonization
in Africa, on the same system which has proved
so successful in the case of Liberia. The subject,
unfortunately, did not excite the attention which
might have been anticipated, partly, I fear, be
cause it was ill-timed, and was considered by the
general body of Abolitionists, as a diversion tending
to distract the public mind from the great question
of emancipation, which was then undergoing anxi
ous discussion ; and partly, because it was consi
dered by some, as a palliative likely to prolong the
existence of slavery, in the same ratio as it dimi
nished its evils. The selection of so unseasonable
a moment for introducing the subject to the public,
was influenced by the necessity Mr. Cresson was
under of returning to the United States, but pre
viously to his departure, the objections to the ef
forts of the Society were fully answered, and the
important fact of the independence of each State,
in reference to slavery, was stated in ample detail.
From those statements it appeared, that the law of
slavery, in some cases, prohibits — not only the
emancipation, but the education of slaves, in order.

ADVANTAGES OF MANUMISSION. 175
to render their bondage still more hopeless and
oppressive : but that the efforts of the Society were
gradually abating the rigour of those cruel restric
tions. The Society has hitherto endeavoured, as
far as its powers would permit, to extend the prin
ciple of colonization, by removing, invariably,
with their own consent, such slaves as have the
good fortune to obtain their freedom, to a spot
where they were not only free from competition
with the white population, but where their educa
tion, imperfect as it might have been, rendered
them the superior instead of the inferior class :
thus silently promoting the blessings of Chris
tianity and civilization amongst the native tribes.
Mr. Cresson, during his residence in England,
distributed several illustrative documents, sanc
tioned by names of distinguished persons in the
United States, and to which I am indebted for
some of these particulars. From these documents,
were there even no other evidence, it may be fairly
inferred, that Liberia affords uncontrovertible proof
of the practicability of establishing colonies on the
African coast, composed of persons of the African
race, nearly, if not wholly, freed from the control
of the whites ; that the expense of establishing
such a colony is moderate, not having exceeded,
in the case in point, 4000/. per annum ; that it is
greatly favoured by the natives, with whom the
colonists are rapidly extending their commercial
and friendly relations to their mutual benefit ; that

176 OBSERVATIONS ON SLAVERY.
it has not only placed a large number of manumitted
slaves in a prosperous situation, but led to the
emancipation of many, who must otherwise have
still continued in bondage ; and, finally, that it
has completely put an end to the slave-trade in the
immediate neighbourhood of the settlement, where
that nefarious traffic was hitherto most extensively
prosecuted. It is to be deplored, that although
Great Britain has recently made a noble effort to
abolish slavery in her own dominions, there are
other countries which still sanction a usage so de
grading to our age and religion. But a very short
time since, several vessels were captured, the united
cargoes of which amounted to a thousand slaves,
and when we refer to the large proportion which
the liberated Africans bear to the rest of the popu
lation in Sierra Leone, equal to about three-fourths
of the whole, and consider the heavy expense at
which this country endeavours to fulfil the serious
responsibility it has taken upon itself in the libera
tion of these unfortunate captives, I am persuaded
that all the particulars which can be collected re
specting Liberia, will be deemed worthy of the
most serious attention. My readers, therefore,
will not, I trust, think that I devote too much
space to the subject, if I close my rapid sketch of
the progress and fortunes of this settlement, with
the latest information respecting it, which has been
received in Europe. It is ofa very recent date, and
is from the pen of Dr. Mechlin, the Governor of
Liberia: —

PRESENT STATE OF LIBERIA. 177
" The colony is daily adding strength and re
spectability to its character, and if even now all
patronage were withdrawn, the colonists are fully
capable of sustaining and defending themselves
from any assaults of the natives, and regulating
their own concerns in such a manner as to secure
the prosperity of the colony. A court, court
house, and trial by jury, are established. At this
moment, since the departure of Governor Mechlin,
and until the new Governor arrives out, there are
none other than blacks among the inhabitants of
Liberia. " The slaves who were captured and brought
into St. Augustine, and Key West, after remaining
in the United States from six to twelve months,
were sent to Liberia, a quantity of land being
granted to them there. They have gone on to cul
tivate it in a manner equal, if not superior, to that
of the colonists. They have been able to accom
plish thus much from what experience they gained
while in this country. These people arrived at
Liberia naked ; they have clothed themselves from
the avails of their labour, and, what is rather sin
gular, they have gone into the town to seek out for
themselves wives, esteeming themselves too far ad
vanced in civilization and refinement to form con
nexions among the natives, although they might
obtain from among them much more comely per
sons than they are enabled to find among the very
meanest of the colonists, from whom they are
1 N

178 STRENGTH OF THE COLONY.
obliged to select. This fact alone shows, that but
a small degree of civilization infused into this
people, tends to the elevation of their character.
" The colonists of Monro-via are said to be
much more inclined to trade than to cultivate the
earth. The English and the French vessels which
come there, have engrossed almost the whole trade
of the colony, the Americans not being able to
compete with them. Many of the natives come
into the, town, and are employed as labourers by
the colonists. The colonists also receive some of
the children of the natives into their families, and
send them to school. At different times the natives
have made three or four attacks on the settlements,
but have always been repelled with spirit ; for the
last year the natives have been very quiet and
friendly. The colonists can bring into the field, if
necessary, about 500 troops, which are consi
dered a match for ten times the number of natives.
Many tribes of these natives hold slaves, which are
treated with much cruelty, and it is doubtful if
even their masters are so well off or so happy as
the slaves in our southern states. They are much
less civilized and more ignorant.
" The people there called Kroomen, reside in the
country. They come down to the sea-shore and
pitch their tents, and launch their canoes, and,
sailing all along the coast, they become pilots to
the traders ; and these are the men with whom
the Spaniards trade for slaves. These Kroomen

REMARKS ON COLONIZATION. 179
keep no slaves themselves, neither do they allow
any of their own tribe to be sold as slaves ; and
they become of so much importance to the slave-
dealers on the coast, acting as a sort of brokers,
negotiating among the tribes for slaves, that they
themselves, knowing their own consequence, do
not hesitate to board a slave-vessel, and there is no
instance of their ever being kidnapped."
The history of this little colony, which I have
endeavoured to sketch from the information fur
nished by Mr. Ashmun, appears to me to afford
matter for serious reflection. The principle in
volved in colonization is, I am aware, liable to
some objections, and I am not indifferent to the
arguments to which it has given occasion. But
the strength of truth and reason seems to be alto
gether in its favour. The dogmas of Malthus may
be right or wrong, the statistical propositions of
Mr. Sadler, and the philosophical deductions he
derives from them may be right or wrong : with
these querulous rhetoricians, I have nothing to do.
But one thing is certain, that while the fertile
earth, in any of its endless divisions, affords the
means of sustenance, no human being csught to be
suffered to want, because the notion of emigration
does not square with certain opinions of a despotic
school. That some countries are overpopulated in
reference to the resources of their superficies is,
I take it for granted, a fact above impeachment.
That there is room enough on the surface of the

180 REMARKS ON COLONIZATION.
earth for all the population it contains, is another
truth which very few persons will be hardy enough
to contest. The principles of Providence in the
economy of space appear, therefore, to be that the
superabundant population of one place, shall seek
in the uncultivated and scantily peopled regions of
other countries, for those means of existence which
are denied to them by the pressure of the demand
on the soil at home. The immutable law of bene
volence, drawn from the institutes of Christianity,
ordains the earth for the sustenance of man. But
that law is perverted by those who resist emigra
tion under the circumstances to which I have
alluded. What is to become of the surplus popu
lation, if it be not allowed a space wherein to fer
tilize the virgin soil, and supply its wants ? If its
own land denies it the ineans of life, must it die,
that some philosopher may triumph in his doc
trines ?
It is very true that colonization frequently ter
minates disastrously, and that instances might be
cited, in which emigrants have suffered terrible
privations, and have even fallen beneath the insa
lubrity of unaccustomed climates. But these cases
merely prove the necessity of adopting sufficiently
precautionary measures, before the emigrant com
mits himself to a venture, upon which the hap
piness and iijterests of himself and his family
altogether depend. If a man j-ashly goes out un
covered, and exposed, into a storm, he will surely

REMARKS ON COLONIZATION. 181
run a chance of catching an illness : so too, if a
man penetrate to the tropics, and carry with him
the habits of England or France, he will certainly
peril his life, for these habits are unsuitable to
places where a vertical sun pours down its scorch
ing rays upon the body. Every climate requires
especial modes of conduct for physical constitution.
Brandy and water might be a very good beverage,
and even a medicinal protective at the North Pole,
but it would be ruinous if taken in excess at
Sierra Leone. It is because emigrants do not
sufficiently study the situation to which they bend
their steps, that they so often complain of failure.
We have seen in the first expedition from the
United States, that the project terminated fatally
for nearly all the colonists ; but why ? Because
they went to a low marshy island, at the com
mencement of the rainy season, when disease in
its worst horrors was just setting in. How could
they expect to escape a contagion, which they
actually seemed to court ?
If the example of the colony of Liberia were to
be followed, if wholesome laws were laid down to
regulate the movements of emigrants, and proper
precautions taken, by which all the advantages of
position might be seized, and the disadvantages
avoided, I have very little doubt that coloniza
tion would ultimately prove a valuable safety-valve
for society. The idle and wretched, who have no
hopes or friends at home, might always be thus

182 REMARKS ON COLONIZATION.
beneficially drafted off to infant states, where
they could be made to labour, and where their
recovered habits could be rendered subservient to
the common good. At home they hang on the
necks of the industrious ; there they might be con
verted to useful members of the great community,
improving the means of the social body, instead of
deteriorating its morals, and wasting its resources.

CHAP. VI.
The Kroo Country — Religion of the Kroo and Fish men — Emigra
tion ofthe Natives — Sketch of their habits and customs — Purchase
of wives — The Krooman's ne plus ultra — Migratory propensi
ties — Rogueries exposed — Adoption of English Names — Cape
Palmas — Dexterity of the Fishmen — Fish towns — The Fetish —
Arrival at Cape Coast — Land with the Governor — Captain Hut
chison — Cape Coast mode of taking an airing — Ashantee Chiefs
— ^Diurnal occupations — School for Native Girls — Domestication
of Females — Colonel Lumley — Captain Ricketts — Neglect of
Portuguese fortresses — A native Doctor.
Monday, Oct. 8th, 1827. — Light airs and vari
able, with frequent heavy showers. Land in sight,
bearing n.e. At noon calm and very hot. Lat. 5°.
32'. N. Ion. 10°. 17'. w. Cape Palmas e.s.e. 168 miles.
Hoisted in the pinnance, which we had been towing
all the way from Sierra Leone, in consequence of
the crowded state of the ship.
Tuesday, 9th. — At noon, lat. 4°. 55'. n. Ion. 9°.
17'. w. Cape Palmas s. 76°. e. 83 miles. At one
a canoe came off to the ship, at this time we saw
a remarkable rock, called the Swallow, or Kroo
rock, which is detached from the main land, about
two miles and a half from the entrance of the river
Waffen. There is a safe channel for vessels inside
of this rock, with seven fathoms water, and a muddy
bottom. Nearly twenty leagues to the westward

184 the kroo COUNTRY.
of the Waffen is the river Cestus,* in which river.
Captain Spence, an old African trader, has had a
timber establishment some years.
Being now off the Kroo country, I think it desi
rable to introduce a short description of it, and its
inhabitants. The Kroo country is situated on that part of the
coast of Africa called the Grain Coast, the chief
towns of which are Settra Kroo, Little Kroo, Kroo
Barru, Kroo Settra, and King Will's town. It
does not appear that it extends any distance inland.
The manners of the natives are sufficiently curious
to merit some description. They are pagans, and
place much faith in charms, auguries, and oracles.
The most celebrated place for oracles is near the
banks ofthe river Cavally, a little to the westward
of Cape Palmas, and this spot is in as great repute
amongst them, and the surrounding tribes (parti
cularly those along the coast, even so far down as
Cape Lahou), as ever that of Delphos was among
the ancient Greeks, and so far as we can learn,
imposes with equal success on the credulity and
superstition of the poor ignorant natives.
The Kroomen, that is, the Kroo and Fish men,
for they all come under the general denomination
* Nine miles to the westward of the mouth of this river, is the
rock Cestus, where there is a settlement of about seventy Fishmen,
who have run away from their own country, to avoid the penalty of
the law. They are principally from Niffon, Baddon, and Picka
ninny Cess.

emigration OF THE KROOMEN. 185
of Kroomen in Sierra Leone, are almost the only
people on the coast who voluntarily emigrate, to
seek for labour out of their own country. They
come to Sierra Leone, to work in any capacity in
which they can obtain employment, until they are
possessed of sufficient property to enable them to
purchase several -wives. The object they propose
to themselves in this increase of their domestic
establishments, differs in some respects from the
indulgences of the east. The Kroomen compel
their women to perform all the field-work, as well
as the necessary domestic duties, in conformity with
the usages of savage life, and when they can pur
chase a sufficient number of wives to fulfil all these
employments, they pass the remainder of their days
in ease and indolence. Before they are able to
accomplish this object, they are obliged to make
several visits to Sierra Leone, as they do not like
to be absent more than two or three years at a time
from their own country. The average duration of
this voluntary banishment is perhaps about eighteen
months. A sketch of the progress of the Kroomen
from their first visit to Sierra Leone, to the final
consummatioil of their wishes, in the attainment of
their Paradise of idleness, -will fully illustrate the
peculiar character of a tribe, one of whose usages
is that of seeking abroad during the vigorous years
of life, the means of dwelling with ease and comfort
in old age at home.
When they have arrived at healthy boyhood.

186 CUSTOMS OF THE KROOMEN.
they first come to Sierra Leone in the capacity of
apprentices to the old hands, who are considered
as headmen or masters : these headmen, according
to their influence, or station in their own country,
have a proportionate number of apprentices at
tached to them, fluctuating from five to twenty, to
teach them what they call " White man's fashion."
The profit of the labour of the youths is always re
ceived by the headmen, who returns them a small
portion of it. When an apprentice goes back to
his own country, after his first trip, he is considered
to have passed through the period of initiation,
and when next he visits Sierra Leone, he comes
upon his own account. The amount of the gains
of this visit (a great part of which consists of what
they have been able to steal) is delivered up to
the elders ofhis family, who select and purchase
a wife for him. A short time is now spent in mar
riage festivities with the respective relatives of the
parties, and then a fresh venture to Sierra Leone
is undertaken, on which occasion he leaves his wife
with her relations. The proceeds of the third visit
are dedicated to the building of a hut, and the pur
chase of another wife. But he does not remain
long at home, before he prepares to set out again
for the purpose of making fresh accessions to his
wealth, so that he may increase his household
up to the desired point where his own personal
labour will be rendered unnecessary to his sup
port. In this way he continues to visit Sierra

WIFE-BUYING. 187
Leone, accumulate property, and purchase wives,
the general number of which varies from six to ten,
until he has secured the requisite domestic esta
blishment, when he "sits down" (as they call it) for
the remainder of his life, in what he considers
affluence and happiness. The process of wife-buy
ing is remarkably curious. For the first wife they
pay two bullocks, two brass kettles, one piece of
blue baft, and one iron bar ; but the terms upon
which they obtain the rest, depends entirely upon
the agreement they make with the parents of the
brides. A convenient condition is attached to
the marriage articles, which secures the husband
against any risk of being disappointed by the bar
gain. If, after marriage, he discovers in the lady
any imperfection, or qualities that falsify the ac
count given of her previously by her parents, he
is at liberty to turn her away in disgrace, and the
rejected bride is for ever after looked upon as an
abandoned character. In a very ancient history
of Ireland, it is stated, that a practice formerly
prevailed in that country, of permitting the bride
elect to live with her intended husband twelve
months before marriage ; and if, at the end of that
time, the gentleman was not satisfied with the
lady's character and disposition, he was allowed to
send her back to her parents, taking upon himself
the charge of their offspring, in case they should
have any. The gallantry of that people, however,
appears not to have visited the female with any

188 VOYAGES OF THE KROOMEN.
odium in consequence : she was regarded by her
friends with the same respect and tenderness as
before. The Kroomen cohabit with their wives in
succession, passing two days in rotation with each.
Of course, it does not fall to the lot of every
Krooman who goes to Sierra Leone, to secure
such luxuries for the decline of life, many of
them being too imprudent to take sufficient care
of their earnings.
The Kroomen sometimes come to Sierra Leone
in their own canoes, which are comparatively
small for such a voyage, but they manage them
with skill, taking the precaution to keep close in
with the land, and go on shore every night. They
are also conveyed in vessels that trade on the coast,
which they prefer, for the sake of economy, as they
get their provisions for assisting in na-vigating the
vessel. On returning to their counti-y, however,
they cheerfully pay 15s. a-head for their passage, in
any vessel they can procure ; and, at these times,
their luggage, including the fruits of their plunder
as well as their earnings, makes no inconsiderable
appearance in the ship. When they can afford to
return home in these larger vessels, they prefer them,
on many accounts, to their canoes, which are not
only inconveniently small, but expose their goods
to the wet, and always liable to be attacked and
plundered by the Fishmen, who are more ex
pert on the water. They are also subject to great
danger from some runaway blacks, who infest the

STOLEN GOODS. 189
coast near the rock Cestus, going out in canoes,
and watching their opportunities for plundering
any boat or vessel that they are able to overpower.
When the Kroomen leave their own country for
Sierra Leone, they do not bring any thing with
them, except their gregories (various charms),
some native medicines, consisting merely of a few
herbs, and a little box containing certificates of
character from the different persons with whom
they have served. These certificates they prize
highly, as forming introductions to future employ
ment ; however, but very few of them could be
possessed of such testimonials if their masters were
bettef acquainted with their conduct. I have
been informed by some persons who have visited
the Kroo country, that they have seen in the huts
of the natives, silver forks and spoons, knives and
forks, table-cloths, towels, &c. &c., things which
they never bought, but which they had, no doubt,
stolen from their employers. The articles that
they generally purchase for themselves are shawls,
handkerchiefs, blue baft, and other cloths for
wearing round their waist, fine beaver hats, mus
kets, ammunition, knives, common spoons, and
various fancy articles for their women.
It was my intention to have visited their country,
had not the Eden proceeded so soon to Fernando
Po, but as I was very anxious to be present at the
first operations in the formation of our establish
ment on that island, I reluctantly abandoned my

190 SYSTEMATIC ROBBERIES
design. Any person would be quite safe in the
Kroo country, who would place himself under the
guidance of one of their respectable headmen, and
Englishmen in particular might visit the interior
of their country under great advantages, as the
people are well acquainted with them in conse
quence of the trade which is carried on in ivory,
at their own to-wns on the coast, as well as the
intercourse which is constantly kept up with
Sierra Leone. There have occasionally been
upwards of 2000 of these people at one time in
Freetown ; but, shortly before our arrival, an
order in council was issued to restrict the resi
dent Kroomen to 600, for the purpose of throwing
open the labour market to the free blacks, as well
as to prevent in some measure the drain of profit
which the Kroomen caused by their fi-equent im
migration and departure. Notwithstanding a great
proportion of what they earned was expended on
articles of British manufacture, which they took
away with them, still a material injury was sus
tained by their constant robberies, which more
than counterbalanced the benefit of their expen
diture. Independently of this political motive for
restricting their numbers, it was useful as a mea
sure of social protection. They resided by them
selves in a suburb of the town, apart from the rest
of the inhabitants, and used to emerge at night
from their close retreats, and commit the most
daring burglaries. The stolen property was care-

OF THE KROOMEN. 191
fully secreted in their own quarter, where they
had a much better opportunity of concealing it
than if they dwelt promiscuously in the town at
large. They frequently stole calves, pigs and
poultry, always adopting the precaution of imme
diately dressing them, and burning the hides or
feathers, as well as any of the offal, that might
probably lead to detection. In consequence of
these practices their moral character was very low at
Freetown, but as they were active, muscular, and
intelligent, they obtained a decided preference as
servants and labourers. Some of them were also
usually employed as sailors in nearly all vessels
that remain on the coast. One very remarkable
trait in these people is the bond of close union that
keeps them together, and preserves an interest in
common throughout the whole fraternity. If one
of them should commit a crime, it is a very rare
occurrence to find another informing, or bearing
witness against him ; and they carry this principle
of combination so far, that they will rather suffer
for the offender than denounce him. If the autho
rities attempt to elicit the facts by a course of
examination, they only obtain subterfuges and pre
varications, and seek in vain by threats or pro
mises to shake the constancy of the witnesses.
The headmen manage their rogueries with so
much ingenuity that charges can very seldom be
proved against them. They send out their ap
prentices, under particular instructions, to commit

19:2 ADOPTION OF ENGLISH NAMES.
robberies, and, like the Spartan youths, they con
sider the most expert thief to be the cleverest
fellow : should any of these young men be caught,
they are left to get dut of the scrape in the best
manner they are able, for unless it be to swear
falsely to an alibi, or some other evasion of truth,
their masters never appear in the affair afterwards.
The native denomination of a Krooman is Kroo,
and that of a Fishman Krepo, and they have dis
tinguishing marks for their respective countries
tattooed on their face.
From the difficulty which exists in ascertaining
their own names, they always add some English
word as a personal designation. The selection of
the word is quite a matter of chance, and it is of
no consequence whether it belong to a person,
place, or thing. For instance, if you ask one of
them what his name is, he will probably say, " My
name is Soda Water, Massa," another will tell
you that his name is " Bottle Rum," or " Bottle o'
Beer," and others, " King Will, Jack Freeman,
Tom Freeman," &c. &c. Freeman being one of
the most common and favourite names amongst
them. On Wednesday, October 10th, — we were off
Cape Palmas, bearing n. e. twenty-one miles,
where a number of canoes came alonsrside with a
few trifling articles for sale, but their object was
evidently more to beg than barter. The article
chiefly in demand amongst them was tobacco.

FISHMEN. 193
On taking their leave, one of the men got into his
canoe by leaping overboard while the ship was
going very fast, and the boat paddling hard to
keep up with her. He swam to the canoe, and
rolled himself over the gunwale in a horizontal
position, the people in the boat leaning over the
opposite side to prevent it from upsetting. These
men may truly be called Fishmen, for they appear
almost as independent in the water as the fish who
inhabit it ; they think nothing of having their
canoes upset on the -wide ocean, for they can
easily recover its former position, and get the
water out of it when they resume their places. I
was informed they will also attack a shark in the
water -without hesitation, and they are very expert
in catching almost every description of fish. The
Kroomen stand no chance with them on the water,
and when they happen to encounter each other
in their canoes, the first thing the Fishmen try to
do is to upset the Krooman's canoe, after which
they are quite at their mercy. They are also
much better seamen, as well as boatmen, yet not
withstanding this difference of character, they are
in appearance the same people as the Kroomen,
and a stranger would not know the difference.
Formerly the Fishmen were without the distin
guishing mark down the forehead, which is now
commonly adopted. Their country, as I have
before remarked, is in the vicinity of Cape Palmas,
and their principal towns are Bafoo, Wapee, Batoo,
1 o

194 FETISH-MEN.
Little Cess, Grand Cess, Caraway, Cape Town,
Cavally, Tabor, and Bassa. They are much more
numerous than the Kroomen, but neither Kroo
men nor Fishmen have a united government ; for
they have frequent wars amongst themselves;
Fishtown against Fishtown, and Krootown against
Krootown, but they both possess one great and
generous characteristic, that of never selling each
other for slaves on any pretence. This, in a
country where the slave-trade is so universal, may
be noted as a very extraordinary and remarkable
feature in their character.
When any person dies in the Kroo, or Fish
countries, unless the deceased may have expressed
a wish to the contrary, his friends apply to the
Fetish-men to know how he came by his death,
when they invariably fix on some obnoxious
character, either man or woman, as having been
the cause. This person is then compelled to drink
what they call saucy-water, the infusion of the
bark of a tree, well known for its deleterious qua
lities. Of this preparation they are obliged to
take three heavy draughts of about a quart each.
On the effect of this depends the supposed guilt,
or innocence of the accused. If it remains on his
stomach he is considered to be guilty of the
alleged crime, and he consequently dies ; but,
if evomition takes place no evil consequence at
tends it, and he is declared to be innocent.
Where it fails to produce the latter effect, the

ARRIVAL AT CAPE COAST. 195
people hunt him about the town as they would a
mad dog, until he is at the point of death, which
generally takes place a few hours after he has
drank the prescribed potion.
Saturday, 13th. — At noon. Cape Three Points
E. ^ N. 7 miles.
Five leagues to the westward of Cape Three
Points, is Axim, where the Dutch have a fort ;
and about one league further to the westward is
the mouth of the river Ancobra. Six leagues to
the eastward of Cape Three Points, is Dix Cove,
where we had a fort occupied by a small detach
ment ofthe Royal African Corps. At half past eight
in the evening, we anchored for the night in 15
fathoms water, for fear of running past Cape Coast
roads before day-light, the currents being very
irregular ; and, early on the following morning, we
proceeded on our voyage. At 9 o'clock we were
abreast of the Dutch fortress of Elmina, which is
7 miles to the westward of Cape Coast Castle, off
which place we came to an anchor about 10
o'clock, in 9 fathoms water. We found the Afri
can steam-boat, and the Diadem transport, waiting
our arrival ; there was also an English merchant
brig in the roads, but we heard nothing of our
schooner. At noon saluted his Honour the Lieut.-
Governor, on his leaving the ship, taking his secre
tary and myself with him in the canoe, which was
a fine boat, pulling 17 paddles : we were seated
on chairs, fixed to a platform in the forepart of the

196 CAPT. HUTCHISON.
boat. The castle saluted the Lieut. -Governor on
landing, and the shore was lined with natives to
receive him. The surf not being very high, we
were enabled to land without a wetting, which
is rarely the case. On entering the castle, I was
introduced to the officers of the garrison, and to
Capt. Hutchison, a merchant of this place, who is
well-known for his eminent ser-vices in this coun
try. The first thing that brought him into parti
cular notice was being associated with Messrs.
James and Bowdich, in their mission to the King
of Ashantee, in 1817. He was left at Coomassie,
the capital of that kingdom, as the accredited
British agent, after the departure of the mission,
on their return to Cape Coast. The King of Ashan
tee was pleased with his remaining, for it not only
shewed the confidence he had in him, but it was
a proof of the sincerity of our intentions, by thus
leaving him as a pledge for the fulfilment of our
part of the treaty that had just been negotiated ;
and the forfeiture of his life would, no doubt, have
been the consequence, if the King had even sus
pected any breach of faith on our part. In this
situation he remained several months, without the
society of any white man, among savages, who
think no more of the life of a human being, than
a vicious boy does of a dog or cat. Some time
after his return from this mission, Capt. Hutchison
was called upon to serve in a military capacity
against the very nation where all his efforts had

CAPE COAST AIRING. 197
been directed to preserve a pacific disposition :
and we here find him no less distinguishing him
self in the field of proud honour, with his sword in
his hand, than he had done in his diplomatic cha
racter ; for, notwithstanding he had an important
command assigned to him, he was personally en
gaged in almost every battle, in one of which (at
Affatoo) he was severely wounded in both arms,
and before these wounds were healed, he was
called upon to take command of the centre hill on
the lines at Cape Coast, when it was attacked by
the Ashantees, and all the nations that the power
ful king of that country was in alliance with.
I took a ride with Capt. Hutchison before dinner,
in his carriage, which was a gig, with a head to it,
on four wheels, drawn by as many men ; but,
if these fellows could have been placed behind us,
as they were in the canoe, it would have been de
sirable, for their muscular exertions produced an
effluvia, which was any thing but agreeable. Ob
jectionable, however, as this style of travelling
may appear, it was certainly better than being
carried about in a sedan-chair, or a palanquin,
excepting for travelling at night, or any great
distance. My countrymen will, perhaps, think it very cruel
to see men substituted for horses, but when they
are informed, that it is undertaken voluntarily on
their part, and even eagerly solicited by them, for
the reward attendant thereon, there will be no rea-

V98 SUBSTITUTE FOR HORSES.
son for complaint. As a proof of their not feeling
the employment derogatory, the following obser
vations will be sufficient to convince the most scep
tical : —when a gentleman, who has not a sufficient
number of persons on his establishment to employ
in this way, wants to take an airing in his car
riage, he has only to mention it to his servants,
and the house will soon be surrounded with vo
lunteers, soliciting to be selected for the service.
There are two reasons why the vehicles at Cape
Coast are drawn by men instead of horses, the
principal one being that horses are very dear, and
do not live long in theclimate ; the second, that,
even if they had a sufficient supply of horses, they
could not find a drive of four miles in any one
direction, without making a road expressly for
the occasion. The short one that they already
have, requires constant attention to keep it clear,
the vegetation being remarkably rapid and luxu
riant. Captain Hutchison obligingly invited me to
take up my quarters with him, but as Colonel
Lumley also desired me to consider myself as his
guest during my stay at Cape Coast, I divided my
time between the Colonel and his officers at the
Castle, and Captain Hutchison with the principal
merchants of the place. Dined with the Lieutenant-
Governor at the officers mess at the castle.
Tuesday, 16th. — Immediately after breakfast I
accompanied the Governor and Captain Ricketts

ASHANTEE CHIEFS. 199
to visit a native school, which is composed of 100
boys, some of whom were very intelligent, and
wrote and read English remarkably well.
I was present to-day when the Governor gave
audience to twenty Ashantee chiefs, who were
introduced by the King of the Fantees, or Cape
Coast nation, accompanied by a number of his
carboceers, or great men, who acted as interpreters
to the Ashantees. These twenty chiefs were part
of a mission, composed of one hundred and twenty
sent by the King of Ashantee to the commandant
at Cape Coast Castle, but as the Lieutenant-Gover
nor of Sierra Leone happened to be there at the
time, it was thought to be more complimentary
that he should give them an audience. They came
rather as petitioners than as equals, their object
being to sue for a peace, offering to deposit a certain
quantity of gold in Cape Coast Castle, as a secu
rity for their strict observance of the treaty. After
the meeting, I had some conversation with the
King of the Fantees, and several of his carboceers,
all of whom spoke English.
Wednesday, 17th. — I will just give an outline of
my diurnal occupations, which were pretty much
the same during- my short stay at Cape Coast.
My first visit every morning was to Captain Hutchi
son about 7 o'clock, when I was sure to find him
at breakfast. I remained with him about a couple of
hours, which time was passed very agreeably in
conversation, excepting occasional interruptions

200 DIURNAL OCCUPATIONS.
by a visit from one of the carboceers, who called
on matters of business, or to get him to settle
some disputes among their people, for he had so
much the confidence of the natives, that both their
great men and the common people, preferred refer
ring to him to settle their quarrels than to their
own authorities. At 9 o'clock I always repaired
to the castle to breakfast with the Governor, and
Captain Ricketts, the commandant, after which I
used to pass my time among the different merchants,
who had all called on me on my first arrival, and
given me a general invitation to their houses. About
noon I usually found a party assembled at Captain
Hutchison's to relish with him, as it is significantly
called, which in fact was an early dinner, as was the
custom ofthe place. At 4 o'clock they took a ride
in the manner before described, or called on each
other, and at 6 they took their tea with meat, &c.
This evening I accompanied Colonel Lumley and
the officers at the castle, to the merchants club-
room, where some played cards, while others passed
the time in conversation, billiards, &c. In the
intermediate hours during the day I called on vari
ous persons, and visited different parts of the town,
to glean what information I could. The Horatio,
schooner, tender to the Eden, arrived this evening.
Thursday, Oct. 18th. — Passed through the mar
ket this morning, which is always held a-t an early
hour, where the articles for sale consist principally
of fruits and vegetables. The sales here are con-

NATIVE girls" SCHOOL. 201
ducted by barter, the merchants generally ex
changing tobacco and other goods for the articles
they want to purchase.
I visited to-day an English school for native
girls (21 in number) the expense of which is de
frayed by the Government. These children were
not all black, for there were a few very pretty
Mulattoes amongst them. A custom that must
appear strange and immoral to my own country
men, but which is not held so at Cape Coast, pre
vails, in reference to these girls, when their educa
tion has been completed. Although none of them
are regularly affianced, some of them are taken
from the school into the household of resident
English gentlemen, where they perform all the
domestic duties in an anomalous capacity, com
bining all the responsibilities of the married state,
without its legal bond. A previous engagement,
and clear understanding is entered into with the
parents of the girls, to the mutual satisfaction o'
all parties, and their offspring is afterwards pro
vided for according to circumstances. These
young women usually receive the elements of a
good education, and constitute the only female
society which an Englishman can enjoy here, as
the climate is so debilitating to Engli'sh ladies that
they cannot reside in the place for any length of
time. This, indeed, is the only excuse that can be
offered for a custom, which it must be granted
does not admit of an apology beyond the mere

202

COLONEL LUMLEY.

necessity of the case. The girls are excellent
managers in domestic concerns, and good and
careful nurses, qualities that are exceedingly valu
able in such a situation.
Friday, 19th. — Being on the point of taking
leave of my friends at Cape Coast, I cannot better
occupy a few pages than with some general re
trospective observations.
Colonel Lumley, Lieutenant-Governor of Sierra
Leone claims my first attention. I had the good for
tune to make his acquaintance at the seat of govern
ment, and during the whole time I had the pleasure
of knowing him, I always found him to be actuated
by a most zealous devotion to the many important
duties which his situation imposed uponhim. Norwas
his high character as a public officer more praise
worthy, than his estimable qualities as a man. I
shall always look back with pride and satisfaction
to the period of our intimacy, which was clouded
only with the apprehensions I entertained of the
fate that awaited him. Perhaps the prophetic
forebodings with which he was impressed might
have led me to such gloomy anticipations ; for he
often observed to me, he felt convinced that if he
should ever be attacked by the fever, it would
prove fatal, as it unfortunately did, not very long
after I left the colony : and I was informed he
caught it from a young friend whom he was kindly
attending, and who fell a victim to the disease.
With Captain Ricketts, the commandant of the

CAPTAIN RICKETTS. 203
fortress, I also had the pleasure of enjoying an
intimate acquaintance. Captain Ricketts has
served many years on this coast, and was engaged
with the Ashantees at the battle of Essamacow,
where Sir Charles McCarthy lost his life. On
that occasion he had a most miraculous escape,
both in, and after the battle, particularly on his
return to the coast, where he was obliged to follow
the course of rivers, traverse the jungle and
forests alone, to evade the murderous Ashantees.
He subsequently became commandant of Cape
Coast Castle, in which capacity he acquired so
much influence with the natives as to succeed in
prevailing on them to build a market-place, to lay
out several new lines of streets, and otherwise
improve the town ; but above all, to induce them,
after a great deal of persuasion, and perseverance,
to take down all the houses adjoining, and in the
immediate vicinity of the castle walls, a measure
which must have greatly interfered with their
religious prejudices, as they were obliged to re
move the remains of their relatives, who are always
buried under the apartments they inhabit, and to
carry them to their new habitations to be deposited
in a similar manner. He had also succeeded with
the King and carboceers in getting them to cut
away all the jungle from the suburbs of the town,
for three or four miles distant, and in fact his in
fluence was so great, and the positive utility of the
works he designed so obvious, that the natives of

204 PORTUGUESE FORTRESSES.
Cape Coast almost adored him. The castle, which
is a fine building, was kept in the best order
under the superintendence of this active and useful
officer. It is astonishing that the Portuguese, who have been
so enterprising, and expended so much money on
their early discoveries in the erection of fortresses,
many of which may still be considered good modern
fortifications, should now allow most of their foreign
possessions to go to decay, and even to fall into
ruins. Look at the once celebrated city of Goa on
the Malabar coast, dwindled into insignificance,
and proverbially called a city of priests and beggars.
What is the cause of this decadence ? Is it a just
visitation for the unjust means they practised to
acquire those possessions ? All for the thirst of
gold ! Or is it that the active spirit of the Portu
guese ceases with the acquisition of novelties, and
that they are destitute of those persevering qualities
which improve and foster the possessions that are
originally obtained by enthusiasm apid energy ?
We had frequent heavy showers during our stay
at Cape Coast, although this was not the regular
rainy season, for these showers were what are called
the after-rains, which last about a fortnight.
When the weather clears up after very heavy
rains, many of the poor people, principally old wo
men and children, take up the mud from the gutters,
and wash it well in calabashes, when they gene
rally find a few grains of gold for their pains. This

A NATIVE DOCTOR. 205
is also the case after a very heavy surf has subsided,
which, during the violence of the storm, generally
throws up a great quantity of black mud on the
shore. There is a strange exhibition to be witnessed
every morning on the sea-shore, which, however,
I shall forbear to describe.
Xhere is a singular old man, upwards of 60 years
of age, at Cape Coast Castle, who is well known
by the name of Dr. Saguah, and who acts in the
capacity of a native doctor. This person excites a
great deal of attention, not only by the peculiarity
of his manners, but by the circumstances through
which he has reached a station of some consideration.
He was originally a slave to the African Company
at Cape Coast, and having been accidentally placed
in the house of the medical establishment, he
learned to compound medicines. In the duties
which he performed in this capacity ha rendered
himself very useful, and continued at the pestle
and mortar until Sir Charles McCarthy's arrival,
when the African Company was dissolved, all their
slaves liberated, and the new charter proclaimed,
(for Sierra Leone and Cape Coast) on March 29,
1822. Having received his freedom, he now
assumed a position of some 'importance, and was
retained on the medical establishment as dispenser,
with a small salary. His excellent conduct and
judgment in the discharge of his new office pro
cured him the general respect and confidence of

206 ASHANTEE TRADE.
Europeans, and his reputation, when I was at Cape
Coast, stood so high that hewas frequently consulted
on the diseases of the climate in preference to
medical gentlemen from Europe. He is in the
habit of making daily visits to all the European
residents, whether they require his services or not,
and they generally invite him to take some refresh
ment, handing him at the same time the keys of
their celeret or cupboard, that he may help himself
to spirits, or wine. He sometimes avails himself
of their offer, chiefly for the sake of gratifying his
vanity, by shewing to the servants the confidence
that is reposed in him ; for no other native, per
haps, except himself, would be entrusted with the
keys of any place where wine and spirits are kept.
Trade was very dull during my stay at Cape
Coast, and had been so for some time ; the mer
chants, however, looked forward to its revival, in
consequence of the prospects of peace with the
Ashantee people, who were very desirous to termi
nate hostilities, for the sake of being enabled to
resume their commercial intercourse with the Eng
lish, and other Europeans on the coast. During
the war it was believed that they had accumulated
a great quantity of gold and ivory, which are the
principal articles they barter for goods of European
manufacture, and for which they had no sale while
hostilities lasted, except in some few instances,
where individuals risked the hazard of embarking
in smuggling transactions.

CAPTAIN HUTCHISON. 207
Captain Hutchison (whom I have before men
tioned, as being left at the Ashantee capital after the
departure ofthe mission), when the troops returned
to the coast, subsequent to the Ashantee war, was
appointed commandant of the Fortress of Anna-
maboe, a post which he resigned for a time, in
consequence of some difference of opinion with
Colonel Lumley, acting Governor of Sierra Leone,
when he was at Cape Coast ; however, he was
afterwards induced to resume the command of the
fort, where he has a mercantile establishment, as
well as at Cape Coast. His opportunities of acquir
ing popularity have been very favourable, for he
has held several high posts at one and the same
time, namely : —
Commissioner of Requests,
Commandant of Annamaboe,
One of H. M. Justices of the Peace for the Gold Coast,
Colonial Secretary of Cape Coast, and
Captain of the Royal Gold Coast Militia.
And I have the satisfaction of adding my per
sonal testimony of his worth, having found him a
most intelligent, hospitable, and friendly man.
In addition to all the kind offices he had rendered
me during my short residence at Cape Coast, he
presented me with a hoop basket-worked ring,
richly chased, made of virgin gold from the
Ashantee country, and also an Ashantee stool,
which is described by Bowdich to be made out of
a solid piece of wood, called zesso, which is very

208 ASHANTEE STOOLS.
light, white, soft, and bearing a high polish. In
addition to the soft nature of the wood, it is said
to "be well soaked in water to make it still softer,
previous to its undergoing the process of carving.
From its being the custom among the Ashantees
for their great men to be seated on stools, some of them
take much pride and pains in having them highly
carved or ornamented. The pattern is generally the
same, being a very low concave seat ; the only
difference is the manner of ornamenting them.
Bowdich relates, that in one of the grand proces
sions at Coomassie, the stools of the great men
were carried on the heads of favourites, and he
observes that they were laboriously carved, with
two bells attached to each. He also describes the
King's stool as being entirely cased with gold.
The word stool also signifies a high place of office
in the King's council, to which his captains are oc
casionally raised for any distinguished act of bra
very ; but this promotion is attended by a heavy
fee to the King's household, being no less than
eight ounces of gold. When a rich man dies, the
person that succeeds to his fortune is said to suc
ceed to his stool. I will conclude the subject of
stools with an observation relating to cushions,
which is, that no subject can sit in public with a
cushion on his stool, unless it has been presented
to him by the King, or one of his four principal
captains.

CHAP. VII.
Recollections ofthe Ashantee War — Battle of Essamacow — Acces
sion of Osay Aquatoo to the Throne — Battle of Affatoo — Invest
ment of Cape Coast — Flight ofthe Ashantees — Martial Law pro
claimed — Battle of Dodowah — Ashantee Mode of Fighting —
Death of Captain Hutchison.
I CANNOT sufficiently express my sense of the
uniform kindness I experienced from the residents
at this station. My excellent friend, Capt. Hut
chison, lodged me in a good stone house, which
was entirely appropriated to my own use, and I
had also apartments allotted to me at the castle, so
that I passed my time as agreeably as I could pos
sibly desire. The interesting conversations in which
I had the good fortune to participate, afforded me
a variety of curious and valuable particulars re
specting the natives ; and, when it is remembered
that the gentlemen from whom I derived those
anecdotes and descriptions, had mingled personally
in the scenes to which they referred, they acquire
an enhanced value, from so unequivocal* a proof of
their authenticity. Many incidents, connected with
the Ashantee war, were related to me with all the
fire and energy which the soldier exhibits when he
enumerates the dangers he has escaped, and the
victories in which he has shared ; I wish I could
1 p

210 BATTLE OF ESSAMACOW.
transfer to my pages the spirit which inspired my
informants ; but I must leave the imagination of
the reader to supply the strong feelings of personal
interest involved ih the details, contenting myself
with a plain recital of a few short reminiscences.
The battle of Essamacow, which is registered in
the Gold Coast Almanack, with the significant pre
fix of " fatal," was fought on the 21st of January,
1824. Hostilities commenced about two o'clock in
the afternoon, when both parties opened a brisk
fire across a small river, that separated their forces.
Our troops consisted of only a few regulars, a small
body of militia, and some irregular native allies,
the whole commanded in person by his Excellency
Sir Charles McCarthy, Governor of Sierra Leone.
The regulars and militia alone were armed
with bayonets, so that, in the event of close col
lision, in which, unfortunately, this conflict termi
nated, we were at a fearful disadvantage, con
tending against a foe so much superior in num
bers, and so expert in the use of their hand-arms.
The firing across the river continued for four hours,
but at six o'clock in the evening, the English were
compelled to cease in consequence of having ex
hausted all their remaining ammunition. The
Ashantees, perceiving the difficulty in which our
troops were placed, resolved to turn the opportu
nity to immediate account, and, uttering discordant
yells, rushed into the river, and advanced en masse
upon our forces. Sir Charles McCarthy saw that

BATTLE OF ESSAMACOW. 211
there was but one means of resistance left, and re
ceived the tumultuous enemy at the point of the
bayonet. For some time, the steadiness and cou
rage of the English prevailed over the barbarian
rage of the multitudes that threw themselves upon
their " serried ranks," and the Ashantees fell in
rapid succession ; but it soon became evident that
the strictest discipline of such an inferior body,
could not withstand the increasing crowds that
poured upon them: the English soldiers, finding
themselves so hemmed in that their muskets be
came inconvenient to them, for want of space to
exercise their arms with freedom, relieved them
selves from the encumbrance by unfixing their bay
onets, and casting their muskets away. With this
awkward weapon they continued the engagement
against an enemy armed with long knives, in the
use of which every Ashantee is singularly skilful.
All the advantages of European knowledge and co
operation, were at an end. It now became a terri
fic scene of slaughter, in which physical power
had the inevitable superiority. Opposed to such
infuriated masses, the coolness of the English was
of no avail. They fell quickly before the knives of
the Ashantees, exhausted from the loss of blood, and
covered with numberless wounds. Happily their
sufferings were of short duration, for the enemy,
in the fulfilment ofa barbarous usage, cut off their
heads as they fell, as trophies of their own personal
prowess.

2 12 VICTORY OF THE ASHANTEES.
Sir Charles McCarthy saw that the day was lost,
and that it would be but an inglorious sacrifice
of his own staff, and the few soldiers that yet re
mained, to continue on the field. He, therefore,
prepared to retire ; but this resolution — which, in
the breast of so brave an officer, was slow to find
a place — was taken too late. A large body ofthe
enemy had already advanced upon his rear, and
intercepted his retreat. All hope, even of escape,
was now cut off. The victory of the Ashantees was
complete : and nothing but conjecture is left as to
the cruel sufferings which were inflicted upon our
gallant countrymen and allies before they surren
dered their spirits to their Creator on that fatal day.
Two officers only escaped — Brigade-Major Rick-
etis and Lieut. Erskine. Almost all the principal
Europeans were slaughtered, and only one, Mr.
Williams, is known to have survived : he was sent
to the court of Ashantee. The most melancholy
feature in this affair is, that the officer who had
charge of the ammunition, neglected to keep the
troops properly provided with powder, for had the
supply been sufficiently prompt, it is believed that
the Ashantees never could have succeeded in their
advance movement, or, indeed, that they never
would have attempted it, so great was our superi
ority over them in loading and firing. It is to be
feared, that great blame is attached to the ma
nagement in this part of the arrangement for the
necessities of the battle, for when Major Ricketts

ACCESSION OF OSAY AQUATOO. 213
opened the three last kegs supplied to the troops
for ammunition, he found, to his consternation,
that they were filled with macaroni ! although,
when the Ashantees plundered our camp the day
after the battle, they discovered ten kegs of ball-car
tridges, amongst a great quantity of valuable booty.
But, however lamentable this negligence was, it
should be suffered to pass into oblivion. The of
ficer upon whom it is charged, perished with his
brave companions ; and, like them, he is placed
for judgment before a higher tribunal : it is,
therefore, unnecessary, as it would be cruel, to
pain his friends and relatives by registering his
name, to mark a military error, which might have
been caused by the unexampled confusion of the
scene in which he was called upon to act so re
sponsible a part.
Shortly after this disastrous event, the late King
of Ashantee, Osay Tootoo Quamina, died. He
just lived long enough to receive the intelligence
of a triumph which inspired the Ashantees with
the most extravagant hopes, and led them to pro
secute the war with sanguinary violence. Osay
Aquatoo (the Orange*), the brother ofthe deceased
king, had no sooner succeeded to the vacant
throne, than he resolved to follow up the advan
tages of the war with vigour. He believed that
the death of an officer of such estimation as Sir
Charles McCarthy, must have thrown the ranks of
* From the colour of his skin.

214 BATTLE OF AFFATOO.
the British soldiers into confusion and despair,
and, taking it for granted, that a military demon
stration, on his part, would be sufficient to com
plete the successes which had opened so success
fully under his predecessor, he departed from his
capital to take the command of the army, which
was then advancing on Cape Coast. On this oc
casion, agreeably to the superstitious usage of the
natives, the head of the late king was carried into
the files of the Ashantees, as a charm to protect
them in the battle, and an incentive to the per
formance of valorous deeds. When the King had
made some progress towards the encampment, he
sent a sarcastic message to the Commander-in-
chief, who was then at Affatoo, within ten miles of
Cape Coast, which abundantly shewed the confi
dence by which he was animated. His message
was to the effect, that he had learned, in Coomas
sie,* that all the white men had been killed in the
late action, and demanding to be informed, what
he, the Commander, and all his young men were
about, that they had not taken the Castle. —
" Stop !"^ — was the naive reply of the General to
the messenger — " Stop till Friday, when the white
men are going to attack us : then you can carry
back to the King the news of what you see, and of
what the young men have to do." Friday came
* From " Coom," to kill, and " assie," under, meaning under
the large Banian, or Indian fig-tree, that stands in the market-place,
opposite to the palace.

INVESTMENT OF CAPE COAST. 215
in due course, and the army of the Ashantees went
forward to redeem the pledge of their exulting Gene
ral. This was the battle of Affatoo, which took place
on the 21st of May, 1824. The result was disastrous
to the cause of the King. The natives were com
pletely routed and driven from the scene of action,
without the loss of a single officer on our side, and
with but one wounded (Capt. Hutchison), who com
manded the Annamaboe militia, and who was shot
through both arms, while he was leading his men
to the charge.
The Anglo-Fantee army, immediately after the
battle of Affatoo, fell back on Cape Coast Castle,
as had been previously arranged by Colonel Suther
land, who had arrived from Sierra Leone just
before the battle. This movement of that portion
of our troops, enabled Major Chisholm, who pos
sessed the entire confidence of all the soldiers, to
take the command in the field. The King of
Ashantee, now joined the army, which he headed
in person, and concentrating all his forces, he
advanced towards Cape Coast Castle with the in
tention of blockading the town. On the 10th of
June, 1824, he pitched his gorgeous pavilion,*
sparkling with its rich colours and costly em
broidery in the effulgent sunlight, on a height
to the northward of the town ; in the valley be
tween which and the back of the town lay the
* This was a very splendid tent that had been presented to him
some years before by the Dutch Governor, General Daendals.

216 SKIRMISHES WITH THE ASHANTEES.
ground where the important issue was to be con
tested. For a whole month the belligerent parties lay in
sight of each other, mutually watching their
opportunities to attempt a decisive movement.
Several skirmishes took place from day to day,
but without making much impression on either
side ; and during this interval of suspense, in
which our troops were exposed to the rays of a
vertical sun, and in continual expectation of a
hidden and treacherous attack from a barbarous
horde, greatly superior in numbers, and with whom
"revenge is virtue," ascending volumes of smoke
wreathing up into the air, and blackening the
bright expanse of heaven, marked the terrific con
flagrations that were constantly taking place in
the surrounding country.
At length the eventful day arrived on the 11th
of July, 1824. In order to understand the peculiar
perils which our army had to encounter, it is ne
cessary to observe that Cape Coast Castle stands
near the sea, and that the town is built on the
west side of it, at a short distance from the beach.
Upon three conical hills that arise close to the
back of the town, and run nearly parallel with the
coast, our troops were stationed. The right hill
was occupied by Major Chisholm's division, the
left by Major Purden's, and the centre by Captain
Hutchison's ; while the subordinate officers com
manded the passes between the valley and the

DEATH OF LIEUTENANT SWANZY. 217
town, which were four in number, two beyond the
hills, and two between them. These passes were
choked up with a dense jungle. The whole army
was commanded by Colonel Sutherland, assisted
by Sir John Phillimore, and most of the officers,
seamen, and marines, of H. M. S. Thetis.
At noon the enemy pushed forward in immense
numbers, and with ferocious valour towards the
passes, with the design of forcing them. Their
attention was particularly directed to the right
wing, as the town was considered to be most ac
cessible on that side. Their savage cries, their
heedless desperation, and tumultuous onset, were
well calculated to unnerve the bravery of troops
accustomed to discipline and a more honourable
species of warfare, but our soldiers met the Ashan
tees with an unmoved front : the resistance was as
courageous as the attack was fierce ; and the first
approach of the enemy was repulsed with steadi
ness. It was at this crisis that Lieutenant Swanzy
fell, covered with wounds at the head of his de
tachment. To this fine young man, whose gal
lantry was conspicuous in the action, might be
applied with truth the celebrated words of the poet,
" The yoimg, the beautiful, the brave !"
The conflict raged with great fury, and the in
domitable self-possession of our soldiers at last
threw the Ashantees into confusion. Their wild
exultations gave way to universal despair, a panic
seized upon their irregular masses, which now

218 ASHANTEES DRIVEN BACK.
filled the valley in a state of fearful commotion,
and exhibited a terrific picture of savage despera
tion. Perceiving the incertitude of his army, the
King descended from the hill for the purpose of
animating the troops by his presence. The royal
cortige, as it swept down the height, and mixed
with the heaving crowds below, was singularly
imposing. The King advanced with a gaudy um
brella held over his head, followed by a glitter
ing and diversified train, consisting of his nume
rous wives and eunuchs celebrating his praises
and his deeds in barbarous lyrics, while others
amongst his retinue were employed in waving bril
liant feathers and fans, and the tails of elephants
and horses over the head of the monarch, keep
ing regular time with the inspiring war-song, to
which all his guards contributed in an uproarious
chorus. The King exhibited great personal cou
rage and perseverance ; again and again he rallied
his disconcerted troops, who were seen flying
about in all directions in the utmost disorder. In
this way the conflict was prolonged until darkness
fell upon the scene and terminated the battle. On
the cessation of hostilities, the Ashantees retired,
with the intention, as the British soldiers believed,
of renewing the fight with the return of daylight.
Major Chisholm, taking advantage of the circum
stance, removed into the fort for the night, and
discovered for the first time, that the stock of am
munition, particularly the musket balls, was nearly

CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES. 219
exhausted. Rapid measures were adopted for re
pairing this disaster ; all the leaden and pewter
vessels in the town were immediately put in requi
sition, melted down during the night, and cast into
ounce balls. Yet even this additional supply
would have been of little avail, had the enemy
renewed the attack on the following day. But
when the dawn returned, the Ashantees were seen
in the distance, encamped in stillness, and without
exhibiting any disposition to encounter our soldiers
again, and as evening began to fall, preparations
were visible of an intention to retire from the field,
and in a few hours afterwards, the King of Ashan
tee, despairing of success, retreated with his army
under cover of the night.
From this period a cessation of arms followed ;
but the Ashantees becoming turbulent again, martial
law was proclaimed on the 6th of June, 1826.
Affairs were in this position, when the battle of
Dodowah was fought on August 7, 1826, between
the English, assisted by the native allies, and the
Ashantees, with their allies, commanded in person
by the king, commonly known by the designation
of the Tiger-King.
The ground on which the battle was fought is
an extensive plain, the surface of which is occasion
ally interspersed with clumps of trees and brush
wood. It is distant from Accra, n.e. about seven
or eight leagues, and lies four miles s. of a village
called Dodowah, from which it takes its name.

220 NATIVE ALLIES.
The day on which it took place being considered
by the Ashantees as favourable to enterprises, was
on that account anticipated by us, so that we were
enabled to prepare for the action in time. About
eight o'clock in the morning, our scouts brought
intelligence that the enemy were already in motion,
and the English drums immediately spoke with
their fine martial music to our tioops, who formed
their lines with promptitude, stretching about four
miles from e. to w. The variety of costumes,
and flags of different nations, exhibited by the
European lines, including the native allies, pre
sented a very picturesque and imposing appear
ance, and invested the scene -with a peculiar and
inspiring interest. For several days previous to
the battle, a dispute was maintained between the
King of Akimboo, the King of Dunkara, and the
Queen of Akim, * as to who should have the honour
* This extraordinary woman, who displayed unexampled energy
throughout the whole of this war, was about five feet three inches in
height, and was distinguished by an almost infantine character of
face, and a voice low and soft as the tones of a flute. It was thought
that she habituated herself to that style of speaking to conceal herreally
masculine nature, and to interest her audience. Her voice, notwith
standing its sweet inflections, was broken, or " cracked," as singers
term it, a circumstance occasioned, perhaps, by the constant use she
made of it, for she was not a little remarkable for that volubility which
a rude jest attributes to her sex in general. She was a very success
ful beggar, too, amongst the rest of her accomplishments, for muni
tion and strong drink. Just before the battle of Dodowah com
menced, she passed along the ranks, encouraging her people with an

PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE. 221
of attacking the King of Ashantee's own band.
This point, however, was finally settled by an ar
rangement which satisfied all parties ; it was de
cided that the King of Akimboo should take the
extreme right, while the King of Dunkara and the
Queen of Akim should occupy the extreme left.
Their zealous aspirations, notwithstanding their
ardour, were disappointed after all, for the King of
Ashantee hearing that the white men filled the
central position of the European lines, chose that
point for his own attack, on account of the great
honour which he hoped to acquire by meeting the
English in person.
The officers and gentlemen engaged in the
battle were Lieut. -colonel Edward Purden, com-
mandiaig the whole, Captains Hingston and Rogers,
and Lieutenant Calder, ofthe Royal African Corps;
Dr. Young, ofthe staff; Mr. Henry Richter, mer-
appropriate harangue, and waving at the same time a gold-hilted
sword in one hand, and an elephant's tail (the emblem of royalty), in
the other, with a necklace, well adapted for the occasion, composed
of a string of musket balls. This heroine said to some of our coun
trymen, who called on her the day before the battle, " Osaiy has
driven me from my country because he thought me weak, but he is
mistaken ; for, although I have the form of a woman, I have the
heart of a man !" an observation which her extraordinary prowess in
the fight fully justified. She was to be seen every where in the heat
of the battle, encouraging and exciting her troops ; wherever the
greatest danger was, there, too, was the energetic Queen of Akim.
Her conduct reminds us of Queen Bess at Tilbury Fort, and per
haps still more of Boadicea herself.

222 BATTLE OF DODOWAH.
5hant, Danish Accra, with his own men, about 120;
Mr. I. W. Hanson, merchant, British Accra, -with
his men, amounting nearly to a similar force ; Mr.
J. Jackson, merchant. Cape Coast, with Mr. Ban-
nerman's men ( Mr Bannerman being in England
in bad health), amounting also to about an equal
strength ; and Captain Hutchison, Annamaboe,
with the Cape Coast artificers, part of the town's-
people ( volunteers), assisted by Bynie, a native
chief, whose people, including the above mentioned
from Cape Coast, amounted to about 150. These
formed the centre, and were drawn up in lines,
with the Royal African Corps as a reserve.
The attack commenced from right to left about
half past 9 o'clock. Several of the natives, unac
customed, probably, to the regularity of European
movements, came to the troops in the centre, and
reproached them in coarse and offensive language
with cowardice, for not opening their fire, which
circumstance being communicated to the command
ing officer he ordered them instantly to advance.
They accordingly moved forward about 400 yards,
when a heavy well directed fire took place on our
side. From this point the English troops continued
steadily to proceed, the enemy slowly and sulkily
giving way as they advanced. No prisoners were
made, for as they fell they were put to death. Even
in this summary cruelty there was a species of
mercy, as many were ripped up, and their hearts
torn from the vital region, in order that the blood

BATTLE OF DODOWAH. 223
might be poured out on the ground as an offering*
to the triumph of the English arms. The fighting
in many instances was of the most barbarous and
ferocious description. In some cases, single men
marked their particular adversaries and dragged
them from the ranks ; and thus, combating in pairs,
they wrestled and cut each other, until the knife of
the more fortunate gladiator entered the vital part
ofhis antagonist and terminated the revolting con
test. The enemy was pressed so hard by our troops,
that a distinguished Captain of the Ashantees,
either from despair, or to end his misery the more
speedily, blew himself up. A cry now arose that
the Ashantees were advancing between the centre
and the right wing of the army : the alarm was
caused by a panic amongst the party from Danish
Accra, the native troops in that quarter having,
with their Carboceer at their head, retreated early
in the action, it being, as they afterwards explained,
" against their Fetish to fight on a Monday," and
thus created in the remainder of the body appre
hensions of weakness. This cowardly conduct of
the Danes compelled the centre to fall back, and
abandon all the advantages their valour had ob
tained, a movement which immediately exposed
them to a galling fire from the enemy, who now
rushed onwards in immense numbers to crush the
retiring troops. At this important crisis of the
battle. Colonel Purden advanced with the reserve,
who brought rockets with them, a few of which

224 BATTLE OF DODOWAH.
* thrown amongst the enemy spread the most appal
ling confusion. The hissing sounds of these novel
messengers of death ; the train of fire ; the explo
sion ; with the ghastly wounds inflicted by the
bursting of the rockets ; led them to suppose that
this terrible instrument could be nothing less than
thunder and lightning.
While these proceedings were going forward in
the centre, another party of Ashantees attacked
the left wing of King Chebbo ( of Dunkara), the
Winnebahs* having fled at the first fire, and never
paused until they reached Accra. King Chebbo,
however, was in advance with a handful of his
people, driving back his opponents, and a few
rounds of grape fired over the heads of our troops
soon relieved his party from their assailants. On
the right wing, the battle was never doubtful
throughout the day. The King of Akimboo swept
all before hira, penetrated to the King of Ashantee's
camp, took them in flank, and shewed his rapid
and victorious progress by a column of smoke that
extended to the very heart of the enemy's lines.
The example of the Ashantee Captain, who blew
himself up to escape from the hand of his adver
saries, was followed by several other Ashantees in
* These are the same people who murdered Governor Meredith
about fourteen years before. For that crime, the English blew up
their fort. They have always acted basely in battle, and are notori
ous for gluttony, cruelty, and cowardice. The Ashantees said that
if they went to Winnebah, they could catch the people like swine.

DEFEAT OF THE ASHANTEES. 225
command. The sight of these suicides on the field
of death was terrible : the explosion of the gun
powder, the shouts and groans of the combatants,
the discordant noises produced by the rude instru
ments of the barbarian soldiery, the general melee
of the raging battle, and the confusion that arose
in consequence of the grass having caught the
flames from the firing and the exploding powder,
presented a scene which, with a little aid from
the imagination, might have been easily translated
by a poet or a painter into a vivid picture of the
infernal regions.
The effects of the rockets and grape-shot, pro
duced so extensive an alarm amongst the enemy,
that they fled in all directions, and were at last
completely routed. The Danish flag now ad
vanced from the rear, and it was soon seen that the
Fetish of the recreants, although it had forbidden
them to fight on a Monday, had not made any
provision against the commission of acts of spolia
tion, for these people were the very first to plunder
the Ashantee camp, and then to run off with the
booty, as fast as they had fled from the field of
battle. The Ashantees lost in this engagement the whole
of their camp baggage, including a great quantity
of gold. Towards the evening a number of prisoners
were made, for our allies, tired of slaughter, content
ed themselves with making as many prisoners as
they could for slaves. They were supposed altogether
1 Q

226 HEAD OF THE ASHANTEE KING
to have lost 5000 men, amongst whom were most
of the principal chiefs, and the King himself was
wounded. One of his wives (to whom Mr. Ban
nerman introduced me at Accra) and a female
child were taken prisoners. Our loss was compa
ratively trifling, not amounting to more than 800
killed, and 1600 wounded. Colonel Purden received
a contusion on the higher part of his right leg, from
a spent shot, and Mr. Richter received a shot
through one of his thighs. Amongst the deaths,
there were three native chiefs, who commanded in
our lines.
Soon after the battle, some of the Annamaboe
people brought several heads of Ashantees
whom they had slain to Captain Hutchison, as a
proof of their personal courage, and individual
prowess. Some of these heads were recognised by
Captain Hutchison as belonging to natives who
had been known to him. Amongst the spoils one
head was found by the Aquapim chief, which ex
cited curiosity, by the care with which it was en
closed in wrappers, and Captain Hutchison desired
that the covering should be removed. On taking
off the first wrapper, they found the second to be a
fine parchment, inscribed with Arabic characters ;
beneath this was a final envelope of tiger's skin, the
well known emblem of royalty among the Ashan
tees. The evident pains which had been taken
in the preservation of this head, satisfied all the
by-standers that it was the head of Sir Charies

SENT TO ENGLAND. 227
McCarthy, to which it was generally understood regal
honours had been paid by the natives. The gratifi
cation which this discovery gave to our countrymen
may be easily conceived, and they lost no time in
sending the head to England, together with the
first account of the battle of Dodowah. The head,
however, had scarcely been forwarded to its desti
nation, when some prisoners who had been taken
in the action, made the disagreeable disclosure
that the head belonged, not to Sir Charles Mc
Carthy, but to the late King, Osay Tootoo Qua
mina, and that it had been taken into the battle in
conformity with the prevailing usage of the people.
The effects of this information though painful were
ludicrous enough. The head of the Ashantee
King had found its way to England as an ac
credited relique of the lamented Sir Charles
McCarthy, and was the first remains of an
Ashantee that had ever, perhaps, received the
solemn rite of Christian burial ; while, on the
other hand, the head of Sir Charles McCarthy,
had been deposited with all the rude pomp of
their heathen ceremonials in a Pagan cemetery.
However disappointed the friends and country
men of Sir Charles McCarthy must feel at the
discovery of this strange interchange of reliques,
the Ashantees are still more mortified at a circum
stance which has robbed their royal catacombs of
one of its mementos, and broken the line of death's
heads by which the chronology of the throne is

228 ASHANTEE MODE OF FIGHTING.
perpetuated. They are quite ashamed of the oc
currence, and greatly annoyed whenever it is
alluded to ; more particularly as the Fantees, their
immediate enemies, take every opportunity of re
proaching them with a loss which they consider
to be a disgrace.
Connected with this subject is the Ashantee
mode of fighting, a description of which will serve
to illustrate the previous details. In the first place,
we must suppose them to be encamped, -with the in
tention of advancing to attack their enemy. They
commence their operations by cutting a number of
footpaths for a single person only to make his way
through the bush ; these paths are cut parallel,
equi-distant, and just within hearing. By these
numerous paths they all advance in Indian file,
until they arrive in front of the enemy, when they
form in line, as well as circumstances vrill admit.
Their arms and accoutrements consist of a musket
without a bayonet, the lock of which is covered
with a piece of leopard's or some other skin to pro
tect it from the weather, a pouch tied round their
waist containing the powder, in about twenty or
thirty small boxes of light wood, each having a
single charge ; a small bag of loose powder hang
ing down on the left side ; and in addition to this
a keg or barrel of powder is carried for each party
to replenish from when required. Their shot is
langrage, composed of pieces of iron, lead, iron
stone (broken in small pieces), &c. &c., and is car-

ASHANTEE MODE OF FIGHTING. 229
ried loosely in a bag. The last of these materials
is most generally used, as it is procured with faci
lity, being found lying in great quantities on the
surface of the earth. They load their muskets
with a large charge of both powder and shot. In
their buckskin belts they carry from six to twenty
knives of various lengths, together with a cutlass
or bill-hook, the former for cutting off heads, and
the latter for clearing their way through the un
derwood. On arriving near the enemy, they cut
a path transversely in front of those before men
tioned, in which path they form their line, within
twenty or thirty paces of the enemy, having a
little brushwood in front for their protection.
They then immediately commence firing through
the intermediate bush. So soon as one of either
party observes an opponent fall, he rushes forward
and seizes him by the throat, when with great
dexterity he separates the head from the body
by means of one of his knives, and runs off with
it to lay it at the feet of his captain. After the
action is over, the captain collects all the heads
that he has received, puts them into bowls, and
causes them to be presented to the chief of the
army. I cannot take leave of this subject, or of the
scenes to which it relates, without reverting to the
name of Captain Hutchison, a sharer in the dan
gers and the glories of the war, and one to whom
I am indebted for many valuable particulars, and

230 DEATH OF CAPTAIN HUTCHISON.
for an anxious and steady friendship, upon which
I shall always look back with satisfaction and
gratitude. Very lately — indeed while these me
moirs have been in preparation for the press — the
painful intelligence of his death has reached me.
I had been favoured by a visit from him since his
return to England, after an absence of seventeen
years in Africa, and anticipated shortly to have
had that gratification renewed, looking forward to
our meeting with something like the anticipations
of a veteran, who hopes, in the society of some an
cient and well-beloved comrade, " to fight his
battles o'er again !" But these pleasurable dreams
of life are not at our own disposal, and we must
submit to the will of that Power in whose hands
are the agencies of all the elements, of which man
is but a perishable compound. My acquaintance
with Captain Hutchison commenced under circum
stances which cannot easily be obliterated from my
memory, and ripened into friendship almost uncon
sciously. I speak of him as I knew him, and even
my partiality, heightened by my regret, cannot
much exaggerate his merits. He was a brave
officer, and an intelligent gentleman. His mind
was practical, prompt, and energetic ; and he unit
ed to the qualities of a strict disciplinarian, all the
kind feelings that embellish the character of social
benevolence. Peace to his ashes, and honour to
his name !

CHAP. VIIL
Embarkation — Departure for Accra — Land Route — Accra Roads —
Visit to Danish Accra — Dilapidations of the Fortresses at Dutch
and English Accra — Captive Queen — Mr. Thomas Park — Cause
of his Death unknown — Departure for ^Fernando Po — First
view of the Island — Anchor in Maidstone Bay — Early History of
the Settlement — Captain Owen's Expedition — Visited by the
Inhabitants — Site for the Settlement determined — Author's Mis
sion to the King of Baracouta — Visit of the King — Native
Costume — Ecstacy of the Natives — Distribution of Presents —
Second Visit to the King — His Majesty's evasive Conduct —
Renewed Interviews — A Native Thief — Intended Punishment —
Cut-throat, a Native Chief — Visit to King-Cove — Purchase of
land. Friday, Oct. 19. — When on the point of embark
ing with Mr. Galler, the purser of the Eden, we
took some refreshment at Mr. Castle's, a commis
sariat officer, whom I had the pleasure of unexpect
edly meeting again at New South Wales, and who is
one of the few survivors, after serving some years at
Sierra Leone and Cape Coast. Embarking, as well
as landing, at this place, is a matter of sortie moment,
the passengers and a part of the crew being obliged
to get into the boat before they launch her from
the beach ; for the surf is occasionally so heavy as
to become exceedingly perilous. Canoes are fre
quently upset in the attempt to get off in bad wea
ther, and the purser of a man-of-war was drowned
in this manner a few years before ; but the natives,

232 land route to accra.
who are like fish in the water, are indifferent to
the danger ; all they care about is to keep the
boat from being stove, and to save her appoint
ments. There was a small ledge of rocks about
one hundred yards from the shore, that would
answer for the foundation of a breakwater, which
it is calculated might be effected at the cost of from
three to five hundred pounds, and which certainly
would be most desirable for affording protection,
and facility to boats, both on landing and leaving
the shore.
Saturday, Oct. 20th. — At eight this morning we
left Cape Coast Roads with a fine breeze, for Accra,
a distance of sixty miles by sea, and eighty-five by
land. A sketch of the land route may not be un
interesting. Four miles eastward of Cape Coast
is Moree, and the Dutch Fort Nassau ; six miles
from Moree is Annamaboe, the most complete
fortification in the country ; five miles from thence
Cormantine, the first fort possessed by the English,
and built by them about the middle of the seven
teenth century. It was taken afterwards by the
Dutch, and being stormed, was almost destroyed
by the Ashantee army, before it attacked Anna
maboe ; the position is very commanding. Tan-
tumquerry, a small English fort, is about eighteen
English miles from Cormantine (^crossing the small
river Amissa, an hour's walk inland from which is
Mankasim, the capital of the Braffoe district of
Fantee), the natives call the town Tuam ; eight

ACCRA ROADS. 233
miles from Tantumquerry is the town of Afram,
where tliere is a Dutch fort, and a small river ;
eight miles from Afram is Simpah or Winnebah.
The people of Simpah are Fantees, but their lan
guage is called Affoottoo. They are in the dis
trict of Agoona. About nine miles from Simpah
is the Dutch fort Berracoe ; the natives call the
to-wn Leniah. Attah, of Akim, laid a contribution
on this fort in March 1811. About twenty-seven
miles from Berracoe is Accra or Inkran, once sub
ject to Aquamboo, which people, according to Isert,
formerly drove them to Popo.
We had only the Horatio schooner in company,
the African steam-vessel, and Diadem transport,
having sailed the preceding evening for Fernando
Po. Sunday, 21s^^At eleven o'clock this forenoon,
we anchored in Accra Roads, where we found His
Majesty's ship Esk, Captain Purchass, who came
on board to wait on Captain Owen. I had the
pleasure of accompanying this gentleman on his
return, first to his ship and then to the shore, in a
very fine canoe of the country, belonging to Mr.
Bannerman, who is the only English merchant at
Accra. This canoe was fifty feet in length, pulling
seventeen paddles, and Mr. B. has had it raised
two feet in the fore part (where the passengers
were seated on chairs), expressly to protect him
from the sea in his occasional voyages to and from
Cajse Coast Castle.

234 VISIT to DANISH ACCRA.
We found the beach equally bad for landing as
at Cape Coast. Some of the officers of the Eden
and Esk, as well as myself, dined with Mr. Ban
nerman, and I slept at the house of Captain Fry,
who was commandant of the English fort here,
which is in a most ruinous state, and instead of
being fort, I should say it was foible.
Monday, 22nd. — After breakfast, a party of. us
in two gigs, drawn by four blacks each, went to
Danish Accra, a distance of two miles, and a very
good road. The Danish Governor and all the
officers received us very politely, and invited us to
remain and pass the day with them. The fortress
was very clean, and every way apparently in good
order. What is called Danish Accra is merely the
fortress, which is the case with Dutch and EngUsh
Accra,* for there are no Europeans living in pri
vate houses, except Captain Fry and Mr. Banner-
man. The fortress of Dutch Accra is even in a
more ruinous state than that of the English, and is
entirely deserted. There is a native to-wn, of
course, and in it are to be found jewellers, who
make ornaments of every fashion, out ofthe purest
gold, brought from the interior. The gold is four
pounds per ounce, and they charge an additional
pound for converting it into necklaces, bracelets,
or any other ornaments, of whatever pattern you
may fancy.
* Accra is a European corruption of the word Inkran which means
an ant.

MR. THOMAS PARK. 235
Mr. Bannerman invited us to visit one of the
King of Ashantee's favourite wives, who had been
made prisoner during the war, with her daughter
and grand-daughter, whom Mr. B. had accommo
dated with part of his house, where his own two
sisters were living, distant about a quarter of a
mile from the house of business where he resided.
They were apprized of our visit, and were dressed
accordingly to receive us. Mr. Bannerman is
himself a gentleman of colour, and a man of edu
cation ; he resided a long time in England, and is
a sensible, mild, and gentlemanlike man. He
supplies all our men of war, on the African station,
when they call at Accra, with bullocks, vegetables,
&c. &c.
Mr. Thomas Park, who left England, as one of
the Midshipmen of the Sybille, but with three
years leave of absence from his ship so soon as she
arrived on the coast, ordered by the Admiralty for
the express purpose of travelling in Africa, with
the avowed intention of endeavouring to discover
the course, and source of the Niger, was landed
at Accra some time since from that ship, and
passed a short time there in studying some of the
languages of the countries through which he meant
to travel. He left Accra to proceed on his journey
into the interior on the 29th of September, 1827,
and arrived at Mampong in Aquapim on the 2nd
of October ; this he left on the 5th for Acro-
pong, the chief town of Aquapim, and on the

236 THE NEGRO FETISH.
10th left Acropong, for Aquambo, a town at the
head of the Volta river, where he arrived on the
16th of October. I heard that he had been kindly
treated, so far as he had penetrated, but at the
last mentioned place, he took a fancy to climb a
particular tree, which the natives entreated him to
desist from, saying that it was Fetished,* however,
he persisted and accomplished his wish. A few
days after this he was taken ill, and as every one
knows, he did not survive to tell his own story :
* The word Fetish is derived, I believe, from the Portuguese
word Fatisa, or Phatisa, which means " a charm." It is used on all
occasions by the natives, when they are asked any question which
they do not understand, or which they do not wish to understand,
particularly if it relate to their religion. Thus the sacrifice, the
rocks, and the sacred groves where they imagine their deities dwell,
are all called Fetish : also, their priests, or priestesses, when they
are going through any antic ceremonies, are said to be making
Fetish, and are consequently called Fetish men or Fetish women.
Some have regarded the Fetish as an object of worship to the
natives of Africa ; it ought, however, more properly to be considered
only as a charm, to which a superstitious and reverential feeling is
paid ; in which an implicit confidence is reposed. AMiether it be in
tended to exercise a public or a private function, it consists of some
body, either animate or inanimate, selected according to fancy, as a
dog, cat, tiger, snake, an egg, the bone of a bird, a piece of wood, a
feather, or any other substance : this is rendered sacred or endowed
with its supposed virtues by peculiar ceremonies, and afterwards
honoured with a species of worship, vows of abstinence from parti
cular or occasional pleasures, and other services ; in return, the party
to which it belongs looks up to it for protection and assistance on all
occasions — if successful, he attributes it to its intervention ; if un
lucky, to its displeasure,

C.^-USE OF park's death UNKNOWN. 237
perhaps the precise cause of his death will ever
remain in doubt. This gentleman was a son
of the celebrated Mungo Park, than whom no
man was better calculated for such an enterprise,
and whose loss is perhaps more to be regretted
than that of any other African traveller ; but I
lament to say that from the moment I heard of his
son, an inexperienced young man, undertaking an
enterprise of such magnitude, as that of penetrat
ing alone into the interior of an unknown country,
to solve a problem in the pursuit of which so many
distinguished travellers had failed and fallen, I
confess I never supposed he would live to return :
in fact, the project appeared to me, what is em
phatically expressed in the old proverb, " a wild-
goose chase." For where men of maturer judg
ment and greater experience found that they could
not contend against the superstitions, prejudices,
and artifices of those cunning savages, how was it
to be expected that a youth of nineteen could
possibly succeed ?
I have heard, that his desire for travelling in
Africa, arose from a romantic notion, that had en
tered his head when a boy, of seeking for his
father in the interior of that country, to ascertain
whether he was alive and in slavery, or had lost
his life by sickness, or violence. This filial enthu
siasm continued to haunt him until a short
time before he left England, when he abandoned
the fond hope of recovering his father, whose death

238 UNFITNESS OF MR. PARK
was confirmed by a variety of coincident circum
stances , but still he resolved to persevere in his
long-cherished scheme of visiting the interior of
Africa. Impelled, perhaps, by the name he inhe
rited, and a latent passion to emulate the deeds
of his father, on the same field of action, he em
barked in this hazardous and unfortunate enter
prise. But mark the difference of character and
qualifications. The father, a man of mature judg
ment, whose experience in the world gave him
considerable advantages ; was also of an age and
temperament that rendered him less liatile to the
endemic diseases of such a climate,* while his pa
tience, perseverance, and medical skill, enabled him
to surmount difficulties which a younger man, by his
rashness, would only increase. The son, a young
sailor, just entering life, full of enthusiastic ardour,
and, perhaps, of confidence, from the information
he had collected from books, little thinking that
theoretical knowledge is of no avail in comparison
with the practical study of human nature, particu
larly amongst savage tribes, which time and expe
rience alone can give, was, of all persons, the worst
qualified for such an undertaking. He possessed
no knowledge whatever of the country, or the
* In my opinion, no man under thirty years of age, should think
of travelling in an unhealthy country ; before that age, the constitu
tion is more liable to the infection of the endemic diseases of a hot
climate than afterwards. Perhaps, between forty and fifty would be
the best age — " ceteris paribus."

for travelling in AFRICA. 239
people, and had not a single individual to hold
council with, amongst a variety of savage nations,
where he would, occasionally, meet with some of
the most cunning and intriguing people in the
world. I, of course, allude to the Arabs ; who
alone possess any influence, or can be supposed to
be secure amongst the Africans of the interior, cut
off, as they are, from all European nations on the
coast : — the Mahommedan religion is the only one
that is generally known, and the only written one
amongst these people, the rest being mere super
stitious forms and customs : which, however, do
not vary, in any great degree, in the whole coun
try. The Arabs are very jealous of the ascen
dancy they possess over the various nations of the
continent of Africa, and studiously endeavour to
prevent strangers from traversing the interior,
from the fear of losing the influence they have ac
quired over this poor, ignorant, and superstitious
people. It appears singular, that there should have been
no rain at Accra, where their crops were failing
for the want of it, although it rained every day at
Cape Coast. There were several heaps of shells
on the beach at Accra, principally consisting of the
common cowrie, and the large muscle. They had
been collected for the purpose of undergoing the
process of calcination. In the absence of lime
stone, they are used as a substitute, and are con
sidered to produce a finer and stronger lime.

240 FERNANDO PO.
About sun-set we embarked in the same large
canoe from which I landed, and immediately after
our arrival on board, the Eden got under weigh,
when we shaped our course for our ultimate desti
nation, the Island of Fernando Po, a distance of
530 miles, bearing about e. by s. j s. while H. M.
S. Esk, left Accra roads for Cape Coast.
Friday, 26th. — After a four days' passage across
the Gulf of Guinea, at seven o'clock this morning,
we saw the island of Fernando Po, bearing s.e.
This island can be seen from a considerable dis
tance, being distinguished by some very high
peaks. At four in the afternoon, the wind fell
away nearly to a calm, when we found ourselves
close in with the land, and a current carrying us
still closer ; however, fortunately, a light breeze
sprung up, when we were glad to stand off for the
night. On the following morning (Saturday, 27th)
we made towards the land, sailing along the coast,
which presented the most picturesque scenery that
could well be imagined, until we anchored in
Maidstone Bay, at half past three in the afternoon,
12 fathoms water — black mud.
The island of Fernando Po, situated off the
western coast of Africa, in the Gulf or Bight of
Biafra, between 3". and 4°. n. latitude, and 8°. and
9°. E. longitude, is about one hundred and twenty
miles in circumference. It is generally beUeved
to have been discovered in the year 1471, bya
Portuguese navigator, who gave it the name of

J'

242 reasons for colonizing
Since this period the island has been left to its
native inhabitants, excepting that various Euro
pean, and particularly English vessels, have occa
sionally touched at it for the purpose of procuring
water and yama ; the latter of which it grows the
finest in the world, and which the natives were
accustomed to barter for pieces of iron.
At length, a variety of considerations determined
the British Government to attempt a new settle
ment on this island ; these it may be proper
briefly to state.
In the first place, the convenient situation of
the island, at the distance of only twenty miles
from the main-land of Africa, and in the imme
diate neighbourhood of the mouths of the many
large rivers which pour their waters into the Gulf
of Biafra, appeared to afford a most eligible point
for checking the slave-trade, of which this position
may be considered the very centre.
water, which caused a great mortality and obliged the survivors to go
away. However, previous to their departure, they dismounted and
buried the cannon and all the stores ; and, after they were gone, the
natives demolished all the fortification, and threw the stones into the
sea. A few Portuguese natives of St. Thomas's who for misdemean
ors had been sold to the Spaniards by the Portuguese Government,
are now remaining in the island ready to shew where the cannon and
stores are buried ; and, from what Captain Lawson has heard, the
natives seem to wish that the English would come and settle among
them, promising to render us every assistance in their power in erect
ing a settlement there. The importance of the trade carried on to
Leeward having already been represented to you, I shall not add on
the subject.'

FERNANDO PO. 243
Secondly, it was imagined, — and the considera
tion reflects the highest honour on the humanity of
our Government, — that the adoption of the measure
would tend materially to diminish the sufferings
of the miserable objects of human traffic — the
unfortunate slaves — who too frequently sank under
the confinement and disease incidental to a pro
tracted voyage to Sierra Leone, before their libera
tion could be legally accomplished.
In the third place, it was hoped that the greater
salubrity of the new colony would lead to the
eventual abandonment of the settlements of Sierra
Leone and Cape Coast Castle, the direful effects
of whose climates upon European life have long
been proverbial. The insular position of Fernando
Po, and the nature of its climate and localities,
appeared to offer an earnest that it would not
abound with those destructive malaria which have
proved, on the neighbouring continent, so fatal to
our brave countrymen.
I might also advert to the facilities which the
situation of Fernando Po, at the estuaries of so
many great rivers, together with its insularity,
holds out for extending and protecting • our com
mercial relations with Central Africa, and probably
extending the blessings of civilization amongst its
inhabitants ; these, however, although important,
were minor considerations with the British Govern
ment. To carry the proposed object into effect, an ex-

244 capt. owen's expedition.
pedition was fitted out in the early part of the
summer of 1827, under the command of Captain
William Fitzwilliam Owen, of His Majesty's ship
Eden, who received the appointment of superinten
dent of the colony, and than whom no one could
be better adapted to fulfil the important duties
which were to devolve upon him ; Captain Harri
son, a highly meritorious and indefatigable officer,
received the chief civil appointment under him. A
number of appropriate artificers, -with an abundant
supply of the requisite stores, including several
framed wooden houses ready for immediate erection,
were embarked in a transport; and it was arranged
that a body of troops, with an additional number of
workmen and labourers from Sierra Leone, should
be attached to the expedition on its arrival at that
settlement. On first approaching the island, its mountains
were shrouded from view by heavy clouds and a
hazy atmosphere ; which, however, gradually dis
persed as we neared the shore, and revealed to the
eyes of my companions a magnificent display of
mountain scenery, closely studded with large trees,
and thick with underwood, whose luxuriant fo-
lia'ge of various tints and hues, blending with the
scarcely ruffled bosom of the ocean, and the re
tiring clouds, making the sky each moment become
more lucid and transparent, formed such a varie
gated picture of natural beauty, that we unani
mously hailed it as the land of promise.

visited by the natives. 245
It was not long before the scene began to assume
an aspect of animation, the immediate consequence
of our arrival ; for, in less than half an hour after
we anchored, a number of canoes, with several na
tives in each, who had already been trafficking
with the Diadem,* approached us for the purpose
of bartering the productions of their island, name
ly, yams, fowls, palm-wine in calabashes, fish, some
boxes made of split cane, monkey and snake skins,
with other trifling articles ; for pieces of iron hoop,
a few inches long, which we afterwards found they
made into two-edged knives, by beating them be
tween stones, until they succeeded in shaping the
blade to their purpose, when they fitted it into a
wooden handle, from four to six inches in length. In
the first instance, however, they evinced considerable
doubt and timidity, as they did not venture to come
alongside, but kept the stern of their canoes di
rected towards us, to be ready to paddle away on
the first show of hostility, while a man remained in
the forepart to carry on the barter. We in vain at
tempted to induce them to come on board, for, point
ing in reply to their Fetish, they gave us to under
stand that this was either prohibited or imprudent.
It was easy to perceive that the natives were fine-
looking, active, middle-sized men, with an agree
able and animated expression of countenance. The
natural colour of their skin was not ascertainable,
the whole body being painted, or rather daubed
* The Diadem arrived in the bay a few hours before us.

246

tattoing.

over with a composition of clay, or ochre, ' mixed
up with palm-oil. The prevailing colour was red,
which seems to belong more exclusively to the lower
classes.- some few, however, had used a yellow,
and others a grey pigment, probably as a mark of
distinction, and which we afterwards found appro
priated to the kings, or chief men. The faces were
much seamed or scarified, while other parts of the
body, and particularly the abdomen, were more or
less tattoed. It is curious to remark, among the
African savages, the variety of delineations on their
skin, tattoed in lines, figures, or tropes, by way of
ornariient, fashion, or distinction, in nation and
rank, which, perhaps, cannot be better described
than in the words of the poet : —
Prince Giolo and his royal sisters,
Scarr'd with ten thousand comely blisters.
The marks remaining on the skin,
To tell the quality within :
Distinguish'd flashes deck the great,
As each excels in birth or state ;
His oylet-holes are more and ampler ;
The king's own body was a sampler.
Their weapons were wooden well-barbed spears,
with their points hardened by fire, each individual
being provided with three or four. We afterwards,
however, found that these were not the only
means of defence, as they are possessed of slings,
in the use of which they acquire no inconsiderable
expertness. The canoes appeared to be from 15 to
30 feet in length, and each capable of carrying

NATIVE LOVE OF IRON. 247
from three to twelve persons ; these were provided
with sails made of a kind of split rattan matting,
of an oblong square form, the longer side placed
perpendicularly, and some of them had a staff
erected in the bow, with a bunch of feathers at the
top of it.
When our muskets were fired at sunset, the
whole immediately shoved off, being evidently much
alarmed at the report; and most of them, hoisting
their sails, endeavoured to reach the shore with all
possible celerity.
Sunday, October 28. — Notwithstanding it rained
heavily this morning, a great number of the natives
came off to us at an early hour for the purpose of
renewing their barter, to exchange their articles
for pieces of iron, a metal which they appear to
hold in the highest estimation, and which became
the almost exclusive medium of our traffic with
them. This metal they wisely prefer, nay, al
most worship, for its usefulness ; knives, hatchets,
and iron-hoop, rank first in their good opinion,
scissors and razors holding a secondary place ; for
they deem six inches in length of old iron-hoop, a
quantity which would purchase half-a-dozen yams,
varying from six to twelve pounds each in weight,
far more valuable than the best razor you can pre
sent them with; in short, the /em sacra fames may
here be well substituted for the auri fames of more
civilized nations. We may safely aver, that in
our intercourse with these people, we have found

248 EXAMINATION OF THE ISLAND.
the ' love of iron' the chief exciting principle of
their more generous, as well as malignant pas
sions, — an opinion which many subsequent anec
dotes in this narrative will prove.
The natives had to-day gained an evident acces
sion of confidence, as some of them ventured on
board, not, however, without many symptoms of
timidity. A boy of twelve years old allowed him
self to be conducted over the ship, and was shewn
a variety of articles, of course entirely novel to
him. With these he was, as may be supposed,
exceedingly astonished, but more particularly with
a looking-glass, and by the ringing of a small bell.
In the course of the day. Captain Owen landed
at various points for the purpose of investigating
the localities of the neighbourhood, and -with a
view of selecting the most eligible situation for our
intended establishment. Lieutenant Robinson also
went on shore to take sights for comparing the
chronometers. Several natives approached the
latter gentleman, offering him yams in barter, but
were careful not to come too near, so long as
his men remained armed with muskets. As it
was evident from their signs that they wished
these to be laid aside. Lieutenant Robinson, in
order to inspire them with confidence, directed
his party to ground arms, while he and Mr. Jeffery
advanced towards them. Satisfied with this
demonstration, their whole anxiety now appeared
to be, how to dispose of their yams, which they

SITE OF THE SETTLEMENT. 249
professed, by signs, and with affectation of fatigue,
to have brought from a great distance. They were
not a little disappointed that our party, being un
provided with the necessary medium for payment,
hoop-iron, were unable to effect the purchase.
Monday, Oct. 29.— The natives, who have visited
us in great numbers to-day, are evidently increas
ing their stock of confidence, and, indeed, begin
ning to be, not a little troublesome, as we have no
small difficulty in preventing them from coming
on board. At seven o'clock in the morning we
changed our anchorage to the opposite side of the
bay, near the Adelaide islets, and close to Point
William. A party went on shore for wood and
water, in the procuring of which they were assisted
by the natives.
Tuesday, Oct. 30. — Captain Owen, having now
thoroughly investigated the vicinity of this place,
determined upon the site of our future settlement.
For this purpose, Maidstone Bay, in consequence
of its capacity, ( being about four miles and a half
from Cape Bullen, its north-western limit, to Point
William) ; the excellency of its anchorage, and
the smoothness of its water, offered peculiar advan
tages ; to which may be added, its reception of the
waters of the Baracouta river, with other smaller
streams, and the abundance of its fine fish of various
kinds, including two or three species of turtle.
On the south-eastern side, adjoining to coves
which have received the respective names of

250 CLARENCE.
Clarence and Cockburn Coves, two necks of land
project into the bay, the one named Point Adelaide,
with two small islands off it, bearing the same name ;
the other Point William, It was on the latter,
constituting a kind of peninsula, projecting nearly
six hundred yards into the sea, that Captain Owen
decided upon fixing the infant settlement, which is
probably destined to become the future emporium
of the commerce, as well as the centre of civilization
of this part ofthe globe, — giving it, out of compli
ment to His Royal Highness the Lord High Admiral,
the name of Clarence. Besides the above named
peninsula, the new settlement comprises other
adjoining lands, which were afterwards respectively
known by the appellations of Bushy Park, Long-
field, Paradise, and New-lands, with some which
have not yet received any name, — the whole con
stituting an elevated plain, lying between one and
two hundred feet above the level of the sea, and at
present thickly covered with timber and jungle.
In Clarence Cove, there is an excellent spring of
water issuing from a cliff, about sixty-six yards
above low water-mark, well calculated to supply
the exigencies of the settlement, and which it is
intended to conduct, by means of shoots, down to
the beach.
The above situation having been finally decided
upon. Captain Owen determined to lose no time
in commencing operations, and, in the course of
the day, notwithstanding it proved rainy, a party

BLACK INTERPRETER. 251
of a hundred Kroomen and other black labourers,
were landed, under the command of Mr. Vidal, the
senior lieutenant, and immediately began to clear
a road through the jungle, to the spot selected for
the new town.
Accompanied by Mr. Morrison, I also went
ashore at Baracouta, for the purpose of inviting
the supposed king of the island, but who, we have
since reason to believe, is only the chief of a tribe.
His Majesty would have accepted our invitation,
had not his attendants offered a strong opposition :
all we could gain was a promise that he would visit
us early on the following morning. Our inter
preter was a black soldier of the Royal African
Corps, named Anderson, who professed to have
some acquaintance with the language of the
islanders. We found afterwards, however, that
his Fernandian vocabulary was scarcely more
copious than a sensible parrot might acquire in a
month : his knowledge ofthe English, at all events,
was so exceedingly defective, as to make another
interpreter necessary, to explain what he meant to
express, in our language. This man was left to
pass the night at the royal residence, in order that
he might avail himself of opportunities to inspire
his Majesty with confidence, and be ready to
accompany him on his visit in the morning.
Wednesday, Oct. 31. — The steam- vessel (African)
arrived to-day, and brought in two vessels under
Brazilian colours, which Lieutenant Badgeley had

252 VISIT OF THE KING.
boarded and detained, under strong suspicion of
their being engaged in the slave-trade.
At nine o'clock, the King of Baracouta, accom
panied by his brother and five or six other chiefs,
came on board according to promise, and without
betraying any symptoms of timidity. The party
were immediately conducted to the captain's cabin,
and entertained with wine and biscuit, which they
appeared to partake of with considerable relish.
His Majesty, however, had not come unprovided,
his canoe having been stored with some calabashes
of palm-wine, which he sent for and distributed
freely. We partook of this wholesome beverage,
but some of the natives mixed it with Madeira.
I must not omit to mention that, whether as a point
of etiquette, or intended as an expression of grati
tude for the attentions they were receiving, the
King, and his Chiefs, were particularly desirous of
rubbing their long beards against those of our
party who happened to be possessed of a similar
ornament. Amongst other circumstances which
gave them satisfaction, they were highly grati
fied by sitting on our chairs ; and we have since
learned, that, in their own residences, they are in
the habit of using logs of wood for this purpose, a
custom differing from many of the African nations.
A description of their dress, which was in the
most fanciful savage taste, cannot fail to be inter
esting. In the first place, the body was completely
smeared over with the kind of paint I have before

NATIVE DRESS. 253
described : His Majesty's colour, like that which
distinguishes the imperial family of China, being
yellow, while the livery of his attendants was dark
red. The hair of the head was dressed in long
small curls hanging down behind, and which,
instead of hair powder and pomatum, were well
stiffened with ochre and oil : in front, similar curls
dividing from the forehead, hung down on each
side below the ears, somewhat in the style of Van
dyke's female portraits of the age of Charles I.
The forehead was generally round, sufficiently
elevated to give phrenological indications of a fair
portion of intellect, and, perhaps, unusually well
displayed by a custom which prevails of having
the hair shorn in front an inch beyond the line of
its natural growth, so as, in conjunction with the
peculiar disposition of curls before described, to
leave the part fully exposed. In some instances,
seven or eight strings of beads, in imitation of the
natural curls, were adjusted with much care over
the forepart ofthe head, and conducted separately
behind the ears, the end of each string reaching
down to the shoulders. This singularly orna
mental he-dd-dress was surmounted by a flattish
low-crowned hat, with a narrow brim, the whole
shape not a little resembling that of Mambrino's
helmet ; the frame-work, constructed of loosely
wove splitrattan, was covered over and ornamented
with leaves,the bones of monkeys and other animals,
and a few white, and occasionally red, feathers ;

254 THE cow's TAIL.
the latter of which appeared to have been dyed in
the blood of some animal. This hat was secured
to the head by a skewer, which passed through the
crown, and penetrated a tuft of hair collected
above the vertex. The neck, arms, body above
the hips, and the legs below the knee, were encir
cled by ornamental bands, in the form of bracelets,
which were, for the most part, composed of strings
of beads, or the vertebrae of small snakes ; to the
girdle, which thus surrounded the body, was
appended, hanging down in front, the only ar
ticle of covering which they can be said to wear,
consisting of the skin of some animal, and
which, in many instances, was decorated with a
bunch of herbage. His Majesty, however, as
a mark of distinction, wore also a similar covering
behind. After having been entertained in the cabin, we
conducted the party along the main-deck, and
shewed them our horses, oxen, pigs, &c., with the
whole of which they were highly gratified, espe
cially with the cow, whose tail was a source of
ineffable delight to them, each of them handhng
it in succession, plucking out its hairs, and shaking
it with every indication of astonishment. The
band was directed to play for their amusement,
and delighted them to such a degree, that they
could not restrain themselves from running' into
the midst of it. The King's brother was so en
raptured, that he capered about with excess of joy.

PRESENTS TO THE CHIEFS. 265
making the most uncouth gestures in accordance
with the music.
" So play'd Orpheus, and so danced the brutes."
Our more difficult task was yet to be encountered
— the distribution of presents. His yellow Majesty
was in the first place complimented with the whole
of an iron hoop straightened out for the occasion,
and also with half a dozen fishing-hooks ; to his
brother we gave half the quantity : while the minor
chiefs received about a foot in length each. Some
squabbling occurred during this arrangement,
which was, at length, happily concluded, pretty
much to the satisfaction of the whole party, and
they left the ship in apparent good humour, evi
dently highly gratified with their visit.
Thursday, Nov. 1 .¦ — A heavy fall of rain disap
pointed us in an arrangement to visit the chiefs
on shore.
Friday, Nov. "2. — Notwithstanding it conti
nued to rain heavily at intervals, I went on shore
in company with Messrs. Galler and Morrison, for
the purpose of arranging with the King for the
establishment of a market. On landing, we were
surrounded by a number of natives, who treated
us with more kindness than on our preceding visit,
not forgetting, however, both male and female,
from the youngest to the oldest, to importune us
incessantly for iron ; it was almost dangerous to
take particular notice of any individual, for they im-

256 TREATY WITH THE . KING.
mediately assumed it as an indication of a disposi
tion to make them a present, and began to double
their importunities. Not finding the King or his
chiefs on the beach, we sent to announce our ar
rival, yet we had to wait two hours before they
condescended to appear. During this time, Mr.
Galler amused himself with shooting monkeys;
which appeared to afford some interest and amuse
ment to the natives, who assisted in pointing out
the game, and laughed heartily whenever he missed
his aim.
At length the King arrived, and we explained
as well as we could the object of our visit, to
which he listened with great attention, appearing
to comprehend, so as finally to accede to our
wishes. He then proposed, in order to preserve
a mutual good understanding, that, in the event of
any breach of faith on the part of their people, we
should immediately communicate the same to the
chiefs, who would take care to have the delinquent
properly punished ; while, on the other hand, if
any of our people were guilty of improper conduct
towards them, they would represent it to our chief
This proposal, after a deliberate discussion, was
agreed to on both sides, the contract confirmed by
drinking palm-wine, and a mutual exchange of
presents, as follows, we tendered an axe to the
King, and he returned the compliment by present
ing us with a fowl.
We now proposed to accompany his Majesty

VISIT TO THE KING. 257
back to his village. With this he appeared per
fectly acquiescent, taking me by the hand, and
leading me forward, as if he were conducting me
to the point proposed ; but we soon found that his
real intention was to lead us to our boats. We
still, however, imagined that this was only with the
view of taking us some nearer way home ; but when
we wished him to enter the boat, with the intention
of coasting it to another part of the shore, he posi
tively declined, giving us to understand that his
house was not good enough to receive us, and that
it contained nothing in the shape of refreshments
sufficient to do honour to the visit. We were,
however, predetermined, and, as our interpreter
was acquainted with the way, proceeded with
Captain Smith and Mr. Jeffery, in addition to our
former party. When we arrived, we were ready
to admit that his Majesty had some reason not to
be over-anxious for our company : for neither was
the road, nor the accommodations of his hut, cal
culated either for a visit of pleasure or ceremony ;
in many parts the path was npt only slippery, but
interrupted by roots of trees and pools of water ;
added to which, it lay through a thick jungle,
which swarmed with myriads of ants. His Ma
jesty's hut was a mere thatched roof, the eaves of
which nearly reached to the ground, supported by
posts, and with only one end protected from
the weather ; the chief articles of furniture were
logs of wood, as substitutes for stools, and an
1 s

258 FORMATION OF THE SETTLEMENT.
inclined plane of wood, five feet in length, to
serve the purpose of a bed, the pillow of which
was a round bar, three or four inches in dia
meter, supported at the proper height by two
brackets. The king's brother, who had arrived
first, received us with much good humour, but
regretted that he had nothing to entertain us
with. In a short time, however, a calabash of
stale palm-wine was handed in, which, having first
tasted, according to the African custom, with a
view of proving that it contained no poison, he
presented to us. After resting a short time, we
returned to our boats.
In order to prosecute the formation of the new
colony with the greatest energy, every hand which
could possibly be spared, was sent on shore. A bet
ter approach to Point William, the acclivity being
more gentle, was discovered this morning, and a
large party immediately employed in clearing away
the timber and brushwood, for the purpose of
making a broad road through it.
Saturday, Nov. 3. — The Eden was moved nearer
to Point William and the Adelaide Islands, for the
greater convenience of landing the working parties,
stores, &c. The steam-vessel and her prizes also left
their anchorage in the bay, and moved into Clarence
Cove. Not a single canoe was visible on the water,
and very few natives on the shore ; we were inform
ed by our interpreter, that they were occupied with
the funeral of a chief, but suspect that the different

RENEWED INTERVIEWS. 259
tribes were assembled in council to discuss the sub
ject ofour arrival, and our evident intention to form
a settlement among- them.
Nov. 4.— Some native chiefswere much delighted
with sitting in our chairs ; but, when the Captain
presented them with a few knives, small looking-
glasses, and other trinkets, their delight was raised
to rapture, expressed by clapping their hands and
singing certain short sentences in a high tone of
voice, at the same time bowing their heads, as if to
indicate their readiness to admit our superiority.
We were afterwards informed, that these songs
were in our praise, and implied the following mean
ing : — "¦ Truly you are come to do us good." We
entertained them with palm-wine, Madeira, bis
cuit, fish, and yams ; we found, however, on this,
as on all other occasions, that these unsophisti
cated people preferred their native viands to our
European delicacies. They appeared much inte
rested with the three European females we had on
board ; but, whether they had sufficient taste to
prefer them to their native beauties, I shall not
pretend to determine. After remaining two hours
on board, they took their leave, and returned to
the shore.
Monday, November 5. — Anderson, who had been
absent two days, returned this morning in a large
canoe of seventeen paddles, accompanied by the
same party of chiefs who had visited us yesterday,
with, however, an addition of the king's son. Be-

260 A NATIVE THIEF.
fore coming alongside, they pulled round the ship,
singing most loudly and merrily. Though Captain
Owen was on shore, they were taken into the cabin,
and entertained until his return, after which he
gave a present to each of them. Notwithstanding
this liberality, the principal chief fixed his covetous
eye upon an axe, and expressed a most eager de
sire to become possessed of it. Captain Owen, how
ever, notwithstanding his wish to conciliate the na
tives as much as possible, did not think proper to
gratify his cupidity ; but he promised, that it
should be presented to the King at the next inter
view with him. In the afternoon, a tornado arose
and drove most of the canoes away; the chiefs,
however, remained on board until it was over, and
then left us under an arrangement that the Cap
tain should pay a visit to the King on the following
Wednesday. Tuesday, Nov. 6. — We had a wet morning, suc
ceeded by a fine day. Many canoes, full of natives,
came alongside. About noon, a native was dis
covered, by the master-at-arms, to have stolen an
axe, which he had secreted in a piece of canvas
that he had picked up and tied round his waist in
the manner of an apron. On taking it from him,
he made a desperate attempt to escape, by running
down the ship's side into a canoe, from whence he
made his way over several others, with a view of
reaching his own, but he was arrested in his pro
gress. A warm discussion now arose among the

INTENDED PUNISHMENT. 261
chiefe present, as to the punishment he ought to
be subjected to, having been taken flagrante delicto,
under their own ej^es. Captain Owen, to evidence
his high displeasure at the transaction, cut the
matter short, by ordering them all out of the ship.
This gave rise to another commotion and discus
sion, the result of which was, that the culprit was
assailed on all sides by his countrymen with their
paddles ; even a boy in the same canoe inflicted
several blows, and he was finally severely injured
about the head and body, when, with the blood
streaming from various parts, he was compelled to
leap into the sea, in order to wash it away, before
they would allow him to re-enter his own boat. His
punishment, however, did not terminate with the
above discipline ; for as he assisted in paddling his
canoe ashore, his countrymen followed him with
every denunciation of vengeance. On landing in the
neighbourhood of our market, he was seized, con
ducted a short distance from the beach, and sur
rounded by an immense crowd of the natives. Mr.
Jeffery, who happened to be near the spot, penetrated
into the midst of them, with a view of ascertainingthe
nature ofthe affair, when, to his surprise, he was im
mediately laid hold of, and tied hand tohand with the
bleeding prisoner. It may be imagined that this pro
ceeding excited considerable alarm in Mr Jeffery,
who was led to infer that the wounds of the prisoner
had been inflicted by our people, and that the na
tives were about to retaliate upon himself. A sol-

262 CUT-THROAT.
dier, who was passing at the moment, lost no time
in giving an alarm at the camp, when Capt Harri
son came with a party of soldiers to the assistance
of our comrade ; but Mr. Jeffery had, by this time,
contrived to disengage his hand ; and, our people ap
pearing, the natives desisted from farther attempts
upon him. It turned out that their object in offering
this apparent violence, was merely to secure an
evidence on our side of the final punishment of
their countryman, which they now proceeded to
carry into effect in the following extraordinary
manner :¦ — the poor wretch was, in the first place,
tied hand and foot with his back to a tree, after
which a discussion took place, between the chiefs
and a man, whom we conceived to be a priest. This
being finished, one ofthe chiefs, who, in consequence
of the prominent part he played in this dramatic
scene, was ever after known among us by the ho
nourable name of Cut-throat, very coolly stepped
up to the prisoner, the whole of the natives at
the same time falling on their knees, and was pro
ceeding with great deliberation to cut his throat,
when Captain Harrison and Mr. Jeffery hastened
forward, and prevented the perpetration of the act
by holding back his arm, and making signs that
our chief was coming. Fortunately, Capt. Owen
was actually coming on shore at this juncture,
and, having passed to the centre of the assembly,
by means of signs succeeded in explaining that
it was not his wish to have the man so severely

VISIT TO KING COVE. 263
punished. He then took him by the hand, led
him through the crowd, and thus liberated him
from the sanguinary vengeance of his own country
men. During the whole of this trying occasion,
the prisoner neither shrunk from the numerous and
severe blows inflicted upon him in the earlier part
of it ; nor, in the latter part, did he indicate
the slightest symptom of fear. This is one of the
many traits we met with of either the great forti
tude or little sensibility of these islanders.
We were much surprised at finding a Demi-
John in the woods at the back of our encamp
ment ; it certainly indicates that we are not the
first Europeans who have visited this spot.
Wednesday, November 7 . — Anderson, accompa
nied by two chiefs, came on board at 9 a.m. to say,
that the King was on the beach, waiting for our
boat to fetch him off. At eleven,, the Captain,
accompanied by several of his officers, myself, the
band, and a party of marines, with a variety of
presents, went in three boats for the purpose of
paying our intended visit to his Majesty. We
landed at a small cove, three miles to the eastward
of the ship, since known by the name of King-
Cove, and were conducted by the chiefs to a small
open place in the woods, at the distance of about
a hundred yards from the rocky shore, where the
natives had placed a number of stones in the water
in such manner as to leave a channel for only one
canoe to land at a time. When the Captain was

264 PRESENTS TO THE KING.
seated, a small ram, and several calabashes of
palm-wine, were brought forward. After waiting
an hour, the King arrived, when the Captain,
rising to receive him, ordered a red cloak to be
thrown over his shoulders, and a velvet cap to be
put on his head ; as his Majesty wOre his native
hat, ornamented with a pair of ram's horns on
the fore part of it, it became necessary to place the
velvet one above it, and secure it in its position by
means of a bone skewer, which, piercing both
at the same time, fastened them effectually to the
tuft of hair on the top of the head. The sight of
our presents, but more particularly the quantity of
iron, excited so uncontrollably the feelings of the
royal party, that the good order previously ob
served, could now no longer be maintained; we were
pressed upon on all sides, and with such an incon
ceivable clatter and confusion of tongues, that the
bellowing of cattle would have been comparatively
musical to our ears ; however, to do them justice,
notwithstanding this horrid din, they did not make
the least attempt upon our persons or property. It
was noticed that the King himself gave away se
veral small pieces of iron to certain individuals,
probably an act of policy, which, by leading others
to expect a similar token of royal favour, would
restrain them from attempting to help themselves,
and thus diminish the quantum of his own pre
sents. During this scene of confusion, we retired
to the beach and entered our boats, the crowd fol-

KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE. 265
lowing us to the shore, and many even into the
water. On this occasion, we calculated that there
could not have been less than two thousand natives
assembled, including many women, but they were
kept apart from the men. Mr. Galler spoke to
some of them; but they were excessively timid,
although the men endeavoured to encourage fami
liarity by placing some of the younger women's
hands into his. One peculiarity was remarked on
the present occasion, that many of the natives had
lost one of their hands, and some both, indeed we
found this so common in the island, that there was
no doubt of the deprivation of this part of the .body
being resorted to as a punishment. Before return
ing to the ship, I went with Messrs. Galler and
Jeffery to visit the works at Clarence, when we
were informed that the men employed in clearing
the jungle, had discovered the Indian-rubber tree,
and one or two other indigenous plants which had
not been previously noticed.
Thursday, November 8^A.— The importance of
our acquiring a knowledge of the language of the
natives of this island, must be obvious. In order
to promote this object. Captain Owen selected
an active and intelligent young man of the name
of Elwood, who volunteered to reside for a week
at a village in the interior of the island; and he
left the ship this morning in pursuance of the plan.
The Captain this day fixed upori a spot for the
site of a house intended for his own residence : he

266 Jacob's ladder.
also gave the name of Paradise to a portion of
ground which had been cleared to form a garden
for the use of the colony, and changed the appella
tion of Glover's Stairs for that of Jacob's Ladder.
This consists of a flight of 150 steps, leading from
the beach to the acclivity on which Clarence is
situated, that had been constructed, since our
arrival, by Mr. Glover, and his body of English
artificers. Friday, 9. — During the night there had been
much thunder and lightning, succeeded, in the
morning, by heavy rains, which went off at eleven
o'clock, and recommenced at two, accompanied
by strong gusts of wind ; at four, it cleared up
again : scarcely a canoe or native was to be seen
throughout the day.
Saturday, 10. — 'The weather is to-day extremely
fine, and yet very few canoes or natives have been
seen : and none have approached the ship. We
apprehend that something has occurred to dis
please them — a suspicion afterwards confirmed. In
the afternoon, at the time I happened to be on
shore, a deputation of seven chiefs came to Mr.
Jeffery, at Newmarket, with a complaint that our
Kroomen had been cutting down the palm-trees for
the leaves to thatch their huts with ; and, also,
that they were much annoyed by the frequent fir
ing of muskets. In reply to the latter complaint,
Mr. Jeffery explained to them, that the firing pro
ceeded only from the attempts of our officers to

purchase of land. 267
shoot monkeys ; to confirm which statement, the
purser very opportunely came up at the instant
with a large monkey and a small deer, which he
had just shot. They did not, however, appear pro
perly satisfied ; for they shook their heads, and inti
mated that, if we persevered in cutting down the
palms, it would not only deprive them of the ad
vantages of that valuable tree, but, by diminishing
the quantity of wood, extend the system of firing
musketry farther into the interior of the country.
At length, with a view of settling all grievances,
and convincing them we had no intention of in
flicting any injury, we took them a short distance
beyond the points our men were occupied in clear
ing, and, placing a quantity of iron on the ground,
gave them, by signs, to understand, that we would
give them all that iron for the land contained
within that boundary. The nature of this treaty
for purchase, they appeared to understand well,
and signified their assent by placing sticks, at
equal distances from each other, in the line pro
posed. Mr. Jeffery, at the same time, marking a
tree as an evidence of the agreement on our side.
The quantity of land of which we had thus made a
bond fide purchase, was equal to about a square
mile in extent. The treaty was afterwards more
fully ratified, and the property involved formally
taken possession of by a public act, which will be
duly noticed. Both parties being now satisfied,
we returned to Newmarket, the natives accompa-

268 DEPUTATION QF CHIEFS.
nying us, and, sitting down in a row together,
farther confirmed the bargain by plentiful libations
of palm-wine. Sunday, 11. — At half-past one divine service
was performed by Captain Owen, when four of
the natives attended, and behaved with great de
corum ; they also made signals to their companions
in the canoes to avoid all noises which might dis
turb us.
Monday, 12.— A numerous deputation of chiefs,
gaily dressed, came to our camp at Clarence, to
conclude a definitive arrangement respecting the
land we had purchased on Saturday. Captain
Owen accompanied them to the boundary line,
and marked an additional number of trees, to de
fine the limits with more accuracy. He also pro
mised them additional payments : after which
he took four of the principal chiefs on board,
drank palm-wine with them, and made them a
variety of presents. Confidence was now fully
restored, and great numbers of both sexes visited
us before the day terminated.
Tuesday, 13. — We have additional proofs ofthe
return of confidence on the part of the natives : a
man and a boy insisted on remaining on board to
sleep, probably induced by the anticipation of a
present. There never were more harmless, inoffen
sive, or tractable people : for, when most trouble
some, they may be led in any direction you choose,
by taking hold of the hand, or even of a finger.

CHAP. IX.
Native SimpUcity — Resources of the Blind — Royal Village — Ga-
thermg of Natives — Native Priests— Royal Feast — Inhospitable
Treatment — Uncomfortable Quarters — Vocabulary of the Native
Language — Beauty of the Female Character — Women of Fer
nando Po — Anecdotes — Aspect of the Country — Productions —
Preparations for the Settlement — Discovery of a Theft — Mimic
War Customs — Native Chiefs — Female on Board — Monkey for
Dinner — Flogging a Prisoner — Accident to a Sailor — A Voyage
of Survey round the Island — River named after the Author —
— Geographical and Meteorological Observations — Insubordi
nation — A Man Overboard — Deserter taken — Death of the
Interpreter — Method of Fishing — Visitors from St. Thomas —
Ceremony of taking Possession of Fernando Po — Interview with
a Native Chief — Celebration Dinner — Indirect Roguery — Chief
and his Wife — Hospital near Point Wilham — The Guana— -Mis
take at Sea — Suggestions on the Slave-Trade — Fishing Stakes —
Schooner on a Mud-flat.
Thursday, Nov. 15. — Soon after landing this
morning, I fell in with a party of natives,- with
whom I shook hands, as usual, when a young fe
male, whom I had frequently met in the market
place, with her parents, perceiving that I did not
immediately recognize her as an old acquaintance,
¦with the most natural simplicity, placed my hand
on her bosom, in the presence of her relations and
countrymen, who all laughed heartily, and ap
peared to enjoy my astonishment very much. If,
however, any of us had ventured upon such a li
berty of our own accord, the men would have

270 UNPLEASANT OCCURRENCES.
been highly indignant, for they -were extremely
jealous of their women, and did not like us to shew
them any marked attention, by purchasing their
articles first, or making them a present in prefe
rence to themselves : — such a distinction, in con
tradiction to the usages of civilized society, being
considered derogatory by these savage lords of the
creation. Matthew Elwood, the young man who had been
sent into the interior, returned to-day, and I am
afraid without having derived much advantage
from his journey. I expect, however, an oppor
tunity of adverting more fully to its results at a
future time. A quantity of bricks were landed for
the purpose of constructing a forge. The natives
soon found out that they possessed the property of
sharpening their knives, and began to sh,ew a very
eager desire to become possessed of them.
Friday, 16. — The natives have crowded upon
us in such numbers, that we have taken up the
stakes which enclosed the market, with the inten
tion of holding it in future without the boundary
line. Several unpleasant occurrences have taken
place, partly the fault of our own people, who
have been criminal enough to sell their tools, and
partly of the natives, who have been eager to pur
chase them. The following are, perhaps, the
average terms on which our barter has been con
ducted : an axe would purchase a sheep, or a goat ;
and three or four inches of iron hoop, from two to

FEAR OF FIRE-ARMS. 271
four fowls, from eight to twelve yams, or two or
three calabashes of palm-wine, each containing
about one gallon.
Saturday, 17. — The number and confidence of
the natives continued to increase, as well as the
annoyance we experience from their importunities ;
— it had been found necessary to protect the market
by a guard of soldiers. On returning from the
market to-day, near the border of Hay river, a
party were daring enough to snatch the sentinel's
bayonet from out of its scabbard, and throw it into
the river. The soldier, however, succeeded in
recovering it, and, to deter them from proceeding
to greater lengths, fired his musket over their
heads. This alarmed them so excessively, that
away they scampered like a flock of sheep, without
daring to cast a look behind; indeed, such is their
terror of fire-arms, that it is only with the greatest
difficulty that they can be persuaded to touch a
musket. Monday, Nov. 19. — The young man, named
Matthew Elwood, who had so recently returned
from his visit in the interior, where he had been
sent by Capt. Owen, with a view of acquiring some
knowledge of their language, volunteered to repeat
it, accompanied by another young man, and they
had now been two days at the same village a few
miles distant from the settlement, where the King
resided. Anxious to lose no opportunity of ob
taining information respecting the manners and

272 RESOURCES OF THE BLIND.
customs of this singular people, I determined on
joining the party, and fixed upon the present
day for my journey. I have ever, throughout
life, but perhaps more particularly since the loss
of my sight, felt an intense interest in entering
into association with human nature, and observing
human character in its more primitive forms : this
propensity I have previously had opportunities of
enjoying, in some of the countries most remote
from European knowledge, amidst the wilds of
Tartary and the deserts of Siberia; and I can refer
to the indulgence of it'many of my more pleasurable
sensations. I know that the world declaims against
the absurdity of an individual, circumstanced like
myself, professing to derive either pleasure or infor
mation from such sources, and maintains that tra
velling by the fireside would better suit those cir
cumstances, and convey an equally gratifying
interest. I answer confidently that this is not the
case, and that I believe the intensity of my enjoy
ments under the system I have adopted, equals,
if not surpasses, what other travellers experience
who journey with their eyes open. It is true, I
ascertain nothing visibly ; but, thank God ! I pos
sess most exquisitely the other senses, which it
has pleased Providence to leave me endowed with ;
and I have reason to, believe that my deficiency of
sight is to a considerable degree compensated, by
a greater abundance of the power of imagination
which presents me with facility to form idealpictures

RESOURCES OF THE BLIND. 273
from the description of others, which, as far as my
experience goes, I have reason to believe constitute
fair and correct representations ofthe objects the)--
were originally derived from. It must be recol
lected that I have formerly enjoyed the power of
vision ; and, although my colourings may occa
sionally be too weak or too vivid, it is fair to infer
that the recollections of my former experience
are sufficient to prevent me from running into gross
inaccuracies or incongruities. Place me, as some
have suggested, in the situation of the man in the
farce, and carry me in a limited circle around the
same point, under the assurance that I was travelling
to distant and ever-changing scenes, and support
the stratagem by every circumstance calculated to
give it the fullest effect ; it would never impose
upon me : for the tact which nature and experience
have given me, and the inconceivable acuteness of
perception I derive from it, would immediately de
tect inconsistencies scarcely appreciable by others,
and at once overturn and expose the deception
which was being practised.
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon I left the Eden
for King Cove, at which place we found a few
natives, who assembled on our landing. Anderson,
the interpreter, had been appointed to conduct
me, but Mr. Jeffery kindly accompanied me for
the first half mile, in expectation of leaving me in
the care of a chief of our acquaintance. However,
before we had proceeded far, the assemblage of
1 T

274 JOURNEY TO
natives had become so great, and their impor
tunities to purchase palm-wine and other com
modities so annoying, that I was glad when he
returned, under the expectation that his separation
from me would prove, as it did, a diversion which,
by drawing off a considerable part of the natives,
would permit me to continue my journey with less
interruption. I now advanced with Anderson as
fast as the paths would admit, being anxious to
arrive at our point of destination that evening; my
companion, however, was desirous of passing the
night at the hut of a chief in the neighbourhood
of the beach, and endeavoured to dissuade me from
prosecuting our journey this evening. I have
already spoken of the qualifications of this man as
an interpreter, and have now to observe, that
he possessed others, which made him a useful
medium of communication with the natives : for
instance, he was a good-tempered fellow, could
laugh heartily whenever they laughed, eat and
drink whatever was placed before him, however
repugnant to an European stomach ; and, being
somewhat of their own colour, i. e. not many shades
darker, they were inclined to be particularly partial
to him.
Our path was at first tolerably good, and lay
through a level country, but, when we had pro
ceeded about half way, became hilly, rugged, and
slippery, particularly after passing the second of
two streams which intercepted our road. A num-

THE ROYAL VILLAGE. 275
ber of the natives, principally women, continued
to follow, passing evidently a variety of jokes upon
us, and laughing heartily at every false step I
happened to make. Before we reached the end of
our journey, the number had increased to many
hundreds, who shouted, and halloed incessantly
at the novelty of our appearance, similar to a
European rabble, when following any extraordinary
sight. To relieve Anderson, who had the luggage,
I took hold, for a short time, of the arm of a native,
who conducted me well, until we became sur
rounded by a crowd of his countrymen, and then,
whether he felt compelled to answer their queries,
or was proud of his charge, or anxious to exhibit
the high confidence reposed in him, I found him a
very troublesome guide ; for he was constantly
turning his head over my shoulder, and speaking
or hallooing to those who were behind him.
At length we arrived at the royal village, where
Elwood and his companion came to receive us
at the hut that His Majesty had appointed for our
accommodation. It was so late, that my country
men were surprised to see us ; and, the King
having retired, we were obliged to relinquish the
honour of an interview until morning. I therefore
took tea, and was happy in lying down for repose,
after my fatiguing journey. It was not without
much concern I learned from Elwood, that, during
the present visit, neither he nor his companion had
met with the hospitable treatment or attention

276 THE CHIEF CANNING.
which they had expected ; on the contrary, they
had been compelled, immediately after their arrival,
to expose the contents of their bags, and actually
obliged to surrender up to the King one-half of the
little stock of iron with which they had prorided
themselves for the purpose of barter. The conse
quence was, that, after paying three pieces to the
natives who had conveyed their luggage, another
for a couple of fowls, and presenting a fifth to
Canning, (a chief who had been Elwood's prin
cipal friend on his former visit, and to whom he
had given this distinguished name,) to secure his
good services, — they had only one remaining for
their future resources ; and it was by no means
satisfactory to be thrown upon the casual gene
rosity ofthe natives. It is true, they had with them
some salt beef and biscuit, and it was understood,
when they quitted the ship, that Captain Owen
had engaged to compensate the King for their
protection and entertainment.
Tuesday, 20.— At daybreak we were visited by
Canning, and several other chiefs, who brought
with them a large yam, and some palm-wine
intended for our breakfast. We were from time
to time, in reply to our inquiries, assured that the
King was coming ; we waited, however, two hours
in vain expectation, and at length sent Anderson
to inquire into the cause of delay, when we were
informed that His Majesty was busily occupied at
his toilet, or, in other words, having his head

A NATIVE PRIEST. 277
dressed, in order, as I suppose, to enable him to
appear with more dignity on this important occa
sion. About 8 o'clock he made his entree, accom
panied by several ofhis chiefs. At first his manner
was somewhat reserved, but, after a short conversa
tion, which held out to him the prospect of receiving
presents, confirmed by the actual gift of two large
knives from myself, he became highly animated,
loquacious, and agreeable. He now ordered a
plentiful supply of palm-wine, which he caused to
pass freely round ; and, after staying with us about
an hour, returned to his own residence, from whence
he shortly after sent us half a dozen yams.
There was a native priest resident in our hut,
probably placed there to observe our conduct,
and who, for the whole morning, had been occu
pied in smearing himself with coloured clay. We
noticed that this man, during our visit, performed
every morning a few religious ceremonies, and
repeated prayers, in which the natives appeared to
join. After the King's departure, he began to
exercise some of the more mysterious functions of
his office. I know not what the occasion was,
but the ceremony consisted in frequent repetitions
of certain short sentences, in which the individual
on whom he was operating occasionally joined ;
and, in the intervals between these sentences, he
shook a bundle of rods over the head of the latter,
making, at the same time, a noise which resembled
the squeaking of a pig.

278 CLERICAL DUTIES.
I am enabled to communicate but little respect
ing the religious sentiments of this people. The
duties of the priests appear to be more surgical
than clerical ; of which opinion the following are
illustrations : A female applied to one ofthe priests
with an inflammatory tumour on the hand ; after
making an incision into the tumour, and squeezing
it in a manner which made his patient grin with
pain, he blew and spat upon the part. Upon
another person, who had an abcess of the eye,
with an accumulation of some white matter in
it, he performed the following delicate operation :
having first applied his mouth to the part, he
began to suck it with great eagerness and perseve
rance, after which he ejected from his mouth a
chalky-looking substance, which he appeared to
have extracted from the diseased structure : this
process he repeated several times, with a similar
result. These were, at least, substantial duties.
Our priest had a sacred corner in the hut, with
a particular seat which none else presumed to
occupy ; the former, a receptacle for dirt, the
latter, formed of a large stone, with four smaller
ones, which served for legs or supporters.
I endeavoured in vain to gain any satisfactory
account of their funeral ceremonies ; no indica
tions of graves have been seen by our people, and
the probability is, as is not unfrequently the custom
in Africa, that they bury their dead under the
earthen floor of their huts. 1 know not whether

MODE OF CATCHING GOATS. 279
this opinion will be deemed as confirmed or not by
the fact, that, in returning from a walk, this after
noon, we passed a closed hut, with five hats hanging
in front of it, the owner of which, we were in
formed, had died shortly before our arrival.
Our friend Canning supplied us with a fowl for
dinner, and, when it was dressed, appeared per
fectly ready to assist us in disposing of it.
The following is, probably, the general mode
which these people adopt of hunting or catching
¦wild animals, of which we had the fortune this
day to meet with a specimen : A goat, which was
very wild, had been secured to a rail, when, taking
fright at the approach of my companions, it con
trived, by floundering, to break loose from its con
finement. The King, and some ofhis chiefs, who were
at hand, immediately ran for some long grass nets,
rolled upon poles, and which were about four feet
wide. These they expeditiously unfolded, and then
encircling the goat, very skilfully and speedily
recaptured him. They have, however, other
methods of taking wild animals ; on enclosing yam
plantations with stakes seven feet high, they place
traps at the sides of the fence.
Wednesday, 21. — We returned His* Majesty's
visit this morning at eight o'clock. He received
us on the outside of his hut, and seated me on
a stone at his right hand, but immediately after a
few words had been exchanged, he made signs to
us to return to our own residence ; where on our

280 REGAL FEAST.
arrival, we found he had sent a sheep, with a view
of giving us a sumptuous feast. His Majesty,
accompanied by his chiefs, soon after joined us, and
they immediately proceeded to the operation of
killing the sheep, which was conducted in the
following manner : The animal having been first
hung up by the hind legs, its throat was cut, care
being taken, in effecting this, not to wound the
v/indpipe. The blood, as it flowed, was caught
in a calabash, and then given to the priest, pro
bably to be reserved for some religious cere
mony. The next process was to skin the animal,
in doing which the operator commenced with a
fore leg, then the corresponding hind one, then the
other fore leg, and so on ; he then proceeded to
the abdomen, and afterwards completed the opera
tion in the usual manner. The gall-bag and bladder
were now extracted and thrown away ; after which
the whole of the remaining viscera were removed
and placed aside for subsequent use. A large
portion of the flesh from one of the shoulders was
now presented to the King, who cut it into the form
of a long string, beginning at the outside, and
proceeding to the centre. This he wound round a
stick, and held over a blazing fire, until half broiled;
and, then dividing it into a number of small pieces,
distributed them to the party around him, doing
myself the honour of presenting me with the first
piece. The remainder of the animal was, in the
next place, taken within our hut, where the stomach

DELICATE PORTION. 281
and intestines, without any other preparation than
imperfectly squeezing out their contents, were
warmed over the fire, and then, in nearly a raw
state, divided among the natives, who ate them
with great relish, the King receiving his portion
with the rest. His Majesty now presented our
party with a leg, shoulder, breast, and small saddle,
and afterwards divided what remained among his
chiefs, reserving the head for himself, which, after
being well scorched, he ordered to be taken to his
hut. A more curious part of this singular feast re
mains to be described. On opening the animal, it
was found to be with young, when the uterus,
containing two lambs, each about six inches long,
was, as a particular mark of favour or respect,
placed in my hands : but, not appreciating the
gift so highly as probably had been expected, I im
mediately laid it aside. After the departure of the
King, it was a second time brought to me, and I now
contrived, by shaking my head, and other demon
strations, to make them comprehend that I did not
intend to make use of it, and that it was entirely
at their service. This was, without dpubt, very
agreeable intelligence ; for, having pricked the
sac, to allow the liquor to drain away, and laid it
for a short time before the fire, the whole was di
vided into portions, and eaten up apparently with
avidity and delight.
The above meal was purely carnivorous, for nei-

282 DISLIKE OF SALT AND TOBACCO.
ther yams nor palm-wine were introduced as ac
companiments ; in the afternoon, however, his
Majesty made us another short visit, and sent a
quantity of wine. We offered the natives salt to
their meat, but they refused it with every sign
of disgust, and even wanted to throw away our
little store of this, to us, so necessary a condiment.
They also shewed an equal dislike to tobacco;
and, when one of our party made preparations for
smoking a cigar, the priest held out his rod as
if in prohibition, while others endeavoured to pre
vent him from lighting it. Canning, indeed,
who had witnessed more frequently the practice of
smoking on board, shewed less aversion.
Though we were at a considerable distance from
the settlement, we could hear the reports of the
morning and evening gun ; for the first two or
three days, the natives appeared, or pretended to
be, much alarmed at this, as they halloed for some
time after. They would frequently come up to
us, levelling a stick like a musket, and accom
pany the action with bang ! bang ! We had rea
son to consider them much afraid of every spe
cies of fire-arms, and I cannot but think it would
be good policy to keep this apprehension alive,
rather than to endeavour to remove it by attempts
to explain the principles of their action, and to
familiarise them with the effects. In this respect,
I deem the general practice of our voyagers and
travellers to be decidedly faulty, since the superior

ON THE USE OF FIRE-ARMS. 283
advantages which fire-arms give, may be said to
constitute our chief compensation for deficiency of
numbers, and thus enable us to preserve that
vast pre-eminence which we possess over the un
civilised inhabitants of newly-discovered countries.
If the policy of our Government requires an inter
course with savage nations, both prudence and
humanity justify our retaining the means of com
manding that intercourse, by the superiority of our
modes of defence ; for, in the event of hostile col
lision, the numbers of the savages, possessed as
they are, individually, of physical strength and
bodily activity, at least equal to our own, could
scarcely fail to be overwhelming. This also agrees
with Vaillant's opinion, for he remarks, that,
"when you travel among savages, you ought never
to employ your arms, or shew the use of them, ex
cept to render them a service, either by procuring
them game, or destroying such ferocious animals
as are obnoxious to them." — Vaillant, vol. ii. p.
127. About ten o'clock this evening, a great noise
from persons talking commenced in the village,
accompanied, at times, by loud hallooing, and a
clattering of a kind of rattle-boxes, which many of
the natives wear around the neck, and which some
what resembles the upper half of the leathern-case
of a spirituous-liquor bottle, within which is ap
pended a clapper made generally of a sheep's jaw
bone. This noise, the meaning of which I could

284 INHOSPITABLE TREATMENT.
not comprehend, continued, with little interrup
tion, throughout the night.
Thursday, Nov. 22. — Soon after breakfast, the
King sent for us to his hut, and regaled us with
palm-wine, poured out by the fair hand of a young
female, whom my companions pronounced the
most beautiful they had seen in this island, and
whom we supposed to be his Majesty's favourite
wife. On this occasion, he took the opportunity of
reminding us of the presents he expected to receive
from Captain Owen', and directed some of his chiefs
to shew us those which he intended to offer in re
turn, consisting of sheep, fowls, &:c. &c. We were
then conducted to our hut, and given to under
stand, by signs, that it was his Majesty's pleasure
we should forthwith pack up our luggage, and
return to our settlement. We thought, however,
it would be more pleasant to take an early dinner
first, and with this intention commenced the pre
paration of a kind of Irish stew, consisting of mut
ton and yams : being defective in the latter article,
we requested a further supply ; but this did not
please our hosts, and it was intimated that we
should find plenty at the end of our journey. We
still, however, urged our wishes, when, at length,
they brought us a couple of pieces. We could not
avoid expressing dissatisfaction at this scanty sup
ply, when they began to assume a very savage and
sulky appearance ; even our friend Canning arose
with a menacing countenance, and laying hold of

RETURN TO THE SETTLEMENT. 285
his spears, threatened to compel our immediate de
parture. It would have been imprudent to con
tinue to irritate them at this juncture, and at best
have only exposed our own weakness : we there
fore thought we should most preserve our dignity,
and, at the same time, retain a just ground of com
plaint of their want of hospitality, by giving way
to their -wishes, yet not without evident signs of
our high dissatisfaction. I believe they had, subse
quently, reason to repent of their conduct, as Capt.
Owen afterwards treated them with apparent cold
ness, and probably abridged his intended presents :
not but that they were amply remunerated, al
though the measure of it fell short of their own ex
pectations. We took our dinner deliberately, not
withstanding this urgency, and then commenced
our journey, accompanied by Canning and another
chief; besides an old man, who had resided in the
hut with us, carrying our luggage. We were soon
joined by the persons who carried the presents
intended for Captain Owen. We also met the King,
but he, instead of accompanying us, as we had
expected, went off immediately to his own resi
dence, bearing on his shoulders a quantity of wood,
for the use, as we supposed, of the royal house
hold ; we shook hands with his Majesty on taking
our final leave.
As on the journey up the country, we had, on
our return, great numbers of idle people follow
ing us, either from motives of curiosity or inte-

286 NATIVE HUT.
rest, and teazing us to give them palm-wine, iron,
&c. The road, in various places, was extremely
rugged and narrow, with steep declivities from the
sides to the centre, and very slippery fromthe rain
that had fallen in the morning. We again crossed
two streams, the chief of which, although broad and
rapid, was not sufficiently deep to be dignified with
the title ofa river. Towards evening, we arrived
at King Cove, where, proceeding to the beach,
we washed the clay from our trowsers, and then
went to our quarters for the night.
The hut in which we took up our residence, con
sisted of a wooden roof, thatched with palm-
leaves, and supported on stancheons of wood ; the
leaves, on all sides, approaching within two or three
feet ofthe ground, indeed so low, that it madeit very
inconvenient to get in or out ; for, unless great cau
tion was observed, there was considerable risk of get
ting wounded by the prickles on the leaves of the
palm-tree. Previously to its becoming dark, we
were invited to drink palm-wine on the outside
of our hut ; and, afterwards retiring within, our
native companions employed themselves busily
enough in roasting and eating their yams, while
we enjoyed the refreshing beverage of tea. We
then lay down for the night ; but, alas ! not to sleep ;
for, although our hut was not very large, it con
tained about twenty persons of different sexes and
ages, who were, of course, pretty closely stowed:
and from its not being closed at the sides, with much

UNCOMFORTABLE QUARTERS. 287
thunder and lightning taking place, accompanied
by high wind and heavy rain, which continued
throughout the greater part of the night, the latter
beat in under the roof, and also drove the smoke
of three fires towards us, until we were nearly
suffocated. It will be conceived, that our situation
was not the most enviable ; those near the outside
were exposed to the pitiless storm; while they
who occupied the centre, where we had spread our
hammocks, were necessarily oppressed with heat
and smoke. About two o'clock, some of the na
tives, finding it impossible to sleep, got up and
amused themselves until daylight in conversation,
and roasting yams on the fire.
Friday, 23.— At day-break, the whole ofthe na
tives rose and commenced their yam feast, succeeded
by plentiful supplies of palm -wine. As the heavy
winds and rain shewed no appearance of abating, we
began to doubt whether we should get on board to
day ; however, about eight o'clock, it moderated,
and before noon, the weather was sufficiently fa
vourable to induce us to make the attempt. Having
taken our seats in the canoes, together with the
chiefs who accompanied ns, a party of the natives
urged them over the surf, and away we paddled
for the ship, which we reached in less than a couple
of hours. Before getting on board, however, we
were treated with a specimen of eager covetous-
ness and want of decorum in our late friends ; for,
instead of waiting to allow us to get up first, or of-

288 REMARKS ON THE NATIVES.
fering to assist us, no sooner did the canoe touch
the ship, which she happened to do under the main-
chains, than away they all started with their pre
sents, leaving us to bring the boat to the gangway,
and get out as well as we could ; they even gave
up all care for the safety of the canoe ; the conse
quence of which was, that they left us adrift in it,
and the commanding officer was obliged to send a
boat to bring her alongside again.
Saturday, 24.— Having now spent some days in
what may be termed the domestic privacy of the
island, it will be inferred that I have become more
intimately acquainted with the character of its in
habitants, who may justly be- considered as con-
stitutiiig one of the most extraordinary races of
savages at this time in existence. I shall, there
fore, avail myself of this opportunity of developing
farther than has yet been done in the preceding
pages, whatever occurred to me as being most in
teresting in their manners, habits, customs, and
peculiarities. This I shall follow up with some
details respecting the natural history and produc
tions of the island ; which, however imperfectly
they may be treated, will probabl}> be deemed
worthy of attention as subjects of scientific re
search. In these descriptions, I must, however,
plead strongly for the indulgence of my readers, as
many serious obstacles have opposed themselves to
the inquiry after satisfactory information ; among
which, none have been more uncompromising than

NATIVE LANGUAGE. 289
those experienced in acquiring a knowledge of the
language ; for, although we have been in constant
communication with the natives, at present so little
progress has been made, that our attempts in this
respect may be said to have almost entirely proved
abortive. We have, indeed, some reason to believe
that the natives are desirous of throwing impedi
ments in our way, since, notwithstanding they
evince much quickness in catching words of our
language, repeating the orders issued by the of
ficers, and are also possessed of considerable power
of mimicry, they shew little inclination to com
municate their own terms or names. It has not
unfrequently happened, that when, according to
the usual custom of persons who are not conversant
-with each other's language, we touched, signifi
cantly, any thing which we were desirous of
knowing, they used different words in reply, as if
with the intention of confusing us ; and, again,
when we believed that we had ascertained the right
name from one source, on inquiring from others, a
very different word was given ; so that we eventu
ally remained in doubt as to the proper one^ The
few small vocabularies we have succeeded in col
lecting, seem to prove that there are distinct dia
lects, or idioms, among the different tribes. This
is particula,rly exemplified in the case of the nume
rals ; for not only are different words used to ex
press the same number, but peculiar modes of
counting are made use of — for instance, one tribe,
I u

290 VOCABULARY OF THE
after counting five in the usual way, proceeds to
ten and twenty ; while another, after going on
progressively to ten, starts at once to twenty. The
language itself is, generally speaking, harmonious,
most of the words terminating in vowels, as will
be perceived from the subjoined vocabulary, which
is as corect as circumstances would admit of our
obtaining. The mode Captain Owen adopted of gaining an
insight into the Fernandian language was, per
haps, the best that could have been devised : riz.
the sending a person to reside with the natives in
the interior, as has been before stated ; but the re
sult proved very unsatisfactory ; for he added little
to what we had previously acquired. Another
mode adopted was, the promise of a reward to that
individual who might gain the earliest and best
knowledge of the subject.
A VOCABULARY OF THE NATIVE LANGUAGE OF
FERNANDO PO.
Etwee, head. Icancunee, little one.
Isilla, hair of the head. Ebeo, boy.
Lotto, ear. Ternapo, mother.
Booyah, mouth. Murugudu, eye-brows.
Nokko, eye. Vompo and Mompo, nose.
Lopappo, eye-lashes. Bello and Wello, tooth.
Kokalako, chief, or head Ezaddoo, beard.
man. Lobabbo, tongue.
Mohoonka, chief's wife. Lobok, arm.

LANGUAGE OF FERNANDO PO.

291

THalla, hand.
Aboobooso, wrist.
Anne, finger.
Jpapo, thigh.
Eddo, and Etoko, knee.
Lopola, leg.
Inkakase, ancle.
Dekotto, foot.
Deballe, female bosom.
Babilla, belly.
Djdhkee, navel.
Bopa. Motto.
Djeecha. Eppoo, buttocks.
Elleboo, trinket of wood,
in form of a bell.
Motoocho, belt of shells
and pebbles.
Dpibbo, bracelet.
Longebo, armlet
Touno, black shell bracelet.
Ebebbo, snake skin collar
Loppollo, vertebrae of a
snake.
Eboote, hat.
Mu-u, bulls, or cattle.
Me-he, sheep, or goats,
or their flesh.
Kohoko, fowls, or their
meat.

Tonatchetolo, tattoo, or
marked.
Empoo, dog's jaw.
Tokko, round shell orna
ment like a button.
Epehaunah, purse,
sheep's scrotum.
Looka, man.
Daka, woman.
Labole, ship.
Labolechee, or Epoode,
boat.
Wattoo, canoe.
Ikahaddee, long reed, in
the stern of canoes.
Kalsokoola, sail.
Nossapo, mast.
Inkappa, paddle.
Bonokee, fishing.
Itokka, sun.
Tola, moon.
Bochao, eggs.
Boha, water.
Mooheelya, bar of iron.
Pooripoodee, cloves.
Sokolaee, Chili pepper.
Epeepee, tomatos.
Etoka, potatoe.
Sahj, yams.
Bcentok, or Lilo, cocoa
tops.

292 PERSONAL CLEANLINESS.
Topy, or Nakko, palm- Sheerskallee, fine, pretty.
wine. Boola,oYZAlla, or ///e, one
Loma, to drink. Epa, or Taba, two.
Looba, or Bata, give. Buelly, or Twelly, three.
Taleppa, take it away. Betoh, or Totoh, five.
Omitta, to hold. 5eAo, ten.
Vallee, anger. ..^o, fifteen.
Atehee, done, no more, Eeckee, twenty.
finish, end. Olaito, thirty.
Anjoo, come here.
It would be superfluous to repeat the descrip
tions which have already, on various occasions,
been given of the persons, dress, and characters of
the male inhabitants of this island. The reader will
have inferred, that they are generally a harmless
and inoffensive race of savages : it may be added,
that they are probably the most dirty people ex
isting under the face of the sun ; for, with the ex
ception of occasional immersions in the sea, when
occupied in the affairs of business, we have never
known them to wash themselves. The only syste
matic method they appear to adopt of cleansing,
as well as of dress, is to give themselves a new coat
ing of clay and palm-oil, whenever the previous one
happens to be injured. Some few individuals, in
deed, appear to renew this covering as a matter of
fashion ; particularly one dandy chief, who fre
quently changed the colour of his skin, and, in
consequence, became familiarly known to us by

THE FEMALE SEX. 293
the name of Chameleon ; and what is singular, this
man, like our European dandies, was in the habit
of scenting himself.
The transition from the male to the female sex,
through the intermediate species of Macaroni, is
easy, if not natural ; and I shall indulge my own
particular feelings and partialities in entering upon
that part of my observations which relates more
exclusively to the fairer and softer portion of this
aboriginal people. The infinite modifications of
person, mind, and manners, exhibited by the sex
in the different, grades of society throughout the
world, whether formed by the influences of climate,
government, or education, present a most interest
ing subject to the speculative observer of human
nature : and to one who, from eariy life, both by
profession and inclination, a traveller, has wan
dered under every temperature of our eastern
hemisphere, who has studied and admired the. sex
under every variety of character, no wonder that
the contemplation of woman, as nature left her, in
artificial, unsophisticated, simple, barbarous, and
unadorned, should seem fraught with peculiar in
terest. Are there any who imagine that my loss
of eye-sight must necessarily deny me the enjoy
ment of such contemplations ? How much more
do I pity the mental darkness which could give
rise to such an error, than they can pity my per
sonal calamity! The feelings and sympathies
whieh pervade my breast, when in the presence of

294 THE author's feelings.
an amiable and interesting female, are such as
never could have been suggested by mewing a mere
surface of coloured clay, however shaped into
beauty, or however animated by feeling and ex
pression. The intelligence still allowed me by a
beneficent Providence, is amply sufficient to ap
prise me of the existence of the more real — the
diviner beauties of the soul ; and herein are en
joyments in which I am proud to indulge. A soft
and sweet voice, for instance, affords me a two-fold
gratification ; — it is a vehicle of delight, as operat
ing on the appropriate nerves, and, at the same
time, it suggests ideas of visible beauty, which, I
admit, may, by force of imagination, be carried
beyond reality. But, supposing I am deceived,
are my feelings the less intense ? — and, in what
consists my existence, but in those feelings ? Is it
otherwise with those who see ? If it be, I envy them
not. But are those who think themselves hap
pier, in this respect, than I am, sure, that the
possession of a more exquisite sense than any
they enjoy, does not, sometimes at least, com
pensate, or more than compensate, the curtail
ments to which the ordinary senses, and parti
cularly the one of eye-sight, is liable ? — and if they
should think so, let them not, at least, deny me
the resources I possess. I shall not, however,
persist further in a description of that situa
tion, those circumstances and those consolations,
which the all-feeling comprehension of the poet

WOMEN AND CHILDREN. 295
hath so justly caught in one of its diviner moods
of inspiration : —
And yet he neither drooped nor pined.
Nor had a melancholy mind ;
For God took pity on the boy.
And was his friend — and gave him joy
Of which we nothing know.
The personal appearance of the females of Fer
nando Po, is by no means attractive, unless ( de
gustibus non est disputandum) a very ordinary
face, with much of the contour of the baboon, be
deemed so. Add to this the ornaments of scari
fication and tattooing, adopted by the sex to a
greater extent than by the men : and the imagina
tion will at once be sensible how much divinity
attaches to Fernandian beauty. Like the men, the
women plaster the body all over with clay and
palm-oil, and also in a similar manner wear the
hair long, and in curls or ringlets, well stiffened
with the above composition. The children of
both sexes, or those who have not obtained the age
of puberty, have the hair cut short, and are not
permitted to use any artificial covering to the
body. One trait is, perhaps, peculiar to the
women of this country, and may be regarded by
some as an indication of their good sense — that
they have no taste for baubles, or, at all events,
do not appear to desire them more than the
men. With respect to articles of clothing, they

296 ludicrous occurrence.
are equally exempt from such incumbrances as the
other sex : —
Happy the climate where the beau
Wears the same suit for use and show,
And at a small expense your -mfe,
If once well pink'd, is clothed for life.
Their lords and masters contrive to keep them in
great subjection, and accustom them to cari-y their
burdens ; they evince also a considerable degree
of jealousy, and shew evident marks of displeasure,
whenever strangers pay attentions to them. As,
however, this is equally the case whether the lady
be young or old, it is not improbable that it may,
in some measure, arise from their considering it
too great a condescension on their parts to notice
persons whom they deem so inferior. They rarely
brought them to the ship, and for some time did
not allow them to appear at market. If we are to
credit our people, some of the young women are
great jilts, and very expert in wheedling them out
of iron and other property, under pretence of
admitting them into their favour, and then running
away, with a laugh at their credulity.
Mr. Jeffery witnessed the following ludicrous
occurrence. He went one day, for the purpose of
barter, to a part of the shore eastward of Hay
river, where the surf was too great to allow his
boat to remain on the beach, and he was, therefore,
compelled to lie off in deep water ; this, however,
did not prevent the natives from carrying on their

FEMALE DIVERS. 297
traftic. Some young women, in particular, came
off to the boat, bringing a calabash of palm-wine
in each hand, and treading the water so soon as
they were out of their depth. These they con
trived to deliver safe, without the wine becoming
in the slightest degree impregnated with the briny
wave. One of these females, having been taken
into the boat, began to ingratiate herself into the
favour of an honest tar, who, nothing loath, seated
her near him, with his arm around her neck. At
this juncture, the boat beginning to move, she
made a sudden plunge over the side, and nearly
carried the astonished seaman into the water ; in
short, he only escaped a good ducking by laying
fast hold of the seat. The lady now, in an instant,
dived under the boat, and, reappearing at some
distance on the opposite side, swam, laughing, to
the shore, evidently much amused at Jack's surprise
and disappointment.
This was not the only instance Mr. Jeffery met
with of the superior talents of the fair sex, in
swimming and diving. On one occasion, having
thrown into the sea a few small pieces of iron which
had been rejected in barter, a number of natives
of both sexes dashed after them, with a view to
their recovery, when it was evident that the females
were the more active and successful.
To elucidate more fully the character of the
native women, I shall conclude my account of
them with the details of an occurrence which

298 A NATIVE VTOMAN TAKES
possesses enough of the romantic to be capable of
exciting, in the hands of a better painter than
I am, an interest in the bosoms of such of my
fair readers as may delight in tales of love and
jealousy, with their sequel of rage and revenge.
A female, about twenty-five years of age, who
resided at a village in the neighbourhood of our
settlement, had been guilty of an offence, probably
infidelity to her husband, which subjected her to
the dreadful penalty of having her hands cut off.
Hoping to avert this punishment, she adopted the
resolution, accompanied by her child, a fine and
engaging boy of two years old, of entering our
lines, and throwing herself on our protection.
Captain Harrison received her favourably, and.
for additional safety, sent her on board the Eden,
where she remained several days before any inquiry
was made respecting her. Although evidently of
much firmness and decision of character, her per
sonal appearance was by no means attractive, the
face being greatly seamed with scars, and the
abdomen tattooed all over. Captain Owen directed
her to be placed under the care of our European
females, who, either from envy or the force of
habit, not approving the Eve-like dress in which
she came on board, immediately clothed her in
blue cotton garments. The poor child of nature,
unused to such incumbrance, which probably, in
her opinion, served only to irritate the skin, and
prevent the contact of the refreshing atmosphere,

REFUGE IN THE SETTLEMENT. 299
felt any thing but easy, or gratified with this
addition to her circumstances, and availed herself,
at first, of every opportunity to lay it aside ; but our
unrelenting countrywomen were equally zealous
in persisting to replace it. At length, she either
became more accustomed to it, or aware of the
necessity of compliance with the wishes of her
new friends ; this effort was, however, not unac
companied by some ludicrous occurrences : for
instance, whenever her tormentors were out of sight,
she lost no time in tucking the grievance up round
the waist, and dropping it below the shoulders
from above, thus leaving her limbs, and the
general surface, as free as nature intended them
to be. On being taken on shore some days after,
and placed under the protection of the wife of a
seaman who had charge of the guns and ordnance
stores, she had become sufficiently reconciled to
her new dress to wear it with less apparent incon
venience ; she was, indeed, once caught tripping,
having one evening taken an opportunity of throw
ing it off, when finding herself light and free,
like a bird on the wing, she ran into the jungle,
where she frisked about and enjoyed herself for
some time ; after which she returned to the sea
man's hut, and resumed her dress.
When this woman had been with us about a
week, her husband came to Captain Harrison,
bearing with him a present of two calabashes of
palm-wine, and a couple of fowls, intimating his

300 HUSBAND AND WIFE.
wish to have the child restored to him. With
regard to his wife, he at this time shewed no
anxiety to recover her ; he afterwards, however,
returned with a deputation of chiefs, and expressed
his wish to have both of them restored to him.
This being represented to Captain Owen, in order
to convince them that she was under no restraint,
he conducted her to the boundary line, and,
pointing first to her countrymen, and then to our
settlement, gave her to understand that she was at
liberty to make her choice. One of the chiefs now
advanced, and taking her by the hand, evinced his
intention of leading her away, but Captain Owen
would not permit this without her free consent ;
and, that his presence might be no restraint, left
her to walk with her husband on the outside of
the boundary line, attended by a sailor armed with
a musket. They had not walked many paces,
before five natives started from the bush and
attempted to carry her off by force, when she
immediately ran towards the sailor, and putting
her hand on his musket, intimated her wish that
he would fire at them. He did so, and they all
immediately scampered away as fast as they could,
leaving her to return with the sailor to his hut.
Foiled in this attempt, the husband soon after
came again and induced her to permit him to stay
the night with her, and to take away the child in
the morning, under the promise of bringing it back
next day ; a promise which he failed to perform,

MOUNTAINS. 301
and which rendered the lady so indignant, that,
although he afterwards came to visit her himself,
bringing some fowls and palm-wine as a peace-
offering, she persisted in rejecting all compromise.
This produced a violent quarrel, which ended in
their parting in high wrath, the husband threat
ening to return in the night and inflict some
dreadful vengeance upon her for it, but he did not
dare to carry his threats into execution.
I regret that my circumstances do not permit
me to investigate the general aspect and natural
history of this island, as it abounds with many in
teresting subjects which would well repay the trou
ble of inquiry. It is to be hoped that Government
will ere long send out some intelligent naturalist
for the purpose. The general appearance of the
island is rocky and volcanic ; on the north-eastern
extremity, where our settlement is situated, one
mountain, named Clarence Peak, rises to the eleva
tion of 10,655 feet above the level of the sea, the
easiest ascent to which is from its eastern side, being
only interrupted by a few valleys of no great depth,
while the western side exhibits a series of chasms
and precipices, the sides of which from the sea
appear almost perpendicular. The southern part
of the island, although the least populous, is very
picturesquely mountainous, being broken into
several peaks, each supposed to be from one to
three thousand feet in elevation, with numerous
streams and beautiful cataracts descending in

302 SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.
various parts and direction,s. In consequence of
the hilly nature of the country admitting of no
lodgment of water, we have reason to believe that
few marshes exist throughout the island, a circum
stance which must contribute greatly to its salubrity.
The soil of that part of the country with which
we are best acquainted, is of a red argillaceous
nature, generally forming a stratum of nine or
ten feet in thickness, lying over one of sandstone,
in which are imbedded fragments of lava ; the latter
stratum, at Point William, appears to decline to
the east, at an angle of ten or twelve degrees.
The whole of the island is most luxuriantly
wooded, even to within three or four hundred feet
of its highest peaks, while some cleared spots,
particularly in the north-east part, which is the
most populous and cultivated, affords evidences of
its great fertility. There is an immense variety of
timber, comprising some of the finest trees in the
world. I have already mentioned the Indian-rubber
tree as indigenous here. The island also produces
a species of black pepper, and we have reason to
believe that cloves and nutmegs are to be met
with. Yams are cultivated in abundance; they
are remarkably fine and large, and constitute the
principal food of the natives. Of this root they
prepare a food called foo-foo, made by beating a
quantity of well boiled ones together for a long
time in a wooden mortar, which forms it into a
highly tenacious mass, somewhat similar to bird-

PALM-WINE. 303
lime, but this mode of preparing them is not pecu
liar to Fernando Po, for it is commonly practised
ainong the African nations. There is also a variety
of other edible plants, particularly the eddoe,
which is well known in the West Indies, and whose
leaves, when young, form a good substitute for
spinach. It is in general use when yams are out
of season. A few plantains have also been brought
to us. Wild fruits, not generally known, are found
here ; but there do not appear to be any oranges,
lemons, limes, pine-apples, bananas, sour-sop, or
sugar-canes, which are peculiar to such climates.
The following is the mode adopted for procuring
the sap of the palm-tree, commonly known by the
name of palm-wine : the lower branches of the tree
having been cut off near the trunk, the sap exudes
abundantly from the extremity of the divided part,
and is received in calabashes appended thereto,
which are secured from the aggressions of insects
by enclosing the mouth of the vessel with the end
of the branch, by leaves, and secured with wooden
pins. The natives are remarkably expert in as
cending the tree for the purpose of attaching and
removing the calabashes; to assist them, they
make use of a hoop sufficiently large to encircle
the trunk, and allow, also, the body to move freely
within it. This the individual moves upwards or
downwards whenever he wants to change the posi
tion of his feet, according as he wishes to ascend
or descend.

304 PALM-OIL.
The juice, when procured, is, in the first in
stance, sweet, and not unlike cyder, but rapidly
undergoes a process of fermentation, by which, in
the course of two or three hours, it acquires a
slightly vinous flavour : in both these states I found
it a very pleasant beverage. If procured in the
morning,* by the afternoon it becomes slightly acid,
and, on the following morning, perfectly sour :
sufficient alcohol is, however, formed to produce
considerable exhilarating effect, when taken in
even moderate quantity ; but, when drank inordi
nately, it stupefies and intoxicates. The natives,
notwithstanding they are fond of it, much to their
credit, rarely abuse this bountiful gift of nature,
and, in this respect, are well deserving of imitation
by more civilized people.
The preparation of the palm-oil is conducted as
follows : — A circular and slightly concave hole,
about a yard in diameter and a foot deep, is made
in the ground and paved with small stones. In
this hole the palm-nuts are beaten into a pulp, and
the oil afterwards extracted. It is then preserved
and brought to market in native boxes, each con
taining from a quart to a gallon.
The island abounds with monkeys, which are
eaten by the natives, many are of considerable
size, some having been killed above 501b. weight.
Several species have been noticed, particularly one
* The calabashes are taken down, and replaced by others, every
morning and evening.

MONKEYS. 305
with long, shaggy, jet-black hair ; another with
short silver-grey hair; and a third auburn, in
clining to gold, with the hair of an intermediate
length ; so that it might be said we have gold and
silver monkeys. The Kroomen, who are very par
tial to their flesh, hunt them successfully with
sticks and stones. If any one makes them a pre
sent of a monkey, after feasting on the carcase,
they thankfully return the skin, well dried.
The only domestic animal on the island is a dog
ofa peculiar cur species, very diminutive, and of a
red and white colour ; these we have reason to be
lieve the natives eat, and they use the under jaw
for a clapper to their rattles.
There is a great variety offish; and also two spe
cies of turtle: viz. the green, and hawksbill ; the
former good for eating, and the latter only de
sirable for its shell.
It is now time that I revert to the proceedings
which had taken place at the settlement during
my absence. The increased confidence of the na
tives, and even violent proceedings, subsequently
to our purchase of land and establishment of a
market, have already been noticed : the numbers,
indeed, which crowded within our boundary line,
were immense ; and their conduct in wandering
about the settlement, with a view of inducing our
people to make purchases, contrary to regulation,
together with the irregularities arising from the
temptation to sell their tools, to procure the means
1 X

306 REGULATIONS FOR BARTER.
of privately feasting and tippling among the bushes,
became so obnoxious, that Captain Owen deter
mined to remove the market beyond the boundary
line. He, therefore, directed the stakes to be re
moved, and took measures for preventing any num
ber of natives from entering, in future, within the
works, giving them to understand that no barter
could be made, excepting at the place appointed
for that purpose. The spot selected for the new
market, was a point to the eastward beyond Hay
River. Although much pains were taken to con
vince the chiefs of the advantages of this arrange
ment, it did not appear to give them satisfaction ;
as, for several days, few natives were to be seen on
shore, and no canoes came off to the ship. It is
probable that the chiefs were holding a conference
respecting the affair, a mode of proceeding which
they appear to adopt when any thing of moment
occurs. Two days afterwards Capt. Owen, accompanied
by Capt. Harrison and Mr. Jeffery, went to examine
the shore to the eastward of Hay River, and ob
serving two canoes making towards a small cove,
followed them, until they landed at a village near
the beach, the inhabitants of which received him
with every demonstration of friendly feeling, pawing
the gentlemen of the party with their clayey hands,
and pressing upon them so close, that they were also
rubbing their bodies against their clothes. At the
same time, that they thus expressed their welcome,

NEW MARKET. 307
they did not forget to solicit for iron, knives, and
other presents. The chief occupation of the people
of this village was fishing ; and as, contrary to all
other assemblages of the natives we had yet wit
nessed, the larger proportion present consisted of wo
men, it is probable that the men were, at the time,
engaged in that employment. Captain Owen pur
chased a few articles from them, and expressed his
intention of establishing a market at the place ;
after which, he returned to his boat, both parties
appearing satisfied with each other.
Our market was for some days afterwards carried
on at the above village with reciprocal satisfaction,
the supply of the several articles being abundant.
It was soon, however, evident, that the tribes who
were excluded by this arrangement, were by no
means contented : and, as Captain Owen was anxi
ous to do justice to the whole, by giving each a
fair opportunity of barter, and as the immediate
neighbourhood of the settlement was more conve
nient for the greatest assemblage of persons from
the different tribes, he ordered, after first having a
clear understanding with the chiefs, a new market
place to be fenced in, near the boundary line,
which, from its situation and circumstances, ought
to be regarded as neutral ground. This establish
ment of a neutral ground, was a measure of great
importance and advantage, as we had now disco
vered that the natives are not only divided into
distinct tribes,, but that each tribe possesses a dis-

308 THEFT OF A BILL-HOOK.
tinct portion of territory, and is extremely jealous
of admitting others within its boundaries. The
new market having been completed to-day, and a
pole erected for the purpose of hoisting a flag,
during the appointed hours of barter, it was opened
about noon, with some ceremony, in consequence
of hoisting, for the first time on this island, an
Union-jack, under the hearty cheers of a large as
sembly, composed, perhaps, of as great a variety
of people as ever before witnessed the first display
of the British flag in a foreign land ; comprising,
besides our own countrymen and the inhabitants of
the island, natives of various parts of Africa. The
ceremony concluded by drinking palm--wine.
Monday, Nov. 26. — A circumstance unfortu
nately occurred to-day to interrupt the good un
derstanding so lately established. One of our
black labourers, who was occupied by himself in
cutting wood within our lines, had drunk some
palm-wine, which had been offered to him, with
out his having the means of paying for it ; the
natives, in consequence, forcibly took from him the
bill-hook he was using. The theft having been
communicated to Capt. Harrison, he assembled the
chiefs who were at the market, and explained the
affair, when two of them. Chameleon and Cut
throat, formed their respective followers into lines,
each being armed with his equipment of spears;
a parley now took place between the chiefs, who
addressed their respective parties, with a view, no

BATTLE OF THE CALABASHES. 309
doubt, of finding out the thieves. A man, having
the appearance of a priest, next harangued the
whole body : each party in succession sang a war-
song, the chiefs going on one, and the men on
both knees. Each party now marched three times
round a space which described a circle; after
which, those under Chameleon suddenly started off
at full speed, and were immediately followed by
Cut-throat and his party, to the boundary of Hay
River. The stragglers of the former, in their flight,
disencumbered themselves of their yams, and cala
bashes of palm-wine, which the others, on coming
up, amused themselves with breaking to pieces.
Thus ended this curious specimen of war-like
movements, which might appropriately be called
the Battle of the Calabashes ; and is sufficient to
prove that a system of organization exists among
the people, and confirms our former opinions on
this subject : for, on our first landing at Baracouta,
we perceived they had guards regularly stationed
to watch and follow our movements. This system,
I have some reason to believe, extends itself into
the heart of the country, for, during my visit in the
interior, I was sensible the people were running
about at all hours of the night, ready for action.
This may probably be the result of necessity, as
the different tribes, ifwe are to judge from the nu
merous large scars in various parts of the body,
are evidently engaged in frequent warfare with
each other.

310 RESTITUTION OF STOLEN PROPERTY.
Tuesday, 27. — Mr. Jeffery held a market to-day,
at the village near the beach ; but an old chief,
who had been named Bottle-nose, was, apparentlyj
out of humour, probably in consequence of the af
fair at the border-market the day before.
Wednesday, 28. — At the conclusion ofthe market,
which was held at the Bottle-nose village to-day,
a party of chiefs came hallooing after Mr. Jeffery,
at the moment of his leaving the shore, but he did
not offer to return. They then followed along the
beach in the direction of his boat, until they nearly
reached Hay River. He now perceived they held
something in their hands, which they gave him to
understand, by signs, was intended for him. This
induced him to pull for the shore again, when he
found they had brought back the unfortunate bill
hook that had been carried away on the preceding
Monday : the men who had stolen it, however,
were not forthcoming. Mr. Jeffery conducted them
to Clarence, where an interview took place be
tween Captains Owen and Harrison, and some of
the chiefs, at which the former directed a couple
of iron hoops to be given as a reward for the reco
very of the bill-hook. After this, several chiefs came
on board, bringing with them a sheep as a peace-
offering, which the Captain immediately ordered
to be killed for their own entertainment. In this
operation, they assisted very effectually; for one
of them took his knife, and after skinning the
head and neck, the animal being yet alive, cut its

RELISH FOR RAW MEAT. 311
throat and extracted the windpipe, which was
given to our friend Cut-throat, who first slapped it
for some time about his shoulders, and afterwards,
having merely warmed it on the fire, devoured
it voraciously. The skin being removed, others of
the natives tore off with their teeth, and ate the por
tions of raw flesh which remained attached to it ;
while some cut off portions from the animal, and
disposed of them in the same manner. The remain
der of the body was partially dressed on the coals,
and dispatched by the party generally. Notwith
standing this demonstration of their high relish for
raw meat, it is remarkable that two of the chiefs.
Cut-throat and Good-tempered Jack, who were
honoured with a second dinner at Captain Owen's
table, when presented with meat supposed to be
done to their taste, shewed a repugnance to it, and
wished it to be put on the fire again. Cut-throat
had shewn so much disinterested zeal in our favour,
on various occasions, and particularly in the affair
ofthe bill-hook, that Captain Owen took the op
portunity of rewarding him for it, by presenting
him with some iron, and a pair of shoes. It is sin
gular, that he is the only native we have, as yet,
been conversant with, who never begged for any
thing. Thursday, 29. — Our little establishment (consi
dering the few hands, and the many irons we have
in the fire,) is making a rapid progress. The
greatest activity pervades every department. The

312 MUSQUITOS AND SAND-FLIES.
whole of our people, whether ashore or afloat, live
uncommonly well, having plenty of yams and
palm-wine served out to them daily, with fowls
and fish occasionally, which are extra provisions,
supplied gratuitously ; the former being purchased
from the natives with iron hoop, the latter taken
by our fishermen. We have also caught a few
hawksbill, and green turtle, and occasionally dig
turtles' eggs from the sand on the beach.
Saturday, Dec. 1 . — Our establishment has
hitherto been remarkably healthy ; the sickness
which has occurred, being almost entirely the
result of accidental wounds, or the bites of mus-
quitos and sand-flies ; the latter, being irritated by
rubbing, have produced, in some instances, very
serious sores, which have baffled the greatest
attention of our surgeons : one feature in these
ulcers is, that frequent changes of applications
are required, no individual remedy appearing
to agree, at farthest, for more than five days;
generally, but three or four ; nor has any kindly
disposition to heal shewn itself, until a degree of
salivation has been produced, by giving the patient
a grain of calomel, night and morning. Both my
companions in the country are unfortunately on
the sick list, — Elwood, with remittent fever, with
which he was seized immediately after his return;
the other, Debenham, in consequence of getting
his legs bitten by insects. I have myself, thank
God, escaped without illness or injury of any kind.

FEASTING THE CHIEFS. 313
Sunday, 2. — Two chiefs. Cut-throat and Bottle-
nose, with some other natives of consequence,
dined with Captain Owen to-day, who was enter
taining a party of the officers and other gentlemen
attached to the establishment. The natives always
appear particularly gratified in being allowed to
dine on board, and Captain Owen, as a matter of
policy, in tending to promote a friendly inter
course, frequently indulges them in this way ; it
is offering, however, no trifling sacrifice at the
shrines of the gods of friendship and cleanliness,
to sit down -with them,, for their bodies not unfre
quently emitted a most offensive odour, particularly
when much heated by exertion, and the influence
of a tropical climate. Imagine the action of these
upon a mixture of perspiration, rancid palm-oil,
clay and dust, the whole producing an effluvium
little inferior to that which Sir John Falstaff de
scribes to have been generated in his ducking-
basket, ' The rankest compound of villanous
smells that ever offended nostrils.' Besides, as
our guests were all dressed in buff, it was neces
sary to clean, after them, the chairs and other places
on which they might happen to sit. Cut-throat,
and one of his tribe, slept on board, on a sail
placed between two guns.
Monday, 3. — After breakfast, our visitors took
their leave, accompanied by Mr. Jeffery, who, in
consequence of a previous arrangement, was going
to spend a couple of days with them, at a village

314 TOBY LIMP.
about eight miles in the country, and from which
he returned at the expiration of the appointed
time, well pleased with the attention and hospitality
that had been shewn him. A remuneration of
bar-iron was the price of these civilities.
Our fishing party have taken in their seine
to-day, two flying-fish of the gurnet species, and
a hawksbill turtle. A party of natives from King
Cove, headed by a chief named Toby Limp, came
on board with a native woman, who was far
advanced in that happy teeming state which is
peculiar to females in all parts ofthe world. This
was, in fact, one of the few instances of any
female coming on board : for, although old Bot
tle-nose had once brought two alongside the ship,
he kept them concealed at the bottom of his canoe:
we have some reason, however, to believe that
his original intention was to have honoured us
with a full introduction, but that he waived it in
consequence of finding the chief of another tribe
in close conference with Captain Owen. With
respect to Mr. Toby Limp's lady, the general
opinion, drawn from various signs and appearances,
was, that she was intended as a sort of present,
or peace-offering, to the Captain ; and what
amused us exceedingly, was the peculiar mode
which Toby adopted of recommending her more
fully to his good opinion, by frequently passing
his hand over her abdomen, while, regarding Cap
tain Owen with a most animated countenance, he

FERNANDO PO CEMENT. 315
seemed to express something like the following :
' Look here ! surely this is worthy of your attention.'
But, however powerful the native charms of this
lady might have been, and in spite of the above
felicitous mode of ' showing her off,' the specula
tion proved totally ineffectual. Another circum
stance concurred in diminishing the effect of any
impression that might have been made, namely,
that three or four clay-coloured chiefs appeared to
be co-partners with Mr. Toby in the affections of
the lady. The whole party passed the night toge
ther on board, between two guns. So much for the
delicacy of sentiment among savages.
The following is a specimen of the delicacy of
this people in another respect. On the occasion
of Captain Owen visiting the brother of the King
of Baracouta, a calabash of palm-wine was pro
duced, which, in consequence of some imperfec
tion in the vessel, leaked out its contents ; in
order to cure this defect, the hospitable chief
took off his hat, and, scraping with his thumb-nail
a portion of the clay and grease from his head,
effectually checked further leakage, with this veri
table Fernando Po cement.
Tuesday, 4. — An increase in the number of
the sick has been reported to-day, several of the
men on board, and of the mechanics and labourers
on shore being affected with ulcers of the hospital
gangrene kind. One seaman of the Eden, has
had his leg amputated above the knee, in conse-

316 MONKEY FOR DINNER.
quence of the nature of the ulceration. Having
gone on shore this morning, I had the pleasure
of finding the works in rapid progress ; the floor
plates were being laid in one of the frame houses ;
the roof of a large saw-pit was also being put on ;
while a great part of the labourers were occupied
in bringing up some frames of houses which had
lately been landed from the transport. We were
treated to-day with a monkey for dinner, cooked
in the manner of an Irish stew, with yams as a
substitute for potatoes : I must admit that I found
it by no means a disagreeable food, which is not
to be wondered at from its being a very clean
animal, living on vegetable substances. Our
fishermen have taken one green, and one hawks
bill turtle ; also a skate, weighing ninety pounds ;
and two buckets full of other fish of various
descriptions, principally mullet.
Lieutenant Vidal brought a native on board,
charged with the following crimes : namely, steal
ing a dinner knife from on board the steam-vessel ;
and an attempt, in conjunction with others, to
plunder our forge, on Adelaide Island. Lieutenant
Vidal, fortunately passing in that direction, ob
served a canoe lying on the beach. This he
secured. The men belonging to it, however,
contrived to make their escape in another canoe,
but left behind them two of their hats. The
prisoner had the audacity to venture on board the
steam-vessel, in hopes of recovering the lost canoe ;

IMPRISONMENT OF A THIEF. 317
he was immediately attempted to be seized, but he
contrived, in consequence ofhis greasy skin, to give
our men the slip, and effect his escape. Yet he
was not deterred from making a second attempt,
having, as he imagined, sufficiently disguised
himself with a different hat and head-dress ; but
he was immediately recognised, and, having been
enticed into the cabin, effectually secured. Cap
tain Owen ordered him to be put into irons, with
the intention of keeping him under confinement
for a week, and then dismissing him with some
slight punishment.
Wednesday, 5. — A brig was observed in the of
fing which had the appearance of a slaver. The
steam-vessel was immediately ordered in chase,
and returned in the evening, reporting her to be
an English brig, from Liverpool, bound for the
Cameroons. Thursday, 6. — Our tender, the Horatio, sailed
this week for Sierra Leone. Among other super
numeraries sent in her, were a serjeant and two
privates of the Royal African Corps. The conduct
of these men was so notoriously bad, that Captain
,Owen apprehended their example would corrupt
the black soldiers with whom they were associated.
I cannot avoid again calling in question the policy
of our Government in sending out condemned sol
diers to the Colonial African Corps ; for nothing
tends more to degrade the general character of our
country, in the opinion of the native Africans, who

318 DEATH OF LIEUT. CALDWELL, R. M.
are too apt to form their estimate of our morality,.
from these specimens of their inasters.
Friday, 7. — The unloading of the transport
which came with us from England was completed
to-day. Among other stores, she brought out the
frames of a block-house ; six large and ten small
dwelling-houses ; six long eighteen pounders, and
two long nines.
Saturday, %.¦ — Lieutenant Caldwell, ofthe Royal
Marines, died this morning, and was buried at four
in the afternoon. He had never been in health
since our departure from England, or even been
on shore, excepting for an hour or two at Sierra
Leone. He was to have returned by the first op
portunity to England, and, with that view, had,
previously to his death, been removed from the
Eden to the steam-vessel.
Monday, 10. — -Our fishing party took to-day no
less than ten turtle in their seine. The native
prisoner having now been confined six days out of
the seven awarded him. Captain Owen thought it
better to inflict his intended punishment of thirty-
nine lashes to-day, in order that his immediate
rage might have time to subside, before being set
at liberty on the morrow. It was accordingly car
ried into effect ; and, although he made a most
lusty bellowing on the occasion, the whip-cord ap
peared to make very little impression on his thick
skin. I believe he deemed himself peculiarly for
tunate in coming off so well, as, judging from his,

CHIEFS IN A STEAM-VESSEL. 319
signs, he expected, at least, to have had his throat
cut. During his confinement, he roared and blub
bered frequently, particularly whenever he was
sensible of any canoe approaching the ship. His
countrymen, however, appeared to care little about
him ; on the contrary, they frequently mimicked
his noises, as if in ridicule. His father, indeed,
and one or two other relatives, took some interest
in his fate, and offered ransom for him.
Tuesday, Dec. 11. — C-aptain Owen, at an early
hour, went on board the steam-vessel to commence
his intended survey of the island, and did me the
honour of inviting me to accompany him. At seven
o'clock we left Maidstone Bay, and proceeded to
wards a place to the eastward of Point William,
where Captain Owen intended to land his native
prisoner, and from whence he was expecting to re
ceive on board Cut-throat, Bottle-nose, and an
other chief, known by the name of Good-tempered
Jack. The two latter only kept their promise, but,
on coming on board, they were so impressed with
fear and astonishment, particularly when the pad
dles began to move, that their hearts failed them,
and they retreated to the boat with all possible ce
lerity. The prisoner was allowed to accompany
them ; but no sooner did the boat approach the
shore, than, doubting the reality of his freedom,
until entirely out of our reach, he jumped over
board, and, alternately swimming and diving, as
if to elude pursuit, he, at length, reached the

320 DESTRUCTION OF A BOAT.
shore. About a week afterwards, he ventured to
make his appearance on the beach, accompanied by
Bottle-nose, but was careful not to approach our
party, until the officer on duty threw out a signal
of encouragement, when he came forward, ex
changed his palm-wine for iron hoop, and afterwards
joined in the laugh with those around him.
Pursuing our voyage, about noon, a party of na
tives were observed on the beach, and Capt. Owen
determined on paying them a visit, ordering a
boat to be lowered for the purpose. Unfortu
nately, however, it being necessary, while in the
act of lowering, to make a few retrograde strokes
of the paddle, the boat was drawn into the vortex
on the right hand, and nearly cut in two. By this
accident, one of the seamen who were in it, was
thrown within the paddle, but, miraculously, taken
out unhurt ; another made his escape on board
the vessel ; while two more were set adrift in the
sea ; they were, however, soon picked up by a se
cond boat, which was instantly lowered, and
which also succeeded in recovering the wreck of
the first. On approaching the shore, the surf was
found to be so strong, that Captain Owen was
obliged to communicate with the natives from the
boat. A few yams were purchased for some pieces of
iron-hoop, which the natives were so eager to be
come possessed of, that, during the exchange, they
trembled exceedingly from the intensity of their

SURVEY OF THE ISLAND. 321
desire. A piece was intentionally thrown into the
sea, with the view of giving them a scramble : they
all immediately darted with the utmost eagerness
into the water, and exerted themselves most stre
nuously, until one had the luck to find it ; when
the remainder left him in quiet possession, without
evincing the slightest disposition to deprive him of
his treasure.
A small island lay off the shore of this place,
which Capt. Owen did not consider of sufficient
importance to induce him to give it a name. We
now continued our survey along the south-eastern
side of the island, advancing at the rate of six or
seven miles an hour, until half-past five in the
evening, when we arrived a-breast of the south
eastern point (Cape Barrow) : we then took our
bearings, let the steam down, and stood off the land,
under easy sail, for the night.
Wednesday, Dec. 12. — An hour after midnight we
tacked, and stood towards the land ; at day-light,
got the steam on, and furled the sails, and at eight
in the morning we were off the same point at which
our survey of the previous evening had concluded,
the current having, during the night, carried us
to the south-west, at the rate of about a* mile and
a half per hour. The part of the island we were
now coasting along, was possessed of a very con
siderable degree of sublimity, the shore being bold
and rocky, with various picturesque cataracts de
scending from the mountains ; and the whole face
1 v

322 HOLMAN RIVER.
of the country having a wild appearance. During
the forenoon, we had two high peaks in view, one
of which Captain Owen named after Dr. Burn, the
surgeon of the Eden, who first observed it. About
half-past ten, we passed a snug little cove, where
the natives were occupied in building canoes, and
where we observed a considerable quantity of wood
piled up, intended for making paddles. Soon af
terwards, we passed the entrance of a river, which,
out of compliment to myself. Captain Owen named
Holman River. A remarkably large stone lay on
the beach near its mouth. At noon, we were off
a bluff cape, which received the name of Cape
Eden. At this time our previously fine weather
disappeared, and we had, throughout the remain
der of the day, a very hazy atmosphere, with occa
sional rain.
About one o'clock, a rakish-looking schooner
made her appearance, which, from her manoeuvres,
such as frequently altering her course, as if she
wished to avoid us, we suspected to be a slave-ves
sel; we, therefore, made full sail in chase, and at
three o'clock, had approached near enough to fire
a gun at her, when she immediately hoisted Eng
lish colours, brought to, and proved to be the Afri
can, Captain John Smith, twenty-five days from
Sierra Leone, and seven from Cape Coast Castle,
laden with provisions for the colony, and having
onboard Hospital- Assistant Cowen, ofthe Medical
Staff, who had volunteered to join the establish-

CHIEF OF George's bay. 323
ment. Captain Owen, having received his letters,
ordered her to proceed to Maidstone Bay, while
we stood in for George's Bay, on the western side
of the island, where we came to anchor soon after
four o'clock.
Thursday, Dec. 13. — Soon after breakfast. Dr.
Bum landed with three men, and proceeded to a
native village, about three miles from the beach,
where he was kindly received by an elderly chief,
who appeared well acquainted with our country
men. He could pronounce ' King George,' and a
few other English words, and wore as an ornament,
suspended from his neck, a brass plate, which had
belonged to the cap of a soldier of the Royal Afri
can Corps ; he had also another brass plate with
G.R. upon it. This chief, with his son, accompanied
Dr. Burn on board, and was entertained by Cap
tain Owen with fish, yams, and palm-wine ; at
length, he began to express much anxiety to be
gone, and was sent on shore. During the morn
ing. Captain Owen and Lieutenant Badgeley oc
cupied themselves with surveying the bay : after
this, we went ashore, when many of the natives
assembled round us, and behaved themselves very
civilly, although they were, as usual, importunate
for iron ; offering in exchange yams, palm-wine,
fowls, &c. &c. Only one canoe came off to us at
this place, containing twelve men, who had a few
yams with them, which they appeared very indif
ferent about parting with ; at least, they demanded

324

GEOGRAPHICAL AND

very exorbitant prices, as a piece of iron for a single
yam, for which, at Maidstone Bay, we could have
purchased eight or ten. We caught here a large
dog-fish, a species of ground shark.
Friday, Dec. 14. — At day-break we were again
under weigh, and stood out of George's Bay,
making a little to the southward of it, for the purpose
of resuming our survey at the point where we left
off on the preceding day, in order to give chase to
the schooner ; we then returned into the bay, run
ning close along, and surveying its shores, leaving
it at its northern extremity, and passing round
Goat Island ; we then stood for Maidstone Bay,
where we anchored at one in the afternoon, haring
surveyed the intermediate coast, as well as the whole
extent of the bay, from Cape Bullen to Point Wil
liam, from whence we had commenced the survey.
Thus we completed the circumnavigation of the
island. I shall conclude my account of this short voyage,
by giving a few of the geographical and meteo
rological observations, which have been made since
our arrival, with every due attention to accuracy.

Names of Places.

Cape Bullen 
Point William, or Clarence Town . .
Cape Horatio 
Cape Barrow 
Point Charles (S.W. of St. George's Bay)
Goat Island (N.E. of St. George's Bay)
Cape Badgeley, or West Point . , .
Cape Vidal, or East Point ....
Peak of Clarence Mountain ....

Peak ofthe Cameroon Mountain, on the Mainland of Africa I 4

N.I*.

3"

47' 3"

3

45 8

3

46 25

3

U 5

3

26 9

3

26 9

3

19 0

3

39 3

3

34 6

4

13 5

E. Ion.
8° 39' 4"
8 45 0
8 54 4
8 40 4
27

88 32
8 24
8 56

METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 325
The Cameroon Mountain bears, from Clarence
Peak, N. 32 deg. 30 min. e. at a distance of 48
miles ; and from Clarence Town, n. 27 deg. e., the
distance being 31 J miles ; while the nearest point
from the mainland is only about 20 miles. From
the proximity of this island to the equinoctial,
there is only 14 minutes difference between the
longest and shortest day; and the temperature is
so equable, that the thermometer, throughout the
year, never varies more than 10 degrees in the 24
hours. The spring-tides have a rise and fall be
tween seven and eight feet; and it is high water all
round the island, at the full and change of the
moon, at half after four o'clock. During our ab
sence, the first house erected in the settlement,
had been completed ; and Mr. Glover, who was
to inhabit it, had invited his friends to the house-
warming on the day ofour return. This house con
sisted of only one floor, twenty feet square, and built
on piles, with a store-room beneath, the sides of
which are constituted by the piles. Ten other
houses, of similar form and dimensions, are in pro
gress of construction, besides six larger ones, of
forty feet square, and the block-house, which
measures fifty by thirty; the whole consisting of
single floors, with store-rooms underneath.
Saturday, Dec. 15. — The system of labour
among the workmen is, to commence at six in the
morning, and leave off at eleven for dinner, recom
mencing at one, and concluding at half-past five ;

326

ALARM OF FIRE.

after which, during the remainder of the day, they
are allowed to amuse themselves. The labourers
and mechanics have been formed into a militia
corps, under the command of Capt. Harrison, with
the rank of Major, and are occasionally taught to
march en militaire, and exercised with the pike,
which is, at present, their only weapon ; the Eden,
having but twenty muskets to spare, which have
been distributed among the artificers who came out
with us from England.
This afternoon, our transport, the Diadem, sailed
for Cape Coast Castle. In the evening, the bugles
at Clarence sounded an alarm, in consequence of
the flames of some burning brush- wood accidentally
communicating with one of the huts. It was for
tunately soon extinguished, without any serious
injury having been sustained.
Monday, Dec. 17. — The Diadem, which sailed
on Saturday, was detained during the whole of
yesterday within sight of the island ; but, about
noon to-day, a fresh wind springing up from the
eastward, she was soon out of sight. A few days
since, our gardener, while digging in Paradise,
turned up a Spanish copper-coin of Charles IIL,
dated 1774, probably a relic of some ship which
had touched here for water.
Tuesday, Dec: 18. — Anderson, a black soldier of
the Royal African Corps, whom I have previously
mentioned as an interpreter on our arrival here,
was to-day found sleeping on his post, and com-

AFFRAY WITH THE NATIVES. 327
mitted to the guard-house, from whence he con
trived to escape into the woods, with a view of
seeking protection from the natives. Another black
soldier was punished this morning for having quit
ted his post, and lost his musket, a few days since,
in the following manner. A party of Kroomen
being employed in cutting down wood, some of
the natives contrived to steal an axe and bill-hook.
The theft, however, was immediately detected,
and a scuffle ensued, during which this soldier,
who was a sentinel near the spot, threw down his
musket, and ran away. The musket was taken
possession of by a native, but subsequently reco
vered by a Krooman, not, however, without his
first receiving a severe cut on his hand by the
knife of the native. After throwing a few spears,
one of which slightly wounded the head Krooman,
the natives got clear off with the bill-hook and
axe. A spear was also thrown at Mr. Davis, the
master's assistant, who was accidentally passing at
the time, and whom one of the natives had even
the audacity to attempt to make prisoner ; a fate
which he only escaped, from his shirt giving way
under the grasp.
When this affair was made known to Captain
Harrison, he immediately proceeded to the market
place, and finding some chiefs there, communi
cated to them what had happened. Cut-throat,
who was present, instantly arose, and, after mak
ing a speech to his countrymen, formed them into

328 IMPRISONMENT OF A NATIVE.
line, each being armed with the usual number of
spears. After singing a war-song, and making
three circular tours, or evolutions, the whole
started off in quest of the thieves, and, in less
than an hour, returned with the axe and bill
hook. Some few days after this event, one ofthe
natives, who had taken an active part in it, had
the effrontery to enter our lines for the purpose
of selling his palm-wine, when he was immedi
ately secured by the Kroomen, and conducted a
prisoner to Captain Harrison, who sent him on
board the Eden, where he was put into irons;
however, this man had committed a previous
offence, namely, having struck Mr. Jeffery two
severe blows with a stick, about a month since,
which compelled him to give up the pursuit of
a fellow, who had been endeavouring to impose
two calabashes of water upon him, instead of palm-
wine. During the last week, we have had little com
munication with the natives, and our supplies of
palm-wine, &c., have consequently run short.
This, circumstance, we are informed, is attributa
ble to their being occupied in the yam-plantations.
I ara inclined to infer, that, if the necessity really
exists for thus employing the whole of the inha
bitants in the culture of this root, the population
of the island is not so great as we have been led to
consider it.
Wednesday, 19. — At half-past one this morning,

HIS ESCAPE. 329
a loud splash was heard in the water, succeeded
by the cry of, * A man overboard.' A boat was
immediately sent, and from the phosphorescence
of the water, some one was discovered swimming
towards the shore. On approaching him, he turned
round in the direction of the Eden ; and, when
within twenty yards of the ship, he all at once dis
appeared, and was not seen afterwards. On inquiry,
it was found that the native prisoner who had been
confined in irons on the forecastle, for his partici
pation in the affray I have so lately described, had
contrived to effect his escape. To accomplish
this, he had put his hand down the scuttle over
the coppers, and taken from thence the iron that
turns the handles of the dischargers. With the
point of this he had contrived to break off one of
the sides of the padlock which secured his fetters,
and thus setting himself at liberty, he crossed the
deck to the gangway, opposite to where the sentry
was placed, when he mounted the railings, and
immediately plunged into the sea. It is singular,
with respect to this prisoner, that his countrymen
shewed very little solicitude about him : and we
therefore had reason to think that he was no
favourite with them. When they did inquire after
him, it was to know whether we had not cut his
throat. The King of Baracouta's brother once
asked Captain Owen what he intended to do
with him ; and, on being informed that he meant
to keep him for a time in irons, and then, after a

330 COURT OF INQUIRY.
gentle flagellation, dismiss him, expressed his
astonishment at this lenity, and made signs that we
ought to cut his throat. It is true we sometimes
had, as might be expected, very different versions
of the signs of these natives ; but, in the present
instance, they could not well be misunderstood.
Captain Owen, attended by a small party of ma
rines, went on shore at an early hour, to hold a Court
of Inquiry on twelve African soldiers, for refusing
to attend the punishment of their comrade (an
Ashantee) on the preceding day. They were found
guilty, and sentenced to receive three hundred
lashes each. After a part of this punishment had
been inflicted, they were sent on board the Eden.
Thursday, 20. — Anderson, the African soldier,
who escaped from confinement on Tuesday, was
met in the woods this morning by a serjeant of
his company, to whom he immediately surrendered
himself, and who placed him under charge of ano
ther soldier. Apprehensive, however, of the con
sequences of his double offence, he shortly after
contrived to give his guard the slip, and again
effected his escape. The above mentioned serjeant
also detected a labourer in the act of lowering a
piece of iron from a cliff, with the intention ofselhng
it to the natives, whose canoes were lying off the
beach. Having first secured the offender, he then
fired his musket at one of the canoes, without
injuring, or intending to injure, the men whom it
contained, and the aim was so unerring, that the

DEATH OF ELWOOD. 331
ball penetrated through the bottom of the canoe,
in such a manner that it immediately began to fill
with water ; this terrified the natives so much, that
they all leaped overboard, and swimming to another
canoe, left their own, with her cargo of sheep,
fowls, &c. to its fate. This might truly be termed
a good hit.
In the afternoon I went on shore at Adelaide
Point, where, it is said, the Spaniards had a bat
tery. Whether this be true or not, the spot is
well adapted for one ; it is now entirely covered
over with remarkably thick brushwood, which
Captain Owen has ordered to be cleared off, with
the intention of forming a road, through the woods,
to Longfield. Hospital-Assistant Cowen found
to-day a silver Spanish coin, in Paradise, near the
same spot where the copper one before mentioned
was discovered, and which bears the same date.
Friday, 21. — This morning, Matthew Elwood
died, after an illness of 25 days. His complaint
was a remittent fever, taken on our short journey
into the interior. On the third day after our return,
he took to his bed, from which he never rose again,
excepting on the day previous to his death, when,
under a state of mental aberration, he secretly took
off his shirt, and threw himself from out of the
port-hole near his bed into the sea ; he was soon
taken up, but his delirium continued until he
expired. At five this afternoon he was buried in
Paradise. My other companion, John Debenham,

332 PECULIAR MODE OF
has also been ill ever since our return, with an
ulcerated leg, occasioned by the bites of insects,
and which, at present, shews little disposition to
heal. Saturday, 22. — A sheep was killed this morning,
one of whose hind quarters weighed four pounds
and two ounces, and which, although not fat, was
the largest native sheep we have yet met with.
About a fortnight since five were slaughtered,
which altogether weighed but sixty pounds, and,
consequently, averaged only twelve pounds each.
Sunday, 23. — During the last week we have
experienced much thunder and lightning. Our
fishermen attribute their want of success to this
cause ; for the fishery has been unusually unpro
ductive. Early this morning it began to rain, and
for an hour continued to do so more heavily than
any of us had before witnessed, after which, a
smaller rain continued until eleven o'clock, when
it cleared off, and the remainder of the day was
fine. In the evening, a number of native fishing
boats assembled between Point William, and the
Eden, and as their proceedings on the occasion
particularly attracted our attention, I shall take
this opportunity of describing the peculiar method
of fishing which they make use of.
A number of canoes, containing from three to
twelve men, put out to sea, to look for a shoal
of fish ; when discovered, they surround it on
all sides, shouting and splashing the water with

NATIVE FISHING. 333
their paddles in every direction, endeavouring to
drive it towards a centre. This done, they com
mence fishing, using for the bait a small fish
with which they are previously provided, and
they occasionally throw a few of these into the
midst of the shoal. The fish appear to take
this bait very eagerly ; but, as the hooks which
the natives use, are made of bone or nails, and
without barbs,* not more than half the number
struck in the first instance, are eventually secured.
Two men paddle the canoe in the direction of the
shoal, while the remainder are occupied in fishing.
Captain Owen went in his boat, and pulled towards
the party ; we were much interested with their
operations and success. At his invitation, after the
fishing had concluded, one of the canoes brought
us some very fine ones, a species of bream, weigh
ing from two to three pounds each. This was the
first time I ever knew fish caught, in deep water at
sea, with a rod and line.
Monday, Dec. 24. — In the course of the day, a
party of natives brought on board three black men,
inhabitants of the Island of St. Thomas, who, six
months before, had taken refuge in Fernando Po,
under the following circumstances :¦ — ^During the
time they were engaged in fishing, a strong wind
* ¦We have met with some hooks made from the part of the solid
wood of a prickly tree, or shrub, whence the thom grows, and which
process formed the pointed part of the hook.

334 SINGULAR ADVENTURE OF
arose, which drove them out to sea. Unable to con
tend against the power of the gale, they deemed it
prudent to keep the canoe before it, and even as
sist with their paddles, in hopes of sooner faUing
in with land, and thus escape starvation. In
this manner they continued drifting for eight days
without fresh water, or any kind of provisions, ex
cepting the few fish they had caught before the
gale arose, the greater part of which were thrown
overboard, in consequence of their getting into a
state of excessive putridity. At length they came
in sight of Fernando Po. Some of the natives
came off to them in their canoes, and took them
ashore on the eastern part of the island. Here
they had been compelled to remain, devoid of all
hopes of returning, until they saw our steam- ves
sel making its late circumnavigation of the island.
This opened to them a new and cheering prospect;
and they determined to attempt reaching our set
tlement overland, by travelling at night, and se
creting themselves during the day, in order that
the natives might not interrupt their escape. Pre
viously to the discovery of our steam-vessel, they
had frequently heard the reports of our morning
and evening gun : this had led them to the belief,
that some Europeans were resident on the island,
and now afforded them the proper line of direction
for their march. After travelling for three nights,
and at the time of their approaching our settle
ment, they were discovered by the natives, who,

THREE NATIVES OF ST. THOMAS. 335
in the first instance, attempted to force them back
to their former residence. The poor creatures,
however, made so much noise and resistance, that,
apprehending the fact would transpire and excite
our displeasure, it was at length determined to
conduct them to us. One of them was a Fantee,
and had resided at the Dutch settlement of El
mina, where a black man of our party, who was
no less a personage than a son of the King of Cape
Coast, although now discharging the humble office
of gun-room steward of the Eden, had frequently
seen him.
At the time these men arrived on board, several
natives were with us, and among the rest, our
friend Cut-throat. No sooner did the Fantee fix
his eyes upon him, than, to the astonishment of all
present, they began to flash with indignation,
while the countenance of Cut-throat assumed pro
portionably the expression of sheepishness. The
cause of this proved to be, that, when they first
landed on the island, our old friend had stolen a
shirt from him ; in other respects, however, I be
lieve they had little reason to complain of the treat
ment they experienced : for they had not been com
pelled to work, excepting occasionally assisting in
fishing, and they had been permitted to reside
by themselves ; it is true, on the other hand, that
they had little hospitality to be grateful for, having
been compelled to subsist on a scanty supply of
yams and palm-wine.

336 ,_GA-PT. OWEN TAKES FORMAL POSSESSION
During- the last week, the natives had, without
any apparent reason, absented themselves fromthe
settlement; to-day, however, they returned in
great numbers, and among the rest, our old friend
Cut-throat, exhibiting a large gash on his fore
head. He gave us to understand, that there had
been some warfare between the various tribes, con
cerning a quantity of iron, probably that which
Chameleon's party had stolen from Messrs. Vidal
and Jeffery.
Tuesday, Dec. 25.- — ^This being Christmas-day,
Captain Owen selected it for taking formal posses
sion of the settlement, in the name, and on behalf
of his Sovereign, George the Fourth. At seven
o'clock in the morning, accompanied by most of
his officers and ship's company, he went on shore
for this purpose. The different parties of our co
lony being assembled, the whole marched in pro
cession, from the border parade, in the following
order, with bugles, drums and fifes, playing al
ternately : — Captains Owen and Harrison,
Surgeon Cowen and Lieutenant Holman,
Messrs. Je^ery and Carter,
The Surgeon and Purser of the Eden,
The European Volunteers, commanded by Lieutenant Glover,
Lieutenant Vidal, with half the Eden's ship's company,
and the Midshipmen of his division,
The Colours, carried by Mr. Wood,
The Band,
Lieutenant Badgeley, with half the Eden's ship's company,
and the Midshipmen of his division.

OF THE ISLAND. 337
The Marines and Royal African Corps, under Lieutenant Mends,
The Clarence Mihtia, under their respective Officers :
First Division — Lieutenant Morrison,
Second Division — Lieutenant Abbott,
Third Division — Ensign Matthews,
Tom Liverpool's party, under Bell,
Ben Gundo's party, under MUler.
On arriring at the Point, the different divisions
were formed around the .flag-staff; and the colours
having been first hoisted, the following Proclama
tion was read : —
' Proclamation, — By William Fitzwilliam Owen,
Esq. Captain of His Majesty's ship Eden,
and Superintendent of Fernando Po.
' His Majesty, George the Fourth, King of Great
Britain and Ireland, has been graciously pleased to
direct that a settlement by his Majesty's subjects
should be established on the Island of Fernando
Po, and his Royal Highness the Lord High Admi
ral having selected me for the performance of this
service, the formation of the said settlement has
been entrusted to me, under the title and denomi
nation of Superintendent.
' In obedience to the orders of his Royal High
ness the Lord High Admiral, I directed the first
operations of clearing the land on this point (Point
William) to be commenced on the first day of No
vember last, and on the tenth and twelfth follow
ing, purchased from the native chiefs, and from the
tenants of one small part of that ground which I
1 z

338 CAPTAIN owen's
desired to occupy, the full right of property and
possession, for which iron was paid to the amount
of three bars, and land-marks fixed by the native
chiefs, to shew the extent of ground so bought.
' Therefore, in the name of God, by whose grace
we have been thus successful, and for the sole use
and benefit of his most gracious- Majesty, George
the Fourth, King of Great Britain and Ireland, I
do, by this public act, take possession of all the
land bought by me as aforesaid, under the future
name of Clarence, being all the land bounded on
the north by the sea, on the east and south by
Hay-brook, and on the west by a line runningfrom
the sea due south, bythe magnetic needle, or south-
south-east, by the pole of the world, until it joins
Hay-brook, the Peninsula of Point William in
cluded in the same, being in north latitude about
three degrees and forty-five minutes, and east lon
gitude from the Observatory of Greenwich, about
eight degrees and forty-five minutes, and the afore
said western boundary being taken from a tree
marked by the natives, which is two hundred and
eighteen yards from the gate of the ditch across
the gorge of Point William, and bearing, there
fore, south twenty and a half degrees west by the
magnetic needle, or south two degrees and thirty
minutes east by the pole ofthe world.
' And, in testimony of this public act, I com
mand all persons present to attach their names to
this Proclamation, as witnesses ofthe same.

Fold out

PROCLAMATIONS. 339
' Done by me on Point William, in the settle
ment of Clarence, on the Island of Fernando
Po, this one thousand eight hundred and twenty-
seventh anniversary of the birth of our blessed Sa
viour and Redeemer, and in the eighth year of the
reign of his present Majesty.
' William Fitzwilliam Owen,
Captain of his Majesty's ship Eden, and
Superintendent of Fernando Po.
' God Save the King.'
The following additional Proclamation was then
read : —
' Proclamation, — By William Fitzwilliam Owen,
Esq. Captain of his Majesty's ship Eden, and
Superintendent of Fernando Po.
' It has become necessary to extend our lines
for the purpose of keeping the natives more se
parate from our working parties, which are, at
times, much incommoded by them, and for the
purpose of possessing ground enough for our own
establishment. ' Therefore, I do, by this act, formally take pos
session for his Majesty, of all unpossessed lands
lying between a line running south, by the com
pass, or south-south-east by the pole of the world,
from Cockburn-brook on the west, to Hay-brook
on the south, and the coast-line between the said
Cockburn and Hay-brooks, including therein the
two islets named Adelaide ; guaranteeing, at tbe
same time, to the natives of Fernando Po, perfect

340 CONCLUSION OF THE CEREMONY.
security, and unmolested posssesion of all such
grounds within the said limits as are now settled
or appropriated by them, being apparently four
small spots where they have parks for store yams,
which grounds are to be purchased whenever the
chiefs can be assembled for that purpose, and the
said natives are disposed to receive an equivalent
for their value.
' Given under my hand, at Clarence, this twenty-
fifth day of December, one thousand eight hundred
and twenty-seven. ' William Fitzwilliam Owen,
Captain of his Majesty's ship Eden, and
Superintendent of Fernando Po.
' God Save the King.'
The above Proclamations having been read, three
general cheers were given, on a signal from the
boatswain's pipe, after which the band struck up
' God save the King,' succeeded by a feu de joie
from the volunteers, marines, and African corps,
which was immediately responded to, by a royal
salute, from His Majesty's ship Eden, the Steam-
vessel, and the African (a merchant schooner), and
afterwards from small cannon at the settlement.
The ceremony being thus concluded, the diffe
rent parties marched off in the same order as be
fore, and were dismissed to their respective quar
ters, the band playing ' Rule Britannia.' On re
turning to the Eden, Capt. Owen performed divine

VISIT TO AN OLD CHIEF. 341
service. Captain Harrison doing the same to the
civil establishment on shore ; after which, Capt.
Owen gave a dinner, at Mr. Glover's house, to the
whole of the officers engaged in the establishment.
It only remains to be added to the events of this
day, that many of the natives, including our
friend Cut-throat, were present during its diffe
rent ceremonies.
Tuesday, January 1, 1828. — During the past
week nothing of importance has occurred, except
ing that our works are rapidly advancing ; as re
spects our general pursuits, and intercourse with
the natives, much sameness must necessarily exist.
Soon after eight o'clock this morning. Captains
Owen and Harrison, attended by a party of ma
rines, proceeded to a native town, eight miles to
the eastward, for the purpose of meeting an old
chief, who was said to be the principal one on that
part of the island. After they had waited a con
siderable time at the place appointed, the chief
made his appearance, accompanied by 150 spear
men, who entertained our party with an exhibi
tion of warlike evolutions, when Captain Owen,
in return, directed his marines to go through their
military exercise ; but, before they had proceeded
far, the chief became evidently much alarmed,
and requested them to desist : his apprehension
appeared to be more particularly excited by the
bayonets. Having spent a short time with the
chief, partaking of his palm-wine, and inviting

342 SEIZURE OF MR. JEFFERY.
him to .return the visit on the following Tuesday,
Captain Owen took his leave.
In the course of the afternoon Chameleon came
to our market, accompanied by nearly 150 of his
followers, all well armed with spears, and walked
up to Mr. Jeffery in a menacing and insulting
manner, as if to demand satisfaction for some in
jury he had sustained. He even carried his daring
so far as to make a seizure of Mr. Jeffery 's person ;
that gentleman immediately despatched a messen
ger to Captain Owen to communicate what had hap
pened, requesting at the same time that some sol
diers might be sent to his assistance, in order to
prevent further aggression on our lines. Captain
Owen immediately hastened to the spot with a party
ofthe Royal African Corps, and at length succeeded
in conciliating the natives, although, for want of a
good interpreter, he could by no means satisfac
torily ascertain the cause of their violent proceed
ings. It probably originated in the discontent of
the chief, who had, on the day preceding, in con
sequence of some misconduct, been excluded from
the market.
At five o'clock I had the pleasure of accompanying
Captain Owen on shore to a banquet, that had been
prepared in honour of him by the civil and military
officers of the establishment. On this occasion the
Eden's band attended, and we were also favoured
by the presence of many of the natives, who were
thus enabled to gratify their love of music. The

EXCURSION UP THE BARACOUTA. 343
following ludicrous instance of their enthusiasm in
this respect, occurred one day while the band were
playing on the quarter-deck of the Eden. A chief,
named Good-tempered Jack, while listening to
the music, was so absorbed in his feelings, that he
became totally insensible to the circumstance of a
native woman, who stood behind him, giving way
to her own raptures, by beating time, with no little
vehemence, on his back.
Thursday, 3. — Lieutenant Vidal, Captain Smith,
ofthe African, schooner, and others, made an excur
sion, about eight miles up the Baracouta river, this
morning. They proceeded partly by walking
along the banks, and partly by wading up the bed
of the river. They met with little of interest,
excepting that, at about three miles from the mouth,
they observed some fine basaltic pillars : they also
shot a few snipes, and saw the tracks of many
deer. Friday, 4. — Our old acquaintance. Bottle-nose,
was to-day found guilty of an indirect mode of steal
ing, by demanding payment a second time, with the
greatest possible coolness and effrontery, for a sheep,
and a goat with its kid, for which he had previously
received the stipulated price. Mr. Jeffery, of
course, resisted the demand, and brought forward
several persons who most satisfactorily proved the
former payment. Mr. Bottle-nose, however, would
not be satisfied with this, and had even the pre
sumption to complain to Captain Owen, who, on

344 DOMESTIC HABITS.
inquiry, was convinced that he was guilty of an
intentional attempt at imposition ; he, however,
ordered the animals in question to be returned,
but gave directions that he should never in future
be permitted to enter the market, or in any shape
trade with our establishment. This man had also,
on the very same day, been detected in two or three
attempts to steal a knife, and various pieces of iron.
It is evident, from the above and other traits, that
the natives of this island, like all other savage
nations, are naturally addicted to thieving : from
the fear of detection, however, the instances of their
venturing to indulge the propensity, do not appear
to be numerous.
Monday, 7 . — -After breakfasting on board the
steam-vessel, I accompanied Lieutenant Vidal and
Mr. Cowen on shore, for the purpose of making
observations. In the first place, we investigated the
process for making a beautiful lake-red pigment,
which is conducted by the women, the paint being
used as an ornament for their skins. On entering
the hut of an old chief, to whom our visit was
more particularly directed, we found him sitting
on the ground, with one of his wives in the same
position holding a calabash, containing a mess of
fowl and palm-oil, which he was eating with one
hand, while the other held a roasted yam, which
he also occasionally partook of. Having finished his
repast, he took a draught from a large calabash of
palm-wine, which he then presented to us, having,

NATIVE PAINT. 345
however, previously poured some into another
vessel, which he gave to his wife. When the lady
had finished her draught, she went to a tree near
the hut, whose leaves and berries resembled those
of our laurel, and plucking off about a dozen of the
younger leaves, made them up into a bundle,
which she first dipped into water, and afterwards
into wood-ashes ; they were then ground into a
pulp on a stone, whose surface formed an inclined
place, from which the material was allowed to run
off when sufficiently prepared. On rubbing a
portion of this pulp on our hands and faces, it
became, after drying, a most beautiful and deli
cate rose colour, which required several times
washing with soap and water before it could be
removed, and which, if allowed to remain without
washing, would retain its brilliancy for a compa
ratively long time. Mr. Cowen professed his in
tention of preparing a quantity of this dye, to send
to his fair friends in England.
We also observed the process for preparing the
palm-oil which I have before described. This oil,
from the great number of palm-trees in the island,
will, without doubt, ultimately become a conside
rable article of trade ; indeed Capatin Smith, of
the African, schooner, has already opened a traffic
for it, giving iron in exchange.
Two ofthe Kroomen to-day knocked down a fine
buck deer, one of the haunches of which weighed
six pounds.

346 MARKET AT LONGFIELD.
Tuesday, 8. — Our market at Longfield, which of
late has been held only twice in the week, when
the natives are summoned by the sound of the
bugle, has been well attended to-day. Hitherto
Mr. Jeffery has had the superintendence of it, and
it is impossible to pay too high a tribute to his
exertions, and the manner in which he has dis
charged the very arduous task of conducting the
barter with the natives. The system acted upon
has now become so well defined, that Captain Owen
deems it sufficient to commit the future charge to a
corporal of marines, who has to-day entered on this
duty. Thursday, 10. — A native afflicted with insanity
came within our lines this morning, and continued
there until the afternoon. The conduits, or shoots
from the watering-place to the beach, were this
day reported to be completed.
Saturday, 12. — We have for some days been
experiencing close warm weather, which I regret
to say has proved unfavourable to our invalids, the
ulcerations having in consequence been apparently
aggravated. Monday, 14. — Mr. Abbott, the store-keeper at
Clarence, and John Earle, seaman of H.M.S. Eden,
who had charge of the ordnance at the settlement,
died this afternoon from intermittent fever.
Thursday, 17. — At daylight, the African, steam-
vessel, got up her anchor and steam ; when she
stood out of the bay and parted company for Eng-

HOSPITAL FOR THE SICK. 347
land, intending to call at Sierra Leone, for a fresh
supply of coals. She was under the command of
Lieut. Vidal, who was charged with despatches re
lating to the proceedings of the settlement, &c.
Mr. Bremner, master ofthe Eden, as well as several
invalids, went home passengers in her : and I avail
ed myself of the opportunity of sending home num
berless specimens of articles used by the natives,
amongst which were the following — the model of
a canoe, spears, fishing lines, and stone slings,
made from the fibre of the bark of a tree, bracelets,
armlets, and other trifling ornaments worn about
their person ; a knife, made out of an iron hoop,
and fitted into a wooden handle ; a bell-shaped
wooden rattle, some small boxes, made of split
cane, monkey skins, &c. &c.
A building, composed of the frames of two small
houses, each twenty feet square, having been
erected, near Point William, for an hospital, it
was this day reported to be ready for the recep
tion of the sick, and 17 seamen of the Eden,
¦with bad ulcers, were sent on shore to occupy it,
leaving 15 on board with the same complaint, be
sides a few fever cases ; there were also eight more
ulcer cases that had been on shore for some time
under a tent, near Point William. This situation
was chosen by Capt. Owen for the hospital, as it was
near the extreme point of a small peninsula, on
which the prevailing wind blows transversely, there
fore, if any spot on the settlement, or near the sea-

348 DESERTION OF A SOLDIER.
shore of any part of the island was healthy, it is
reasonable to suppose that this would be. The
house consisted of only one floor, with a good
broad verandah all round it, shingled in the
same way as the roof of the house.*
Friday, 18. — This morning, one ofthe African
Corps followed the example of our interpreter,
Anderson, with this difference, however, that when
he ran away, he took his musket and accou
trements with him. I do not see what advantage
they proposed to themselves by going amongst the
'islanders, as they did not speak their language,
and could not expect to procure the means of sup
port, without working hard for it. The only point
in their favour was, that they were of the same
colour. This afternoon the Eden's boats were sent after
a vessel in the offing, which proved to be a sloop
* Wood is seldom found to be desirable for building in a hot
country, from the numerous ants and other insects. that assail it, par*
ticularly where the changes are so frequent from very dry to very
moist weather, if we had^d time, it would have been much better
to have erected our builmngs with brick or stone. There is, in
deed, plenty of fine clay for the former ; but buUding stones are
scarce in that neighbourhood, and we had not sufficient lime, — as we
had to procure burnt lime from Sierra Leone, or shells from Accra,
both of which we obtained for the building of an armourer's shop and
a bakehouse. Indeed, we were obliged to use the utmost exertion
to get any thing erected to shelter the Europeans and African soldiers,
before the rainy season set in. As for the African mechanics and
labourers, they built their own huts, in certain lines, that we called
streets.

THE GUANA. 349
laden with palm-oil, from the Old Calabar River,
bound to Liverpool. A few guanas have been
seen here, and the Kroomen caught one a few days
since, which they considered a great treat, and
had cooked agreeably to their taste ; but no ve
nomous animal, except a few snakes, has yet
been discovered. The guana is harmless, and, in
some countries, is used for food. It is common to
Asia, Africa, and America. Fortunately the alli
gator has not been seen in any of the rivers here,
notwithstanding that they are native to all the
rivers of the proximate continent. The cause, no
doubt, is, that the rivers on the island, are mere
mountain streams, which are very unfavourable to
the retreat or repose of those reptiles.
Saturday, 19. — Soon after midnight, I accom
panied Lieutenant Badgeley from his Majesty's
ship Eden, on board the schooner African, Captain
Smith, when we got under weigh to proceed round
the coast of the Bight of Biafra, between the Ca
maroon River and Cape Formosa, for the purpose of
cruising off, and entering any of the rivers, in quest
of vessels trading for slaves, where we might have
reason to believe that the inhuman traffic was pur
sued. The weather was very unpropitious during
the night, for we had it squally, with heavy rain,
thunder and lightning ; but it cleared up in the
course of the morning, and, at noon, it was calm
and fine ; — soon after which we saw a strange ves
sel, which we supposed to be a slaver: we, there-

350 REMARKS ON THE SUPPRESSION
fore, used every effort to overtake her, getting
out our sweeps, and sending the Eden's pinnace
a-head to tow ; which boat, with a good crew of
English sailors. Lieutenant Badgeley had brought
with him, to assist in performing the service. We
had not advanced far towards the strange sail, be
fore we observed two boats coming from her, which
came alongside of us about three in the afternoon,
when we found that they belonged to his Majesty's
brig Clinker, which was well manned and armed,
and that they entertained the same suspicions of
our purpose as we had held of theirs. The Clinker
was in the very best order, and was commanded by
Lieutenant Matson, a most active and experienced
officer. I would here remark, that if we desire to be
eminently successful in putting down the slave-
trade, our Government ought to select vessels of a
peculiar description, I mean vessels constructed
principally for sailing ; for, in the first instance,
the very service on which they are employed is
that of chasing vessels that have been built with a
special regard to swiftness on the water. The
consequence of the unfitness of our ships for this
particular service, is, that of the number of slavers
that we descry in these seas, the captures make
but a small proportion.
If we had a few of the large class of Baltimore
schooners, with a long 12 or 18 pounder a-mid-
ships for a chase-gun, and a few carronades for

OF THE SLAVE-TRADE. 351
close action, with a good crew well trained to the
sweeps ; and a few brigs similar to the well known
Black Joke, I would venture to say, that they
would be more successful, and less expensive to
Government, than the class of vessels that have
hitherto been employed on this service. Instead
of a large frigate, with a Commodore's Pennant,
we might have a first class flush-deck sloop of
war, built principally for fast sailing, with a
distinguished young Post Captain to command
her ; for activity and experience on this coast are
more wanted than large ships and officers of high
rank, as there is not much diplomatic business
to be carried on with the African nations. It may
also be observed that it is a very safe coast to navi
gate, for if you will but sound in time, you may
always be apprized of danger soon enough to avoid
it. The worst weather is during the tornado season,
and these squalls, of which there is always timely
notice, generally come off the land, and do not last,
on an average, more than a couple of hours.
At six we anchored off the entrance of the
main channel into the old Calabar river, in com
pany with H. M. brig Clinker ; entrance of the
Rio del Rey bearing e.n.e.
Sunday, 20. — ^We got under weigh at an early
hour this morning, with the intention of proceeding
up the old Calabar, so far as Duke's Town, off which
place the palm-oil vessels, and slavers, generally
anchor. H. M. brig Clinker also got under weigh

3 52 OLD CALABAR RIVER.
at the same time, with the intention of accompa
nying us a short distance within the bar, where she
was to have anchored ; while her boats were to have
gone with us, for the purpose of assisting in the
capture of any slave-vessel that might be up the
river, but it unfortunately fell calm about 9 o'clock,
when Lieutenant Matson came on board and ac
quainted Lieutenant Badgeley that he was afraid
the expedition up the river would detain him longer
than he had expected, and he must therefore re
linquish his intentions, and proceed direct for Fer
nando Po, in order to obtain a supply of provi
sions, of which they had much need. At noon
there was a moderate breeze, and fine clear weather.
East point of the old Calabar n.n.e. 7 miles :
but the wind being down the river, we were em
ployed working up all the afternoon, and having
no pilot on board, we occasionally got rather too
close to the mud banks on either side, and once
we tacked in two fathoms water, which is just as
much as would keep the vessel afloat. She was
fortunately a very beautiful American pilot-boat
schooner, that with the least breeze was as manage
able as a boat. We scaled the guns, and otherwise
prepared for action, for there was no doubtbut that
any slave-vessel would resist to the utmost, if there
was the least chance of escape. We were afraid
that they might obtain information of our move
ments, before we got up to Duke's Town, where
they generally receive their slaves on board, for

FISHING-STAKES. 353
when they are nearly ready for sea, they always
keep a canoe on the look out at the mouth of the
river, to report when any men-of-war appear on
the coast, so that they might have time to disembark
their slaves, before men-of-war, or their boats, can
reach them ; for although vessels may be fitted
up with a slave deck, and have every preparation
on board for their reception, you cannot condemn
them, unless you actually find slaves on board.
At 4 the east point of Old Calabar river w.n.w.
7 miles. Anchored at midnight.
Monday, 21. — Unsettled weather and wind vari
able. At daylight got under weigh. At noon
light breezes and hazy.
From 4 to 6 this evening we passed between two
lines of fishing-stakes, indeed we found that a
number of large stakes were driven into the mud
banks, in different situations, outside the entrance
of the Old Calabar, some of them a considerable
distance from the land ; and there were long lines
of them a short distance from each other.
I endeavoured in vain to find out the reason for
placing these stakes in such situations, many of
which were covered with water at the highest time
of the tides. They are called fishing-stakes, and
boats certainly do sometimes go and make fast to
them for that purpose, as well as to wait the
turning of the tide, when they are going to places
at any distance along the coast, yet one would
think that they would hardly take so much trouble
1 2 a

354 CAMAROON RIVER.
as to bring, and place so great a number as there
are; and many of them several miles from the land;
merely for the above purposes. They make it very
dangerous for boats, or small vessels, navigating
those places in the dark, who are not acquainted
with their existence. If I were allowed to hazard
a conjecture on the subject, I should think they
were placed there for the above reason, as men-of-
war often send their boats up the rivers at night
in quest of slave-vessels, for the purpose of coming
on them by surprise, and thereby prevent them
from landing the slaves which might be on board
preparatory to sailing ; also to get quietly along
side of them in any part of the river, where
they might have anchored for the night, or the
turning of the tide, with their slaves on board, on
their way to sea. About 9 o'clock we unexpect
edly found ourselves within the bar of the Old
Camaroon river, where we anchored for the night.
The tide was running strong, taking the various
directions of the coasts and rivers, and very
perplexing to strangers. Unfortunately, there
was no one on board who had ever been here
before, and not having been able to procure a
pilot, we were compelled to grope our way, both by
night and by day, with only a rough sketch of a
chart to guide us.
Tuesday, 22. — At daylight we got under weigh,
and endeavoured to regain the channel of the Old
Calabar river, but we found the tide stronger than

SCHOONER AGROUND. 355
the wind, and that it had carried us on a mud-flat
off little Quay river, which at about half ebb left
the schooner aground, this obliged us to get some
spars out, to prop her up on each side. At which
time we were in the following situation : West
point of Old Calabar river, w. by s. Fish Town
point N. by w. Jw. and the entrance of little Quay
river n.n.e. At 5 in the afternoon we got the spars
in, and laid a small anchor out, with the assistance
of a boat, by which, and other aid, we hoped to
get the vessel entirely clear of the bank : but we
only partly succeeded that tide, for on the return
of low water, we were obliged to have recourse to
the same means of propping her up, from there
not being two feet water left on the bank.

CHAP. X.
Slave Canoe — Duke's Pilot — Old Calabar Town — Consternation
on Shore, and disappearance of the Slave Vessels — Fruitless Pur
suit of the Slavers — Eyo Eyo, King Eyo's Brother — Old Cala
bar Festivals — Attempted Assassination, and Duke Ephraim's
Dilemma — Obesity of the King's 'Wives — Ordeal for Regal Ho
nours — Duke's English House — Coasting Voyage to the Bonny —
Author discovers Symptoms of Fever — The Rivers of St Nicholas,
Sombrero, St. Bartholomew, and Sta. Barbara — " The Smokes"
— Capture of a Spanish Slave Vessel in the River St. John — Nun,
or First Brass River, discovered to be the Niger — NaturaUWand
Navigation — New Calabar River — Pilot's Jhu .Ihu — Foche Island
— Author Sleeps on Shore — Bonny Bath — Interview vpith King
Peppel — Ceremony of opening the Trade — Rashness of a Slave
Dealer — Horrible Fanaticism — Schooner at Sea — Return to Fer
nando Po.
Wednesday, January 23, 1828. — Fortunately
the wind was light, for had it blown hard, the re
sult might have been fatal to the vessel. At seven
in the morning, we found the vessel afloat, and at
tempted, with a small anchor and cable, assisted
by the sails, to get her over the mud : but, at
eleven o'clock, we were again stuck fast. In the
afternoon, we sent a letter by a Krooman, in a
small canoe, to Captain Cumings, of the brig
Kent, lying off the town of Old Calabar, commonly
called Duke's Town, as the king of that country
is generally known by the name and title of Duke
Ephraim. In about a couple of hours, the Kroo
man returned, in consequence of having met with

slave canoe. 357
a very large canoe coming down on her passage to
the Camaroon river, to purchase slaves. He in
duced the Captain to come on board, but the ap
pearance of a schooner, with so large a boat and so
many hands, evidently created some suspicion in
his mind. He was too much a man of the world,
however, not to affect a confidence, which we were
all persuaded he did not feel : — he drank some
rum, and carried himself with consummate self-
possession ; gave us all the Calabar news he could
recollect, and demanded our latest ijatelligence in
return. When the conversation was exhausted, and
a good opportunity occurred for taking leave, he
departed; heartUy rejoiced, no doubt, at escaping
with so much tact. His canoe was about fifty feet
long, with a small thatched house built on a plat
form in the centre. The paddles were worked by
boys, under the direction of two men, who gave
out a song when pulling. There were two poor
creatures, whom we supposed to be slaves, confined
in irons, at one end of the boat.
About nine vve got clear ofthe mud-flats, after a
great deal of trouble, -with hawsers and a small an
chor ; we then stood up the river, and at eleven
anchored for the night.
Thursday, 24. — Fresh breezes from the north
ward, and very hazy. The wind coming from
the Camaroon mountains, increased the haziness
of the atmosphere, and made it feel very cold.
Soon after daylight, when the tide answered, we

358 duke's pilot.
got under weigh, and beat up the river. About
eleven, we came to an anchor off Parrott Island,
the north end of which bore s.w. i w. and the north
end of James's Island n. by e. At three in the
afternoon, a pilot came on board, and, at five. Cap
tain Smith, with Lieutenant Badgeley, went up to
the brig Kent, off Duke's Town, to procure in
formation. Friday, 25. — At three this morning, the same
party returned ; and, soon after daylight, we got
the schooner under weigh, to beat up the river, and
the Duke's head pilot came on board, when to prove
the confidence that might be reposed in him, he
brought a certificate from Lieutenant Corry, of H.
M. S. North Star, which stated that he had piloted
that ship's boats up the river, as well as conducted
them down, with a slave-vessel that they had seized.
We blackened the schooner's yellow sides -with a
mixture of gunpowder and water. This, however,
was not a very safe pigment, for if a spark of fire
had happened to have come in contact with any
part of her side, it would have communicated from
one extremity to the other : but it served for a
temporary disguise, M^hich was all we required.
About noon, we came abreast ofthe town of Old
Calabar, where we observed the greatest confusion.
Armed men, of different colours and nations, were
running about in all directions, preparing, as we
imagined, to oppose our landing, for it was evident
they were alarmed at our appearance, which suffi-

OLD CALABAR TOWN. 359
ciently indicated our intentions. The slave-vessels,
afraid of being seized, had disappeared from before
the town, and gone farther up the river before we
arrived, so that, however we might have been
otherwise disposed, we did not drop anchor, but
continued to advance as long as the tide served,
which was till half-past one, when the wind fail
ing, we were obliged to anchor. The Duke's pilot,
when we were off the town, requested to leave
us for a short time ; he said, he " must go tell
Duke news, and come back directly." We after
wards discovered that his pretence to go ashore,
was merely a subterfuge to get away altogether,
for he never returned, and we had good reason for
believing, that all the people, from the Duke (or
King, which is the same thing) to the meanest of
his subjects, secretly abet the unlawful proceed
ings of the slavers, by whom they realize much
larger profits than by the regular traders. At
three, we sent the small canoe, with two Kroomen,
up the river, to ascertain the situation of the slave-
vessels, and soon got under weigh to follow them ;
but the wind dying off towards sunset, we were
obliged to anchor again. About an hour after
wards, our canoe returned, with information that
three slave schooners, and a brig, had gone still
farther up the river, indeed, as far as the naviga
tion ofthe river would allow, where they had for
tified themselves in the strongest manner, to resist
any attack on our part : having also the support of

360 FRUITLESS PURSUIT OF SLAVERS.
all the authorities of the native towns and ril-
lages that could, with any show of prudence, be
extended to them. We also understood, that they
had not a slave on board of either of them, which
was likely enough, as it is not customary to put
them on board until they are on the point of sail
ing. These circumstances determined Lieutenant
Badgeley to return to the town, in which resolu
tion he was also influenced by the consideration of
the inferiority of our force. A schooner of 120
tons, with no more than twenty Europeans on
board ; the crew of the vessel being Africans (as
the crews of most of the colonial vessels that navi
gate this coast are,) could have but a poor chance
against five vessels, mustering not less than 150
white men of different nations, and reckoning 30
guns to our six. The caution evinced by this step,
however justified by circumstances, did not, I must
confess, appear to me to be very creditable to our
character, and must have made us look very foolish.
After having chased the slavers so far up the river,
we ought to have brought the matter to an issue,
particularly as we had the eyes of all the coun
try upon us, and were regarded with great anxiety
by the people of Old Calabar toven, as well as by
the crews of the British merchant-vessels in the
river. The affair gave the slavers an opportunity
of exulting over our failure, and their own good
fortune ; which, I think, %as to be regretted.
On going down the river, a large canoe came

CALABAR FESTIVALS. 361
alongside with one of the great men of the country
on board, named Eyo Eyo, a brother to King Eyo ;
when he asked for a present, and something to
drink, the customary demand of the natives. We
presented him with a few leaves of tobacco, which
appeared to amuse him exceedingly : he held them
up with a contemptuous sneer, and asked if that
was a present ? This man was as shrewd a fellow
as any we met with, in Old Calabar, and had long
been accustomed to trade, and receive presents,
from captains of slavers, and palm-oil vessels.
At nine, we arrived off Robin's Town, where a
canoe met us, ¦with a note from Captain Cumings,
of the Kent, informing us, that a Frenchman had
entered his palm-oil house, and deliberately shot
his second mate through the body.
There are two grand festivals here, which take
place every eighth day in succession. Old Calabar
day, which was yesterday ; and Duke's day, which
happens to-day. The succession of these festivals is
curious enough ; that which takes place on Thurs
day in this week, will be on Friday in the next
week ; and the one on Friday this week, will be on
Saturday in the following week, and so on.
Saturday, 26. — We got under weigh, arid
dropped down with the ebb tide, abreast of Duke's
Town, a distance of three miles, where we an
chored. We had not been long here before the
Duke, attended by a number of his black gentlemen,
»and followed by Captain Cumings, of the Kent,

362 PALAVER WITH THE KING.
came on board to have a grand palaver with
Lieutenant Badgeley. concerning the attempted
assassination of Captain Cumings' mate, on the
preceding day. The Frenchman's name was Fer-
rard, and this monster was no less than the Cap
tain of a slave-vessel. The cause of this palaver,
was an imperative demand, on the part of Captain
Cumings, that the Duke should deliver the French
man into our hands, in order that he should be
given up to justice in the event of the mate's
death : but the Duke made great difficulties con
cerning the practicability of securing this man, and
offered many excuses to escape the acknowledg
ment of any responsibility in the matter. It was
clear enough that he wished to protect the assassin,
as indeed it was his policy to shield the slavers,
whose trade was more lucrative to him, than that of
any other class of persons. Finding himself some
what embarrassed in the conversation, he made an
apology for leaving the vessel, saying he would
go on shore and see what could be done, inviting
us at the same time to finish the palaver at his
house. Accordingly we all went on shore, after
breakfast, attended by two marines. A second
palaver took place, which was merely a repetition
of the first, and when it terminated, he presented
us with some excellent Champagne, and then exhi
bited a quantity of fine clothes, with a variety of
other articles, all of which he said he had received
as presents. The only dress HisMajesty wore, when>

THE king's wives. 363
he came on board, was a cotton cloth round his
middle, and a fine white beaver hat, bound with
broad gold lace. Captain Cumings, at our
request, asked permission of the Duke to allow us
to see his wives, who live in a square formed of
mud huts, with a communication from the back
part of his house. The Duke very courteously com
plied with our wishes, and sent persons to attend us.
There were about sixty Queens, besides little Princes
and Princesses, with a number of slave-girls to wait
upon them. His favourite Queen, the handsomest
of the royal party, was so large that she could
scarcely walk, or even move, indeed they were all
prodigiously large, their beauty consisting more in
the mass of physique, than in the delicacy or
symmetry of features or figure. This uniform
tendancy to en bon point, on an unusual scale, was
accounted for, by the singular fact, that the female
upon whom His Majesty fixes his regards, is
regularly fattened up to a certain standard, pre
viously to the nuptial ceremony, it appearing to
be essential to the Queenly dignity that the
lady should be enormously fat. We saw a very
fine young woman undergoing this ordeal. She
was sitting at a table, with a large bowl of farina
ceous food, which she was swallowing as fast as she
could pass the spoon to, and from, the bowl, and her
mouth ; and she was evidently taking no inconsi
derable trouble to qualify herself for that happy
?.)tate, which Pope tell us is the object of every

364 duke's ENGLISH HOUSE.
woman's ambition, that of being Queen for life, the
royal road to which, in this country, lies through
a course of gormandizing. The same custom extends
to the wives of the great men, who undergo a
similar operation before marriage. On the morning
of their wedding-day they are seated at a table, to
receive presents from their relations and friends ;
a yard of cloth from one, some silk from another,
some beads from a third, according to the taste or
capacity of the donors. My companions were not
much struck with the beauty of the Queens, for
they declared that some of the pretty young slave-
girls had much more lovely looks. Each of the
Duke's wives bring, or send, a jug of water for his
large brass-pan bath every morning, and his
favourite wife remains to assist in his ablutions.
On leaving the Queens' Square, we were invited
to go over the Duke's English house, as it was
called, which, in fact it was, having been sent out
in frame, from Liverpool, with carpenters to erect
it, by Mr. Bold, formerly a merchant of that town.
This wooden edifice stood by the side of his mud
hut, in which, by the bye, such was the force of
habit, he preferred residing. In the English house
there was a grand display of European articles,
consisting of furniture, mirrors, pictures, a quantity
of cut-glass on the sideboard, and to crown all,
there was a large brass arm-chair, weighing 160
pounds, a present from Sir John Tobin, with an
inscription engraved on it, to that effect. f

THE KING THREATENED. 365
About two o'clock we took leave of the Duke,
and went on board the Kent, where the poor mate
was lying dangerously ill, and we all apprehended
the worst result, not having any medical man to
dress the wound, or tell the exact nature of it.
After dining with Captain Cumings, we returned
to the Duke's house, to learn if he had ascertained
the name ofthe vessel the Frenchman commanded.
The reply was unsatisfactory, as he still declared
his ignorance on the subject. It is not unusual
for the blacks (like the Chinese) to identify the
ship in the Captain, for instance, if they want to
speak of the Jane, Captain Brown, they say, ' that
Bro-wn's ship.' It was, therefore, possible that the
Duke might really have spoken the truth in pro
testing that the name of the vessel was unknown to
him. Finding there was nothing more to be done with
the Duke that evening, we left him, vrith an as
surance that we should persist in our demand of
haring either the Captain, or his vessel, delivered
up to us ; that we should go and report the circum
stance to the Governor of Fernando Po, who would
send a frigate to blockade the port, stop all the
trade of tbe river, and perhaps come and burn the
town. These threats were not apparently without
their effect, although his Majesty was as much
afraid of opposing the slavers, as he was of quarrel
ling -with us. The following morning at daylight
'we left Duke's Town, and proceeded down the river.

366 SYMPTOMS OF FEVER.
not however, with the intention of going to Fer
nando Po, but merely to visit all the rivers between
the Calabar and Cape Formosa, in quest of slavers,
first going to the celebrated Bonny, off which river
we arrived on Thursday, 31. Here we saw a
brig at anchor, which proved to be the Neptune, of
and from Liverpool. She had been lying here ten
days, waiting for clear weather to enable her to
pass the bar, and get into the river.
On the day we left Old Calabar town, I had all
the symptoms of approaching fever, such as head
ache, foul tongue, hot and dry skin, loss of appe
tite, prostration of strength, &c. I, therefore, took
calomel, and adopted prompt measures of regimen,
abstaining from all food, taking nothing but dilu
ents, keeping myself quiet, and occupying the
mind with amusing thoughts. By foUo-wing this
practice, at the expiration of three days, I found
myself quite convalescent, after which I soon reco
vered my former health and spirits.
At noon, we parted from the Neptune, and
stood to the westward, for the river St. Nicholas,
having had information that two Spanish vessels,
trading for slaves, were in that river. At six, we
passed the entrance of the Sombrero river, and, at
midnight, that of St. Bartholomew's river.
Friday, February 1 . — In the afternoon, the Eden's
pinnace went to exainine a small river, which was
found to be the Sta. Barbara, but there were no
vessels there, and about sunset, we anchored off the
river St. Nicholas.

" THE SMOKES. 367
Saturday, 2. — At daylight, the Eden's pinnace,
the schooner's boat, and a canoe, manned with
Kroomen, all well armed, left the schooner to go in
search of the two vessels said to be in the river ;
but they returned on board, having examined a
large river, three creeks, and one town, without
success. All they saw on the banks of the river,
was a large dog, and a rattle, like those at Fer
nando Po.
Sunday, 3. — At daylight, weighed and stood to
the westward. About nine o'clock we anchored
off a long line of breakers, but no land in sight, in
consequence of the haziness of the weather. That
peculiar state of the atmosphere, which we call
hazy, is, perhaps, more characteristically desig
nated "the smokes," on these coasts. Lieutenant
Badgeley and Capt. Smith, went in the schooner's
boat to sound, and trace the passage into the river
St. John, at the entrance of which we supposed
ourselves to be situated. In the afternoon, the party
returned, having not only found the entrance of
the river St. John, but also one of the vessels of
which we were in search. At half-past foui", the
pinnace, schooner's boat, and Kroo canoe, were
despatched, well manned and armed, to bring the
schooner out of the river. At eleven. Captain
Smith returned on board, and informed us, that,
at sunset, they boarded the Spanish schooner Vic
toria Felicita, armed with one long nine-pounder
and twenty men, and that they took possession ofher

368 CAPTURE OF A SLAVE VESSEL.
with scarcely a show of resistance. The Spaniards
endeavoured to get the gun ready, but the boats
came so suddenly upon them, by rounding a point
close to their moorings, that they were completely
taken by surprise, and boarded before they could
carry their measures of defence into effect. There
were but two slaves and a part of the crew on
board, the rest of the slaves and the remainder of
the crew, being at the Barakoom, or Slave-yard,
to which place they are always consigned so soon
as they are purchased, and left until the vessel is
ready for sea, to escape from the responsibility
which would fall upon the commander of the ves
sel, in case any slaves were discovered on board.
There were many slave-dealers on the schooner's
deck when the boats came in sight, but they all
jumped overboard, and swam to the shore.
Monday, 4. — At daylight, Captain Smith left us
to assist in bringing the prize out of the river, but
the day being calm, she was not removed. We
burnt blue lights, at intervals, during the night, as
signals to the prize, or any boat that might be sent
from her.
Tuesday, 5. — At nine, we saw the Spaniard un
der weigh ; and, at ten, she anchored close beside
us. She was well supplied with water, of which
we stood in need, and of which we availed our
selves. A midshipman, with some men, was then
appointed to take charge of her to Fernando Po.
We parted company, and proceeded on our further

THE RIVKR NUN. 369
examination of the rivers on this coast, when we
stood to the westward, anchoring off Nun River,* at
nine in the evening.
Wednesday, 6. — Alter breakfast, we sent on shore
to procure information of slavers, in consequence
of having seen the smoke of a fire, which is a well-
known signal on the coast, to invite vessels to trade
with them. The fire is made by night, and the
smoke forms the signal by day. Our boat returned,
bringing a poor Spaniard from a small town, just
within the entrance of the river, called Pilot's
To-wn.f He was a native of Manilla, and had been
* "The river Nun, or First Brass River, is the main branch ofthe
Quorra, from whence you pass (in about two hours) through a creek,
in an easterly direction, into the Second Brass River, which is also a
large branch of the Quorra." — Lander, vol. iii. p. 224. " Brass, pro
perly speaking, consists of two towns of nearly equal size, containing
about a thousand inhabitants, and built on the borders of a kind of
basin, which is formed by a number of rivulets, entering it from the
Niger, through forests of mangrove bushes. One of them is under
the domination of a noted scoundrel called King Jacket, who has al
ready been spoken of; and the other is governed by a rival chief,
named King Forday. These towns are situated directly opposite to
each other, and within the distance of eighty yards, and are built on a
marshy ground, which occasions the huts to be always wet." — Lander,
vol. iii. p. 234.
t " A place, called Pilot's Town by Europeans, from the num
ber of pilots that reside in it, is situated nearly at the entrance of
the First Brass River (which, we understand, is the Nun River of Eu
ropeans), and at the distance of sixty or seventy miles from hence.
This to-wn acknowledges the authority of both kings, having been
originally peopled by settlers from each of their towns." — Lander,
voL iii. p. 234.
1 2 B

370 INLAND NAVIGATION.
left behind by his vessel, but from what cause he
did not state. He told us, the blacks informed him,
that there had been a man of war on the coast, but
that she had left some days since.
Thursday, 7 . — Light airs. At daylight we got
under weigh, and came to an anchor, off the mouth
of the Bonny river again, soon after sunset.
We had now examined the entrances of all the
rivers between the Bonny, and Cape Formosa ; all
of which communicate with each other in the inte
rior ; some being navigable by vessels, but all by
canoes ; for instance, a vessel may go in at St. Ni
cholas, and by passing through a creek, come out
at the St. John's. This piece of intelligence had
the effect of occasionally placing us in some per
plexity as to our movements ; for, according to
one person, a vessel freighted with slaves was on
the point of coming out of one river ; while, at the
same time, agreeably to another informant, the
same vessel was stated to be coming out of another
river. There is, however, but little doubt that the in
terior of the country is intersected by very e.-^^ten-
sive water communications lying between the bight
of Benin and Biafra, and I heard Captain Owen
say, that, in his opinion, the Niger would be found
to discharge itself in one of these bights, a fact,
which I have the satisfaction to learn, is now
proved by the recent discovery of the Landers.
Friday, 8. — At daylight, we made sail. At ten,

PILOTS JHU JHU. 371
we received a pilot on board, and in three hours,
entered the channel of the New Calabar river,
which must be passed, before an entrance into the
Bonny can be effected. This position of the Cala
bar is, however, on the coast usually denominated
the Bonny, in reference to the superior trade of
that river.
The pilot here requested the Captain's permis
sion to make a "jhu jhu," which is a superstitious
rite performed by the natives in these rivers. The
object of the ceremony is to propitiate their deity
for a safe passage and a good trade ; the operation
consists of spilling a wine glass full of rum, twice
on the bowsprit (upon which the operator stands),
and once on each side of it, into the water. They
practise a similar rite when they anchor, cutting
some bread and meat into small pieces, scattering
it in like manner on the bowsprit, into the river,
and also on the deck, while those who stand around,
mingle in the act, by tasting their offerings. The
objects worshipped bythe people ofthe New Cala
bar, are the tiger and the shark ; while the Bonny
people worship the shark and the guana.
At half-past four, we anchored, for the night, oft'
Foche Island, inside the first bar of the river, and
the pilot went on shore. The town on this island
had been burnt to the ground only a few days
before we arrived, owing to the carelessness of
some new slaves, and the people of the town had
determined upon selling the woman to whom the

372 FOCHE ISLAND.
slaves belonged, as a punishment for her own
neglect. The dogs on Foche Island were observed to bear
a close resemblance to those of Fernando Po, (a
common sort of small cur.) I mention this, be
cause it has been thought that the Fernandians
have had very little connection with the people of
the Continent, as a proof of which, we have never
found any one (out of all the varieties of the Afri
can nations) who could speak with, or understand,
the language of the natives of Fernando Po.
Saturday, 9. — Soon afticr daylight the pilot
returned on board. We found the natives of Foche
Island very cautious in coming off, even the
pilot would not reply to our signals, until we had
sent a messenger to tell him what we were, nor
would he even then consent to sleep on board. I
have little doubt, from the timidity he exhibited,
that the slave-vessels have occasionally enticed
pilots and their people on board, and carried them
off for slaves.
Our breakfast this morning consisted of smoked
and dried herrings, corned mackerel, fresh prawns,
beef steaks, cold roast beef, cold ham, roast and
boiled yams, eggs, and toast : a supply that will
not be thought despicable for the passengers
of a merchant schooner, in the Bight of Biafra,
where the sun was so powerful, that our anchor
was hot enough to serve the purposes of a heated
oven.

KING PEPPEL IN HIS CUPS. 373
At four in the afternoon I accompanied Lieut.
Badgeley, with six Kroomen in a small boat, to
visit the town of Bonny, and the English shipping
in the river. Soon after dark we went on board
the Neptune, which was lying off the town of Bonny,
and was the same vessel we had boarded outside
the river. After refreshing ourselves with tea, we
accompanied the Surgeon on shore, to look for
Captain Cudd, whom we found visiting one of
King Peppel's great men. We wished to call upon
the King, but were informed that we could not be
allowed to do so, as his Majesty was too drunk
to receive company, and exceedingly dangerous in
his cups ; a state of bliss to which he commonly
arrived by that hour, every evening. We, there
fore, contented ourselves by passing the night at
the house of the prime minister, with the intention
of waiting upon his Majesty the following morning.
I slept in the same apartment with the Doctor. Our
beds, by courtesy so called, were made on a mud
floor ; they consisted merely of a mat spread for
each, with a coya-cushion (the outside shell of the
cocoa nut) for a pillow ; fortunately the climate is
too hot to require any covering ; we thprefore lay
down without removing our nether garments ;
sleep was, however, quite out of the question, for
so soon as the lights were out, the rats and mice
came in, and assisted by myriads of cockroaches
and ants, contrived to keep us constantly employed
driving them away from our bodies, until we were

374 BONNY BATH.
in so feverish and exhausted a state that we anxi
ously longed for the return of day.
On the following morning, Sunday, 10, I was
invited to take a Bonny warm bath, which I ac
cepted with pleasure, for after such a night the
very name of a bath was refreshing ; the Doctor
therefore kindly conducted me into the open space
where I was informed that every thing was prepared.
I was seated in an arm chair, with a large brass-pan
before me full of tepid water, about two feet deep,
into which I was requested to put my legs : two or
three attendants pro-rided with bowls of warm
water, soap and cloths, now began to operate on
my body ; the sensation produced by this process,
was similar to the effect of champooing. After
they thought they had sufficiently polished me with
their cloths, they began to pour cold water over
me, which was the most refreshing part of the
business ; but the reader may imagine what my
feelings were, when to my utter surprise I discovered
that the whole ceremony had been performed by
women, many of whom, although black, were both
young and handsome. I had detected a good deal
of giggling from the beginning, and objected to
the presence of so many persons ; but I was in
differently told, ' Oh ! it was the custom of the
country.' We accompanied Captain Cudd on board his
vessel to breakfast, after which we all came on
shore, to wait upon the King, to whom we were

INTERVIEW WITH KING PEPPEL. 375
conducted by our friend Bill Peppel, at whose
house we passed the night, and whom I understood
to be the King's most confidential minister. His
Majesty received us in a very easy friendly manner,
and in what he perhaps considered a fine dress,
consisting of a neat striped fine calico shirt, a pair
of white trowsers, and a silk cap with a long tassel.
We talked on a variety of subjects, selecting those
which we supposed were interesting to him, such
as the regular trade in palm-oil, and the illicit one
in slaves, but our conversation principally turned
on England, in courtesy to the King who had been
at Liverpool, in the capacity of cabin boy, with one
ofthe Captains of the palm-oil vessels. He ordered
some Membo (palm-wine) to be presented to us ;
we found it flavoured with a strong bitter, produced
by the use of a native nut. To our European
palate this taste was by no means agreeable. It is
with palm-wine so prepared, however, that his
Majesty contrives to get tipsy with such punctuality.
When this liquor first exudes from the tree, and
before the process of fermentation has drawn its
intoxicating qualities into action, it is a sweet and
not unpleasant beverage.
Our interview lasted about an hour, when we
took leave of the King, to return on board. In
passing through one of the streets, we saw a guana
climbing up a tree, the Doctor advanced and seized
it by the tail, a proceeding by no means dangerous
as regarded the animal, whose nature is extremely

376 BREAKING TRADE AT THE BONNY,
gentle. The natives, however, witnessed this act
with horror, this creature being to them an object
of worship. As these animals are protected by
the superstition of the people, and are allowed to
enter their houses at pleasure, they become ex
tremely bold, and frequently help themselves to a
chicken, or any thing else for which they have a
fancy, upon which occasion the owner feels himself
highly favoured, and imagines that some good
fortune will attend him in consequence. I was
informed that they have been known to devour
young infants. A guana was once killed on board
an English vessel, upon which the trade with that
vessel was immediately stopped, and a grand pala
ver held, when the Captain was sentenced to pay a
fine of 500 bars, this was afterwards commuted to
200 ; and when it was paid the ship was permitted
to recommence trading.
The ceremony of opening the trade with each
vessel is as follows : a day being appointed by the
King, a dinner is prepared, and His Majesty is
entertained by the Captain and his officers, on
board the trader. The black gentlemen who form
the royal suite are obliged, upon this occasion,
to trust to chance, and the good-nature of the ship's
crew, for their share of the feast. In order that no
point of courtesy may be wanting, it is requisite to
send a boat from the ship to meet His Majesty, as
he comes out of the creek in his own canoe. The
King, upon joining his entertainers, immediately

FRENCH SLAVE AGENT. 377
enters their boat ; which condescension is acknow
ledged by a salute of seven guns, fired from the
ship. On arriving alongside. His Majesty throws
an egg at the vessel's hull ; he then ascends to the
deck, which is usually covered, from the gangway
to the cabin, with a piece of cloth ; an arm chair,
covered and ornamented with the same material,
being placed ready for his accommodation.
The only beverage used by King Peppel is his
favourite Membo, which is brought on board by
his attendants. His Majesty commonly returns
about sunset to the shore, when a second salute of
seven guns is fired from the ship, and the trade
is declared free to all his subjects.
Shortly before our arrival a circumstance occur
red which serves to illustrate King Peppel's good
nature and forbearance. About the middle of
December, 1826, Capt. Lawrenson, a slave agent,
arrived at the Bonny, to purchase a cargo of slaves,
which he accomplished in about two months, and
sent them away to the West Indies, remaining
behind himself, with a quantity of goods to make
further purchases, having written his owners to
send vessels, and take the slaves away. In the
meantime he contrived to ingratiate himself so
much with King Peppel, that His Majesty allowed
him to live in his house, and consulted his opinion,
upon all matters of importance, relative to the
white people. Many months elapsed before any
vessel arrived, but when they did, the slaves were

378 BONNY TOWN BURNT.
not ready, and the King continued to delude him
with promises for two months longer, at the end of
which period, finding his hopes still unrealized,
the impatient Frenchman became enraged at what
he considered the King's deceit, and resolved on
taking summary vengeance. Accordingly, oneeven-
ing, he went on shore with a cigar in his mouth,
and a few squibs in his pocket, when he deposited
the latter in the thatch of several houses, and set
fire to them. The huts being composed of bamboo,
palm-leaves, and reeds, soon burst into a flame,
which spread so rapidly in all quarters, that nearly
the whole town was destroyed. The people were
greatly exasperated and wished to kill the French
man, who had not attempted to effect his escape,
bnt King Peppel forbade them to injure a hair of
his head, permitting him to return to his vessel,
which immediately sailed for France ; the Captain
still vowing vengeance against the King, and threat
ening to return with a much larger vessel, well
armed, to commit greater ravages, and to carry
off all he could lay his hands on, until he considered
that he had received compensation for the fraud
which he averred had been practised upon him.
There is a superstitious ceremony performed at
the Bonny river, about once in three years, which
consists of offering the most beautiful virgin they
can find, as a sacrifice to their Jhu Jhu, whereby
they hope to propitiate the evil spirit, and avert
the dangers to which \essels are liable in crossing

WILLING SACRIFICE OF A VIRGIN. 379
the bar. The victim is taken in a boat to the
mouth of the river, where, after a preparatory cere
monial, she is made to walk to the extremity of a
plank, from which she is precipitated into the water,
where in a few seconds she is devoured by sharks.
The mind of the poor wretch is prepared for this
fate : which, indeed, appears to be a source of
pleasure, rather than of terror, from the idea that
she is going at once to Paradise, to become the wife
of Jhu Jhu ; and towards the conclusion of the cere
mony, it is not uncommon for the victim to display
extravagant transports of joy. One of the English
captains remonstrated with a native for going to
witness such an exhibition. " What ?" replied the
indignant black, — " What you tink? — Why! she
now married to Jhu Jhu — got large house — more
big than any in Liverpool — plenty copper-bar —
plenty rum — plenty clothes — what you tink she
want ?— -noting !" These articles being the prin
cipal objects ofthe trade from England, are conse
quently most desired ; and as the majority of the
trading vessels come from Liverpool, where some few
of the Bonny people have been, they consider that
town the ultimatum of magnificence and splendour.
We went on board the Neptune about noon,
where we took an early dinner, and returned to
the schooner about sunset, when we learnt that a
grand deputation of black gentlemen, from New
Calabar Town, had arrived, to invite Capt. Smith
to bring his schooner up their river to trade; they

380 NATIVES FIGHT FOR A SHIp's TRADE.
requested him to lose no time, and offered to leave
a large canoe for our use, when we returned from
the Bonny ; however. Captain Smith would not
agree to their request ; and when they discovered,
that, instead of being a trader, we were looking
out for slavers, they were glad to get away. Our
pilot partook of their alarm, and, on the following
morning, he sent back the casks empty, with a
message, that he could not come on board again.
There is much enmity between the Bonny and
the New Calabar people, arising principally out of
their rivalship in the trade vrith foreign vessels. A
short time ago, they had a fight on board an Eng
lish ship, under the following circumstances.
The New Calabar people had got on board the
ship Huskinson, and were taking her up to their
town. On the passage, they were attacked by a
number of large canoes, well manned and armed,
from the Bonny : a desperate struggle ensued ; the
Bonny people lost many lives, but they succeeded
in boarding the vessel, dislodging their opponents,
and triumphantly carried the ship into their river ;
thus securing all her trade to themselves. This
fight did not, on the present occasion, produce
war between the rival people, as such incidents
usually do ; it merely had the effect of suspending
their intercourse for a short period. Their war
canoes are very large, and will carry from 50 to
100 men, well armed with muskets, pistols, sabres,
and sometimes a small gun in the bow.

LOSS OF THR M.MDSTONES BOAT. 381
We got under weigh in the afternoon, without a
pilot, and worked the schooner over the bar, which
is very narrow, and stood out to sea that evening,
notwithstanding there was a fresh breeze against
us, through a very intricate navigation. It was at
the entrance of this river that one of the boats of
H. M. S. Maidstone was upset. She had come
to an anchor in the evening, with the tide running
in, which made the water very smooth; but, in
the middle of the night, at the turn of the tide,
they found the boat rolling about very uneasily.
This very much surprised them, because the wind
had not arisen ; the sea soon began to break over
them, when the boat upset, and the surgeon's as
sistant, with several other persons, was drowned.
This proceeded from the ebb tide encountering the
ordinary set on the land. We left the Bonny with
the intention of visiting our friends in the Old
Calabar, in the hope of meeting the Frenchman,
who had shot the mate of the Kent.
Tuesday, 12. — ^At five this morning, we came to
an anchor. The weather had been squally during
the night , and at daylight the wind increased ;
the squalls becoming more frequent and heavy,
with continued thunder and lightning; and so
heavy a swell, that if we had not taken in the boat
from the stern, she would have been washed away.
At daylight, we discovered that Tom Shot's Point
bore N.E. by n. six or seven miles.
Wednesday, 13. — At daylight, saw a vessel at

382 RETURN TO FERNANDO PO.
anchor, outside of us, which proved to be H. M. S.
North-Star, and immediately after, Lieut. Mather
came on board to examine us. On that officer's
return. Lieutenant Badgeley and myself went on
board the North-Star, to wait on Captain Arabin,
who gave us a most friendly reception. He pressed
us to remain and dine, but Lieutenant Badgeley's
anxiety to return to Fernando Po, obliged us to
decline an invitation which otherwise would have
proved extremely agreeable, and as Captain Arabin
had sent his boats up the river (under the com
mand of his first lieutenant) in search of slavers, it
superseded the necessity of our going ; we there
fore got under weigh, and sailed to rejoin Captain
Owen.

CHAP. XI.
Reverence for Beards — Native Shields — Petty Thefts — Tornado
Season — Author departs for Calabar — Waterspout — Palm-oil
Vessels — Visit to Duke Ephraim — Escape of a Schooner with
Slaves — Calabar Sunday — Funeral of a Duke's Brother — Egbo
Laws— Egbo Assembly — Extraordinary Mode of recovering Debts
— Superstition and CreduUty — Cruelty of the Calabar People
to Slaves — Royal Slave Dealer — -Royal Monopoly — Manner of
Trading vfith the Natives— Want of Missionaries — Capt. Owen's
Arrival — Visit Creek Town with King Eyo — the Royal Establish
ment — Savage Festivities — Calabar Cookery — Old Calabar River.
Thursday, 14. — Arrived in Maidstone Bay, at
ten o'clock, when we learnt that Commodore Col
lier, in the Sybille, with the Esk and Primrose,
had been in the bay, and left it only on the preced
ing day. We also heard of the decease of Captain
Clapperton, Richard Lander, who was the bearer
of the melancholy tidings, being on board the Esk,
for a passage to England. Received some letters
and papers from England, that had been left for
me by my old friend Captain Griffenhooffe, of the
Primrose, and whom I was unfortunately doomed
never to meet again in this sublunary scene ; for
having suffered from fever, he was invalided, and
died at Ascension, on his way home. We found
the Diadem transport here, which had arrived a
few days before, with government stores from
Cape Coast Castle. A remarkable occurrence took

384 REVERENCE FOR BEARDS.
place between the agent (Lieutenant Woodman)
and the natives, on their first interview. That
gentleman had, like Captain Owen, and some of
his officers, allowed his beard to grow from the time
he had left England, having been induced to do so
for the sake of the advantages, which, from expe
rience. Captain Owen considered were to be derived
from it. In the first place, all the Ara,bs wear long
beards, and they are held in much respect where-
ever they sojourn among the various African na
tions : not altogether for their beards, but from
their intelligence ; however, the beard is naturally
identified with their character. They also com
mand respect, because they are generally worn by
the old men of their own country, and, on our first
arrival, the chiefs of Fernando Po advanced -with
delight to rub beards, with all those among us who
wore them. When Lieutenant Woodman left the
island for Cape Coast, his beard was of consider
able length, but meeting with Commodore Collier
at Accra, that officer would not receive him in his
Fernando Po costume ; and being unequal to con
tend with the higher powers, yielded to the alter
native of removing his beard, in preference to sub
jecting himself to the consequences of his superior
officer's displeasure. But, mark the effect ! — when
he came back to Fernando Po,' the native chiefs
turned from him with contempt, believing that he
could not have lost so dignified an appendage,
without having committed some crime. This re-

WILD OXEN. 385
minds me of a passage in the 15th chapter of Gib
bon's Decline and Fall ofthe Roman Empire, viz.
" The practice of shaving the beard excited the
pious indignation of the Fathers of the Church,
which practice (according to TertuUian) is a lie
against our own faces, and an impious attempt to
improve the works ofthe Creator."
I was sorry to learn, that there had been some
altercation between Commodore Collier, and Cap
tain Owen, on the subject of wearing beards.
Saturday, 16. — Wenton shore at daylight, and re
mained till evening, when I returned on board in the
midst ofa tornado, which, however, did not last long,
and fortunately had n6 great strength. We observed
a glare in the mountain, which the natives informed us
proceeded from a fire of considerable extent, made
by them for the purpose of driving the wild oxen,
or buffalos, to a certain spot, where they are ham
strung, and afterwards slain. We never saw any
animals in the island, larger than sheep or goats.
I have more than once, in a native hut, found a
shield made of hide, about four feet high and two
broad, with a stick passed longitudinally through
each end ; but whether they procured these shields
from vessels touching at the island, or from the
wild animals described as being in the mountains,
we had no means of ascertaining.
Sunday, 17. — Captain Owen had some of the
officers ofthe Eden, as well as civilians from the esta
blishment, to dine with him to-day : our dinner
] 2 c

"386 " RAPE OF THE LOCKS."
consisted of green turtle, a variety of fish, small
mutton, fowls, &c. all the produce ofthe island.
Monday, 18. — The weather was now getting
very close, hazy, and oppressive, as the season
approached for the hot winds from the Continent,
named, on this coast, the Hermattan, similar to the
Sirocco of the Mediterranean ; yet, the thermo
meter was only 88°. F. in the shade.
Tuesday, 19.^ — Mr. Galler ran after, and secured,
a native who was making off with an iron hoop.
But, lo ! what dangers doth environ,
The man that meddleth vnth cold iron,
for, on the following day. Captain Owen ordered
the thief to have his head shaved, for the purpose
of shaming him out of the repetition of his crime,
thus making him an object of ridicule, among his
own, as well as our people; and, as the natives
display no small degree of dandyism in dressing
their hair, he hoped that this ' rape of the locks,'
would have a beneficial effect : he, however, con
sidered an additional punishment necessary, in
consequence of the frequency of the offence, iron-
stealing having become a very common practice ;
he, therefore, ordered the offender to receive thirty-
nine lashes ; but at the twenty-fifth he fainted, from
fear, no doubt, certainly not from the severity of the
chastisement ; however, he was immediately taken
down and carried into the guard-house, where he
\ continued bellowing, in a most frightful manner,
for a long time.

ADELAIDE ISLAND. 387
Monday, 25. — We have had very close weather
for several days, with much thunder and lightning
during the whole of last night. At eight o'clock
this morning, a heavy tornado came on, the rain
and wind continuing for more than three hours ;
the greatest force of the hurricane was, however,
expended in the first hour, from which time it
gradually diminished ; this produced a very agree
able change in the state of the atmosphere, the
thermometer having fallen, during the tornado,
from 91°. to 78°. F. being the lowest degree we
have yet experienced.
Wednesday, 27. — The Diadem, transport, Lieut.
Woodman, agent, sailed this morning for Sierra
Leone, and England, by which conveyance I sent
letters, and a few curiosities.
Friday, 29. — Mr. Wood was sent, with a party
of men, to assist the gunner in erecting a battery
on Adelaide Island. Having made bankrupts of the
natives in the yam market, the African, schooner,
sailed to-day for the purpose of procuring them, in
other parts of the island.
Saturday, March 1. — Some days since, a native
having been detected stealing a knife o|it of Capt.
Smith's store, he was sent on board the Eden to
have his head shaved, and be kept in irons for
a week ; the time having expired this morning, he
was ordered to receive thirty -nine lashes previously
to his dismissal. He bore his punishment well,
and was going away, when, about 300 yards from

388 NATIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT.
the place, he fell down in a fainting fit, doubtless
from the apprehension that he was not yet quite out
of our power. Mr. Cowan, the surgeon, ran to his
assistance, but the natives surrounded the patient,
and would not allow him to receive medical aid
from us ; this was of the less consequence, as their
method of proceeding proved completely effectual.
They first bound a strong narrow leaf around the
sufferer's body, stuffing as many more leaves with
in the bandage as it would contain : they then
chewed some vegetable substance until it was re
duced to a pulp, and when this preparation was
blown up into the nose and ears of the patient, it
almost immediately produced the desired effect.
There had been much thunder in the distance,
and we had seen a good deal of lightning playing
about the Camaroon mountain for several days past ;
but more particularly towards the morning.
Saturday, 8. — This being the tornado season,
we have experienced one almost daily, lasting
however only a few hours, the rest of the twenty-
four being in part, very cloudy ; and in part, very
fine. The Lady Combermere, of Liverpool, which
anchored here last night, sailed this afternoon to
prosecute her voyage along the coast.
The African, schooner. Captain Smith, intending
to sail this evening on a trading voyage up the Ca
labar river, principally to procure bullocks for our
little colony, I was glad to avail myself of the op
portunity of going as a passenger, for the purpose

ARRIVAL IN OLD CALABAR. 389
of making further observations on the habits and
peculiarities of the people.
We left Maidstone bay about ten o'clock in the
evening, taking with us, by way of experiment,
three native youths from the island, an event
which certainly augured well for the future ad
vancement and civilization of these islanders.
Sunday, 9. — ^We this morning saw a very large
waterspout, which broke within 200 yards of the
vessel, and it is remarkable, that before it broke,
we observed it raining in five or six different parts
of the horizon, while it was quite fair, with the sun
shining, in the intermediate spaces. Soon after
four in the afternoon, we entered the Old Calabar
river, and at sunset we anchored in three and a half
fathoms water; east end of Parrot Island, n.n.w.
four or five miles.
Monday, 10. — ^Weather still variable. Got un
der weigh at daylight, but it soon fell calm, and
we made use of our sweeps. At noon, abreast of
James's Island ; and at three, we anchored off Old
Calabar, or Duke's Town.
We found the brig Kent, Captain Cumings, still
here ; also, the ship Agnes, Captain Charles, from
Liverpool, for palm-oil ; and a SpanisTi schooner,
from the Havannah, waiting for slaves. Captain
Smith and I accompanied Captain Cumings on
shore to pay a visit to Duke Ephraim, with whom
Capt. Cumings was a great favourite, which proved
a fortunate circumstance for us. The schooner

390 SECRET EXIT OF A SLAVER.
having last visited the place as a man of war, she
was received with suspicion, and it was extremely
difficult to convince the Duke and his people, that
there was not a ruse de guerre intended by her re
appearance as a mere trader.
Tuesday, ll.- — A fine but very hot day. Paid
a visit to the Duke after breakfast, and in the after
noon werit three miles down the river to visit the
Lady Combermere on her way up the river. In
the evening we paid another visit to the Duke, at
which period, every day, beholds a sort of levee for
supercargoes, and Captains of vessels, to talk over
"news." Upon these occasions he discovers an
acute knowledge of his own interest. Remained
on shore, and passed the night in the Duke's Eng
lish house, where his visitors always sleep, but none
of his family, except a few domestics in charge of it.
This evening a tornado came on with hea-vy rain.
Wednesday, 12. — A schooner, that had secreted
herself further up the river ; dropped down and an
chored off the town last night, after it became
dark, intending to take in her cargo of slaves during
the night. She completed her object before day
light, when she got under weigh, and sailed down
the river, without shewing any colours.
This day was the Calabar Sunday, but it was
not kept as the usual holiday, in consequence of
the recent death of the Duke's favourite brother.
The funeral ceremony is horrible, but I feel bound
to describe it for the sake of shewing the extra-

HUMAN SACRIFICES. 391
ordinary superstition and bigotry that still exists
among a people, who have not only been visited,
but regularly traded with, by European nations, for
nearly two centuries. I shall introduce this indi
vidual case by premising that human sacrifices are
lavishly made, not only in honour of the blood
royal, but in a more or less degree upon the death
oi great (or I should more properly say rich) men ;
for riches constitute greatness here, even in a higher
ratio than they do in more civilized countries ; the
riches of these parts consisting in the possession of
slaves. At the funeral obsequies of the Duke's brother,
six human victims were destined to the sacrifice ;
namely, three men and three women, who, how
ever, were, with a strange mixture of mercy and
cruelty, rendered insensible to the terrors of their
fate by previous intoxication. Five of these poor
creatures were hung, and placed in the grave of the
Prince, while the sixth, a young and favourite wife,
was reserved for a destiny still more horrible ;
being thrown alive into the grave, which was imme
diately closed over the whole.
These people practise many other superstitious
customs, equally dreadful, and I am persuaded it
needs but a recital of them, to prove how much
they stand in want ofthe benevolent instructions of
Christian missionaries.
The laws of the country are worthy of attention,
being, perhaps, the most curious, as well as the

392 EGBO LAWS.
most prompt, and effectual, of any that we are
acquainted with amongst the African nations. The
whole of the Old Calabar country is governed by
what are termed the " Egbo laws." These are
laws, enacted by a secret meeting, called the Egbo
assembly, which is held in a house set apart for
that purpose, called the Palaver house ; of this
assembly the Duke, by virtue of his sovereignty,
officiates as the chief, with the title of Eyamba.
There are different degrees of rank in the subordi
nate Egbo members, and each step must be pur-
ch-dsed successively. They sometimes admit Eng
lishmen into this assembly : Captain Burrell of the
ship Haywood, of Liverpool, held the rank of Yam
pai, which is one of considerable importance, and
he found it exceedingly to his advantage, as it
enabled him to recover all debts due to him by the
natives. The following are the names, and prices, of each
step :

1 Abungo .

. 125 Bars.

2 Aboko

. 75 Bars.

3 Makaira .

. 400 White copper rods.

4 Bakimboko

. 100 Bars.

5 Yampai .

. 850 White copper rods.

also some rum, goats, membo, &c. &c.
The Yampai is the only class of Egbo men that
are allowed to sit in council. The sums paid for
the different titles of Egbo are divided among the
Yampai only, who ai-e not confined to a single

MODE OF ADMINISTERING JUSTICE. 393
share, for a Yampai may have his title multiplied as
often as he chooses to purchase additional shares,
which entitles the person so purchasing to a corres
ponding number of portions in the profits arising
out of the establishment.
Their mode of administering justice is as follows:
When a person cannot obtain his due from a debtor,
or when any injury has been received, personally or
otherwise, the aggrieved party applies to the Duke
for the Egbo drums ; acquainting him at the same
time with the nature of his complaint : if the Duke
accedes to the demand, the Egbo assembly imme
diately meet, and the drums are beat about the
town ; at the first sound of which every woman is
obliged to retreat within her own dwelling, upon
pain of losing her head for disobedience : nor until
the drum goes round the second time, to shew that
council is ended, and the Egbo returned, are they
released from their seclusion. If the complaint
be just, the Egbo is sent to the offending party to
warn him of his delinquency, and to demand repa
ration, after which announcement no one dares
move out ofthe house, inhabited by the culprit, until
the affair is settled, and if it be not soon arranged,
the house is pulled down about their ears, in which
case the loss of a few heads frequently follows.
This extremity, however, rarely occurs, for if the
offender be not able to settle the matter himself,
it is generally made up by his relations and friends.
The Egbo man — that is the executive person,

394 MAKING A DEVIL.
wears a complete disguise, consisting of a black
network close to the skin from head to foot, a hat
with a long feather, horns projecting from his
forehead, a large whip in his right hand, with a
bell fastened to the lower part of his back, and
several smaller ones round his ankles. Thus
equiped he starts from the Egbo-house, runs
through the streets with his bells ringing, to the
house of the offender, followed by half a dozen
subordinate personages fantastically dressed, each
carrying either a sword or stick.
I one day asked King Eyo who this Egbo was,
who ran about with the bells, " What ? you tink
Egbo be man, no, he be debil, come up from bush,
nobody know him," was his reply.
It is their custom upon the death of a great
man, to have one of his slaves, male or female,
taken down to the side of the river to make what
they call a devil, which means, I presume, an
offering to the Evil Spirit ; this is done in the fol
lowing manner. A stake is driven into the ground
close to the water's edge, to this the poor wretch is
fastened, the head being pulled as high as possible
to stretch the neck for the sword, by which he is to
be decapitated, and after the deed is accomplished
they carry the head through the town rejoicing.
These frightful orgies used to take place in the
daytime, but in consequence of the repeated re
monstrances from the Captains of vessels, who were
shocked by the frequency of these horrid scenes.

CRUELTY TO SLAVES. 395
performed in sight of all the ships in the river,
they now take place in the night ; for my own
part I think that the noise occasioned by their
savage merriment, and their running about during
the stillness of night, produces a more appal
ling picture to the imagination, than even the
reality of the scene in broad day ; the only differ
ence is that there are fewer spectators, as the
greater number of those on board the vessels are
wrapt in profound repose.
The practice of burying the youngest and favou
rite wives -with the corpse is by no means uncom
mon,* and they resort to a variety of cruel prac
tices for maiming and destroying their slaves ; thus
they cut off parts or the whole of their ears, a part
of the nose, a finger or a hand. One of the ser
vants who waited upon us at the King's house,
had lost an ear in this way, for some trifling
offence. After a recital of these facts, it is scarcely neces
sary to observe that the Calabar people are ex
tremely cruel, indeed I am informed that they fre
quently cause their slaves to be put to death for a
mere whim ; a practice which they endeavour to
excuse, by saying, that if the slaves were not thus
kept in awe of their masters, they would rise
in rebellion : they also plead the necessity of
it, for preventing them becoming too numerous.
* It is the custom here to bury their dead in their own houses.

396 METHOD OF PROCURING SLAVES.
These reasons form also their apology for coun
tenancing the slave-trade, a traffic which is most
strenuously supported by the Duke, who also trades
largely in palm-oil.
His method of procuring slaves is worthy of
remark. He induces the Captains to deposit a
quantity of goods in his hands, which he sorts into
such portions as would form an ordinary load for a
man to carry on his head. He then sends his
agents into the country with the goods to purchase
slaves, promising the Captains their cargoes,
amounting to any given number, within a stated
time ; in the meanwhile he employs other persons
to collect in his own town and neighbourhood, and
if he is very hard pressed, (for the; Captains of
slavers are always very impatient), he obliges
his great men to furnish him with a certain number
each. This is done by sending him every indi
vidual from the neighbouring villages, who have
committed any crime or misdemeanor ; and should
he still continue unable to make up the specified
demand, they sell their own servants to him. The
Duke has profited largely by this system, for he has
several warehouses full of goods, some of which he
has had in store for years, such as wines, spirits,
liqueurs, sail-cloth, cordage, manufactured goods,
copper rods, iron bars, &c. &c.
The palm-oil he collects in small quantities from
his subjects, in the neighbourhood of the Calabar,
and other small rivers that fall into it. The Duke,

NATIVE MODE OF TRADING. 397
however, does not engross the whole trade, for the
commerce being once regularly opened, may be
carried on by any person who has property to bar
ter. Their mode of proceeding is as follows : —
Those who desire to traffic, come on board and se
lect whatever they want, making their agreement
with the captain as to what they are to bring in re
turn. If the captain knows them to be honest men,
they are allowed to take the goods away at once ;
but if they have not sufficient credit with him,
they must get the Duke, or some trustworthy per
son, to be responsible for them. I was fortunate
enough to be present during the time they were
carrying on business.
The principal part of the cargoes of the Liver
pool vessels who trade for palm-oil, is salt, of
which the natives are very fond ; but they consi
der it more a luxury, than a necessary condiment ;
the article next in estimation is rum ; after which,
they eagerly desire all descriptions of manufac
tured articles ; such as cotton cloths, especially
those printed ¦with fancy patterns; all sorts of
beads, glass or china-ware, umbrellas, hats, &c. for
which they frequently send orders on board the
vessels, written in the following style.
NOTES, (no. 1.)
" Captain Cummins Sir please Let the Bearer
have fifteen and the 13 Crew Cask to fill at Toby
Creek Duke Ephraim."

398 NOTES FROM NATIVES.
(no. 2.)
" Captain Image Sir Please Give King Eyo
Trust for 800 Crews of Oil be down for it if his no
pay I will pay Duke Ephraim."
(no. 3. j
" Dear my good friend Captain Halmaga Sir I
have send you this letter to let you know that I
send you 1 Goat and I send my Dear John to send
me that Rum you promised me yeseday and I
thank you to let me know what Hour you want
me to come down to take my Trust.
I am your Best friend
King Eyo Honesty at Old Creek Town."
(no. 4.)
" Dear friend Captain Cummins Sir I have to
thank you to send me 8 Empett Cask for to go for
Market. I remain your friend Eyo Eyo Honesty."*
(no. 5.)
" My friend Captain Commins if you please
send me that Rum I been beg you and thank you
for lettle Beef too if you got any.
Toby Tom Narrow."
(no. 6.)
" Captain R. Commings Sir I mush obliged to
you for please spear me some nails for make door
do my friend I remain Sir Tom Duke."
* Brother to King Eyo.

field for missionaries, 399
(no. 7.)
" Captain Cummins Sir I let you know but I
want to go to Market for me self in I send you
Book to give me 50 Iranba for 110 Crew Salt then
now I want 70 Crew Salt in them Bring me Book
for 40 Crew Salt again then now I thank you to
Down hose head for my 2 small hatt
I am your Humble Servant Antega Ambo."
If the Christian Missionaries were to establish
schools in the towns on the banks of these rivers,
they would be very likely to prove eminently bene
ficial to the people, who are very desirous of re-
ceiring every kind of instruction, more particularly
a knowledge of writing, which, at present, the
head men teach each other in an imperfect man
ner, of which the above notes form an example.
There is not one of them who ever read English,
or any other language in print ; and I have heard
the Duke express great regret at not being able
to read the newspapers, of the contents of which,
although he had seen many, he still remained
ignorant. Thursday, 13. — The Eden's prize (a 'Spanish
schooner taken last voyage by the African) arrived
this evening from Fernando Po, with Capt. Owen
on board, to whom Captain Smith and myself im
mediately went to pay our respects.
Friday, 14.— Captain Owen visited the Spanish

400 THE ENGLISH VIEWED WITH SUSPICION.
slave schooner, the ship Agnes, the brig Kent, and
mustered the crews ofthe two palm-oil vessels, when
he met with several volunteers for the Eden. In
the afternoon, he went on shore to see the Duke,
who received him very civilly, but suspiciously,
for, notwithstanding their great professions of
friendship for the English in general, and their
real regard for some particular indiriduals, who
are regular traders to the country, the considera
tion of the profits they derive from the slave-trade,
prompts them to feel no little annoyance at our in
terference in their lucrative commerce. They al
ready perceive that our new settlement at Fer
nando Po, is calculated to interfere with their pro
ceedings, and they have clearly expressed their
sentiments upon the subject ; not, however, with
out clothing their observations so cunningly as to
avoid giving offence.
" What for," said one, " white man come to
live in black man's country ? What for can't white
man stop in own country ? Much better for white
man, than black man's country."
Mr. Cowan, the hospital assistant at Fernando
Po, and myself, accompanied King Eyo, this even
ing, in his large canoe, up the river, to Creek
Town, a distance of twelve miles, where his Ma
jesty resides.
The town is built on the edge of a creek, a short
distance from the river. On our arrival, we found
that King Eyo had a larger wooden framed Eng-

KING eyo's ESTABLISHMENT. 401
lish house, than the King of the Old Calabar, but
not in such good repair : it was also sent from
England by Mr. Bold, of Liverpool, to the King's
father. In the largest room there was an elevated
seat, in humble imitation of a throne, where the
King sat to hear and give judgment in cases of
dispute, and other causes that required his inter
ference. He had a number of articles of English
furniture, for instance, drawers, sofas, chairs, &c.
The principal articles in glass, were a chandelier,
suspended in the centre of the room, several mir
rors, glass shades, for lamps or candles ; rummers,
wine-glasses, &c. ; but, like the Duke, his Majesty
does not sleep in his English house, preferring a
native hut, where he was surrounded by his wives
and domestics ; the latter, of course, being his slaves.
King Eyo is more moderate in his conjugal esta
blishment than the Duke, having only twenty
wives, while Duke Ephraim's number amounts to
sixty. The captain of an English vessel calling on the
Duke one day, he exclaimed, " Oh, my friend,
you come very good time, I just send away some
of my wives, that I have had to entertain me !" —
The captain replying, that he regretted he had not
come sooner, as he should have liked to see them.
The Duke answered, " Oh ! no, my friend ; you
could not; it is not Calabar fashion !" How many
were there? questioned the captain — "Oh!" re
plied the Duke, " only twenty-five !"
1 2 D

402 SAVAGE MERRIMENT.
Saturday, 15. — There was so much noise in the
town all night, that we imagined it must proceed
from drunkenness, or else some desperate ren
counter ; indeed, it was impossible to think other
wise, for they were screaming, hallooing, and
blowing cows-horns, or conchs, which produced so
horrid a din, that there was no possibility of sleep
ing, and we expected no less than that a party
would rush into the house where we were. The
uproar, however, died away towards morning, and
we learned afterwards, that it was nothing more
than the ordinary savage enjoyment of the natives.
Captain Owen arrived this morning to pay King
Eyo a visit ; he remained a couple of hours, and
then returned to Old Calabar Town.
In the afternoon, we left Creek Town, with the
King, in Tom Eyo's canoe, to return to Old Cala
bar ; we had been very hospitably entertained by
his Majesty, who gave us what is called Calabar
chop, a dish consisting of any sort of meat stewed
in palm-oil, a^id highly seasoned vrith pepper.
The idea of palm-oil may be unpleasant to an
English reader, but when it is fresh, it is not unpa
latable, and I must confess, that I greatly relished
a dish of fish and yams which was brought on
board the Kent, as a present to the captain : of
course it was cooked in their best style. I re
member, at one time, having as much preju
dice as any of my countrymen against oil ; but
when I went to France, I partook of it insensibly,

quality of fish AND WATER. 403
until I began to like it ; and, when in Italy, I fell
into the custom of using it with vegetables, as a
substitute for melted butter : fresh oil, in warm
climates, being generally preferred to butter, even
where both are to be had, which is not always the
case in southern latitudes.
There are very few good fish in the Old Cala
bar river ; the best I met with was a species of
sole, but very thin, which, I suppose, is owing to
the muddiness of the river itself, and to the exten
sive mud banks which flank the channel. The
water in- the river is also so bad as to be unfit for
use, in consequence of the quantity of decayed
animal and vegetable matter that must constantly
be mixed with it, in a climate where the progress
of putrefaction is so rapid ; however, fortunately
for the shipping, there is a good spring on the
bank ofthe river, about a mile below the town,
where it is usual to send for supplies.
King Eyo went on board the African, schooner,
and remained with Captain Smith to select goods,
equal in value to twenty bullocks.

CHAP. XII.
Captain Owen's Departure — Runaway Slave — Egbo again — Duke's
Sunday — Superstitious Abstinence — Anecdote of a Native Gen
tleman — Breaking Trade — Author's Visit to Creek Town — Bul
locks embarked — Departure from Calabar — Chased by mistake —
Dangerous Situation — Mortality at Fernando Po — ^Detection of
a Deserter — Frequency of Tornados — ^Horatio hove do-wn — Cap
ture of a Slave Vessel — Loss of Mr. Morrison — Another Slave
Vessel taken — Landing a part of the Slaves — Author's Daily
Routine — Garden of Eden — Monstrous Fish — Continued Mor
tality — Market at Longfield.
Monday, 17. — After breakfast, Captain Owen
sailed in the Victoria for Fernando Po. The Lady
Combermere also departed for the same destina
tion ; the latter vessel, being on a trading voyage
along the coast, contained a number of articles in
her freight, much required by the people at the
settlement. Soon after these vessels were out of sight, two
parties of slaves came down from the Baracoons to
wash themselves in the river ; they were chained
in pairs, the right leg of one to the left leg of an
other. Before the Victoria arrived, they were
brought down daily; but were not seen during the
time she remained, notwithstanding there were se
veral depots for slaves in the town.
Some black gentlemen came on board to-day to
barter for bullocks.

RUNAWAY SLAVE. 405
The brig James, from Liverpool, arrived this af
ternoon. About eight in the evening, a Calabar
man was brought on board from the Kent's oil-
house ; he wanted to be secreted until we sailed,
as he wished to make his escape ; for, he said, his
master wanted to cut his head off, or to make him
chop nut, i. e. to oblige him to eat a poisonous
nut, which produces speedy death, because he
had free -mason (meaning witchcraft), and that his
master had been sick ever since he had last flogged
him. Picked up floating about the harbour, the long
boat of a French slaver, that had been taken while
at anchor here, by a French man-of-war brig. —
Ther. at 1 p. m. 93°. F. in the shade.
Wednesday, 19. — We saw from the vessel to-day,
that Egbo was running about the town. A small
canoe, with a couple of the Eden's Kroomen, came
up the river this evening with a letter from the
Eden's tender, for information respecting the
Spanish slave-vessel that was expected to sail.
Thursday, 20. — Fine day, with a fresh sea breeze,
which felt quite reviving after several hot days.
Egbo again in -action to-day, having been sent from
Old Calabar to Robin's Town, a distance of three
miles, to recover a debt for the Duke.
Friday, 21. — Old Calabar being yesterday, this
was Duke's Sunday ; but neither of these holidays
were kept with the u^ual festivitiy, in consequence
of the prescribed time of the mourning for the

406 SUPERSTITIOUS ABSTINENCE.
Prince, not having yet expired. When these holi
days are observed, it is usual for the Duke to in
vite all the captains and super-cargoes of vessels
in the river, when he gives them an excellent din
ner, with plenty of palm-wine. The dinner consists,
generally, of goats, wild pigs, monkeys, fish, plain
yams, foofoo, &c. The latter dish is a prepara
tion of boiled yams, which are pounded in a mor
tar until they obtain a tenacity that will admit of
being drawn out like birdlime. While the Duke
is at dinner, or breakfast, he usually has some
foofoo before him. This he rolls in his hands into
small balls, of about two inches in diameter, be
fore he partakes of it : it is, however, but justice
to remark, that his Majesty always washes his
hands both before and after each meal.
There is a superstition, prevalent among these
people, concerning food that is forbidden, which
is pointed out to them from time to time by their
doctor, or rather by the fetish men, who are the
interpreters of his supposed will ; the doctor him
self being a mere wooden image ; one of which is
always carried about in the suite of the Duke. At
the time of our visit, the Duke was forbidden to
eat beef or fowls, consequently he never allowed
them to be put on his table. He was occasionally
permitted to eat fish, because, I presume, he was
supposed to have a fancy for it. At these times,
the Duke's attendants are forbidden to taste fish.
Although the Duke does not eat beef or fowls, he

ANECDOTE OF A BLACK GENTLEMAN. 407
occasionally orders the animals to be sacrificed as
an offering to the devil : for the Calabar people
say, that " God is a good man, and will not hurt
them ; but the devil is a bad man, and it is there
fore necessary to appease him."
The natives of this country all shave on the day
previous to Calabar Sunday ; and it is curious
enough that they all do so according to the Ma
hommedan mode, excepting when they make devils,
that is, go into mourning, at which period, they not
only omit shaving, but put on their worst clothes.
The captain of an English vessel, calling one
day on a black gentleman, with whom he was on
very friendly terms, opened the door suddenly,
without ceremony, breaking a slight fastening,
and found his friend under the hands of one of his
wives, who was performing for him the office of a
barber ; a discovery which so offended the preju
dices of the native, that he could never summon
courage after that circumstance, to look the cap
tain full in the face.
The Duke, King Eyo, and several black gen
tlemen, breakfasted, and began their trade, onboard
the James to-day. The form of breaking, trade
here is not so ceremonious as at the Bonny, being
merely done by the Duke's visit a few days after
the arrival of a vessel, when refreshments are
provided for him and his suite, after which he
selects whatever goods he wants, and the trade is
then open to all his subjects.

408 VISIT TO KING EYO.
Sunday, 23. — There were four guns fired in the
town this afternoon, the object of which was to
announce the death of a rich old lady ; as they
were not minute-guns one would suppose her
relations were rejoicing at the event which had
taken place.
Monday, 24. — This evening I accompanied
Captains McGhar, Charles, Coxenham, and Smith,
(all commanding English vessels in the river)
to visit King Eyo at Creek Town, but our visit
was rather of a different character to that which
would be paid to crowned heads in Europe; in
this instance our host was the gainer, as well as the
honoured party, for his guests came amply pro
vided with the luxuries of life, and he was only
required to furnish a few necessaries, which are also
presented to him by his subjects, or his particular
slaves. The excursion, however, procured us a
little variety, and terminated satisfactorily to all
parties, but after the novelty of a first visit has
passed away, there is little interest to be found in a
black town, the huts are all on the same plan;
and the streets rugged and narrow.
Tuesday, 25. — About noon we left Creek Town,
to return on board our respective vessels. Early in
the evening we experienced a slight touch of a
tornado, which in a few hours after was followed
by a very violent one, and a good deal of heavy
rain. Friday, 28. — We completed our cargo of bul-

DEPARTURE FROM CALABAR. 409
locks this afternoon, which we began to receive on
board the preceding day. Our whole deck was
now crowded with these animals, divided into
compartments, with bamboo and other spars, leaving
only a small space in the fore and after parts to
work the vessel. There was also a platform made
in the hold for a further number. Took leave of
our friends at Old Calabar, and dropped down
the river just belowseven fathom point, where we an
chored for the night. Had a slight tornado this
evening. Saturday, 29. — Got under weigh at day-light,
but were obliged to anchor again before noon,
both wind and tide being against us. We here
found the Haywood, Captain Burrel, at anchor ;
she was from Liverpool, bound to Old Calabar, for
palm-oil. The larger Liverpool vessels have gene
rally a small one, for a tender, to collect palm-oil,
ebony, and ivory,* at different places on the coast,
as the ships generally remain in one river until their
cargoes are complete. There was a dreadful acci
dent happened to one of these tenders. She was
boarded by a number of piratical blacks in canoes,
belonging to an island near the mouth of the
Camaroon river, when they murdered all the
trader's crew, and after plundering the vessel of
* Ebony is plenty in this country, but the high duty that is
imposed upon its importation, renders it an unprofitable article in
the English market. At Liverpool it sells for no more than £4 per
ton, the duty out of which is £2 per ton.

410 CHASED BY MISTAKE.
every thing they thought worth carrying away,
they got clear off with their booty.
At 5 in the afternoon we got under weigh, and
at 8 crossed the bar, where there was a heavy surf
and only 15 feet water, so that we and our live
stock were in some danger. Soon afterwards we
were chased, and had two shots fired at us, being
taken for a slaver escaping under cover of the
night, and when the vessel was ranging up along
side, with the intention of pouring in a heavy fire
and boarding us in the smoke, our assailants, to
their great mortification, heard the bellowing ofour
oxen, and we discovered the vessel to be the Eden's
tender, commanded by our friend Lieutenant
Badgeley, who came on board, when we enjoyed a
good laugh at his disappointment, in taking our
horned cattle for slaves. We soon parted company,
leaving him our best wishes.
Sunday, 30. — Soon after midnight the weather,
from being very calm and clear, became overcast,
and at 2 o'clock a tornado came on, which continued
with frequent, and most violent gusts of wind, rain,
thunder and lightning, till between five and six in
the morning ; our situation was not at all enviable,
as we had both the deck, and hold, crowded with
cattle. The violence and variableness of the wind
soon raised a very rough and cross sea, which fre
quently broke over us, making every thing fly from
side to side, and producing the greatest disorder.
All this time I was in a small moveable bed-place

DANGEROUS SITUATION. 411
on deck, expecting every instant that the sea would
overwhelm us, and wash me and my bed-place
overboard, for I was in no danger of being washed
out of my bed, as it required no little management
to emerge from it at pleasure. This berth of mine
was commonly called a doghouse (a box about six
feet long, four high, and two broad,) containing a
mattress fitted about 18 inches from the deck, above
which there was a sliding door and curtain, scarcely
large enough to admit an ordinary sized man. I
found it, however, much more pleasant in fine
weather than sleeping below, where the cockroaches
were so numerous that a large dishful might be
obtained in a few minutes, by putting a little treacle
in it, to serve both for bait and trap. I used to
think, that if the old story were a fact instead of a
fiction, namely, that the Chinese make Soy of these
animals, a very lucrative trade might be carried on
between them and the natives of these coasts.
Our schooner was a low, sharp, fast sailing vessel,
but in an irregular sea she was tossed about like a
cork. At daylight the weather cleared up, and
the day turned out fine with a. moderate breeze,
which died away towards noon, when being in sight
of the vessels at anchor in Maidstone Bay, Captain
Smith and I left the schooner, to pull thither in a
boat, and got on board the Eden about two in the
afternoon : we also went on board the Louisa, from
Sierra Leone.
The accounts we received of our infant settle-

412 MORTALITY AT CLARENCE.
ment were, not so favourable as we could have
desired, not with regard to the progress of opera
tions, for that was greater than could be reasonably
expected, but from the sickness that had prevailed,
and the consequent loss of several valuable lives.
Mr. Glover, the master ofthe house-carpenters, died
only the preceding evening, and it is much to be
feared that the panic which took place on the first
symptom of illness, (from a deficiency of that moral
courage which every Christian ought to possess)
proved more fatal than the disease itself. This
morning we had a most convincing illustration of
this fact. One of the stoutest and healthiest ofour
Plymouth artificers, who exhibited no previous
symptoms of illness, on hearing ofthe death of Mr.
Glover burst into a fit of crying, and exclaimed,
" Oh my wife! my children! I shall never see you
again !" From that moment he drooped, and in a
few days died from despondency.
Good Friday, April 4.— About 11 o'clock last
night, the sentinel over the provision store at New
market, observed a man lying on the ground,
tearing away the watiing off one side of the store.
On being challenged, he rose up, either to make
his escape, or to resist the sentinel, who was advan
cing with fixed bayonet. Inthe scuffle that followed,
the culprit was wounded in his left breast, notwith
standing which he succeeded in releasing himself
from the grasp of his adversary. The sentinel,
however, returned to the charge, and following

DETECTION OF A DESERTER. 413
him up closely, felled him to the earth with a blow
from the butt-end of his musket. Still, however,
the thief struggled violently, and prostrate as he
was, endeavoured to bring down his opponent by
seizing his legs : the soldier was now compelled, in
self-defence, to transfix his prisoner to the ground,
by running his bayonet through his left arm, until
the serjeant came up, who took him to the guard
house, whither he walked, notwithstanding his
severe wounds, and great loss of blood. His
appearance was that of a native, his body being
coated with red clay, and the fore part of his head
shaved, while he wore the usual ornaments, a
girdle, and armlets, of beads : but he was soon
discovered to be a soldier of the African Corps,
named Gott, who had run away four months before,
taking with him his arms, accoutrements, and
clothes. The African, schooner, sailed this 'afternoon, for
the purpose of procuring yams and live stock from
other parts of the island, our people having bought
up the whole stock of the natives in the neighbour
hood of the settlement. We found here a few
oysters on the Mangrove trees near the seashore,
within reach ofthe tide.
Saturday, 5. — The Eden's tender, Victoria,
returned from the Old Calabar this afternoon. A
heavy tornado this evening, but as it is almost a
daily occurrence, it is scarcely worth noticing.
Sunday, 6.— The Eden's tender, Horatio, with

414 SINKING OF THE HORATIO.
Captain Harrison on board, returned this after
noon from a week's trading voyage for stock
round the island. A seaman belonging to the
Eden was drowned through carelessness, in upset
ting a small boat on leaving the Horatio. The
Victoria sailed this evening, under the command
of Lieutenant Robinson, to blockade several slave-
vessels that were daily expected to sail from the
Old Calabar river.
Monday, 7 . — The armourer ofthe Eden died this
afternoon. I had been myself affected with feverish
symptoms during the last fortnight, but, although
so many persons were dying around me, I still
maintained my cheerful spirits, to which circum
stance I attribute the restoration of my health,
which was now daily improving. I mention this
solely for the sake of impressing upon others the
importance which cannot be often urged, of not
giving way to despondency in this insalubrious
climate. Thursday, 10. — The Fame, brigantine, arrived
here on her way from the Camaroon river, bound
to Liverpool wi*h palm-oil, which afforded us an
opportunity of sending letters to England : she
sailed on Saturday, on which day the Horatio
filled, and sunk in Clarence Cove while in the act
of heaving down. This event occasioned much
trouble, and it required the assistance of two vessels
to get her up again. The weather had been very

CAPTURE OF A SLAVER. 415
unsettled throughout the past week, with a tornado
during some part of each day or night.
Monday, 14. — The African sailed for the island
of Bimbia to procure as much stock and vegetables
as they could obtain. I regretted that a temporary
indisposition prevented me from going, occasioned
by a large boil in a highly irritable state, which is
very common on this coast.
Tuesday, 15. — Mr. Mercer, midshipman of the
Eden, who had sailed from hence in the Victoria,
returned to-day in charge of the Elizabeth schooner
under French colours, with upwards of 100 slaves
on board. He had taken possession of her from
the Eden's pinnace, while Lieutenant Robinson
in the Victoria, went in chase of a suspicious vessel
in another direction.
The Elizabeth was said to be from Guadaloupe,
but from the testimony of her crew, and other cir
cumstances, it appeared, that she had only got her
French captain and papers from thence, and that she
had sailed from St. Thomas's, under Spanish co
lours, where she engaged a part of her crew ; the
rest, with her Spanish captain, having previously
joined her at Porto Rico. The Spaniard, who acted
as captain in the outward bound voyage, remained
at Old Calabar, to go back in another vessel, while
he sent the Frenchman, with false papers, for the
voyage home, knowing that the Eden's tender
and boat were on the look-out for him at the mouth
of the river.

416 LOSS OF MR. MORRISON.
Wednesday, 16. — Captain Owen employed him
self in the examination of the papers and crew of
the schooner brought in by Mr. Mercer. A short
time before midnight, there was an alarm that a
man had fallen overboard : every exertion was
made to pick him up, without success. On in
quiry, the unfortunate person proved to be Mr.
Morrison, who had left England as schoolmaster
of the Eden, and who, after the death of Mr. Ab
bott, was appointed acting store-keeper to the set
tlement. For want of lodging on shore, he used
to come on board every night to sleep. Upon this
occasion, he had laid down in the hammock net
ting on the gangway, a favourite place with the
young gentlemen, as most of the ship's company,
as well as the Kroomen, and black labourers, slept
on the deck. It is supposed, that on awaking, he
intended going below, but being drowsy, he mis
took the outside for the inside rail, and fell into
the water. He struggled a very short time before
he sunk, and it was therefore thought, that he must
have struck himself against a gun, or the side of
the vessel, in his fall.
Thursday, 17. — We this day hove the Horatio
down alongside the Eden to a pinnace filled with
iron ballast : the pinnace sunk during the night in
a squall, in consequence of her iron ballast not hav
ing been taken out at sunset. Eighty-one adult
female slaves, and some female children, were
landed this afternoon from the Elizabeth.

SJ,.^Vt: ( IIILDKLN. 417
Sunday, 20. — About two o'clock in the after
noon. Lieutenant Badgeley arrived in a Brazilian
schooner, Ou Voador (The Flying-fish), which he
had taken with 230 slaves on board.
Monday, 21. — The Victoria, Lieutenant Robin
son, returned from Old Calabar to-day, without
having met with any further success. Landed this
afternoon, at the settlement, from the Voador, sixty
male slaves, with forty-two women and children,
who were to be employed, with an allowance of
sixpence per day, and their provisions.
Wednesday, 23.— Fired a royal salute from Ade
laide Island, in honour of St. George's day. The
African returned with stock from the island, of
Bimbia. Landed sixty-four sick children, of both
sexes, from the Voador, their complaints being
sore eyes, scurvy, craw-craws (Itch), &c. The
black mechanics and labourers, and their wives,
shewed the greatest anxiety to take one, two, or
more of these children under their protection, al
though they had been previously told that they
would not receive any addltloaal allowance for
their support. One woman remarked, that as she
had left her child at Sierra Leone, she wanted an
other in its place, to carry at her back ; and before
they obtained the Governor's permission for the in
dulgence of their wishes, they took the beads off
their own necks to decorate their newly-adopted
favourites. This philanthropic disposition was hap
pily not confined to people of colour, (most of
1 2e

418 PRIZES SENT TO SIERRA LEONE.
whom had fallen under the protection ofthe British
flag, from similar situations, i. e. the holds of slave-
vessels), as most of the naval, military, and civil
officers, who resided on shore, also received boys
under their protection.
Thursday, 24. — The Wanderer, transport. Lieu
tenant Young, agent, from Deptford, arrived this
afternoon, with stores for this and Ascension Island;
and in the evening, the sloop Lucy, from Sierra
Leone, with provisions for the settlement.
Friday, 25. — This afternoon, the two prizes,
Ou Voador and Elizabeth, sailed for adjudication
at Sierra Leone. The African left this evening
for Old Calabar.
Saturday, 26. — This evening the Victoria sailed
to blockade the Old Calabar river.
Monday, 28. — ^The French captain ofthe Eliza
beth, having offered his services to superintend one
of the working parties of black labourers on shore,
commenced the performance of that duty this morn
ing. The last of the two horses brought from Sierra
Leone, died to-day from a disease In the mysenteric
glands. The Munroe, an American whaling brig,
arrived this evening. Two men, who were taken
ill with fever, were ordered on board the Eden,
and there were still five of the Plymouth artificers
111 with the fever on shore ; one of whom was In a
.state of delirium. W'e hod likewise several seamen
sutiVririg from fever on board.
Wednesday, 30. — Ware, a fine boy, about four-

GARDEN OF EDEN. 419
teen years of age, whom Captain Owen had ap
pointed to attend me, was unfortunately taken ill
with fever to-day, which gave me great uneasiness.
Thursday, May 1. — Went on shore soon after
daylight, with the working parties, attended by a
new servant, and returned to breakfast. Went on
shore again before dinner, this being my accustomed
routine. I occasionally remained on shore the
whole day, and sometimes at night ; but I preferred
sleeping on the deck of the Eden, where, on the top
of the Captain's skylight, I weathered out many
a tornado. In this situation, I was tolerably pro
tected by the sloped awning from the violence of
the wind and the heavy rain, by which it is always
accompanied : but even a wetting, now and then,
would have been preferable to sleeping in a close
cabin, between decks, where, In spite of every pre
caution, the heat was Intolerable.
Saturday, 3. — We have had either a tornado, or
heavy rain, with thunder and lightning, at some
part of every twenty-four hours since I last noticed
the weather. Another of the artificers departed
this life. We had cucumbers from the Garden of
Eden for dinner.
The following Is a list of the seeds that have
been sown there by the order of Captain Owen,
who gave it its poetical appellation.
Many of them were planted in December, 1827.
Early York Cabbage. American Cabbage.
Emperor ditto. Custard Apple.

420

A DEVIL FISH.

Sour Sop.
Sierra Leone Plum.
Tomato. Orchilla Weed, from St.
Vincent's.
Do. St. Antonio.
Do. The Cape.
Do. Madeira.
Fruit Stones, from Eng
land.
Canna, or Indian Shot.
Large and small Pepper.
Balsams.
Pride of Barbadoes.
Madeira Broom.
Rose Apple.
Dahlia.

Sunflower.
Four o'clock.
St. Jago Lilac.
Marigold.
Malta Turnip.
Spanish Onion.
Kidney Bean.
Lettuce. Mustard and Cress.
American Cress.
Leek. Cucumber.Pumpkin.
Lime. Lemon.
Orange.
Cocoa-nut.

Sunday, 4. — The American brig, Munroe, whaler,
sailed to-day, on her return to her fishing ground.
Monday, 5. — The African, schooner, arrived
from Old Calabar, with a cargo of bullocks,
seventy-six in number ; also a small cutter from
Sierra Leone, with rice, &c. for the settlement.
Tuesday, 6. — Captain Hurst, of the Wanderer,
towed a very large fish on shore, and hauled It up
on the beach for examination, the mate of that
ship, after some difficulty, having killed It with
a harpoon. The sailors called it a Devil Fish, be
cause, perhaps, they had never seen one so ugly, or
so large of its kind before. They endeavoured to de-

MORTALITY AMONG THE BULLOCKS. 421
scribe It to me, as I was too late to examine It my
self; many of our black labourers having carried
away pieces of it Immediately after it was brought
to land. The head was formed like the concave
of a crescent, with an eye near the end of each
point, and a small orifice just behind each eye,
like an ear. In breadth, it measured fourteen feet
and a half, that is, from the extremities of the fins,
or flaps, which resembled those of a skate ; in
length, seven feet in the body, and six feet in the
tail. A very pretty young native girl, about fifteen
years of age, took refuge In our settlement this af
ternoon, and placed herself under the care of a fine
strapping young Krooman, servant to Capt. Smith,
of the African.
Wednesday, 7. — Forster, the marine, who was
superintending a party on shore, was sent on board
in a high fever to-day ; and Thomas Welling, an
other of our Plymouth artificers, died this morn
ing. We also found that our bullocks began to
die very fast, without our being able to discover
the immediate cause.
My poor servant lad has continued in a high
fever ever since he was first taken ; and this even
ing, about nine o'clock, his respiration became
very low and quick (the rattles), and for a full hour
no hope was entertained ; but, at the end of that
time, the alarming symptoms subsided ; his respi
ration became more easy and natural, and after a

422 REMARKABLE DESPONDENCY.
composing sleep of several hours, he awoke with
every prospect of recovery.
Saturday, 10. — The Lucy, cutter, sailed this
afternoon to procure stock from the opposite coast.
Monday, 12. — Forster, the marine, died last
night, after five days illness ; and, although the
sailmaker was called to sew him up in his ham
mock before he was quite cold, the work of decom
position had already commenced, and the corpse
was so offensive, that he had much difficulty In
completing his object. This was a case of remark
able despondency. He entertained an opinion,
from the moment he was attacked, that his illness
Avould terminate fatally, and it was impossible to
inspire him with the least hope ; a state of mind
which certainly tended greatly to the accomplish
ment of his prophec3^
The Victoria returned from Old Calabar to-day.
Tuesday, 13. — In the middle of the night, a
heavy tornado came on ; after which it continued
to blow very hard from the eastward till noon,
when the wind died away to a light breeze, and
we had a very fine afternoon. In the evening, the
Horatio sailed for Old Calabar.
Wednesday, 14. — A tornado in the middle ofthe
night. Friday, 16. — A market opened to-day at Long-
field, where our people were allowed to purchase
what they pleased from the natives, paying a small
duty for this privilege to the Colonial Govern-

IMPOST ON PROVISIONS. 423
ment. Hitherto an officer had been appointed to
make the purchases, and distribute the articles,
gratis, to the establishment. The following were
the rates of the Impost : —
For every Gallon of Palm-Wine,
Ditto Ditto of Oil
100 Yams ....
Fowl 
Sheep, or Goat ....
Kid, or Lamb ....
For my own part, I cannot perceive the policy
of imposing duties upon such trifling articles, the
whole of which would amount to a very inconsi
derable sum, when collected, and it had the bad
effect of rendering the people dissatisfied : God
knows, there were sufficient privations for those
living in this Infant colony, without Imposing duties
upon the few additional comforts of life, that were
so scantily supplied by the inhabitants.

s.

d.

0

8

0

2

2

0

0

li

2

0

0

9

CHAP. XIII.
Scarcity of Provisions in Fernando Po— Diet of the Natives — Their
Timidity — Its probable Cause — The Recovery of a Liberated
African Deserter — Departure from Fernando Po — Reflections on
the Uses of the Settlement — Causes of Failure — Insalubrity of the
Climate — Probabilities of Improvement — Arrival off the mouth
of the Camaroon River^ — Chase of a Brigantine — Her Capture —
Her suspicious Appearance — Slave Accommodations — Pirates of
the North Atlantic Ocean — Prince's Island — Visit to the Go
vernor—Drunken Frolic of a Marine — Provisions — Delicious
Coffee — Account of the Town — Population — Varieties of Colour
in the Inhabitants — West-bay — Inhospitality of the Governor and
Ivlerchants — Visit to a Brazilian Brigantine — Difficulty of obtain
ing a Passage to Angola — Departure of the Emprendadora —
The Eden leaves Prince's Island — -Crossing the Equinoctial Line —
Dolphin and Flying-fish — Trade- winds — Ascension Island at
Daybreak— Landing^ — Description of the SettlemeSt — Turtle —
Goats' Flesh — Abundant Poultry — Island Game — ^ Aboriginal
Foes — Unfaithful Friends — Gladiatorial Sports — Privileges of
Settlers — Traffic — Roads — Water — Culture of Soil — ^Produce —
Vegetables — Live Stock — Population — Employments — Hours
of Labour — Recreations — Departure from the Island — Recollec
tions of Ascension on a former Voyage — Dampier, the Navigator
— The Variables — An Affidavit on Crossing the Line — Change of
Weather^ — Dutch Galliot — ^ Passage for the Brazils — Partin? of
Friends.
Saturday, May 17, 1828. — jNIr. Craig, whohad
come from Sierra Leone to set up a store, went Into
the country with a native chief this afternoon, for
thp purpose of procuring palm-oil. lie returned.

SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS. 425
however, the next evening, very much fatigued
and disappointed ; for he not only found the jour
ney very harassing, in consequence of the badness
of the paths, but discovered that his mercantile
project was fruitless, owing to the poverty of the
natives. Indeed, the people of Fernando Po are
less abundantly supplied with provisions than the
nations of Africa In general ; their principal de-
pendance being on yams, which are, of course,
liable to occasional failure. They have very little
live stock of any kind, and the chiefs alone appear
to indulge in the luxury of animal food. It Is only
on particular occasions, however, that they treat
themselves to a goat, or sheep, as they are princi
pally confined to fowls. That they are not plenti
fully supplied with fish, is owing solely to their own
negligence, as there are abundance to be had by
those who take the trouble of tolling for them ; but
for many days together, not a canoe was to be seen.
It is difficult to ascertain the cause of this strange
indifference ; it may be that they are afraid to ven
ture out to sea, and this is not unlikely, as they ap
peared, on our first arrival, to entertain much ap
prehension at the sight of a strange vessel on their
coast ; but, as they became accustomed to our
presence, and began to entertain a feeling of con
fidence and protection in our friendship, this diffi
dence gradually wore off. It cannot be doubted,
that their Island has often been visited by vessels en
gaged in the slave-trade, as well as by men-of-war.

426 INVASION OF FERNANDO PO.
A circumstance occurred a few years ago, which
proves that they are not without hostile visitors ;
and which, in some measure, justifies the suspi
cions with which they regard all strangers. In
the year 1820, or 1821, a Spanish vessel came
over from the Camaroon river to this island, ac
companied by King Aqua, with a number of war
canoes, for the purpose of decoying the natives,
or. In the event of failing in their artifice, to adopt
hostile measures, with the ultimate view of seizing
upon all they could capture, and selling them for
slaves. They accordingly landed well armed, but
met with a stout resistance, which proved, how
ever, unavailing, the invaders succeeding in mak
ing about 150 prisoners, whom they carried off to
the West Indies, and killing as many more In the
skirmish. It Is supposed that King Aqua received
very little reward for his services on the occasion,
or for the loss his subjects sustained in the fight.
This anecdote was related to me by Captain Cum
ings, of the Kent, who was trading on the oppo
site coast for palm-oil, at the time it occurred.
Thursday, 22. — The Horatio, schooner (Eden's
tender), arrived this afternoon with only her fore
mast standing, having lost her mainmast in a tor
nado. Mr. Craig has just opened his general store,
which, with Captain Smith's, forms the second
mercantile establishment in this infant settlement.
Friday, 23. — Mr. Adamson, the assistant-sur
geon of the Eden, who had the charge of the hos-

DESERTION OF LIBERATED SLAVES. 427
pital, as well as of the mechanics and labourers of
the settlement, and who had resided on shore for
the purpose of giving them his constant attendance,
was sent on board the Eden to-day, in consequence
of an attack of fever, which lasted five days.
Thursday, 29. — The weather has continued un
settled; sometimes clear and hot; sometimes cloudy
and close; -with alternate rain and cold. We fired
a royal salute to-day oij Adelaide Island, in com
memoration of the Restoration.
Friday, 30. — One ofthe liberated Africans from
the Voador, was brought in this morning by one of
our black masons, having been absent, with three
of his companions, ever since he was landed. We
learned, that he, and his party, had lived in the
bush by day, emerging at night to steal yams, and
proceed on their journey, until, after an absence '
of four weeks, being at some distance up the moun
tain, they were fiercely attacked by the natives
with spears, and stones thrown from slings. In
this rencontre, one of them was killed, and another
taken prisoner ; while he, and his remaining com
panion, effected their escape, by taking different
directions : they never. It appeared, met after
wards. From this circumstance, it is evident that
the islanders are unwilling to give shelter to run
aways ; an occurrence by no means unsatisfactory,
as the newly liberated Africans desert very fre
quently, and sometimes in small troops, so many
as nine having been known to go away together.

428 VISIT OF TRADERS TO THE ISLAND.
Saturday, 31. — Captain Harrison, the superln^
tendant of works, who had, up to this time, been
living on board the Eden, gave a dinner to Cap
tain Owen and a select party, at his new residence
on shore to-day, to which I had the pleasure of be
ing invited ; but, alas ! like most of those who ac
companied the first part of the expedition to this
settlement, his services have since terminated with
his life.
The master of the ship Agnes, of Liverpool, trad
ing for palm-oil, in the Old Calabar river, arrived
in his long-boat this afternoon, for the purpose of
obtaining men from Captain Owen, to navigate the
Agnes to England, part of his crew having previ
ously entered for and joined H. M. S. Eden.
Sunday, June 1 . — There has been scarcely a day
during the last fortnight, that some vessel has not
arrived at, or left the settlement, and one or more
been seen In the offing ; in fact, the little colony ap
pears to become extensively known already, and it
Is expected that the large palm-oil vessels will find
it more to their advantage to anchor in Maidstone
Bay, and carry on their trade with their tenders
only, than to take their vessels up the river, where
the long period occupied In procuring their car
goes, affords time for the men to imbibe the pesti
lential disorders of the climate, frequently occa
sioning the sacrifice of many lives.
Tuesday, 3. — The day at last arrived on which I
was to quit Fernando Po. Captain Owen, finding

DEPARTURE FROM FERNANDO PO. 429
his crew much reduced in numbers from sickness,
which appeared unlikely to diminish, and fearing
also, that his operations would be retarded for the
want of stores, determined to make a visit to Sierra
Leone ; by this step, hoping to re-establish the
health of his men, and to procure the necessaries
of which the Colony stood in need. Accordingly,
making the requisite arrangements on the esta
blishment, and committing it entirely to the charge
of Captain Harrison, he got under weigh in the
afternoon, when we made sail out of Maidstone
Bay, and stood for the opposite coast, with the
Agnes' long-boat In tow.
On looking back at this Incipient colony, and ,
reflecting upon the probabilities of its future des
tiny, a few thoughts arise, which this appears to be
the proper place for inserting.
The formation of a new settlement amongst an
unci-rilized people must always be an event of
interest, whether we regard it in a political or
moral point of view, as extending the power of the
parent nation, or spreading the advantages of Im
provement In regions hitherto sunk in the dark
ness of barbaric ignorance. The objects proposed
by the British Government in establishing a colony
at Fernando Po appear to have been three-fold,
and not less connected with political than moral
results. First, to create facilities for promoting our com
mercial relations with the districts of tropical Africa,

430 USES OF THE COLONY.
In which many valuable necessaries and costly
luxuries are produced.
Second, to assist in carrying into effect the wise
and benevolent regulations adopted by our Govern
ment for the suppression of the slave-trade, which
has been so long the scourge and disgrace of our
fellow men in this portion ofthe globe.
Third, to increase the means of advancing the
civilization of central Africa.
The determination to endeavour to carry these
leading objects into full effect, is sufficiently evi
denced in the perseverance with which our Govern
ment has established the British name on the
African Coast, in our different settlements at Sierra
Leone, Cape Coast Castle, and other places. We
have made as yet but slight progress towards the
completion of designs so comprehensive In their
purpose, we must look for the causes in impedi
ments which time alone can conquer, and not In
any lack of zeal on the part of those who were
appointed to execute the plans of the Government.
If firm resolution, meritorious conduct, and inde
fatigable diligence could have mastered the difii-
cultles which meet the English residents on this
insalubrious shore, the ends which it was desirable
to attain must have been speedily accomplished :
but unfortunately the laws of nature and the force
of habit oppose us at the very threshold of our
proceedings, and seem almost to render our labour
a work of despair.

INSALUBRITY OF THE CLIMATE. 431
All our attempts to penetrate into Africa, to
establish a friendly intercourse with the people,
and to abolish the traffic in human life are repelled,
and frequently rendered abortive, by the fatal
influence ofthe climate, and the obstinate resistance
of the natives to our projects of liberty, which they
oppose because they derive a lucrative source of
income from the slave-trade, while habit has
made them insensible to its ignominies and miseries.
This opposition to our progress would be of no
moment, if the barbarous notions of the people
were not favoured by the repulsive nature of the
climate, which is even more pernicious than we
originally believed when we ventured to form a
British settlement within its range. It Is so unpro
pitious to European life that the pestilential breath
of death may be said to lurk in every calm, and to
be wafted in every gale.
It has been supposed, and not without reason,
that much of the insalubrity of the climate may
be referred to local causes, and that If the soil could
be completely cleared and drained, the operations
ofthe air in the redeemed space would expel, or
reduce, the baneful influences that at present pro
duce such extensive mortality. But this would be
a labour demanding almost an Incalculable and
indefinite period of time, and which the difficulty
of procuring sufficient manual power must always
render nearly impossible, to any great extent.
Hitherto, the situation and prospects of the

432 MORTALITY AMONG THE SEAMEN.
settlement of Fernando Po have been discouraging,
in consequence of the disease having been more
universal in its ravages than we had anticipated.
But it must not, therefore, be supposed that the
place is more unhealthy than other parts on the
coast, or even that the deaths which occurred,
during the period to which I more particularly
allude, were occasioned by the insalubrity of the
situation. When the crew of the Eden suffered so
much from fever. It broke out on board of that
vessel while she was at Sierra Leone, and several
of the officers and men died before she returned to
Fernando Po : the mortality that ensued was in a
great measure caused by the contagion which the
infected sailors spread at the settlement. Several
vessels also arrived before I left the Colony -with
Invalids on board, but the deaths that took place
in their number, certainly ought not to be intro
duced into the argument against the insalubrity of
the island.
That Fernando Po must always be liable to
considerable atmospheric changes, and become, at
particular seasons, very unhealthy, there cannot be
a doubt : but that Is invariably the case in all low
situations within the tropics, on the west coast of
Africa, where the decomposition of animal and
vegetable matter is so rapid In Its progress. But
the insular situation of Fernando Po, with Its many
local advantages and peculiarities, may ultimately
have the effect of diminishing the ^'Toductlon of

CAMAROON RIVER. 433
miasmata, or at least of correcting their deleterious
qualities, and preventing such immense and dan
gerous accumulations, as have on the adjacent con
tinent produced so great -a loss of European life.
Wednesday, 4. — At daylight we cast . off the
Agnes' long-boat, leaving her to prosecute her
voyage up the Calabar to her own ship, while ive
stood to the eastward.
Thursday, 5. — Unsettled weather. In the after
noon we anchored off" the mouth of the Camaroon
river, where Lieutenant Badgeley and Mr. Wood
went. In separate boats, to examine the river, for
slave-vessels. Saturday, 7. — Soon after daylight this morning
our boats returned, reporting that there was a
Brazilian brig, at anchor, some distance up the
Cam-aroon river, waiting for a cargo of slaves ; and
a Brazilian schooner at the Island of Bimbia, near
the entrance of the river, on the same service. At
noon we got under weigh, and .stood to the south
ward. Wednesday, 11.— Lat. 2°. 4'. n. Wind from
s. s.w. to W.S.W. Tacked and sounded occasionally,
working up to Prince's Island, and also In chase of
a brigantine. Thursday, 12.— At 10 in the forenoon we tacked
to the southward in hopes of falling in with the
brigantine, which we supposed had stood toward
the land in the night, and at noon our expectations
were realized : v\'e also saw her In a more favourable
1 2 F

434 CAPTURE OF A BRIGANTINE.
point for pursuit, she being a little under our lee.
Finding that she could not escape us, she put a
good face on the matter, and continued to stand
towards us. Between one and two o'clock we sent
a boat's-crew on board to examine her. She proved
to be the Emprendadora, a Spanish brigantine from
the Havannah, well armed, mounting one long
elghteen-pounder on a swivel, and four 12 lb. car
ronades, and having thirty-two persons on board.
Her outfit and general appearance were extremely
suspicious, for she had not only a slave-deck, -with
irons, &c., but also two slaves, secreted in the fore-
hold, from whom we learnt that they had been stolen
from Po-Po, near Wydah. She had also a quantity
of merchandise on board, without having any Cus
tom-house certificate of clearance from the Havan
nah, or indeed any other account of it, which circum
stances led us to believe that it had been plundered
from some American vessel. It was evident that
she had been along the Gold Coast, and round the
Bights of Benin and Biafra. The Captain stated
that he was going to Prince's Island to procure
anchors, having only one remaining, and that one,
with but a single fluke to it. We afterwards learnt
from the crew that he had endeavoured to enter the
river Lagos, but had been fired on and forced to
retire, by several Brazilian vessels lying there at
the time. We conjectured that she had left the
West Indie?, on a pretence of going to the coast of
Africa, upon a slaving voyage, without any cargo,

PIRATES OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC. 435
except perhaps a small quantity of specie, in dollars
and gold, but carrying an effiiclent crew, composed
of persons from various nations, and a good stock
of provisions. Vessels, thus equipped, frequently
traverse these seas, and being generally very fast
sailers, they contrive to keep away from ships
better armed than themselves, and to board only
those that they can approach, or run away from, at
convenience ; when convinced that they are not
likely to encounter any resistance, they plunder
such vessels at their pleasure : but should they
arrive on the coast of Africa, without having suc
ceeded in obtaining plunder on their voyage to
enable them to purchase slaves, they entrap und
steal such negroes as they can get into their po-vv^er,
and then return to the West Indies to dispose of
their slave cargo. This is the general character of
these pirates, that are occasionally met in different
parts of the North Atlantic Ocean, and also about
the equinoctial line. I have heard numerous
instances of vessels, from Europe, bound to these
latitudes, meeting on their voyages with one or more
of such vessels. Prison ships -g-oing to New South
Waks have been followed by tbem ,* and scru
tinized with spy glasses from their decks : but they
have n-ever yet ventured to attadk a prlson-^ship,
the sight of soldiers being quite enough to. deter
them from any hostile attempt. Indeed, I believe
t^ie hest plan in meeting thes;e marauders is, : to
assume as bold an air, and ma.'ke as. much show of

436 prince's island.
resistance as possible. KnoAvIng the character of
these craft. Captain Owen thought it right to detain
the brigantine, and therefore sent Lieut. Robinson,
Mr. Wood, midshipman, and twenty-two men, to
take her into Sierra Leone, for adjudication. In
the evening we parted company, but expected to
find her at our rendezvous In Prince's Island.
Saturday, 14. — At daylight saw Prince's Island,
towards which we continued to make our course.
At eight came to anchor in Port Antonio, where
we found Lieutenant Robinson with the captured
brigantine, and' also the Vengeance, a Brazlhan
brigantine on a slaving voyage, which had put In
for Cassada root, or Mandioc, upon which these
people principally feed their slaves. After break
fast I accompanied Captain Owen on shore to wait
on the Governor, who received us very politely, and
introduced us to his lady and family. On leaving
the Government House, we proceeded to that of
Mr. Ferraro, who was said to be the richest and
only respectable merchant here, but he had gone
into the country ; we therefore walked about the
town until our curiosity was satisfied. There were
no inns In the place, only some public houses,
where nothing could be got but spirits, and inferior
wines. The sailors, however, considered it a very
civilized place, because it afforded thera the means
of getting most agreeably drunk, a feat which they
could not accomplish at Fern-audo Po. Captain
Owen having allowed some of his men to go on

PRODUCTIONS. 437
shore for amusement, one of the marines contrived
to get into a drunken frolic, and was so troublesome,
that it puzzled the whole guard of black soldiers to
secure him. I regret to remark that in many foreign
places, the people intentionally lead our sailors into
disputes, merely to obtain a fee for releasing them.
Sunday, 15.^ — After divine service, I accompa
nied Captain Owen in a walk to a negro village,
about two or three miles distant, and to which
there was no distinct road, but merely a rough Ir
regular path. There was little of interest to be
seen there, and scarcely any refreshment to be pro
cured ; the blacks brought us a few young cocoa-
nuts, of which we drank the milk. The only fruits
to be had on the island, were pine-apples, plan
tains, bananas, lemons, limes, and a few more com
mon kinds, all of which the blacks brought to the
ship in their own boats ; as also vegetables, namely,
pumpkins, onions, cucumbers, tomatos, &c. The
oranges do not come into season until September.
The principal plantations were mandioc and coffee,
and there was also a small quantity of cocoa ; the
coffee is rather celebrated for its flavour and qua
lity. The prices vary a good deal, but we found
the average from eight to twelve pounds for a dol
lar. The natives both roast, and sell, their coffee
with a pellicle over the berry, and I should Ima
gine it is to this circumstance that its singaiariy de
licious flavour may be attributed. We found the
place very gay, it being the festival of St. Antonio,

438 INHOSPITALITY OF PORTUGUESE.
the patron saint, which, considering it is a Portu
guese town, aad situated in such a demi-civilized
part of the world, may be called rather a neat one.
It contained about twelve hundred houses, and
seven churches, most of these, however, were in a
miserable state. There were not more than fifty
Europeans on the island, the whole population of
which does not exceed four thousand. The prin
cipal paft of these were negroes, who, of course,
were slaves,* and the remainder were of^differeat
shades from black to white. This island has still
the character of slave-dealing, in a small way, with
some of the African nations. One of the genlk'
men of the Eden, fode across the island to West-
bay, about six miles distant, but the road was a
mere footpath, and scarcely entitled to be consi
dered a bridle-road. West-bay is where our men-
of-war, on the African station, gx3nerally anchor to
pf ocure watef. It is a place of no consequence, in
a mercantile point of view, as it consists merely of
a &mali negro village. We heaird that the great
merchant, Mr. Ferraro, had been at his house in
town to-day, but he left it again without having
shewn the courtesy to return Captain Owen's Aisit;
perhaps, he feared that such an effort of politeness
might lead to a demand upon his hospitality, a
virtue for which the Portuguese are not very re
markable, especially In their intercourse with Eng-
-* There arc a good many runaway slaves living at the south end
of the island, quite independent of all the Portuguese aitthotities.

VISIT A BRAZILIAN SLAVER. 439
lishmen ; in this respect, the Governor was no less
a niggard of his attentions than the rest of his coun-
ti-ymen, giving no invitation either to Capt. Owen
or any of his officers, whose ceremonious visit cost
him, no doubt, infinite annoyance, as, upon that
occasion, his Excellency was obliged to appear
clean shaA ed, and in his full uniform, a laborious
sacrifice to cleanliness and grandeur, at the expense
of his accustomed habits of luxurious indolence
and personal ease.
We found the latitude of Port Antonio, by a good
observation with stars, to be 1°. 38'. n. while, in
most books on navigation, it is laid down in 1".
27'. N.
Monday^ 16. — Visited the Brazilian brigantine
(Vengean<^), with Signor Begaro, who was sailing-
master oflthe Voador, slave-schooner, taken by
Lieutenan.| Badgeley, in the Eden's boat, in com
pany witl^he African, schooner. This gentleman
had preva^d on his countrymen to accommodate
him on bo^d, for a passage to the Brazils, how
ever, they haS^ first to procure. their cai^o of slaves;
and told us, tliat they were going southward of the
line for them, bftt we thought, if that wefB-fche case,
they would not have come to the northward of the
line, merely to get provisions.* From this circum-
* It should be explained, that these vessels are permitted to trade
for slaves to the southward of the line ; but are liable to capture, if
found to the northward of the line with slaves on board. However,
they frequently expose themselves to the risk, iu a desperate spirit of
speculation.

440 author's ALTERNATIVE.
stance, we suspected it to be their intention to go
to the Camaroon, or some other river in that di
rection, where slaves are not above one-third ofthe
price that they are to the south of the line, and
where children (which they always prefer to adults)
are also more easily procured. Could I have
believed their assurance that they were southward
bound, I should have endeavoured to have raade
arrangements with the captain to take me with
him, being anxious to get to St. Paul de Loando,
for the purpose of visiting different parts of Angola,
and in which view I had prepared myself with a
letter of introduction to the Viceroy of that coun
try, from a distinguished person in England : but
although I had been about seven months at Fer
nando Po, and other parts of the Bight of Biafra, I
had never met with an opportunity for proceeding
to Angola ; I was therefore obliged to leave that
place out of my plan, and to make the Brazils the
next point in my route : with this intention I
thought it most -desirable to return to Sierra Leone
with Captain Owen, where I might meet with a
captured slave-vessel, that had been bought up by
the agents, to be sent to some part of the Brazils,
from whence there would be no difficulty in my
ultimately reaching Rio de Janeiro.
Captain Owen had a Portuguese Abbe, Signer
Begaro, and some of his officers, to dine with him
to-day. Tuesday, 17 — As it was Captain Owen's inten-

CROSS THE EQUINOCTIAL LINE. 441
tion to visit Ascension before he went to Sierra
Leone, we parted coinpany with the Emprenda
dora, desiring Lieutenant Robinson to make the
best of his way to the latter place ; she accordingly
sailed this morning at daylight, passing round to
leeward of the island, while we followed soon after,
with the intention of working to windward.
Wednesday, 18. — We had a fine fresh breeze,
veering between s. and s.w., and kept our course to
the westward. Lat. 1°. 0'. n. On getting into the
open sea, we found the weather much colder than
it was at Fernando Po, notwithstanding we were
3°. nearer the equinoctial line, than at the former
place, while the thermometer for the last twenty-
four hours, has only ranged from 74°. to 78°. F.
Indeed, it is very ' commonly remarked, that the
poor slaves brought from the Bights of Benin and
Biafra, for the Brazils, suffer dreadfully from the
cold, when they get into the open sea, and ap
proach the line.
Thursday, 19. — There was a fine southerly breeze
to-day, and we crossed the equinoctial line this fore
noon, without observing the usual custom of shav
ing, having gone through that ceremony on passing
the tropic, before we arrived at Sierra Leone, not
expecting, at that time, the Eden would have oc
casion to cross the equinoctial line. Latitude, at
noon, 0° 6'. s. steering w. by s. with the wind
south. There have been numberless flying-fish,
with a few bonetas and dolphins sporting round

442 TRADE-WINDS.
the ship at times, to-day; men-of-war are not very
successful in taking these fish, but in a low, dull
sailing merchant-vessel, it is otherwise, particulariy
if she is not coppered, and has been some time in a
warm climate, I consider the dolphin and flying-
fish to be exceedingly palatable food, but the boneta
is strongly flavoured, and very close grained, ap
proaching to the solidity of animal flesh.
Sunday, 21. — Latitude, at noon, 28°. 19'. s. Still
a fresh trade-wind, but as we advanced from the
Bight of Biafra into the Soutliern Atlantic Ocean,
increasing our distance, at the same time, from the
continent of Africa, we found the wind gradually
drawing from the westward of south, to the east
ward of south, until it arrived at that point (s.e.),
which is the prevailing trade-wind of the Southern
Atlantic, from the equinoctial line to about the
28th degree of south latitude, varying a few de
grees from these extremes, according to the sea
son of the year. Being now in the regular trade-
wind, I shall not think it necessary to trouble my
readers with any further remarks on the common
routine ofthe duties of a ship, until we come within
sight of Ascension, Whose rocky shores to the glad sailor's eye
Reflect the gleams of morning.
Having run for this little island in the middle
of the ocean, during the night, we saw it imme
diately on the break of day, of Wednesday, 25tk,
within a naile of the computed distance, viz. three

ASCENSION ISLAND. 443
or four leagues. At eight, we anchored in n. w.
Bay, in eleven fathoms water, about half a mile
from the landing-place, when the Governor, Lieut. -
Colonel Nichols, came on board ; and after break
fast. Captain Owen and myself accompanied him
on shore, in the gig. We landed with facility,
there being very little surf, and some marines
ready to run the boat upon the beach the moment
she touched the ground. The officers of the esta
blishment were prepared to receive us, and we
were introduced to them individually. We first
visited the mess-room, which, with some apart
ments attached to It for the officers' quarters, is one
of three buildings that are distinct from the gene
ral establishment, called Regent Square. The se
cond building is a store-house, containing provi
sions for the African squadron, as well as the per
sons employed on the island ; and the third, a
house that was built for the Governor, but which
Colonel Nichols allows Lieutenant Stairwell to re
side in, he being a married man, with a family of
five children. One part of Regent Square is com
posed of the barracks for the marines, and the
other for the liberated Africans that are employed
on the island. All these buildings are of stone,
which is the cheapest material that can be pro
cured. The coral that is found on the beach,
makes excellent lime, and enhances the utility of
the quarries. It is fortunate that the island con
tains these resources, as it is entirely destitute of

444 TURTLE AND GOATS.
brick and timber. There was a tank of consider
able size in progress, not far from the establish
ment; close to the landing-place there was a large
pond of salt water for keeping the turtle which
are taken during the season, for supplies to the
shipping, &c. ; there were about eighty turtles In
it, at the time of our arrival.
Colonel Nichols, Captain Owen, and myself,
dined with Mr. and Mrs. Stanwell, where, among
other things, we had a large loin of wether goat,
which, in my opinion, was equal to the finest mutton ;
indeed, had it been called mutton, I should not have
known the difference, it was so fat and highly
flavoured. There are about six hundred goats on
the islaiid, who are allowed to wander in herds,
browsing on the sides of the hills, and feeding on
whatever herbage they can procure in the valleys.
In this way, no doubt, they pick up many aromatic
herbs,* which give a peculiarly fine flavour to the
meat ; but the flesh of goats, is not the only de
scription of fresh provisions on the island. • Those
who reside here, are much better provided, in
this particular, than people in England imagine,
for there is a moderate supply of cattle and sheep,
for general consumption, while most individuals
have tlieir own private stock of domestic poultry.
Turkeys and fowls thrive well here ; but geese and
ducks, very indifterently, from the want of fresh
* Wild parsley is very abundant in the valleys, besides chickiveed,
thistles, wild mint, and other herbs.

ISLAND GAME. 445
streams and pools, so necessary to their nature, in
consequence of which they lay their eggs, but do
not produce young. They have also a few goats,
and abundance of guinea fowls,* in a wild state,
which. In flavour, greatly surpass those that have
been domesticated ; and some of the domestic
poultry of the gallinaceous tribe, that have re
turned to their aboriginal state. These three spe
cies of Ascension game, with the hunting of wild
cats, occasionally afford no little amusement to the
officers of the establishment. A number of cats
were originally introduced, in their tame state, to
destroy the rats, which, at one period, overran the
island , but, after routing the rats, the cats, like
the Saxons of old, finding themselves masters of
the soil, became greater usurpers than the foes
whom they had been called in to vanquish. These
treacherous animals, and most unworthy allies,
discovering that they could sustain themselves in
freedom, without the aid of the biped population,
fled iuto the least inhabited parts of the island,
where they lived most royally upon young guinea
fowl, and other wild poultry ; regaling themselves
occasionally upon eggs, or such other dainties as
fell in the way of their most destructive claws. So
numerous had this band of quadruped freebooters
become, at the time of our visit, that the inha
bitant^ had been compelled to call in the assistance
of a number of dogs,t for the purpose of putting
* The guinea fowl feed principally on crickets and chickweed.
¦j- Bull terriers.

446 TURTLE SEASON,
them to flight ; and the gentlemen sportsmen of
the island declare, that a battle between these bel
ligerent powers, and natural enemies, presents a
scene of unusual excitement and interest to the
lovers of animal gladiatorship.
The sale of spirits is prohibited on the island,
but each man may purchase one pint of brown
stout per diem. Butter, cheese, and other httle
comforts, were to be procured from a stock that
had been sent out by dealers in England ; having
it Is said, ten per cent, profit on their exportation,
and two per cent, to the corporal who took charge
of its disposal. It had no freightage to pay, as the
owners were allowed the privilege of sending it out
in a transport, which annually brings stores to the
island ; and, I was informed, that the British Go
vernment allowed the Governor to exchange turtle
with any vessel for such necessaries, or temperate
luxuries, that may be required bythe establishment.
The turtle season here, is considered to be the
interval between Christmas and Midsummer-day,
during which time parties are stationed almost
every night on each of the beaches,* where the
turtle are known to land, for the purpose of depo
siting their eggs ; upon these occasions, they turn
as many as are likely to be required for the use of
the establishment, until the followinar season, and
* It is observed, a short time previous to the turtle season, that
the sand rises on shore, near the beach, considerably higher than at
other times.

VISIT TO COLONEL NICHOLS. 447
also for the shipping that may call for them ; these
are kept in the pond, to be taken out at pleasure :
two pounds of turtle is allowed as a substitute for
one pound of ordinary meat.* The Wide-awakes,
or Kitty-wakes, t as sailors call them, are also very
numerous, both on the rocks and plains, in the
laying and breeding season : and, consequently,
an immense number of eggs are deposited, which
are much used by the persons on the island.
We returned on board for the night, to avoid
putting the officers to an inconvenience for our
accommodation .
Thursday, 26. — We went on shore to breakfast,
landing in a smaller boat to-day than yesterday,
namely, a four-oared gig instead of a larger one
with six, and yet we landed with more ease. About
eleven o'clock, I accompanied Colonel Nichols and
Captain Owen on horseback to visit the Colonel's
residence on Green Mountain, distant about six
miles from Regent Square. The roads have been
made with a great deal of labour under the direction
of the Colonel, and considering circumstances, there
is no little credit due to that officer for his inde
fatigable exertions, and perseverance in accom
plishing what would, to ordinary minds, have ap
peared impracticable. When about four miles from
Regent Square we arrived at Dampier's Spring,
* The turtle, generally, weigh about 400 lbs. ; and, sometimes,
as much as 700 lbs. \ A small species of gull.

448 dampier's spring.
a stream of water that might pass through an
ordinary sized goose quill, and if allowed to spread
over the surface of the ground in some climates,
would evaporate as quickly as it flowed, but here,
conducted Into a cask, it affords no inconsiderable
portion of the supply at Regent's Square. It is sent
down in barrels on the backs of asses, or mules, and
served out by measure, according to the quantity
procured. There were a few habitations near
this spring, cut out of the solid rock, for the resi
dence of soldiers who were stationed here, with
their wives and families. From Dampier's Spring
we continued to ascend about two miles further,
when we arrived at the Colonel's dwelling (which
consisted merely of a ground floor), from whence
all sterility ceases, the space between it andthe top
of the mountain being covered with a fine rich
mould, partly cultivated with sweet potatoes, and
partly covered with wild herbage, amongst which
the Cape gooseberry Is very abundant ; this is an
agreeable subacid fruit, pleasant to eat when ripe,
and useful in a green state for tarts, &c.
Before dinner I took an opportunity of walking
to the top of the hill, which Is the highest on the
island, being 800 feet above the Colonel's house,
and 2,849 feet above the level ofthe sea.
After dinner Lieutnanet Badgeley, Dr. Burn,
and Lieutenant Carrington ofthe Marines, left us
to return by way of Regent Square, to the Eden
These three gentlemen have all, since that time,

CULTURE OF SOIL. 449
paid the debt of nature on board that ship. I
accompanied Mr. Butter round the side of the
Mountain to the Black Rock, beneath which
stretched a wide and deep valley. In this walk
we passed various spots set apart for the cultivation
of vegetables, to which the soil is exceedingly
favourable, while the deposition of night dews,
with light showers, and a genial climate, all com
bine to render vegetation here peculiarly luxuriant,
so that the inhabitants are not only enabled to
reserve an ample supply for themselves, but to spare
a small quantity for most of the ships that call at the
island. Colonel Nichols informed us that he had
1 OOOlbs. weight of vegetables, principally the sweet
potatoe, ready to dispose of at this period. We had
at dinner green peas, and French beans, besides the
more common vegetables, likewise turnip-radishes
with our cheese. In fact all European vegetables
may be, and most of them are, produced here.
The greatest range of the thermometer on the
mountain in the winter months, which are August,
September, October, and November, is from 58 "to
70°, and In the summer from 70° to 82°, conse
quently the greatest range of the whole year is only
24° being from 58° to 82° F. The sweet potatoe,
(of which there are a great many and very large*)
was first brought here from Africa ; the best method
of cultivating them is found to be from shoots.
* Some have grown so large as to weigh 5 or 6 pounds.
1 2 G

450 POPULATION OF ASCENSION.
The following are the names and number of
domestic animals now on the island, which is about
30 miles in circumference.
70 head of oxen.
60 sheep, (principally from Africa.)
600 goats.
8 horses.
4 mules.
27 asses.
There are likewise the dogs lately imported,
and a few rabbits from the Cape of Good Hope,
which have been turned loose in the valleys to
breed ; it is feared, however, that the cats will
destroy the young rabbits, if they do not the old
ones. Two red-legged partridges have also been
brought from the Cape, and there are a few pigeons,
likewise the English linnet in a wild state.
Friday, 27. — Fine morning with a few refreshing
showers. Thermometer at 6 a. m. 70°. F. Soon
after breakfast we left the Colonel's house to return
to Regent's Square, but we walked nearly a mile
before we mounted our horses. The officers ofthe
Establishment Invited all Captain Owen's party,
and their Colonel, to dine with them to-day at
their mess, which consists of Lieutenants Evans and
Barns, R. M. Mr. Mitchell, Surgeon, and Mr.
Trescot, Agent-victualler to the African squadron.
The population of the island at that time was
192 souls,* all Europeans, except 40 liberated
* About .'50 of this number live at Dampier's Spring.

DEPARTURE FROM THE ISLAND. 451
Africans, and they were then deficient of 10 : the
Government having allowed the number of 50 to
assist in carrying on the required improvements
and other employments, which consists of road-
making, erecting buildings, gardening, conveying
water, &c. &c. The officers of the Establishment,
superintend the working parties, however, these
only work four days in the week, Wednesday and
Saturday being allowed them for fishing,! cleaning
their clothes, and other private purposes, while the
Sunday is of course kept holy. Their working
hours are from daylight until eight o'clock, when
they are allowed three-quarters of an hour for
breakfast ; after which they return to labour till
eleven, they then rest until three o'clock ; from
which time they work until sunset. This arrange
ment, which throws open to repose the hottest
portion of the day, is highly to be approved of In a
warm climate.
At 7 o'clock we took leave of the Colonel and
his officers, to return on board the Eden. When
we got under weigh, and made sail out of Ascen
sion-roads, for Sierra Leone, steering n.n.e.
In the year 1801, when I belonged to H.M.S.
Cambrian, (the Honourable Captain Legge,) on
our return voyage from St. Helena, we passed so
near this island, that we sent a 24-pound shot
-j- They have boats belonging to the EstabUshment, which are on
these days provided with hooks and lines, and sent off those parts of
the island where there is known to be good fishing ground.

452 RECOLLECTIONS OF ASCENSION.
among the hills, and saw it scatter the dust around
the spot where it fell, but we did not send a boat
on shore, for we knew it was then uninhabited,
and our Commander was not disposed to lose his
time in turning turtle, while he might be more
gallantly employed chasing the enemy. We
merely fired as a signal to any one that might
have been left on the island by accident, for on the
preceding year H.M.S. Endymion took on board
the crew of a brig that had been wrecked on the
island : and the celebrated narigator, Dampier,
was also cast away here in the Roebuck, of 12 guns,
on his return voyage from New Holland. Little
could I have imagined at the time of my first visit,
that I should ever have landed here, under my
present peculiar circumstances, or that after so
many years I should find so much to interest me
in a place that presented nothing to my recollection
but utter desolation. The alteration in the island
was indeed curious, and I am happy to learn, that
the improvements still proceed with at least equal
energy, and proportionate success. Since my
last visit, I am told that, the inhabitants have
greatly increased their facilities of obtaining, and
preserving supplies of fresh water, an achieve
ment which must necessarily add much to their
daily comfort.
Saturday, 28. — Nothing material occurred on
this or the following day, for we glided along
pleasantly with a fresh trade-wind, varying only

"the variables." 453
a couple of points from s.e. to e.s.e. until the
morning of
Monday, 30. — When the wind got muchlighter'
and we were afraid of losing the trade altogether,
for although at this season of the year it prevails
much further from the Southern towards the
Northern Hemisphere, yet we can seldom hope to
carry it beyond the equinoctial line, where we
expect to get i^ito what is very characteristically
called "the variables" : at one season ofthe year,
these winds are very light and changeable, with
frequent calms and occasional thunderstorms and
waterspouts : at another season of the year, the
weather is dark, gloomy, squally with occasional
calms and much rain, until we advance to 12° or
14° N. latitude, where we usually fall In with the n.e.
trade wind, however, ships are sometimes fortunate
enough on leaving the Southern Hemisphere for
the Northern, particularly In the months of May,
June, and July, to carry the s.e. trade to the north
ward of the line, even until they fall in with the
n;e. trade.
Between three and four this afternoon, we crossed
the equinoctial line, at which time I took an affi
davit before Captain Owen for my half-pay. I was
Induced to do this from the novelty of the circum
stance, as well as a preparatory measure in case I
should have an opportunity of forwarding a letter
to England. Lat. at noon, for the last three days,
5°. 39.-2°. 25'. and 0°. 13'. south.

454 passage for the brazils.
Tuesday, July 1. — There was a great change in
the weather to-day. The wind was more unsettled,
the clouds were heavy, and there was a general
haze around the horizon. These were clear indi
cations of our approaching the coast of Africa in
the rainy season ; there had also been a heavy dew
last night, which aggravated these gloomy appear
ances. At sunset, we saw a vessel a few miles
a-head of us, which we came up with in about an
hour, she proved to be a Dutch galliot, from the
island of Mayo, bound to Rio de Janeiro, with half
a cargo of salt.
Immediately on receiving this intelligence, I re
quested the boarding officer to engage a passage
for me to the Brazils, which being accomplished,
I took leave of my kind and respected friend Cap
tain Owen, after having been his guest for nearly
twelve months ; during which time I had expe
rienced an unvarying series of unequalled atten
tions, a consideration for my interest and pursuits
highly flattering, and had derived, from his con
versation and society, an acquisition of truly valu
able information ; for which I desire to acknow
ledge myself deeply and gratefully his debtor.

CHAP. XIV.
Dutch Galliot — An Agreeable Companion — Strange Associates —
Melancholy Account of St. Jago — Beauty in Tears — Manner of
obtaining Salt, and Water at Mayo — Pleasures of a Galliot in a
heavy Sea — Dutch Miscalculation — Distances — An Oblation to
Neptune and Amphitrite (new style) — Melange, Devotion and
Gourmanderie — Curious Flying-fish — Weather — Whales — Cape
Pigeons.^ Anchor off Rio Janeiro — Distant Scenery — Custom
house Duties — Hotel du Nord — Rua Direito — Confusion thrice
confounded — Fruit Girls, not fair, but coquettish — Music unmu
sical, or Porterage, with an Obligato Accompaniment — Landing-
places — An Evening Walk — A bad Cold — Job's Comforter —
Shoals of Visitors — Captain Lyon's Visit, and Invitation to the
Author — NavalFriends — Packet for England — English Tailors —
Departure for Gongo Soco — The Party — Thoughts on Self-De
nial — Uncomfortable Quarters — Changes of Atmosphere — Free
dom by Halves; or Ze/<-handed Charity — Serra Santa Anna —
Valley of Botaes — The Ferreirinho, or little Blacksmith — Danger
ous Ascent of the Alto de Serra — Pest, an Universal Disease —
An English Settler — Rio Paraheiba — Valencia — Curiosity of the
People — Unceremonious Inquisitors — Comforts of a Beard —
Castor-Oil for burning — Rio Preta — Passports — Entrance to the
Mine Country — Examination of Baggage — Attention without
PoUteness — The Green- eyed Monster, " An old Man would be
wooing." At eight o'clock, I found myself and baggage on
board the Dutchman, under all sail, for Rio de
Janeiro. I had the good fortune to meet with a
countryman, in a fellow voyager, who proved to
be excellent society, aud who, consequently, be
came my principal companion, for although the

456 the consul's sister.
captain and his mates were good sailors, and honest
men, they were unskilled in the polite usages of
society, and as the best linguist amongst them had
but a small share of broken English, much conver
sation with them was out of the question.
Mr. Fearon (my fellow passenger), having left
England, some time since, for Sierra Leone, the
vessel In which he sailed, had called at St. Jago,
where they found the Consul General for the Cape
de Verds, lying dangerously ill with the fever. Mr.
Fearon was solicited to remain and perform the
duties of that office ; and a few days after, had the
melancholy task of attending the Consul to his
grave, and very shortly after, of laying the widow
by her husband's side. These melancholy duties
being performed, he took upon himself the office
of Vice Consul, until a reply to his report of the
Consul's death could be received from the British
Government ; but, in the meanwhile, he was him
self taken so 111 with the endemic fever, and found
it so impossible to regain health at St. Jago, that it
was deemed necessary to send him to the island of
Mayo for change of air ; where he attained conva
lescence, but still continued much debilitated when
we met on board the galliot. The Consul's sister
at St. Jago, a most accomplished and attractive
young lady, and whose acquaintance I had had
the pleasure of making there at her brother's
house, had also been, I learned, taken ill at the
same time ; I had, however, the gratification of

MANNER OF OBTAINING SALT. 457
meeting her afterwards at the Brazils, as a married
lady, both happy and healthful, after she had sur
mounted a variety of difficult adventures, and many
severe trials of fortitude, and presence of mind.
One of my first inquiries, was respecting the man
ner of preparing the salt at Mayo, for exportation.
I learned, that during the summer a portion of
low-land, near the sea, was inundated, between
which and the sea, the communication being sub
sequently cut off, the water rapidly exhaled, leav
ing the salt in chrystals on the surface of the earth ;
these, in due time, were collected in heaps ; but
as, of course, the longer they remain, the more con
centrated the chrystals become, it is necessary to
observe considerable caution in loading vessels, to
select that portion which has been the longest ex
posed to evaporation.
They procure water for the town and shipping at
Mayo, by digging a number of pits (too shallow
to deserve the name of wells), near the beach,
between the salt-pan plain, and the sea : they thus
collect a stock of brackish water, in small quanti
ties from each pit : however, in the interior of the
island, they are well supplied with good spring
water. Wednesday, 2. — We had a fresh trade-wind to
day, which made me feel the difference between
H. M. S. Eden, and this pile-driving galHot : my
sleeping-place too, happened to be at the furthest
end of the vessel, which might be compared to one

458 CROSSING the equinoctial.
of the homs of a crescent, and while I was dancing
in the air, others in the centre of the concavity,
were scarcely out of the horizontal line. Fortu
nately, a very short repose is sufficient for me, as
my bed was not the softest in the world, for as I
had not brought one with me, I was obliged to lie
upon an old sail, with a bag of clothes for a pil
low : however, I have no desire to consider com
forts, when I am travelling, lest feather-bed indul
gences, and luxurious appointments, should divert
my attention from more useful objects. The lati
tude at noon to-day, was 1°. 36'. n. and longitude,
16°. 28'. w. by the Eden's calculation (the correct
ness of which I might venture to swear by, for no
ship ever kept abetter), being 1°. 27'. e. ofthe gal
liot's reckoning.
Thursday, 3.-^StIllafresh s.e. trade-wind, which
enabled us to go a point free, (s. w. by s.) Noon,
lat. 0°. 14'. s. Ion. 17°. 29'. w. Having crossed the
equinoctial line this forenoon, I have passed it for
the third time, in as many distinct voyages, within
a fortnight, namely,
1st. From Prince's Island, to Ascension.
2nd. From Ascension towards Sierra Leone.
3rd. From on board the Eden, on her way to
Sierra Leone, more than 2°. north of the line, to
Rio de Janeiro.
There being no one on board the galliot, who
had ever crossed the equinoctial line before, ex
cept the chief mate, Mr. Fearon, and myself, the

oblation to NEPTUNE. 459
usual ceremony of shaving, &c. was dispensed
with, but to prevent the circumstance passing en
tirely uncommemorated, Mr. Fearon presented us
with some champagne, as an oblation to Neptune
and his spouse, Amphitrite. About sunset, seven
flying-fish fell on board, which we had for supper,
and found them very delicious.
Friday, 4. — Still a moderate s.e. trade, lat. 1°. 56'.
s. Ion. 18°. 16'. w. Our mode of living is as fol
lows : — Between six and seven in the morning, a
cup of coffee is brought to us ; at half-past seven,
the whole crew assemble in the cabin to prayers ;
immediately after which, we all go to breakfast,
ours in the cabin, consisting of boiled barley, of
which the captain and his mates partake freely,
mixing with each portion, a large table spoonful
of butter ; this is followed by tea, cold meat, and
biscuit, and concluded with well buttered biscuits
and cheese. At eleven, coffee again ; and so soon
after noon as the ship's place is ascertained by the
reckoning, a glass of wine is presented to each
person,* followed by dinner. At half-past three,
tea ; and at six, tea again, but combined with sup
per. At half-past seven, the crew again assemble
to prayers ; after which, all not employed on
watch, retire to rest, with the exception of Mr.
Fearon and myself, who were neither such gour
mands, nor such sleepers as our Dutch friends. —
* This was a very pleasant, light, sweet wine, made at Tours, and
which the captain procured at Nantes.

460 UNCOMMON flying-fish.
They, however, were very moderate in their use of
ardent spirits, or fermented liquors ; they were
also very moderate smokers, and seldom introduced
smoking in the cabin.
This evening, three more flying-fish fell on board,
one of which, having four wings instead of two, I
preserved in spirits. Mr. Fearon informed me,
that he had previously remarked this variation in
the species, which, however, does not appear to be
common, it having, as I think, escaped general
notice. Saturday, 5. — Saw a large ship to-day standing
in the same direction with ourselves, but she did
not approach us. At noon, Lat. 3° 52'. s. Lou.
19°. 18'. w.
Sunday, 6. — Fresh breezes and cloudy, with
heavy squalls, and rain at times ; four more flying-
fish for breakfast. The sea getting up to-day
made the vessel very uneasy. Lat. 5°. 47. s. Lon.
20°. 12. w.
Monday, 7. — Strong breezes and cloudy, with
a heavy sea. Course continues the same, and but
little variation In the -wind, excepting force. Lat.
7°. 42'. s.
Tuesday, 8. — The wind moderated to-day, and
the weather cleared up. Only two flying-fish for
breakfast, which proved a sufficient relish for the
passengers, but they would not have gone far to
wards satisfying our Dutch messmates. Lat. at
noon, 9^ 34'. s. Lon. 22°. 17'. w.

weather and day's works. 461
Wednesday, 9. — Breeze freshened again to-day.
Lat. 11°. 9'. s. Lon. 23°. 36'. w.
Thursday, 10. — Wind Increased to a very strong
breeze, with a good deal of sea, which made the
vessel roll about and plunge in a most delightful
manner. Lat. 13°. 13'. s. Lon. 25°. 7'. w.
Friday, 11. — Very squally weather, with a heavy
swell. Lat. at noon, 15°. 9'. s. Lon. 25°. 7'. w.
Saturday, 12. — Fresh breezes and cloudy. Lat.
17°. 9'. s. Lon. 27°. 46. w.
Sunday, 13. — Wind and weather moderated to
day. Lat. 18°. 55'. s. Lon. 29°. 48'. w. Saw a
few whales playing about.
Monday, 14. — Fresh breezes and very fine wea
ther. At noon, Lat. 20°. 44'. s. Lon. 31°. 42'. w.
Cape Frio, s. 76°. w. 564 miles.
Tuesday, 15. — Moderate and fine : wind n.e.
Lat. 22°. 2'. s. Lon. 33°. 22'. w. Cape Frio, s. 82°.
w. 472 miles. Afternoon, light breezes and vari
able, from N. to E.
Wednesday, 16. — Fresh breezes and cloudy, with
squalls at times. Wind n.e. to e. A single
flying-fish for breakfast. Lat. 22°. 23'. s. Lon.
35°. 9'. w. Cape Frio, s. 84°. w. 364 miles.
Thursday, 17. — Fresh breezes, and cloudy until
noon. Afternoon, moderate and fine .Lat. 22°. 34 . s.
Lon. 34°.7.w. Foundasorethroatcomingon, accom
panied -with fever, the effect ofa severe cold caught
by remaining on deck late at night. I had also
frequently got wet during the blowing weather, by

462 DISCOVER LAND.
the sea breaking over the vessel : and, unfortu
nately, had not recommenced wearing flannel,
having abandoned the use of it at Fernando Po,
in consequence of the exhaustion it produced by
the excessive sultriness of the weather.
Friday, 18. — Two Cape pigeons were hovering
over the vessel to-day ; they were the first we bad
seen ; and It is very possible, that they had recently
deserted some vessel which they had followed
from the Cape of Good Hope. They are a small
sea-fowl, about the size ofa pigeon, from which re
semblance they derive their name. They are to
be seen In great numbers off the Cape, as well as
in the higher southern latitudes.
At noon, Lat. 22°. 34'. s. Lon. 38°. 27'. w. Cape
Frio, s. 82°. w. 200 miles. Soon after noon, the
discoloration of the sea Indicated the proximity of
land, although, by our reckoning, it should have
been far distant ; however, we saw it at sunset,
bearing n. w. by n. about 15 miles, which we sup
posed to be the Cape St. Thomas, when we sounded
in 33 fathoms sand, with black and white specks.
Stood to the southward for the night.
Saturday, 19. — Soon after daylight, we saw the
land. At noon. Cape Frio, w. n. w. about 12 miles.
Lat. 23°. 7'. s. Lon. 39°. 25'. w. At two in the
afternoon, we passed a warlike looking schooner
under Brazilian colours. At sunset. Cape Frio,
E.N.E. about eight miles. Continued our course
for the harbour of Rio de Janeiro till midnight,
when we hove to for daylight.

ARRIVAL AT RIO JANEIRO. • 463
Sunday, 20. — At daylight, we made all sail with
a light breeze, for the harbour of Rio de Janeiro.
At two in the afternoon, sounded In forty fathoms;
Sug'dr Loaf Hill bearing n.w. At eight in the
evening, we came to an anchor abreast of the forts,
at the entrance ofthe harbour.*
Monday, 21. — At daylight, we found the most
splendid scenery open to our view : a clear atmo
sphere, and a sky so serene, that the distant moun
tains blended softly into the heavens, while the
picturesque grouping of objects in the vicinity,
completed a beautiful coup d'oeil, which it is difficult
to imagine, and scarcely possible to be surpassed.
The wind and tide being against us until two
o'clock, the sea-breeze then setting in, we got un
der weigh, to go into the harbour, but, at four
o'clock, the Portuguese authorities obliged us to
come to an anchor in the outer harbour, abreast of
Fort Santa Cruz, in 22 fathoms water.
H. M. S. Blossom, Captain Beechy, dropped
anchor here this afternoon, on his return voyage
from his explorating expedition in Baring Straits,
when she immediately saluted the flag of Sir Robert
* It is worthy of remark, that, notwithstandifig the immense
number of sharks in the harbour, the inhabitants are not deterred
from bathing ; these animals being so abundantly supplied with food
from the offal of a large and populous city, as to be divested of their
natural ferocity : — accidents caused by them, are absolutely unknown
here, although they are frequently seen swimming near, and even
ainong the persons bathing in the harbour.

464 CUSTOM-HOUSE DUTIES.
Otway, which was flying on board H.M.S. Ganges.
H.M.B. Chanticleer, Captain Forster, was also
lying in the harbour ; an agreeable rencontre, I
should imagine, for Captains Beechy'and Forster,
who were companions on the North Pole expedition ;
no small difference in climate and scenery from
their present place of meeting. Captain Peters of
our galliot (the Young Nicholas) and Mr. Fearon
went on shore in the evening, but I was too ill with
my cold, even to venture exposing myself to the
night air, or to remove until I had secured a com
fortable lodging ; however, on the following after
noon I landed, but without my baggage, as it was
detained until special permission for its removal
could be received from the Custom-house ; where
every packet was examined and paid for, before
I was permitted to take it to my lodgings.
Mr. Fearon and myself took up our quarters at
the Hotel du Nord near the Palace, at one end
of the Rua Direito (or strait street), which runs
parallel with the sea. This Is the broadest and
best street in Rio de Janeiro, and as the Custom
house is situated in the centre, with the Palace and
Dock-yard flanking the extremities, this street is an
Immense thoroughfare, especially as all articles of
merchandise, not excepting the slaves, or any other
object of traffic Imported, or exported, must pass
through it, on, or from, its way to the Custom-house.
But, as though the confusion necessarily atten
dant upon this continual bustle were Insufficient,

NEGRESS FRUIT VENDERS. 465
each group of porters as they pass along with their
heavy loads, chant their peculiar national songs,
for the double purpose of timing their steps and
concentrating their attention on their employment.
To these sounds are added the variety of cries,
uttered in an endless alternation of tones, by the
pretty negress fruit venders, who, smartly dressed,
and leering and smiling in their most captivating
manner endeavour so to attract the attention of the
sons of Adam. These, with the gabbling of
foreigners, hurrying on their several missions of
pleasure or of business, the chattering of slaves
waiting to be hired, and the occasional expostula
tions of those who are unceremoniously jostled
from the pavement by the rude encounter of bales
of goods, keep up altogether a din of discordance
perfectly distracting.
There are three principal landing-places at the
city of Rio, one in front of the Palace, one at the
Custom-House, and one at the Naval-yard ; where
there are flights of stone steps for the convenience
ofthe public. I took a walk in the evening with my
friend Mr. Fearon to the Rua Pescadores (Fisher
man's street, one of the many that branch from
the Rua Direito), to find out Dr. Dickson, a naval
surgeon settled in this city, for whom I had a
letter of Introduction, from my friend Captain
Owen. Hewas not at home, but we were received
by his partner, who appeared much concerned at
my state of health, and advised me to return home
1 2 H

466 A SUCCESSION OF VISITORS.
and not think of leaving the house again until Dn
Dickson saw me, which he promised should be early
on the following morning. I believed my catarrh
had encreased to pneumonia, and the medical
gentleman appeared to consider the .symptoms
much more seriously than I did myself.
Wednesday, 23. — My cough was much worse to
day, indeed it had become so troublesome that I was
almost exhausted, especially as I dared not partake
of any stimulating food, to support my strength.
Neither could I obtain repose either by night or
by day, indeed I found the horizontal position less
endurable than any other. I, however, received
in my bed room a number of gentlemen who called
upon me. Among these was Captain Lyon of the
royal navy, who had charge of a very large mining
establishment in the interior, under the title of the
Imperial British Brazilian Mining Company, at
Gongo Soco. On hearing my intention to travel
in the Brazils, this gentleman not only in-vited me
to visit him, but also to accompany him to his esta
blishment, to which he was about to return in a few
days. This invitation was perfectly irresistible,
and I promised to avail myself of It, if it were
possible for me to sit on horseback at the time of
his departure. This hope induced me to be doubly
careful in promoting the measures judged advi
sable for my recovery. Captain Duntz, and his
friend Mr. Edward Walker, one ofthe Directors of
the Mining Company, also called with Captain

PREPARATIONS FOR THE JOURNEY. 467
Lyon ; as well as Messrs. Luddington, Power, &c.
in the course ofthe day.
Thursday, 24. — Captain Lyon most obligingly
invited me to join a party, consisting of Mr. Gor
don, our Minister, Captains Beechy and Forster,
Sec. &c. on a most interesting excursion to the
Corcovada Mountain on the following morning, for
the purpose of measuring its height ; but I was
most reluctantly obliged to decline it ; first, because
it would have been too trying for my cough ; and
secondly, because I wished to reserve all my strength
for my journey into the interior.
Saturday, 26. — Captain Duntz paid me another
risit, bringing his friend Sir T. Thompson of the
Cadmus with him. Captain Lyon and his friend
Mr. Edward Walker also favoured me in like
manner. Monday, 28. — The packet sailed for England to
day, calling at Bahia and Pernambuco on her way.
Captain Lyon's friend Mr. Edward Walker went
passenger in her. I heard that our journey into
the interior was fortunately deferred for a day or
two. My friend Lieutenant E. Belcher of H.M.S.
Blossom, called on me to- day, as did several other
gentlemen. Tuesday, 29. — Captain Lj^on called to inform me
that he had determined on proceeding to the
interior the following day ; I therefore busied
myself in preparing for the journey. Among the
few articles of which I stood in need, were a jacket

468 A PRUSSIAN JEW.
and pantaloons, which I was obliged to purchase,
ready made, at a store of English slop-goods, the
English tailors here being too consequential to
accommodate any one on an emergency.
Wednesday, 30. — I took leave of my friend and
fellow passenger Mr. Fearon, to join Captain Lyon
at Mr. Raynsford's in Rua Pescadores, from whose
house we were to set out. Every thing being ready
about noon, we mounted our mules, and formed a
very respectable cavalcade, our party for the inte
rior consisting of Captain Lyon, Mr. Sharpe, Mr.
A. Walker, and myself, with a train of loaded
mules, we were also favoured by the escort of
Messrs. Raynsford, and Lewis, on our first day's
march. The latter gentleman is a Prussian Jew,
and has amassed a considerable property in this
country by dealing in precious stones, in addition
to which traffic, he has a general store at Gongo
Soco. He has also a brother a dealer in jewels
who lives at Villa Rica. How is it that other men
cannot succeed so well as those of the Jewish per
suasion? Is it that their intelligence, penetration,
and discrimination, are superior to other men ?
Or is it solely owing to their less scrupulous inte
grity? My own conviction has always been, that
want of success in any particular pursuit or pro
fession, has arisen in most cases, out of an absence
of that firmness which enables a man to reject the
pleasures of the world, and the world's frivolities,
for the sake ofthe one purpose to which he should

ARRIVAL AT VENDA NOVA. 469
rightly devote all his energies. When men practise
a rigid course of self-denial in this respect ; immo
lating all vain desires upon the altar of science,
or of interest, they seldom fail to attain the utmost
point of their ambition.
I found myself very weak, and much reduced
by the low regimen which I had necessarily obser
ved during the violence of my inflammatory cough.
A blister had also been kept open on my breast
during the whole time of my sojourn at Rio de
Janeiro, this had only received its first dressing
just before I mounted my mule, and I had not got
clear of the city before the inflamed state of my
chest, so dried up the dressing, that the Irritation
produced was like a red hot iron applied to the
surface : this torture I was compelled to endure for
more than three hours, before I could obtain any
relief. About four o'clock we arrived at Venda
Nova, or Traja, also known by the name of Willis's,
it having been kept by an Englishman of that
name. It was much patronized by the English,
who frequently made excursions of pleasure to this
place, distant from Rio de Janeiro four Brazilian
leagues or sixteen English miles. We were well
supplied here with pro-risions, but our lodgings were
of a very inferior description, all the party, except
ing myself, being literally, and actually, neces
sitated to exclaim " My lodging is on the cold ground."

470 POPULARITY OF CAPTAIN LYON.
The only imitation of a bed-place was conside
rately resigned to me. It consisted of a crib in a.
small room, no larger than a closet ; however, as
the horizontal position still continued most distres
sing to me, a bed of down could not have procured
me repose, for I do not think I ceased coughing
for three consecutive minutes the whole night.
And it was no small aggravation to my misery, to
know that I was the means of disturbing all my
friends in the next apartment. Under these cir
cumstances, I heard the summons for preparation,
at a very early hour, with infinite satisfaction, and,
111 as I was, though the morning was extremely
raw and cold, I rejoiced to find that we were all in
the saddle before daylight (half-past five) — Mr.
Raynsford, on his return to Rio de Janeiro, and
our own party for the Mine Country. Soon after
noon, we arrived at Manganga, a distance of four
leagues (16 miles), having passed over a very level
cpuntry, where the heat of the day was equal in
intensity, to the cold of the morning ; the thermo
meter being, at one time, upwards of 90°. F. This
change was to me delightful, as heat agrees with
me at all times, and more particularly while suffer
ing from an indisposition, the prevalent symptom
of which is a sensation of chilliness. I found my
strength very inadequate to bear much fatigue.
Our accommodation, however, was better to-night
than the preceding one, and Captain. Lyon being
well known on the road, acquainted with the lan-

THE BIRD FERREIRINHO. 471
gliage, and a man of very agreeable manners, we
found every one ready to do their utmost to serve
him, especially the fair sex. In speaking of the
fair sex — or rather, in this case, the female, but
not fair — a pretty young negress came to solicit
charity, for the purpose of enabling her to make
up a sum of money to purchase half her freedom,
the other half ha-ving been left as a legacy, by her
deceased master. This is doing things by halves
-with a witness : who would have thought of such
piece-meal generosity, except a thrifty Brazilian
Portuguese. Friday, August 1. — Soon after daylight, we set
off again -with our whole party : and at eleven, we
rested a short time to refresh ourselves at a venda,*
which stands at the foot of a rugged and precipi
tous range, called the Serra Santa Anna (or St.
Ann's Mountain), which we afterwards passed over,
and arrived, about three o'clock, at a respectable
farm-house, in the village of Botaes, where we re
mained for the night, having travelled four leagues
to-day. Captain Lyon called my attention this af
ternoon, to the note' ofa bird In awood, when passing
over the mountain, named the Ferreirinho (little
Blacksmith), from the resemblance of the note to
the ringing sound of a smart blow from a small
* This is a shop, or store, by the road-side, where aqua-dent
(spirits made in the country, and generally strongly flavoured with
aniseed) and sometimes wine can be procured, with provisions, and a
few other common 4iecessaries.

472 DANGEROUS ROADS.
hammer on an anvil, terminating in a sharp
whistle. Saturday, 2. — Notwithstanding the inconveni
ence I had suffered during the journey of the two
preceding days, I felt an increase of strength, and
an abatement of my cough. Fortunately for me,
we passed the night in a warm valley, and did not
start this morning till nine o'clock, from which
time our journey over the mountain proved very
pleasant, for it must be remembered, that this is
the winter season In this country ; and that the
coldness of the nights continues unabated until the
rising sun begins to exert its influence. We left
Mr. A. Walker, with the loaded mules, to follow ;
Capt. Lyon being anxious to proceed at a quicker
rate. Almost immediately after leaving the farm,
we began to ascend the Alto de Serra, where, in
some places, a false step of the mule would have
precipitated both the animal and its rider into one
of the fearful chasms that occasionally yawned be
neath our path. We were frequently placed in
very awkward situations, for we met with several
caravans of loaded mules, which were generally
conducted by the voices of the muleteers, who dash
on at a fearless rate ; and, in some of these passes,
at the imminent risk of overturning the travellers
whom chance places in their way : I was fre
quently obliged to jerk my foot suddenly out of
the stirrup, and allow my leg to pass behind on
the back of the animal on which I rode, to avoid

RIO PARAHEIBA. .^73
these unceremonious assaults ; while, on the oppo
site side, I was pressed against the rugged surface
of an overhanging ridge.
When we arrived at the top of the mountain, we
made a halt at a blacksmith's shop, for the purpose
of getting Captain Lyon's mule bled, the muleteer
having declared that he had the pest ; but the
word pest appertains here to all sorts of animal
ailments ; for example, there was a fowl sick at
this place, and on asking what was the matter with
it, we were told that it had the pest ; the fowl's
disease proved to be the pip. Indeed, this con
venient word pest, was indiscriminately applied to
all diseases which the people did not understand.
It reminded me of La Fleur, in the Sentimental
Journey, who, when he could not get his horse to
pass the dead ass, cried " Pest !" as the dernier re
sort of his vocabulary of exclamations. In the af
ternoon, we made a short halt at a venda within
twelve miles of Botaes, to refresh ourselves, which
was kept by an Englishman named John M'Dill,
who had formerly lived at Gongo Soco with Cap
tain Tregoning. He had recently settled here on
a small estate, which he was clearing for a coffee
plantation. About sunset, we crossed the Rio Pa
raheiba, over a long wooden bridge, about a mile
beyond which we put up for the night, where we
had but very indifferent accommodations. We had
ridden five leagues, or twenty miles, to-day.
Sunday, 3.— We set off at five this morning, and

474 UTILITY AND LUXURY OF A BEARD.
arrived at the town of Valencia at nine, where
we stopped for breakfast. Nearly all the inha
bitants of the town collected to comment upon us,
and it so happened, that I was the principal object
of curiosity in the whole group : this unlooked for
distinction, arose from two circumstances, first,
my wearing a long beard; and secondly, my blind
ness. These peculiarities produced numberless
exclamations, as, " How could I travel? Why
did I travel ? Why did I wear a long beard ?
Was I a Padre ? — or, a Missionary ?" and so forth,
until they became so pressing that we were glad
to get housed, with closed doors, to keep these
troublesome inquisitors at a respectful distance.
I can well understand, that a simple people,
whose experience is limited to their own habits,
and who have never had an opportunity of inter
mixing with other nations, must have been startled
by the novelty of a beard ; biit their astonishment
at the sight of a beard, was not greater than mine,
on discovering that they were destitute of an ap
pendage, which, in the torld zone, is at once an ar
ticle of luxury and utility. The people of the East
invariably wear beards, not merely as a national
custom, but as a matter of necessity ; and, for my
part, I can testify, that I found it an indispensable
protection to the neck, and the lower part of the
face : after a day's journey, the luxury of im-
merglng the face In cold water, leaving the beard
half dry, was most refreshing, the evaporation

ENTER THE MINE COUNTRY. 475
producing a very reviving and agreeable effect.
In addition to my beard, I had the farther protec
tion of a broad brimmed straw-hat, the crown of
which was deeply wadded with cotton wool, and
which completely screened me from the piercing
rays of a tropical sun.
Having occasion for some castor-oil, I sent to an
apothecary to procure it, which amused the people
exceedingly, who declared their astonishment at
our simplicity, in sending to a doctor for an article
so common here, that it is generally used for lamp-
oil, and to obtain which, it Is only necessary to
gather the beans from the plant, which grows
wildly and luxuriantly in this country, and express
the juice in the ordinary way.
Soon after leaving Valencia, we passed a venda,
kept by another countryman of ours, but we did
not stop there, being anxious to reach the town of
Preta before night. About sunset we arrived at Rio
Preta (or Black River), passing over a long wooden
bridge to the town, where we waited for the au
thorities, to have our passports, &c. examined,
which we had previously procured at Rio, from
the Minister of the Interior. We had now entered
the Minas Geraes, or Mine Country, the opposite
bank of the river forming the boundary of the pro
vince of Rio de Janeiro. Every package was ex
amined, and a duty demanded for each article of
merchandize, &c. excepting our personal baggage;
after this ceremony, we proceeded to a house,

476 THE JEALOUS LANDLORD.
where they were accustomed to receive, I cannot
say accommodate, travellers, for its appoint
ments and arrangements, were neither elegant nor
convenient ; and the host, an old man with a young
wife, was by no means civil : attentive he was, to
the most minute point of etiquette, and some
what more attentive than agreeable, for he watch
ed us with a most pertinacious vigilance, in order
that we might have no opportunity of conversing
with our pretty hostess, whom he closely followed
about with looks of angry jealousy, while she pre
pared our supper. It was truly pitiable to observe
the misery the old dotard endured, every time his
wife entered our apartment, constantly fidgetting at
her elbow, and scrutinizing, suspiciously, every
look that passed between her and her guests. His
fears served us for a jest, however, and produced
a vein of jocularity, that reconciled us to our
earthen flooring, upon which some of our party
were doomed to seek repose for that night.
We had made the longest journey to-day of any
since we left Rio, having travelled twenty-eight
miles. This is also the largest town we entered,
since leaving Rio, and had once been a place of
considerable importance.

CHAP. XV.
Advantages of early Travelling — Funelle — "A Traveller stopped
at a Widow's Gate" — Bright Eyes and Breakfast — Smiles and
Sighs — The Fish River — Cold Lodgings — Fowl Massacre — Bad
Ways — Gigantic Ant-hills — The Campos — ^Insect Warriors —
Insinuating Visitors (Tick) — The Simpleton — Bertioga — A
Drunkard — Cold Shoulders — Mud Church — Feasting and Fast
ing ; or, the Fate of Tantalus — Method in a Slow March — Gen
tlemen Hungry and Angry — No " Accommodation for Man or
Horse" — A Practical Bull — Curtomi — Hospitable Treatment at
Grandie — Horse-dealer — A "Chance" Purchase — Bivouac —
Mule Kneeling — Sagacious Animal — Quilos— A Mist — Gold-
washing — Ora Branca — Hazardous Ascent of the Serra D'Ora
Banca — Topaz District — A Colonel the Host — Capoa — Jigger-
hunters — Mineralogical Specimens — Mortality of Animals • — Pas
turage — Account of Ora Preta — Gold Essayed — Halt — Journey
resumed — Arrival at Gongo Soco.
Monday, August 4, 1828. — Our muleteers had
no small trouble to collect their animals in readi
ness for us to start at the appointed time (four in
the morning) ; indeed, they had been full two
hours beating about the bush to get them together.
Fortunately, however, these men go to rest so early,
that they think little of getting up in the middle
of the night, to collect and load their mules, which
is a common occurrence, as an early start is de
sirable for both man and beast, because two hours
travelling before sunrise, is not half so fatiguing
as one hour after it ; the muleteers are also glad to
promote any measure that will enable them to

478 PLEASURE AND PAIN.
complete their day's journey before sunset, that
they may get their supper and go to rest so soon
as it is dark, which, in this tropical region, is al
ways at an early hour. Between nine and ten we
arrived at a venda, called Funelle, where we
breakfasted on eggs and milk, standing at a coun
ter, there being no other apartments in this small
habitation, except the bed-room of a pretty young
black-eyed widow, who was laughing and flirting
with our party the whole time we remained. Having
made but a third of our Intended day's joumey, we
were obliged to tear ourselves away fromthe interest
ing widow's fascinations, greatly to the annoyance
of some of my companions, who would fain have
prolonged the pleasure of her agreeable trifling : —
but malgri the Loves and the Cupids, with the
accompaniments of beauty's witcheries, we were
obliged to press forward, towards our quarters for
the night, which we proposed to take up at a house
called Rosa Gomez, six leagues from Funelle, and
nine from Villa Preta, making thirty-six miles to
day. About a mile or two before we arrived at
Rosa Gomez, we passed the Fish River.
Tuesday^ August 5 — We endured a very cold
and comfortless night in bad quarters, where, had
it not been for the exertions of our own people who
were obliged to knock down a few wretched strag
gling fowls for our use, we should not have been able
to procure any thing either for supper, or breakfast,
except a disagreeable mess of flour and water.

ENTER ON THE CAMPOS. 479
The thermometer at daylight this morning was
so low as 45" F., which temperature we all felt
keenly, especially as we had nothing but our cloaks
for our night covering, on cold and comfortless
cane couches. However, we did not set off till
near eight o'clock, and after the sun rises, the
warmth rapidly increases. We made but a short
journey to-day, of two leagues and a half, for
the roads were rugged and precipitous, and inter
sected by several abrupt and broken streams, so
that we were obliged to be extremely cautious in
our progress, and chary of the services of our mules.
We passed some very large ant-hills to-day, from
eight to twelve feet in height ; the summits of
which form excellent arches for the tops of ovens,
while slabs cut out of the more solid parts, serve
for the ends and sides.
Wednesday, 6. — We set out at daylight, leaving
the woody country behind us, and entering on
the Campos, or Downs, where our annoyances
from the insect tribe commenced. The brushwood
here being infested by Tick and other tormentors,
who mercilessly attacked our whole party, mules
included, Insinuating themselves imperceptibly
into our sleeves and pantaloons, wlien burying
their heads in our flesh, and feasting on our blood,
they made us acutely sensible of their presence, by
the intolerable irritation they produced : and from
which we had no means of escaping until the hour
of disrobing for the night. After travelling three

480 A DRUNKEN BLACKSMITH.
leagues we stopped at a village called Souza, where
we took breakfast, the comfort of which meal was,
however, destroyed, by the Importunate absurdities
of an old man, half lunatic, half simpleton.
After breakfast we proceeded to Bertioga (three
leagues and a half), where we put up for the night.
Soon after our arrival, several people came hastily
to Captain Lyon to complain of an Englishman, who
was very drunk, and had been making a great dis •
turbance in their house. On inquiry, the offender
proved to be a blacksmith on his way to Gongo
Soco, he had been engaged by the agent for the
Company, and sent off from Rio, thirty-six days
previously, which time he had wasted in drunken
ness and idleness, having only completed forty
leagues of his journey; Captain Lyon consequently
ordered him to return to Rio, as the specinien of
ill conduct already given, shewed him to be un
worthy of being received into theCompany's service.
Our accommodations to night were much as
usual, mud floors, and our cloaks for a covering.
Total six leagues and a half to-day.
Thursday, 7 . — We set off before daylight, which
did not agree very well with me, the morning air
being still too keen for my lungs, which, with a
pain in my side, made me very unwell to-day.
About noon we stopped at a farm-house in a village,
called Os Ilhos. There was a church in progress
here, the walls of which they w ere building with
mud. After refreshing ourselves, and our mules, for

FEASTING AND FASTING. 481
about an hour, we resumed our journey toward a
large farm, called Baroga, having made 24 miles
to-day. My companions fared sumptuously, as we
had brought a turkey with us from our last resting
place, and with the addition of a roasting pig. It
made the grandest feast imaginable, and far ex
ceeded any thing we had met with since we left
Rio de Janeiro ; however, it proved a fast to me,
as I -w^as obliged to take medicine, and leave them
to their enjoyment.
Our host and hostess were plain honest good
farming people, and appeared desirous to do every
thing they could for Captain Lyon, but for all that,
they could not be roused out of their accustomed
methodical manner, and the preparation of our
meal was, to them, a business of serious delay and
labour. And all entreaties were vain,
For they'd promise and promise again,
But still go on the same.
My friends, therefore, were compelled to take
policy for their counsellor, and patience for their
remedy. The most provoking part of the affair
was, that they were expected to consider themselves
obliged, by the condescension of their hosts, in
undertaking upon any terms to minister to their
necessities : consequently there was no possibility
of giving utterance to any hasty feelings of impa
tience ; no opening for those little outbreaks of
1 2 I

482 HUNGRY AND ANGRY.
anger so common to hungry gentlemen. These,
might they haye been indulged, would have amused,
as well as comforted the sufferers, but unhappy
travellers I they were compelled to
Let keen hunger, like a worm in the bud,
Feed on their inner man.
Here, however, our accommodations were quite
superior, when compared with what we had found
at other resting-places ; indeed they did not pro
fess to " accommodate travellers," an assurance which
is I presume intended to reconcile the guest to such
reception as they choose to give : but If these people
are unwilling to "profess," they do not allow their
scruples to limit their expectations ; these are always
directed towards a recompense, which they are
just as eager to receive as those who accord more
to the convenience of the stranger.
Their curiosity is also unparalleled, and when
you dismount you are received with a string of
questions; respecting your health. Where you have
been ? The news of Rio ? Whom you have met
on the road ? Who are expected to go up ? or
down the country ? &c. &c. Having obtained all
the information your patience will grant, they at
length begin to consider what provision they can
make for you, and generally commence operations
by slaughtering a few fowls, ( or sometimes a turkey
or a roasting pig ;) then a large pot of water
must be boiled to dip the fowls in, by way of

A PRACTICAL BULL. 483
the feathers In the most expeditions
manner ; a practical bull, for if they plucked the
birds the moment they were dead, and before the
body was allowed to cool, the process would be
completed in less time than they could boil the
water. After this pre))aratIon, they proceed with
their tedious cookery, all of which is conducted Iu
an equally awkward manner. Sometimes after
arriving in the evening, tired and hungry, three or
four hours elapsed, before any knives and forks
were put on the table, or any other visible progress
made in the arrangement of our meal : and not
unfrequently my companions gave the matter up
in despair, and resigned themselves to sleep, while
all were completely worn out with waiting, long
before the dinner appeared.
Friday, 8.— We set out at daylight, and about
ten miles distance, we stopped a short time at a
farm house, named Curtomi ; we then proceeded
ten miles further to Grandie. Just before we
arrived at this place, about four miles and a half
distant, the road from Rio over the Campos, aud
the Caminha Real, or Royal road, from Porta de
Estrella meet, forming one main road from hence
into the interior. We stopped at a large house,
which belonged to very civil people, where we were
well lodged, and very hospitably entertained.
Saturday, 9. — We had a comfortable breakfast
before we set off this morning, and I felt much
recruited to-day ; we had also all the advantage to

484

MULE-KNEELING.

be derived from the warm rays of the sun, as we
did not start till near eight o'clock. In the course
ofour journey this forenoon, we met a horse dealer
with a train of horses, on his way to Rio, when
Mr. Sharpe took a fancy to one, and purchased it
for thirty-six milreas, in silver, something less than
five pounds sterling. From being purchased in
this accidental way, I suggested that the animal
ought to be named "Chance," to which his master
assented. ¦ In consequence of our wishing to avoid
a disagreeable old fellow, who kept'a venda on the
road side, we proceeded a short distance beyond
his domicile, and having previously provided our
refreshment, we sat down near the bank ofa river
to partake of it, at about two o'clock In the after
noon. On our journey afterwards, my poor mule was
so thirsty, that he ran to a little stream by the
road- side, to drink, but as he could not conveni
ently reach it standing, he very quietly went down
on his knees, upon which hint, I, of course, dis
mounted, until he had finished his draught. This
mule was the most docile, intelligent animal I ever
rode, and it was a knowledge of these good qua
lities, that induced Captain Lyon to appropriate
him to my use ; I was frequently considerably in
advance of the party, without feeling any appre
hension about my safety, from the perfect confi
dence I reposed in the mule's sagacity. About five
In the afternoon, we arrived at the town of Qualos,

GOLD-WASHING. 485
where we were well lodged, had good fare, and
where the excellence ofthe bread was quite remark
able, being superior to any I had tasted in the
Brazils. This town gives the title to a Marquess,
but it is not of any importance in other respects.
Sunday, 10. — We started long before daylight,
and for two or three hours rode through a mist, as
cold and dense as a November one in England,
but after the sun had gained sufficient power to
disperse It, the day was proportionably hot. We
this forenoon passed the first gold-washing place of
any consideration, which has, however, long since
been abandoned for others more profitable. About
eleven, we arrived at the village of Ora Branca, so
called from the light colour of the gold procured
here, the gravel or sand of every stream, hence
forward, produces a greater or lesser proportion of
gold. The owner of the house where we refreshed, had
a collection of mineralogical specimens, which in
terested Captain Lyon very much, he being him
self a collector. At about a league distance, we
commenced the ascent of the Serra D'Ora Branca,
which was almost impracticable even for our mules.
It is so steep and difficult, that it is* the universal
custom to dismount, to which, I believe, I formed
the only exception, an undertaking of considerable
hazard to ride either up, or down, this mountain.
At about a league beyond the summit, on the op-

486 JIGGER -HUNTERS.
posite side, we entered what is called the Topaz
District, where we soon passed many washings for
Topazes, and put up for the night at the celebrated
one of Capoa, where we were not very well enter
tained, although the proprietor of this venda was
a Colonel in the Brazilian militia. It is the gene
ral custom, while travelling in this country, for the
inhabitants to bring you a panela, or large bpwl
of hot water, every night, when you are going to
bed, for your feet, and it is usual to have a black
man in attendance, for the purpose of examining
the feet, and extracting the jiggers with a needle,
at which operation they are very expert.
Monday, 1 1 . — Although our journey on this
day, v/as only intended to be three leagues to the
imperial city of Ora Preta (Black Gold), the Villa
Rica (Rich City) of the maps,' capital ofthe mining
districts, we set off at daylight, and arrived about
ten at the house that is kept for the use of the Gongo
Soco Mining Company. The gold that is collected
at the Gongo Soco mines, is sent from time to time
to the mint at this place, where it is essayed and
melted Into bars, the government reserving a tax
of 25 per cent, before it is suffered to be transmit
ted to Rio. On leaving Capoa this morning, we
visited several mud huts in the village, and neigh
bourhood, in search of those mineralogical speci
mens, which -are commonly known in this country
by the name of Raridades.

MORTALITY OF ANIMALS. 487
During our route, but more especially before we
arrived at the Campos, not a day passed without
our meeting droves of oxen and pigs, as well as
many troops of loaded mules, with coffee, cotton,
sugar, &c. all proceeding from the Interior for Rio ;
and our olfactory nerves were not unfrequently as
sailed by a very offensive odour, arising from dead
animals, principally oxen, among whom there is
usually a great mortality on these journeys, in con
sequence of excessive fatigue from travelling 600
or 600 miles, as also from the bad and insufficient
pasturage they find on their road. When these
unfortunate animals sink down under their suffer
ings, they are left to die, and putrify on the spot
where they happen to fall. These cattle are chiefly
brought from the Sertao, which is a wild country
beyond the mountains of the gold district, inter
vening between it and the diamond district, which
is a fine pasture country, but with few habitations.
The term Sertao, however, is general all over the
interior of Brazil, for inland places unredeemed by
culture. Ora Preta is the most considerable town
that we have yet met with, and it owes it respecta
bility and extent to the circumstanQe of its being
the town residence of the proprietors of gold mines,
dealers in precious stones, &c ; and there is an
Imperial Mint, with a government essayer settled
here, for the purpose of examining all the gold
produced from the mines, causing it to be melted

488 GOLD ESSAYED.
and stamped, and a duty of 25 per cent, taken
from it for the Government.
This duty had, a short time previous to my visit,
been reduced to 10 per cent, for Brazilian subjects,
the Government, however, continued to exact 25
per cent, from Gongo Soco, or the Imperial British
Brazilian Mining Company ; although, in their
charter from the Brazilian Government, it was un
derstood, if not expressed, that the Company
should be allowed to work their mines on the same
terms with the Brazilians, however advantageous
those terms might happen to be : at the time the
charter was granted, the Brazilians paid 25 per
cent.; but after their neglecting several mines, they
petitioned the Government for a reduction of duty,
on the plea, that it was too high, to allow them a
profit on their expenses. The Government, upon
this application, consented to receive only ten per
cent, from their own subjects, but absolutely re
fused to accord to the British Mining Company
any reduction of the original duty.
Captain Lyon found it necessary to pass a couple
of days here, to transact some business ; this proved
a seasonable rest, particularly for our mules, who
had been worked fifteen days in succession.
. Tuesday, August 14. — We this morning renewed
our journey for Gongo Soco, and immediately
on leaving Ora Preta, began to ascend the
Ferreiria (Iron Mountain). After having rode

DESCENT OF THE IRON MOUNTAIN. 489
over the top of It for about six mileS;, we de
scended by a very steep and dangerous road, the
bed of a great part of which was composed of iron
stone rock : very few persons ever venture to ride
down it ; for,^ in case a mule should lose its foot
ing, both the animal and its rider would be hurled
down a precipice, so gigantic, that the state of their
remains could not even be ascertained. Our mules
were, at times, on their haunches, actually sliding
over the rocky surface of the road, and although
Captain Lyon had travelled this path several times,
he had never ventured to ride down It before : but
not knowing any better way to manage me and my
mule, than by allowing us to follow him mounted,
down the hill, he most kindly braved the danger
for my sake, and I resigned myself to the intelli
gence of my mule, who very soon assumed the en
tire control of his own conduct, shaking his head
whenever he felt the reins tighter than convenient,
and picking his way with all imaginable care : I
always found, when the ground appeared uncer
tain, that the sagacious animal would pause, and
putting out his foot, discover, by scratching,
whether the ground might be trusted, before he
would advance a step further.
After leaving the mountain, we arrived at the
village of Antonio Ferreira, which is ten miles
from Ora Preta. At this village, the Company
have some landed property, which they intended

490 ARRIVAL AND RECEPTION
to mine, but they had not yet commenced their
operations. From thence we passed on to Infici-
onado, where the Company have another estate,
Ceta Preta. The road from Antonio Ferreira to
this place, was very hilly and circuitous, as well as
very bad in particular places. We arrived about
sunset, and got comparatively well lodged, by some
of the Company's servants, who reside here to
look after the estate : it had produced a little gold,
but the quanrity was not considered sufficient to
induce them to prosecute their operations, and
the people were consequently ordered to return
to Gongo.
Friday, 15. — We breakfasted with Mr and Mrs.
Bilden (one of the clerks of the Gongo establish
ment) ; and about nine miles distant we stopped
to refresh, at the village of Catas Altas ; where we
had tidings by an avant courier from Gongo, that
the heads of the mining department were on
their way to receive their chief (Captain Lyon),
at Brunado, which is about twelve miles from the
establishment ; and we accordingly met them.
After an exchange of civilities, we all proceed
ed in grand cavalcade, towards Gongo, Lieu
tenant Tom, of the navy (Lieutenant-Governor),
and myself, leading the way. On our arrival,
we were received with cheers and gratulations,
from all the individuals In the establishment ;
and the day concluded by an entertainment to

AT GONGO SOCO. 491
the officers, given by Captain Lyon, at the
government-house. Having arrived at this point of my journey, which
brings me to a new and interesting scene, I pause
to look back upon the past, and to prepare for the
future. The traveller must rest in his book, as
well as in his route, and, bespeaking the reader's
favour for the sequel of my adventures and re
searches in the Gold Mines, 1 take my leave for the
present — hoping that the perusal of my discursive
journal, may prove but one-half as entertaining to
others, as the consolatory resource of producing
it has been pleasurable to myself.

END OF VOL. I.

O. NOtt.MA.'i, PRINTER, 29, MAIDEN-LANfei COVENT-GAtlDENi

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