Richard Lander had determined that one of his men should accompany
him down the river, and at ten o'clock, having taken leave of his
brother and the rest of the party, they embarked in King Boy's canoe,
with a light heart and an anxious mind: although distant about sixty
miles from the mouth of the river, his journey appeared to him
already completed, and all his troubles and difficulties, he
considered at an end. Already, in fond anticipation, he was on board
the brig, and had found a welcome reception from her commander had
related to him all the hardships and dangers they had undergone, and
had been listened to with commiseration; already had he assured
himself of his doing all he could to enable him to fulfil his
engagements with these people, and thought themselves happy in
finding a vessel belonging to their own country in the river at the
time of their arrival. These meditations and a train of others about
home and friends, to which they naturally led, occupied his mind as
the canoe passed through the narrow creeks, sometimes winding under
avenues of mangrove trees, and at others expanding into small lakes
occasioned by the overflowing of the river. The captain of the canoe,
a tall sturdy fellow, was standing up, directing its course,
occasionally hallooing as they came to a turn in the creek, to the
fetish, and where an echo was returned half a glass of rum and a
piece of yam and fish were thrown into the water. Lander had seen
this done before, and on asking Boy the reason why he was throwing
away the provisions thus, he asked, "Did you not hear the fetish?"
The captain of the canoe replied, "Yes." "That is for the fetish,"
said Boy, "if we do not feed him, and do good for him, he will kill
us, or make us poor and sick." Lander could not help smiling at the
ignorance of the poor creatures, but such is their firm belief.
They had pursued their course in this manner, which had been
principally to the west, till about three in the afternoon, when they
came to a branch of the river about two hundred yards wide, and
seeing a small village at a short distance before them, they stopped
there for the purpose of obtaining some dried fish. Having supplied
their wants and proceeded on, about an hour afterwards they again
stopped, that their people might take some refreshment. Boy very
kindly presented Lander with a large piece of yam, reserving to
himself all the fish they had got at the village, and after making a
hearty meal off them, he fell asleep. While he was snoring by
Lander's side, the remainder of the fish attracted his notice, and
not feeling half satisfied with the yam which had been given him, he
felt an irresistible inclination to taste them. Conscience acquitted
him on the score of hunger, and hinted that such an opportunity
should not be lost, and accordingly, he very quickly demolished two
small ones. Although entirely raw, they were delicious, and he never
remembered having enjoyed anything with a better relish in all his
life.
There was scarcely a spot of dry land to be seen anywhere, all was
covered with water and mangrove trees. After remaining about half an
hour, they again proceeded, and at seven in the evening arrived in
the second Brass River, which was a large branch of the Quorra. They
kept their course down it about due south, and half an hour
afterwards, Lander heard the welcome sound of the surf on the beach.
They still continued onwards, and at a quarter before eight in the
evening, they made their canoe fast to a tree for the night, on the
west bank of the river.
On the following morning, Lander found his clothes as thoroughly wet
from the effects of the dew, as if he had been lying in the river all
night instead of the canoe. At five in the morning, they let go the
rope from the tree, and took their course in a westerly direction up
a creek. At seven they arrived in the main branch of the Quorra,
which is called the River Nun, or the First Brass River, having
entered it opposite to a large branch, which, from the information
given by King Boy, ran to Benin. The direction of the River Nun was
here nearly north and south, and they kept on their course down the
stream.
About a quarter an hour after they had entered the river Nun, they
discerned at a distance from them, two vessels lying at anchor. The
emotions of delight which the sight of them occasioned were beyond
the power of Lander to describe. The nearest was a schooner, a
Spanish slave vessel, whose captain they had seen at Brass Town.
Their canoe was quickly by her side, and Lander went on board. The
captain received him very kindly, and invited him to take some
spirits and water with him. He complained sadly of the sickly state
of the crew, asserting that the river was extremely unhealthy, and
that he had only been in it six weeks, in which time he had lost as
many men. The remainder of his crew, consisting of thirty persons,
were in such a reduced state, that they were scarcely able to move,
and were lying about his decks, more resembling skeletons man living
persons. Lander could do no good with the Spaniard, so he took his
leave of him, and returned into the canoe.
They now directed their course to the English brig, which was lying
about three hundred yards lower down the river. Having reached her,
with feelings of delight, mingled with doubt, Lander went on board.
Here he found every thing in as sad a condition, as he had in the
schooner, four of the crew had just died of fever, four more which
completed the whole, were lying sick in their hammocks, and the
captain himself appeared to be in the very last stage of illness. He
had recovered from a severe attack of fever, and having suffered a
relapse in consequence of having exposed himself too soon, which had
been nearly fatal to him, Lander now stated to him who he was,
explained his situation to him as fully as he could, and had his
instructions read to him by one of his own people, that he might see
there was no intention to impose upon him. Lander then requested that
he would redeem them by paying what had been demanded by King Boy,
and assured him, that whatever he might give to him on their account
would certainly be repaid him by the British government. To the utter
surprise, however, of Lander, he flatly refused to give a single
thing, ill and weak as he was, made use of the most offensive and the
most shameful oaths, which he ever heard. Petrified amazement, and
horror-struck at such conduct, Lander shrunk from him with terror. He
could scarcely believe what he had heard, till his ears were assailed
by a repetition of the same oaths. Disappointed beyond measure, by
such brutal conduct from one of his own countrymen, he could not have
believed it possible, his feelings completely overpowered him, and he
was ready to sink with grief and shame. He was now undetermined how
to act, or what course to pursue. Never in his life did he feel such
humiliation as at this moment. In his way through the country he had
been treated well; he had been in the habit of making such presents
as had been expected from them, and above all, they had maintained
their character amongst the natives, by keeping their promises. This
was now no longer in his power, as his means were all expended, and
when as a last, and as he had imagined, a certain resource, he had
promised the price of his ransom should be paid by the first of his
countrymen that he might meet with, on the best of all securities, to
be thus refused and dishonoured by him, would, he knew, degrade them
sadly in the opinion of the natives, if it did not lessen them in
their own.
As there were no hopes that the captain of this vessel would pay any
thing for them, he went on board the canoe again, and told King Boy,
that he must take him to Bonny, as a number of English ships were
there. "No, no," said he, "dis captain no pay, Bonny captain no pay.
I won't take you any further." As this would not do, Lander again had
recourse to the captain, and implored him to do something for him,
telling him that if he would only let him have ten muskets, Boy might
be content with them, when he found that he could get nothing else.
The only reply Lander received was; "I have told you already I will
not let you have even a flint, so bother me no more." "But I have a
brother and eight people at Brass Town," said Lander to him, "and if
you do not intend to pay King Boy, at least persuade him to bring
them here, or else he will poison or starve my brother, before I can
get any assistance from a man of war, and sell all my people." The
only answer given was; "If you can get them on board, I will take
them away, but as I have told you before, you do not get a flint from
me." Lander then endeavoured to persuade Boy to go back for his
people, and that he should be paid some time or other. "Yes," said
the captain, "make haste and bring them." Boy very naturally required
some of his goods before he went, and it was with no small
difficulty, that Lander prevailed on him afterwards to go without
them.
The captain of the brig now inquired what men Lander had, and on his
telling him he had two seamen, and three others, who might be useful
to him in working his vessel, his tone and manner began to soften. He
fully agreed with Lander, that they might be useful in getting the
brig out of the river, as half of his crew were dead, and the other
half sick, so Lander took courage and asked him for a piece of beef
to send to his brother, and a small quantity of rum, which he readily
gave. Lander knew that his brother as well as himself, much needed a
change of linen, but he could not venture to ask such a thing from
the captain with much hopes of success, so the cook of the brig,
appearing to be a respectable sort of a man, an application was made
to him, and he produced instantly three white shirts. King Boy was
now ready to depart, not a little discontented, and Lander sent his
own man in the canoe, with the few things which he had been able to
obtain, and a note for his brother. The latter was desired to give
Antonio an order on any English captain that he might find at Bonny,
for his wages, and also one for the Damaggoo people, that they might
receive the small present he had promised to their good old chief,
who had treated them so well. At two in the afternoon, King Boy took
his departure, promising to return with John Lander and his people in
three days, but grumbling much at not having been paid his goods.
Lander endeavoured to make himself as comfortable as he could in the
vessel, and thinking that the captain might change his behaviour
towards him, when he got better, he determined to have as little to
say to him till then as possible. On the following day, Captain Lake
appeared to be much better, and Lander ventured to ask him for a
change of linen, of which he was in great want. This request was
immediately complied with, and he enjoyed a luxury which he had not
experienced a long time. In the course of the morning, Lander
conversed with him about his travels in the country, and related the
whole of the particulars of the manner in which they had been
attacked and plundered at Kirree. He then explained to him how King
Boy had saved them from slavery in the Eboe country, and how much
they felt indebted to him for it. He endeavoured particularly to
impress this on his mind, as he still hoped to bring him round to pay
what he had promised. Having laid all before him as fully as he was
able, and pointed out to him the bad opinion which Boy would have of
them, and the injurious tendency towards Englishmen in general, that
would result from not keeping their word with him, which it was in
his power to enable them to do, he ventured to ask him to give him
ten muskets for his bill on government. He listened apparently with
great attention to his story, but Lander no sooner advanced his
wants, than with a furious oath, he repeated his refusal, and finding
him as determined as ever he had been, he mentioned it no more. He
moreover told him in the most unkind and petulant manner, "If your
brother and people are not here in three days, I go without them."
This, it was believed, he would not do, as the men would be of
service to him, but Boy had given his promise, that they should be at
the vessel in that time.
In the middle of the day, the pilot who had brought the vessel into
the river, came on board and demanded payment for it, which gave
Lander an opportunity of seeing more of the disposition of Mr. Lake.
The pilot had no sooner made his business known, than Lake flew into
a violent passion, cursing and abusing him in the most disgusting
language he could use; he refused to pay him any thing whatever, and
ordered him to go out of the ship immediately. Whether Lake was right
or wrong in this, Lander knew not, but he was shocked at his
expressions, and the pilot reluctantly went away, threatening that he
would sink his vessel, if he offered to leave the river without
paying him his due. He was rather surprised to hear such language
from the pilot, and doubted his meaning, until he found that he had a
battery of seven brass guns at the town on the eastern side of the
river, near its entrance, which, if well managed, might soon produce
that effect. This town, as before observed, is named Pilot's Town,
being the established residence of those who conduct vessels over the
bar.
On the following day, Lander inquired of Capt. Lake, whether, when
they left the river, he would take them to Fernando Po. This,
however, he again refused, saying that the island had been given up;
that there was not a single white man on it, and that no assistance
could be got there, but that if all the people should arrive by the
morning of the 23rd, he would land them at Bimbia, a small island in
the river Cameroons, whither he was going to complete his cargo, and
at this island he said that Lander would find a white man, who kept a
store for Captain Smith. Lander was quite satisfied with this
arrangement, feeling assured that he should get every thing he might
want from him.
Lander's chief concern was now about his brother, and he much feared
that the vessel would sail without him, for there was no dependence
on the captain, so little did he care for them, or the object for
which they had visited the country. Lander took an opportunity of
begging him, in the event of his brother and the men not arriving by
the 23rd, to wait a little longer for them, asserting at the same
time, that if he went away without them, they would be assuredly
starved or sold as slaves, before he could return to them with
assistance. He might just as well have addressed himself to the
wind--"I can't help it, I shall wait no longer," was the only reply
he made, in a surly, hasty tone, which was a convincing proof that
all attempts to reason with him would be fruitless.
In the afternoon, the chief mate and three Kroomen were sent away by
his direction to sound the bar of the river, to know whether there
was sufficient depth of water for the vessel to pass over it. The
pilot, who had been dismissed so peremptorily on the preceding day,
was determined to have his revenge, and being naturally on the look
out, had observed the movements of the boat; so favourable an
opportunity was not to be lost, and accordingly watching her, he
despatched an armed canoe, and intercepted her return at the mouth of
the river. The mate of the brig and one of the Kroomen were quickly
made prisoners and conveyed to Pilot's Town, and the boat with the
remainder sent back with a message to the captain, that they would
not be given up until the pilotage should be paid. Lake must have
felt somewhat annoyed at this, but whether he did or not, he treated
it with the greatest indifference, saying that he did not care, he
would go to sea without his mate or the Kroomen either, and that he
was determined not to pay the pilotage.
On the 22nd of December, the anxiety of Lander for his brother's
safety made him extremely unhappy, and during the whole of the day he
was on the look out for him; Lake, observing the distress he was in,
told him not to trouble himself any more about him, adding, that he
was sure he was dead, and that he need not expect to see him again.
"If he had been alive," said Lake, "he would have been here by this
time, to-morrow morning I shall leave the river." Such inhuman and
unfeeling conduct from this man only tended to increase Lander's
dislike for him, and without paying him any attention, he kept
looking out for his party. So great was his anxiety that he was on
the look out long after dusk, nor could he sleep during the whole of
the night.
The 23rd arrived, the day fixed for the departure, but to the great
joy of Lander, and the mortification of Lake, the sea breeze was so
strong that it raised a considerable surf on the bar, and prevented
them from getting out. This was a most anxious time for Lander, and
the whole of the day his eyes were riveted to the part of the river
where he knew his brother must come. The whole day passed in tedious
watching, and the night was far spent without any tidings of him.
About midnight he saw several large canoes making their way over to
the west bank of the river, in one of which he imagined that he could
distinguish his brother. He observed them soon after landing, and saw
by the fires which they made, that they had encamped under some
mangrove trees. All his fears and apprehensions vanished in an
instant, and he was overjoyed with the thoughts of meeting his
brother in the morning.
The captain of the brig having observed them, suddenly exclaimed,
"Now we shall have a little fighting to-morrow, go you and load
seventeen muskets, and put five buck shot into each. I will take care
that the cannon shall be loaded to the muzzle with balls and flints,
and if there is any row, I will give them such a scouring as they
never had." He then directed Lander to place the muskets and
cutlasses out of sight, near the stern of the vessel, and said to
him, "The instant that your people come on board, call them aft, and
let them stand by the arms. Tell them, if there is any row to arm
themselves directly, and drive all the Brass people overboard." This
was summary work with a vengeance, and every thing betokened that
Lake was in earnest. Lander saw clearly that he was resolved on
adopting severe measures, and he appeared to possess all the
determination necessary to carry them through.
Lander could not help feeling otherwise than distressed and
ashamed of leaving the Brass people in this manner, but he had no
alternative, there was no one to whom he could apply for assistance
in his present situation, except the captain of the vessel, and to
him he had applied in vain. His entreaties were thrown away on him,
and even the certainty of an ample recompense by the British
government, which had been held out to him, had been treated with
contempt. He, therefore, had no hopes from that quarter. Boy had
refused to take them to Bonny, asserting that if he could not be paid
here, he should not be paid there, and to go back to Brass Town would
be deliberately returning to starvation. His last resource,
therefore, was to put the best face on the business which he could,
and as no other plan was left him, to get away by fair means or foul,
and let the blame fall where it was incurred.
Early on the following morning, Lander was on the look out for his
brother, and soon observed him and the people get into the canoe.
They were no sooner embarked than they all landed again, which could
be accounted for in no other way, than by supposing that it was the
intention of Boy to keep them on shore, until he had received the
goods. He was, however, not long in this state of anxiety, for about
seven o'clock, they embarked and were brought on board.
The following is the account which John Lander gave, of the events
which fell under his notice at Brass Town, and his proceedings during
the time that he was separated from his brother.
Wednesday, November 17th. "This morning, my brother, attended by one
of our men, quitted this town with King Boy and suite, leaving the
remainder of the party and myself behind, as hostages for the
fulfilment of the conditions, which we entered into with him in the
Eboe country. For myself, though greatly chagrined at this unforeseen
arrangement, I could not from my heart, altogether condemn the framer
of it; for it is quite natural to suppose that a savage should
distrust the promises of Europeans, when he himself is at all times
guilty of breach of faith and trust, not only in his trading
transactions with foreigners, but likewise in familiar intercourse
with his own people. Forday is the cause of it, and he displays all
the artifice, chicanery, and low cunning of a crafty and corrupt
mind. Therefore, after a moment's reflection, I was not much
surprised at the step which King Boy has taken, nor can I be very
angry with him, and I am resolved to await with composure his return,
and consequently my release from this miserable place, though I have
begun to consider with seriousness, what will become of us, in the
event of Lake's refusal to honour the bill which we have sent him.
Besides, I am rather uneasy on our people's account, for during these
two or three days past, they have had scarcely any thing to eat, and
we are now left entirely destitute, nor do I know where to obtain
relief. The Damaggoo people are with us likewise, and they are
interested in my brother's return, equally as much as myself. Instead
of being our guides and protectors, these poor creatures have shared
in our calamity; their little all has either been lost or stolen, or
else expended in provisions, and like us, they are reduced to great
distress and wretchedness. They will remain here, in order to receive
the few things which we have promised them and their chief, but
should Lake object to part with his goods, we shall give them a note
to the master of any English vessel at Bonny, whither they are
destined to go, requesting him to pay the poor strangers their
demands.
"After a good deal of solicitation and importunity, we received this
morning four small yams from the wives of King Boy, who informed us
that the same number of yams will be given us daily. Our people
having nothing else to eat, made a kind of broth with this vegetable;
at first it was, of course, a most insipid mess, but with the
addition of a little salt, it is rendered more palatable. We sent to
King Forday in the afternoon, for a few plantains, or any thing that
could be eaten, but the gloomy old savage shook his head, folded his
arms, and refused.
"Nothing could exceed my regret and consternation on the perusal of
the letter which I received from my brother, and somehow, I almost
dreaded to meet with King Boy. Well knowing how much it would
influence his behaviour towards us, we had been careful to represent
to that individual, the thanks and cheering which he would receive
from our countrymen, the moment he should take us on board the
English brig, that he would be favoured and caressed beyond measure,
and receive plenty of beef, bread, and rum. His face used to shine
with delight on anticipating so luxurious a treat, and he had
uniformly been in a better humour, after listening to these promises
of ours, than any thing else could have made him. The contrast
between his actual reception on board Lake's ship, to that which his
own fancy and our repeated assurances had taught him to expect, was
too dreadful to think on even for a moment, and for this reason, as
much as any other, I looked forward with something of apprehension
and anxiety to an interview with this savage, because I knew, that
after the cutting disappointment which he had experienced, he would
be under the influence of strongly excited feelings, and stormy
passions, over which he exercises no control. I was convinced too,
that the whole weight of his resentment, and the fury of his rage,
would fall upon me, for I am completely in his power.
"The interesting moment at length arrived. We heard King Boy
quarrelling with his women, and afterwards walking through their
apartments towards ours, muttering as he went along. He entered it,
and stood still; I was reposing, as I usually do for the greater part
of the day, upon a mat which is placed on the seat of wet clay, but
on perceiving him, I lifted my head without arising, and reclined it
on my hand. He looked fixedly upon me, and I returned his glance with
the same unshrinking steadfastness. But his dark eye was flashing
with anger, whilst his upturned lip, which exposed his white teeth,
quivered with passion. No face in the world could convey more
forcibly to the mind the feeling of contempt and bitter scorn, than
the distorted one before me. It was dreadfully expressive, drawing up
the left angle of his mouth in a parallel with his eyes, he broke
silence, with a sneering, long-drawn 'Eh!' and almost choked with
rage, he cursed me; and in a tone and manner, which it is infinitely
out of my power to describe, he spoke to the following effect: 'You
are thief, man; English captain, no will! You assured me, when I took
you from the Eboe country, that he would be overjoyed to see me, and
give me plenty of beef and rum; I received from him neither the one
nor the other. Eh! English captain, no will! I gave a quantity of
goods to free you from the slavery of Obie; I took you into my own
canoe; you were hungry, and I gave you yam and fish; you were almost
naked, I was sorry to see you so, because you were white men and
strangers, and I gave each of you a red cap and a silk handkerchief;
but you are no good, you are thief, man. Eh! English captain, no
will; he no will. You also told me your countrymen would do this
(taking off his cap, and flourishing it in circles over his head,)
and cry hurra! hurra! on receiving me on board their vessel; you
promised my wife a necklace, and my father, four bars. But eh!
English captain, no will! he tell me he no will: yes, I will satisfy
your hunger with plenty more of my fish and yams, and your thirst I
will quench with rum and palm wine. Eh! you thief man, you are no
good, English captain, no will!' He then stamped on the ground, and
gnashing at me with his teeth like a dog, he cursed me again and
again.
"It is true I did not feel perfectly easy at this severe rebuke, and
under such taunting reproaches; but I refrained from giving utterance
to a single thought till after he had concluded his abuse and
anathematizing. Had a spirited person been in my situation, he might
have knocked him down, and might have had his head taken off for his
pains, but as for me, all such kind of spirit is gone out of me
entirely. Besides we had, though unintentionally, deceived King Boy,
and I also bore in mind the kindness which he had done us, in
ransoming us from a state of slavery. Most of what he had asserted
was most unquestionably true, and in some measure, I was deserving
his severest reprehension and displeasure.
"The fury of Boy having been somewhat appeased by my silence and
submission, as well as by his own extraordinary and violent
agitation, I ventured mildly to assure him, on the strength of my
brother's letter, that his suspicions were entirely groundless, that
Mr. Lake had certainly a _will_ or inclination to enter into
arrangements with him for the payment of his just demands, and that
when he should convey our people and myself to the Thomas, every
thing would be settled to his complete satisfaction. He half
believed, half mistrusted my words, and shortly afterwards quitted
the apartment, threatening, however, that we should not leave Brass
till it suited his own pleasure and convenience.
"It is really a most humiliating reflection, that we are reduced to
the most contemptible subterfuges of deceit and falsehood, in order
to carry a point which might have been easily gained by
straightforward integrity. But the conduct of Lake has left us no
alternative, and whatever my opinion of that individual may be, he
surely must be destitute of all those manly characteristics of a
British seaman, as well as of the more generous feelings of our
common nature, to be guilty, on a sick bed, of an action which might,
for aught he knew or cared, produce the most serious consequences to
his unfortunate countrymen in a savage land, by exposing them to the
wretchedness of want, and the miseries of slavery, to mockery,
ill-usage, contempt, and scorn, and even to death itself.
"November 20th. King Boy has not visited us to-day, though we have
received the customary allowance of four yams from his women. In
addition to which, Adizzetta made us a present of half a dozen this
morning, as an acknowledgment for the benefit she had derived from a
dose of laudanum, which I gave her last night, for the purpose of
removing pain from the lower regions of the stomach, a complaint by
which she says she is occasionally visited.
"This morning, November 21st, I dismissed the poor Damaggoo people,
with a note to either of the English vessels lying in the Bonny
river, requesting him to give the bearer three barrels of gunpowder,
and a few muskets, On the faith of being paid for the same by the
British government. They left Brass in their own canoe, quite
dejected and out of heart, and Antonio, the young man who volunteered
to accompany us from his majesty's brig, Clinker, at Badagry, went
along with them, on his return to his country, from which he has been
absent two or three years.
"The following day, one or two crafty little urchins, who are slaves
to King Boy, brought us a few plantains as a gift. They had been
engaged in pilfering tobacco leaves from an adjoining apartment, to
which our people were witnesses, and the juvenile depredators,
fearing the consequences of a disclosure, bribed them to secrecy in
the manner already mentioned. Boy's women have also been guilty,
during the temporary absence of their lord and master, of stealing a
quantity of rum from the store room, and distributing it amongst
their friends and acquaintance, and they have resorted to the same
plan as the boys, to prevent the exposure, which they dreaded. One of
them, who acts as a duenna, is the favourite and confidante of Boy,
and she wears a bunch of keys round her neck in token of her
authority. She has likewise the care of all her master's effects, and
as a further mark of distinction, she is allowed the privilege of
using a walking-stick with a knob at the end, which is her constant
companion. This woman is exceedingly good-natured, and indulges our
men with a glass or two of rum every day.
"Last evening, King Boy stripped to the skin, and having his body
most hideously marked, ran about the town like a maniac with a spear
in his hand, calling loudly on _Dju dju_, and uttering a wild,
frantic cry at every corner. It appears that one of his father's
wives had been strongly suspected of adulterous intercourse with a
free man residing in the town, and that this strange means was
adopted, in pursuance of an ancient custom, to apprize the
inhabitants publicly of the circumstance, and implore the counsel and
assistance of the god at the examination of the parties. This morning
the male aggressor was found dead, having swallowed poison, it is
believed, to avoid a worse kind of death, and the priest declaring
his opinion of the guilt of the surviving party, she was immediately
sentenced to be drowned. This afternoon, the ill-fated woman was tied
hand and foot, and conveyed in a canoe to the main body of the river,
into which she was thrown without hesitation, a weight of some kind
having been fastened to her feet for the purpose of sinking her. She
met her death with incredible firmness and resolution. The
superstitious people believe, that had the deceased been innocent of
the crime laid to her charge, their god would have saved her life,
even after she had been flung into the river; but because she had
perished, her guilt was unquestionably attested. The mother of the
deceased is not allowed to display any signs of sorrow or sadness at
the untimely death of her daughter, for were she to do so, the same
dreadful punishment would be inflicted upon her, 'For,' say the Brass
people, 'if the parent should mourn or weep over the fate of a child
guilty of so heinous a crime, we should pronounce her instantly to be
as criminal as her daughter, and to have tolerated her offence. But
if, on the contrary, she betrays no maternal tenderness, nor bewail
her bereavement in tears and groans, we should then conclude her to
be entirely ignorant of the whole transaction; she would then give a
tacit acknowledgment to the justice of the sentence, and rejoice to
be rid of an object that would only entail disgrace on her as long as
she lived.
"Our people are become heartily tired of their situation, and
impatient to be gone; they were regaled with an extra quantity of rum
last evening, by their female friend, the duenna; when their
grievances appearing to them in a more grievous light than ever, they
had the courage to go in a body to King Boy, to demand an explanation
of his intentions towards them. They told him, indignantly, either to
convey them to the English brig, or sell them for slaves to the
Spaniards, 'For,' say they, 'we would rather lose our liberty, than
be kept here to die of hunger.' Boy returned them an equivocating
answer, but treated them much less roughly than I had reason to
anticipate. Afterwards, I went myself to the same individual, and
with a similar motive, but for some time I had no opportunity of
conversing with him. It is a kind of holiday here, and most of the
Brass people, with their chiefs, are merry with intoxication. As well
as I can understand, during the earlier part of the day they were
engaged in a solemn, religious observance, and since then King Forday
has publicly abdicated in favour of Boy, who is his eldest son. I
discovered those individuals in a court annexed to the habitation of
the former, surrounded by a great number of individuals with bottles,
glasses, and decanters at their feet; they were all in a state of
drunkenness, more or less; and all had their faces and bodies chalked
over in rude and various characters. Forday, alone, sat in a chair,
Boy was at his side, and the others, amongst whom was our friend Gun
and a drummer, were sitting around on blocks of wood, and on the
trunk of a fallen tree. The chairman delivered a long oration, but he
was too tipsy, and perhaps too full of days to speak with grace,
animation, or power; therefore his eloquence was not very persuasive,
and his nodding hearers, overcome with drowsiness, listened to him
with scarcely any attention. They smiled, however, and laughed
occasionally, but I could not find why they did so; I don't think
they themselves could tell. The old chief wore an English superfine
beaver hat, and an old jacket, that once belonged to a private
soldier, but the latter was so small that he was able only to thrust
an arm into one of the sleeves, the other part of the jacket being
thrown upon his left shoulder. These, with the addition of a cotton
handkerchief, which was tied round his waist, were his only apparel.
By far the most showy and conspicuous object in the yard, was an
immense umbrella, made of figured cotton of different patterns, with
a deep fringe of coloured worsted, which was stuck into the ground.
But even this was tattered and torn, and dirty withal, having been in
Forday's possession for many years, and it is only used on public and
sacred occasions. I had been sitting amongst the revellers till the
speaker had finished his harangue, when I embraced the opportunity,
as they were about to separate, of entreating King Boy to hasten our
departure for the vessel. He was highly excited and elated with
liquor, and being in excellent temper, he promised to take us
to-morrow.
"It required little time on the following day, to take leave of a few
friends we have at Brass, and we quitted the town not only without
regret, but with emotions of peculiar pleasure. King Boy, with three
of his women, and his suite in a large canoe, and our people and
myself in a smaller one. Adizzetta would gladly have accompanied her
husband to the English vessel, for her desire to see it was naturally
excessive; but she was forbidden by old Forday, who expressed some
squeamishness about the matter, or rather he was jealous that on her
return to her father's house in the Eboe country, she would give too
high and favourable an opinion of it to her friends, which might in
the end produce consequences highly prejudicial to his interests.
"We stopped awhile at a little fishing village, at no great distance
from Brass, where we procured a few fish, and abundance of young
cocoa nuts, the milk of which was sweet and refreshing. Continuing
our journey on streams and rivulets intricately winding through
mangroves and brambles, we entered the main body of the river in time
to see the sun setting behind a glorious sky, directly before us. We
were evidently near the sea, because the water was perfectly salt,
and we scented also the cool and bracing sea breeze, with feelings of
satisfaction and rapture. However, the wind became too stormy for our
fragile canoe; the waves leaped into it over the bow, and several
times we were in danger of being swamped. Our companion was far
before us, and out of sight, so that, for the moment, there was no
probability of receiving assistance, or of lightening the canoe, but,
happily, in a little while we did not require it, for the violence of
the wind abating with the disappearance of the sun, we were enabled
to continue on our way without apprehension. About nine o'clock in
the evening, we overtook the large canoe and the crews, both having
partaken of a slight refreshment of fish and plantain together, we
passed the _Second Brass River_, which was to the left of us, in
company. Here it might have been somewhat more than half a mile in
breadth, and though it was dangerously rough for a canoe, with great
precaution we reached the opposite side in safety. From thence, we
could perceive in the distance, the long wished for Atlantic, with
the moonbeams reposing in peaceful beauty on its surface, and could
also hear the sea breaking, and roaring over the sandy bar, which
stretches across the mouth of the river. The solemn voice of Ocean
never sounded more melodiously in my ear, than it did at this moment.
O it was enchanting as the harp of David! Passing along by the left
bank, we presently entered the First Brass River, which is the _Nun_
of Europeans, where at midnight we could faintly distinguish the
masts and rigging of the English brig in the dusky light, which
appeared like a dark and fagged cloud above the horizon. To me,
however, no sight could be more charming. It was beautiful as the
gates of Paradise, and my heart fluttered with unspeakable delight,
as we landed in silence on the beach opposite the brig, near a few
straggling huts, to wait impatiently the dawn of to-morrow.
"The morning of the 24th was a happy one, for it restored me to the
society of my brother, and of my countrymen. The baneful effects of
the climate are strongly impressed upon the countenances of the
latter, who, instead of their natural healthy hue, have a pale,
dejected, and sickly appearance, which is quite distressing to
witness. However, the crew of the Spanish schooner look infinitely
more wretched; they have little else but their original forms
remaining; they crawl about like beings under a curse they are mere
shadows or phantoms of men, looking round for their burying place. No
spectacle can be more humiliating to man's pride than this; nothing
can give him a more degrading sense of his own nothingness. It is
very much to be wondered at why Europeans, and Englishmen in
particular, persevere in sending their fellow creatures to this
Aceldama, or Golgotha, as the African coast is sometimes not
inappropriately called; they might as well bury them at once at home,
and it is pleasanter far to die there; but interest, and the lust of
gain, like Aaron's rod, seem to swallow up every other consideration."