At sunrise on the 6th November, their canoe was taken from before
Kirree market-place, to the little sand bank or island in the middle
of the river, where they waited till nine o'clock for the coming of
two war canoes, which it was resolved should convoy them to the Eboe
country, which they understood was situated three days journey down
the Niger. At seven in the morning they bade adieu to Kirree, the
scene of all their sorrows, accompanied by six large war canoes, and
again took their station with the Damaggoo people. Independently of
their convoy, they had a sumpter canoe in company, belonging to the
Eboe people, from which the others were supplied with dressed
provisions. For their part, they had neither money nor needles, nor
indeed any thing to purchase a meal; and knowing this to be the case,
their sable guardians neglected to take into consideration the state
of their stomachs. However, they felt no very strong inclination to
join them in their repast, though on one occasion they were invited
to do so; for they felt an invincible disgust to it, from the filthy
manner in which it had been prepared. Yams were first boiled, and
then skinned, and mashed into a paste, with the addition of a little
water, by hands that were far from being clean. As this part of the
business requires great personal exertion, the man on whom it
devolved perspired very copiously, and the consequences may easily be
guessed at. In eating they use their fingers only, and every one dips
his hand into the same dish.
It was ten at night, when they came abreast of a small town, where
they stopped. It was long since they had tasted food, and they had
suffered from hunger the whole day, without being able to obtain any
thing. Soon after they had stopped for the night, their guards gave
each of them a piece of roasted yam, and their poor famished people
had also the good fortune to get some too, being the first they had
had since leaving Damaggoo. The roasted yam, washed down with a
little water, was to them as joyful a meal, as if they had been
treated with the most sumptuous fare, and they laid themselves down
in the canoe to sleep in content.
Long before sunrise on the 8th November, though it was excessively
dark, the canoes were put in motion; for as the Eboe country was said
to be at no great distance, the Eboe people who were with them, were
desirous of arriving there as early in the day as possible. It proved
to be a dull hazy morning, but at 7 o'clock the fog had become so
dense, that no object, however large, could be distinguished at a
greater distance than a few yards. This created considerable
confusion, and the men fearing, as they expressed it, to lose
themselves, tied one canoe to another, thus forming double canoes,
and all proceeded together in close company. The Landers wished to be
more particular in their observations of this interesting part of
their journey, but were constrained to forego that gratification, on
account of the superstitious prejudices of the natives, who were so
infatuated as to imagine, that the Landers had not only occasioned
the fog, but that if they did not sit or lie down in the canoe, for
they had been standing, it would inevitably cause the destruction of
the whole party, and the reason they assigned, was, that the river
had never beheld a white man before; and, therefore, they dreaded the
consequences of their rashness and presumption in regarding its
waters so attentively. This and similar nonsense was delivered with
such determination and earnestness, that they reluctantly laid down,
and allowed themselves to be covered with mats, in order to quiet
their apprehensions; for they did not forget that they were
prisoners, and that a perseverance in standing up, would have exposed
them to the mortification of being put down by force.
On the dispersion of the fog, the Landers were again permitted
to look at the river, and shortly afterwards one of the Eboe men in
their canoe, exclaimed, "There is my country;" pointing to a clump of
very high trees, which was yet at some distance before them, and
after passing a low fertile island, they quickly came to it. Here
they observed a few fishing canoes, but their owners appeared
suspicious and fearful, and would not come near them, though their
national flag, which was a British union, sewed on a large piece of
plain white cotton, with scollops of blue, was streaming from a long
staff on the bow. The town, they were told, was yet a good way down
the river. In a short time, however, they came to an extensive
morass, intersected by little channels in every direction, and by one
of these, they got into clear water, and in front of the Eboe town.
Here they found hundreds of canoes, some of them even larger than any
they had previously met with. When they had come alongside the
canoes, two or three huge brawny fellows, in broken English, asked
how they did, in a tone which Stentor might have envied; and the
shaking of hands with their powerful friends was really a punishment,
on account of the violent squeezes which they were compelled to
suffer. The chief of these men called himself _Gun_, though
_blunderbuss_ or _thunder_ would have been as appropriate a name; and
without solicitation, he informed them, that though he was not a
great man, yet he was a little military king; that his brother's name
was King _Boy_, and his father's King _Forday_, who, with King
_Jacket_, governed all the Brass country. But what was infinitely
more interesting to them, than this ridiculous list of kings, was the
information he gave them, that besides a Spanish schooner, an English
vessel, called the Thomas of Liverpool, was also lying in the first
Brass river, which _Mr. Gun_ said was frequented by Liverpool traders
for palm oil. Full of joy at this intelligence, they passed on to a
little artificial creek, where they were desired to wait till the
king's pleasure respecting them should be known. They were afterwards
drawn in a canoe over ooze and mud to a house, where, if the
countenance of their host had been at all in unison with the
agreeableness of his dwelling, they imagined that they could live at
ease in it, for a few days at least. The harshness, however, of this
man's manners, corresponded with his sulky, ill-natured face, and
deprived them of a good deal of pleasure, which they would have
enjoyed, in reposing at full length on dry, soft mats, after having
been cramped up for three days in a small canoe, with slaves and
goats, and exposed to the dews by night and the sun by day.
An hour or two of rest invigorated and refreshed them extremely, and
they then received a message from the king, that he was waiting to
see and converse with them. Having little to adjust in regard to
their dress, they rose up, and followed the messenger. Passing near
the outskirts of the town, the messenger conducted them, by paths
little frequented, to the outward yard of the palace, before the door
of which was placed the statue of a woman in a sitting posture, and
made of clay, of course, very rude and very ugly. Having crossed the
yard, in which they saw nothing remarkable, they entered by a wooden
door into another, which was far superior. From this enclosure they
were led into a third, which, like the former, had its porticoes.
Opposite the entrance was a low clay platform, about three feet from
the ground, which was overlaid with mats of various colours, a large
piece of coarse red cloth covering the whole, and at each of its
corners they observed a little squat figure, also of clay, but
whether they were intended to be males or females, it was impossible
to conjecture. Here they were desired to place themselves among a
crowd of half-dressed, armed men, who were huddled together on the
left of the platform, some sitting, and others standing, and awaiting
the coming of the prince. Their friend, Gun, was with them, and he
immediately claimed priority of acquaintance with them. He chatted
with amazing volubility, and in less than two minutes, he was on the
most familiar footing, slapping them with no small force just above
the knee, to give weight to his observations, and to rivet their
attentions to his remarks. Then, while they spoke, he would rest his
heavy arms on their shoulders, and laugh aloud at every word they
said, look very knowingly, and occasionally apply the palm of his
hand to their backs with the most _feeling_ energy, as a token of
encouragement and approbation. They wished him to answer questions
which concerned them nearly, but the only satisfaction they received,
was contained in the expression "O yes, to be sure," and this was
repeated so often, with an emphasis so peculiar, and with a grin so
irresistibly ludicrous, that in spite of their disappointment, they
were vastly entertained with him.
In this manner was the time beguiled, till they heard a door suddenly
opened on their right, and the dreaded Obie, king of the Eboe
country, stood before them. There was, however, nothing dreadful in
his appearance, for he was a sprightly young man, with a mild open
countenance, and an eye which indicated quickness, intelligence, and
good nature, rather than the ferocity which they were told he
possessed in an eminent degree. He received them with a smile of
welcome, and shook hands with infinite cordiality, often
complimenting them with the word, "Yes," to which his knowledge of
the English was confined, and which no doubt he had been tutored to
pronounce for the occasion.
Their story was related to the king in full by the Bonny messenger,
who had accompanied them from Damaggoo, whose speech, which nearly as
they could guess lasted two whole hours, was delivered in an
admirable manner, and produced a visible effect on all present. As
soon as it was over, they were invited by Obie to take some
refreshment; being in truth extremely hungry at the time, they
thankfully accepted the offer, and fish and yams, swimming in oil,
were forthwith brought them on English plates, the king retiring in
the meanwhile from motives of delicacy. When Obie returned, a general
conversation ensued, and he was engaged in talking promiscuously to
those around him till evening, when the "great palaver," as it was
called, was formally prorogued until the morrow, and presently after
the chief bade them good night, and retired.
On the following morning, they were visited by a number of the
inhabitants, who broke through every restraint to gratify their
desire of seeing them. This was what they naturally expected, yet
after all, they were much better behaved and less impatient, than
they had any reason to apprehend, and they departed with little
importunity, considering that they had not been in the habit of
bending to the will of prisoners and slaves, for such were the
Landers in reality.
About noon they were informed that their attendance was required at
the king's house, Obie being fully prepared, it was said, to resume
the hearing of their case, and examine the deposition of the Bonny
messenger and the Damaggoo people. On entering the principal yard or
court, in which they were introduced to the king on the preceding
day, a common English chair, covered with inferior red cloth, was
placed for the use of the king. He soon afterwards entered, his fat,
round cheeks were swelling with good humour, real or assumed, as he
shook hands with a sprightly air, when he instantly seated himself to
receive the prostrations and addresses of his subjects and others.
The business of the day was entered into with spirit, and a violent
altercation arose between the Brass and Bonny people, and although
not much was communicated to the Landers, of the conversation that
passed between them, yet a sufficiency was imparted to them to let
them know, that they would never leave the country without a high
ransom.
Bonny was the real place of their destination, and they had with them
a messenger from the present and a son to the late ruler of that
state, (King Pepper,) whilst on the other hand, they knew nothing of
Brass, never having heard the name of such a river in their lives
before. The Brass people affirm that the Bonny Creek, which is a
small branch of the Niger, was dried up, and that the main river,
which runs to Brass, belongs to King Jacket, who permitted no
foreigners whatever to pass up and down the Niger, without exacting
the accustomed fees or duties. The Brass people, therefore, would
have a very plausible reason for taking them entirely out of the
hands of Obie and the Damaggoo people.
In the evening, Antonio and five other Bonny people came to their hut
with tears in their eyes. On asking them, what was the matter, "The
chief," they said, "is determined to sell you to the Brass people,
but we will fight for you, and die rather than see you sold." "How
many of you Bonny people are there?" Richard Lander asked. "Only
six," was the reply. "And can you fight with two hundred Brass
people?" Lander asked. "We can kill some of them," they answered,
"and your people can assist." Lander then asked Antonio the reason
why he did not interpret what was going forward to-day at the king's
house. He said, that he was afraid it would have made their hearts
sore--that it was "a bad palaver." "We have all been to the chief,"
he added, "crying to him, and telling him that black man cannot sell
white man, but he will not listen to us, he said, he would sell you
to the Brass people."
The Landers felt much hurt at their situation, for they did not
expect that it would be so bad as it turned out to be, but they made
up their minds to prepare themselves for the worst, for it was
impossible to foresee the lengths to which the savages would go. On
the following day, Richard Lander was taken very ill with the fever,
and was consequently unable to attend the summons to the king's
house, he therefore sent his brother in his stead, who gave the
following account:--
"On my arriving there this morning, to my infinite surprise I found
King Boy (Gun's eldest brother,) with a number of his attendants
already assembled. He was dressed in a style far superior to any of
his countrymen, and wore a jacket and waistcoat over a neat shirt of
striped cotton, to which was annexed a silk pocket handkerchief,
which extended below the knees. Trousers are not permitted to be
worn, either by natives or strangers, of the same hue as themselves,
the kings alone being an exception to the rule. Strings of coral and
other beads encircled his neck, and a pretty little crucifix of seed
beads hung on his bosom. This latter ornament, which has probably
been given him by a slave captain, had by no means an unbecoming
appearance. King Boy introduced himself to me with the air of a
person who bestows a favour, rather than soliciting acquaintance, and
indeed his vanity in other respects was highly amusing. He would not
suffer any one to sit between him and the platform, but squatted
himself down nearest the king's seat, which, as a mark of honour, had
been previously assigned to us; and with a volubility scarcely
imaginable, he commenced a long narrative of his greatness, power,
and dignity, in which he excelled all his neighbours, and to this I
was constrained to listen with assumed composure and attention for a
considerable time. To convince me of his veracity, he produced a
pocket book, containing a great number of recommendatory notes, or
'characters,' as a domestic would call them, written in the English,
French, Spanish, and Portuguese languages, and which had been given
him by the various European traders, who had visited the Brass River.
This practice of giving written characters, which has for some time
been adopted by Europeans, is both praiseworthy and useful, and it
has become almost universal on the western coast; because it is not
to be supposed that the natives themselves can understand these
documents, and strangers are made acquainted with their good or bad
qualities by them, and taught to discriminate the honest from the
unfaithful and malicious. Boy's letters mentioned certain dealings,
which their authors had had with him, and they likewise bore
testimony to his own character, and the manners of his countrymen.
Amongst others is one from a 'James Dow, master of the brig Susan,
from Liverpool,' and dated: '_Brass First River_, Sept. 1830,' which
runs as follows: "Captain Dow states, that he never met with a set of
greater scoundrels than the natives in general, and the pilots in
particular." These he anathematised as d----d rascals, who had
endeavoured to steer his vessel among the breakers at the mouth of
the river, that they might share the plunder of its wreck. King
Jacket, who claims the sovereignty of the river, is declared to be a
more confirmed knave, if possible, than they, and to have cheated him
of a good deal of property. The writer describes King Forday as a man
rather advanced in years, less fraudulent but more dilatory. King
Boy, his son, alone deserved his confidence, for he had not abused
it, and possessed more honour and integrity than either of his
countrymen.
"These are the rulers of the Brass River, and pretty fellows they
are, truly. Mr. Dow further observes, that the river is extremely
unhealthy, and that his first and second mates, three coopers, and
five seamen, had already died of fever, and that he himself had had
several narrow escapes from the same disorder. He concludes, by
cautioning traders against the treachery of the natives generally,
and gives them certain directions concerning 'the dreadful bar,' at
the mouth of the river, on which he had nearly perished.
"This business had been no sooner settled, than Obie entered the
yard, attended as usual, but clad indifferently in loose silks. After
the customary salutations, Boy directed the monarch to appeal to me,
that he might be satisfied in what estimation he was held by white
men. Of course I said a variety of fine things in his favour, which
were received with a very good grace indeed; but that a piece of
paper simply, which could neither speak, hear, nor understand, should
impart such information, was a source of astonishment and wonder to
Obie and his train, who testified their emotion in no other manner
than by looks of silly amazement, and repeated bursts of laughter.
"The king then said with a serious countenance, that there was no
necessity for further discussion respecting the white men, his mind
was already made up on the subject, and for the first time, he
briefly explained himself to this effect: That circumstances having
thrown us in the way of his subjects, by the laws and usages of the
country, he was not only entitled to our own persons, but had an
equal right to those of our attendants; that he should take no
further advantage of his good fortune, than by exchanging us for as
much English goods as would amount in value to twenty slaves. In
order to have this matter fairly arranged and settled, he should, of
his own accord, prevent our leaving the town, till such time as our
countrymen at Bonny or Brass should pay for our ransom, having
understood from ourselves that the English at either of those rivers,
would afford us whatever assistance we might require, with
cheerfulness and alacrity. Concerning the goods of which we had been
robbed at Kirree, he assured us he would use his utmost exertions to
get them restored. He lamented that circumstance more than any one,
but he denied that a single subject of his had any thing to do with
it, and attributed the whole of that unfortunate affair, to the
rashness and brutality of a certain people, that inhabited a country
nearly opposite to his own, whose monarch was his particular friend,
therefore, he apprehended little difficulty in seeing justice done
us; 'but then,' said he, 'it is necessary that you should wait here
for an indefinite time, till a council of that nation be held, when
the plunderers will be examined, and your claims established. The
Damaggoo people, that have come with you, have like yourselves
suffered much loss; for my own part, I shall make them a present of a
slave or two as a compensation, and they have my permission to go
along with you for the present, which I understand you have promised
their monarch, but you must not expect them to be your guides to the
sea, for their responsibility ends here.'
"When all this was interpreted to me by Antonio, I was thunderstruck.
It was in vain that I assured Obie that there was not the slightest
necessity for our detention in the town; that our countrymen would
redeem us the moment they should see us, but not before; and equally
unavailing were my solicitations for him to alter this arrangement
and suffer us to depart; but the tears of his subjects, and the
representations of the men at Brass, had made too deep an impression
upon his mind to be so easily eradicated. We found it too late either
to implore or remonstrate.
"This final decision of the king is a bitter stroke to us, for we
fondly indulged the hope of a more favourable issue, from the
deliberations of the savage council, at whose dissolution we expected
to be sent to the sea coast, without being perplexed with further
embarrassments. We have now to wait the return of a messenger from
thence, who has not yet been sent on his errand, and he is to bring
back with him the value of twenty slaves, ere we obtain our freedom.
Heaven only knows whether the masters of English vessels at Bonny or
Brass, have the ability or feel the disposition to ransom us. We only
know that if disposed of at all, we shall be sold for infinitely more
than we are worth.
"As may naturally be supposed, I returned home much depressed and
afflicted, to inform my brother of the result of the palaver, and he
was as greatly surprised and afflicted as myself at the intelligence.
But though we are full of trouble and uneasiness at our gloomy
situation, yet we do not repine at the divine dispensations of that
Almighty providence, which has comforted us in the hours of
adversity, and relieved us in times of pain and danger, and snatched
us from the jaws of death."
On the following morning, Richard Lander was rather convalescent, and
in truth they both wondered much that their health, generally
speaking, had been so good, when they reflected for a moment on the
hardships and privations, which they had lately undergone, the
perplexities in which they had been entangled, and the difficulties
with which they had had to contend.
During the few days that they had spent in this place, they had been
sadly in want of provisions, and their people, who for the first day
bore their privation in silence, have since then been loud in their
complaints. The constant fear which they entertained of being taken
away and sold, now, however, changed that lively feeling of
discontent into sullen-ness and despondency. What made the matter
still worse was the fact, that having lost their needles and kowries
at Kirree, they had not the means of purchasing any thing, although
the kowrie shell was not current where they then were. Obie was in
the habit of sending them a fowl, or a yam or two every morning, but
as they were ten in number, it made but a slender meal, and it was
barely sufficient to keep them from actual starvation. To stop, if
possible, the sullen murmurings of their people, they were now
reduced to the painful necessity of begging, but they might as well
have addressed their petitions to the stones and trees, and thereby
have spared themselves the mortification of a refusal. They never
experienced a more stinging sense of their own humbleness and
imbecility than on such occasions, and never had they greater need
of patience and lowliness of spirit. In most African towns and
villages, they had been regarded as demi-gods, and treated in
consequence with universal kindness, civility, and veneration; but
here, alas! what a contrast, they were classed with the most degraded
and despicable of mankind, and were become slaves in a land of
ignorance and barbarism, whose savage natives treated them with
brutality and contempt. It would be hard to guess whence these
unkindly feelings originated, but they felt that they had not
deserved them, yet the consciousness of their own insignificance
sadly militated against every idea of self-love or self-importance,
and taught them a plain and useful moral lesson. Although they made
the most charitable allowances for the Eboe people, they were,
notwithstanding, obliged to consider them the most inhospitable
tribe, as well as the most covetous and uncivil, that they were
acquainted with. Their monarch, and a respectable married female, who
had passed the meridian of her days, were the only individuals,
amongst several thousands, that showed them anything like civility or
kindness, and the latter alone acted, as they were convinced, solely
from disinterested motives.
All ranks of people here are passionately fond of palm wine, and
drank of it to excess, whenever they had an opportunity, which often
occurred, as great quantities of it are produced in the town and its
neighbourhood. It was a very general and favourite custom with them,
as soon as the sun had set, to hold large meetings and form parties
in the open air, or under the branches of trees, to talk over the
events of the day, and make merry with this exciting beverage. These
assemblies are kept up until after midnight, and as the revellers
generally contrive to get inebriated very soon after they sit down to
drink, the greater part of the evening is devoted to wrangling and
fighting, instead of convivial intercourse, and occasionally the most
fearful noises that it is possible for the mind to conceive.
Bloodshed, and even murder, it is said, not unfrequently terminate
these boisterous and savage entertainments. A meeting of this
description was held outside the yard of their residence every
evening, and the noise which they made was really terrifying, more
especially when the women and young people joined in the affray, for
a quarrel of some sort was sure to ensue. Their cries, groans, and
shrieks of agony were dreadful, and would lead a stranger to suppose,
that these dismal and piercing sounds proceeded from individuals
about to be butchered, or that they were extorted by the last pangs
of anguish and suffering. The Landers trembled with alarm for the
first night or two, imagining from these loud and doleful cries, that
a work of bloodshed and slaughter was in progress. They found it
useless to endeavour to sleep till the impression of the first wild
cry that was uttered, and the last faint scream had worn away. But by
degrees they became in some measure more reconciled to them, from the
frequency of their occurrence, or rather they felt less apprehension
than formerly, as to their origin; understanding with surprise that
they were only the effects of a simple quarrel, and excite from the
inhabitants no more than a casual remark, although it is said that in
fits of ungovernable passion, the most heinous crimes are consummated
in these frantic revels.
Their matronly female acquaintance, though excessively fat, was of
diminutive stature, and by her cheerful pleasantry she beguiled in
some degree the wearisomeness of the long evening hours, and banished
that _ennui_, which the disagreeableness of their situation had
partially induced, simply by her endeavours to do so. For not content
with paying them formal visits in the day time, she came into their
yard every night, instead of joining the orgies of her acquaintance,
accompanied by two or three friends of congenial natures, with the
very benevolent intention of pitying their misfortunes, and
dissipating their melancholy. Two or three slaves followed their
mistress into the yard, carrying a few bottles of their favourite
palm wine, and perhaps with a plate of bananas also, that the evening
might be passed more agreeably.
Their sleeping quarters were in a recess, which was elevated three or
four feet from the ground, and supported by wooden columns. It was
without a door, or indeed anything answering the same purpose, so
that they enjoyed the refreshing coolness of the evening air, with
the disadvantage of being gazed at by whoever had the curiosity to
enter their premises. They generally laid down shortly after sunset,
and presently their fat, jolly little friend, duck-like, comes
waddling into their yard, with her companions and slaves, to offer
them the evening salutations, and enter into the usual familiar
discourse. This was commonly preceded by a large potation of palm
wine, which was always relished with a loud and peculiar smack,
expressive of the pleasure and satisfaction afforded by so copious a
draught, and betokening also much internal warmth and comfort. The
officious slaves having spread mats for the purpose, directly in
front of their recess, their lady visitor and her associates,
together with their ill-natured host, who had by this time joined the
party, squatted themselves down in a circle, and under the
inspiration of the fermented juice, maintained a pretty animated
conversation, till the wine was all expended and sleep weighed their
eyelids down. For themselves they had little of any thing to say,
because the Landers were pretty nearly as ignorant of their language,
as they were of theirs, and interpretation is unfavourable to the
contagion of social felicity. Nevertheless, it was highly diverting
to watch the influence of the palm wine on their looks, language, and
ideas. The flushed countenance is invisible in a black lady, but then
she has the liquid and unsettled eye, the proneness to talk with
irresistible garrulity, the gentle simper, or the bursting laugh at
any trifle, or at nothing at all; and to wind up the list of
symptoms, she has that complaisant idea of her own good points, and
superior qualifications, which elicit her own approbation, without
exciting the applauses of her associates, and which distinguishes the
inexperienced male reveller in every part of the globe. All these
were observable in their talkative little friend, as well as in her
companions. It was also a relief to contemplate from their resting
place, the peace and harmony of the little party before them, so
entirely different from the boisterous one without; because it gave
them a comfortable sense of their own security, which they should not
certainly have entertained, had they been left to their own
reflections, and when, after a good deal of turning and restlessness
they at length fell into a disagreeable and unrefreshing dose, and
were attacked by that hideous phantom, nightmare, which was often the
case; starting up in fright from the assassin's knife, which they
could scarcely persuade themselves to be unreal; it was pleasant to
fix their eyes upon their comical little visitor, with her round
shining face, and her jolly companions; all apprehension of mischief
immediately vanished, and a truly pleasing effect was produced upon
their minds and spirits. The breaking up of the party on the outside,
was a signal for their friends also to depart. When rising from her
mat, the mistress, after shaking hands, wished them good night in a
thick tremulous tone, and waddled out of their yard in a direction,
which Hogarth denominates the line of beauty, she returned home to
her husband, who was a valetudinarian. Thus passed their evenings,
and thus much of their solitary Eboe friend.