Departure from Kirree — Method of trading — Character of the natives —
An unhappy slave — Superstitions of the canoe-men respecting the
travellers — Stopped by fog — Pass through a lake — Arrival at Eboe Town
— The King’s Palace — Description of King Obie — Interview with him —
The Eboe People — Trade of Eboe Town — Disputes of the natives
respecting the travellers — Decision of King Obie respecting them —
Their disappointment — An Eboe Lady — Arrangements for leaving Eboe.
_Saturday, November 6._—My brother felt quite feverish this morning, and
I was very unwell, yet we had nothing to eat, nor anything to purchase
it with. At sun-rise our canoe was taken from before Kirree market-
place, to the little sand-bank or island in the middle of the river,
where we waited till nine o’clock for the coming of two war-canoes,
which it has been resolved should convoy us to the Eboe country, which
we understand is situated three days’ journey hence down the Niger. A
head man from one of them stepped into ours, though as it was we had
scarcely room enough to move a limb. The sunken canoe had been got up
again; the Damuggoo people had regained their slaves, having lost only
cloth and ivory, for which they are told they will be recompensed by the
king of the Eboe country on arriving there; so that this circumstance
seemed to have revived their hopes a little, and to have inspired them
with fresh life and spirits, which one could scarcely expect from
individuals that had so recently been half drowned, beaten, and
otherwise ill-used. Nevertheless, though our loss far exceeded theirs,
we were as cheerful as they. Our minds had been relieved from a painful
state of anxiety; we now looked forward to our journey down the river
with the most pleasing anticipations; and even in our forlorn condition
we profited by the lesson we had received, and rejoiced that our
situation was no worse. Our thoughts were once more turned on home; we
quickly resumed our former cheerfulness; the freshness of the morning
gave us new vigour, and we ardently wished to set out.
At seven in the morning we bade adieu to Kirree, the scene of all our
sorrows, accompanied by six large war-canoes, and again took our station
with the Damuggoo people. The canoe once more darted along at a great
rate, the men, as they applied their whole strength to their paddles,
gave us a song of their country, which seemed to animate them to still
greater exertion. Our minds were well prepared to enjoy it; and in no
part of the country have we listened to a native song with so much
pleasure and gratification.
At nine in the morning we passed two beautiful islands, not far from the
place where we had been first attacked. These were uninhabited and
nearly in the middle of the river, which is about three miles broad. The
direction of it seemed to be about south-west, or rather more westerly,
but having lost our compass with the rest of our things yesterday, we
are now quite at a loss for the direction of the river, and can only
form an opinion from the place of the sun. At intervals of two or three
miles we observed large towns and villages on the banks, which at a
short distance from the river became high. Our canoe people being
afraid, I suppose, of the inhabitants, and perhaps being at war with
them, would not go near them, although they were in want of yams.
At eleven A.M., the people laid in their paddles, and allowed the canoe
to drift down the river, while they took their breakfast.
Besides our convoy, we had a _sumpter-canoe_ in company, belonging to
the Eboe people, from which the others were supplied with dressed
provisions. For our own part, we had neither money nor needles, nor
indeed anything to purchase a meal; and knowing this to be the case, our
sable guardians neglected to take into consideration the state of our
stomachs. However, we felt no very strong inclination to join them in
their repast, though on one occasion we were invited to do so, for we
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. This was the reason for the
unconquerable aversion we felt to partake of their food. The natives,
however, are not equally squeamish about such trifles, and compassionate
our want of taste in not relishing their savoury banquet. With their
yams they generally have a little fish, either smoked and dried, or
fresh from the stream; but on very particular occasions, instead of
fish, a young kid, roasted with its skin and hair, is substituted. In
eating, they use the fingers only, and every one dips his hand into the
same dish. This custom is universal. It is the same amongst the Moors in
Barbary, and the Arabs and Mahomedans in India, and perhaps in many
other countries in the world.
Had it not been for the above filthy method of preparing their repast,
we should not have hesitated in joining them, having eaten nothing
either to-day or yesterday, but a small piece of a banana. Half an hour
was thus passed, when the men took their paddles again, and the canoes
moved on at a swift rate. The river became more winding in its course,
and the banks were covered with large trees which hung over the water.
At four in the afternoon we halted to purchase yams at a town on the
bank of the river, which was nearly hid from our sight amidst the trees
and thick underwood. The canoes having reached the bank, five of the
canoemen landed well armed, and proceeded to the town. They had been
absent an hour, when they again made their appearance, followed by a
great many people carrying bundles. They were also accompanied by one
old woman, who appeared to be a person of consequence. It appears that
the natives in this part of the river are such outrageous and lawless
fellows, that they are mistrustful of each other even in the smallest
communication, and we had an opportunity of seeing how far this was
carried.
The object of our visit was to purchase yams, and our people had
succeeded in getting the villagers to bring some down to the canoes.
These people, however, had armed themselves either with a gun or sword,
as well as our own, and had no women among them, excepting the old one
above-mentioned. Having arrived at the bank of the river, the old woman
directed all the yams to be placed in a row before our people, and in
distinct and separate bundles, and the owners to retire to a short
distance, which order was implicitly obeyed. The purchaser now inspected
the bundles, and having selected one to his satisfaction, which might
contain the finest yams, placed what he considered to be its value by
the side of it, consisting of cloth, flints, &c. The old lady looking on
all the time, if in her opinion it was sufficient to give, takes up the
cloth and gives it to the owner of the bundle, and the purchaser
likewise takes away the yams. But on the contrary, if the cloth, or
whatever was thus offered by the purchaser, is not considered sufficient
by the old woman, she allows it to remain a short time to give him an
opportunity of adding something else to his offer. If this were not
done, the owner of the yams was directed by the old woman to take them
and move them back out of the way, leaving what had been offered for
them to be taken away also. All this was carried on without a word
passing between the parties, and the purchase of a sufficient number of
yams by our people occupied three hours. It was something quite novel to
see two large parties of people bartering commodities in this manner;
and the apparent unconcern and determination with which the old woman
held out, when she considered the price offered for the yams not
sufficient, was quite amusing. She knew our men must have yams; and with
an ill grace they added anything to what they had already offered. The
scene before us was altogether extraordinary. Many of the people
belonging to the canoes were standing in a group on the bank of the
river near them with muskets, swords, and spears in their hands; some
with the articles with which they were about to make a purchase. A
quantity of yams, arranged in large bundles, placed in a row, separated
them from another group, consisting of the villagers also armed, and
both parties standing at a short distance from them, leaving a
considerable space between. Here was stationed the old woman, who, with
no little consequence, directed the whole affair by signs, either to her
own party or ours, not a word being spoken by any one.
We could not help thinking, that everything, in the largest market we
have seen, might have been disposed of in the time required for
purchasing these yams, and that only ten days’ journey up the river such
a market would be found. This method of trading must have arisen either
from the fear of quarrelling, or from not understanding each other’s
language, which is difficult to suppose; but it seems to have been
instituted by mutual agreement, for both parties quite understood how
they were to act. This is the first time we have witnessed it. The
villagers have a wild appearance; rather resembling the Kirree people,
but we observed no marks on the face, nor on any part of the person. We
did not understand their language, and therefore could not inform
ourselves of the name of the people or their village; and at seven in
the evening again proceeded on our journey.
It was ten at night when we came abreast of a small town, where we
stopped. Instead of making the canoes fast to the bank and landing, we
lay out in the river at a short distance from it, in case of an alarm by
strange canoes. It was long since we had tasted food, and we had
suffered from hunger the whole day without being able to obtain
anything. Soon after we had stopped for the night, our guards gave us
each a piece of roasted yam, and our poor people had the good fortune to
get some also, being the first they have had since leaving Damuggoo. The
roasted yam, washed down with a little water, was to us as joyful a meal
as if we had been treated with the most sumptuous fare, and we laid
ourselves down in the canoe to sleep in content.
The course of the river, according to the best of our judgment, has been
about south-west.
_Sunday, November 7th._—At the dawn of day, our canoemen were busily
employed in making preparations for departure. We had been unable to get
much sleep, from having nothing to protect us from the cold, and the
heavy dew, which had wetted us completely through. The morning was calm,
and beautifully fine; and the clear, shrill whistle of the cheerful
parrot echoed through the woods, breaking the stillness which had
prevailed around, as we took a hasty leave of the few villagers who had
assembled out of curiosity to see us, and pursued our course down the
stream. The banks of the river have altered decidedly within these two
days; its course is not so serpentine as it has been; the banks are so
low and regular, that not even a simple rising can anywhere be
distinguished to break their uniformity; and, for the first time, we
have seen the fibrous mangrove interspersed among the other trees of the
forest. Indeed they are beginning to present a degree of sameness little
different from that which prevails on many parts of the sea-coast. Both
banks, however, are pretty thickly inhabited, and villages are scattered
every here and there; for though they are embosomed in trees, and
invisible from the river, yet their situation might easily be known from
the number of their inhabitants which appeared on the beach to trade
with the canoemen. Plantains, bananas, and yams, are cultivated by these
villagers to an almost incredible extent. They form, in fact, with the
addition of the fish which they may happen to catch, their sole support,
and the only articles of export. Many of them, though poor and wretched,
are mild, and even timorous in their manners, and are said to be honest
and upright in their dealings; but others again are bold, cruel, and
rapacious, and are dreaded and shunned not only by their neighbours, but
also by those whom business may lead this way, unless they go in large,
strong, and well-armed parties. Ours was certainly one of this
description; yet men were constantly appointed to keep a watchful eye on
the bank, when we were compelled to pass it close, by keeping the
channel, in order to guard against surprise by an ambuscade. For this
purpose, two or three men stood up in the canoe for several hours at a
time, with a musket and cutlass in each hand, to intimidate the natives,
by convincing them that we were fully prepared for an attack. The
singular method of trading we had witnessed yesterday, or something
similar to it, was formerly in use, we believe, between natives and
Europeans on various parts of the sea-coast; and if we are not mistaken,
the same custom is observed to this day, not only in Africa, but in many
other parts of the globe likewise.
Among the Damuggoo slaves, is a middle-aged, short, fat woman, having a
broad, mournful kind of countenance; in fact, there were two of them, so
very much alike in all respects, that they might be taken for sisters.
As she sat with the goats, whose society, by the bye, was extremely
disagreeable to her, inasmuch as they committed various misdemeanours,
to her great annoyance, she fetched one of the deepest and most dismal
sighs that I ever heard. This attracted my attention, for she was seated
so near me, that from the motion of the canoe, I was not unfrequently
jostled against her naked person, which was by no means agreeable, for
she was a dirty woman. She had been slowly masticating, with apparent
disrelish, part of a boiled yam, which appeared to be cold and dry, and
which was now laid aside. She was in deep meditation; tear-drops were in
her eyes, ready to fall as she gazed earnestly at a spot of land on the
eastern bank, which was fast receding from her view. Her closed lips,
slightly upturned, and quivering with emotion, the usual prelude to more
violent grief, gave an expression of sadness and silent sorrow to her
countenance, which language can but ill express. Nothing could be more
touching than this tranquil face of woe. Loud bursts of lamentation, and
other vehement expressions of passion, would not be half so eloquent. I
imagined that the poor creature was bewailing her hard fate in the ill-
usage which she had received from her guardians, one of whom had not
long before applied a paddle to her head and shoulders; or she might, I
thought, be in want of water, which was beyond her reach; but to satisfy
my doubts, I addressed her, and demanded the cause of her emotion. On
this she turned round her head, and bestowing a violent thump on the
nose of a goat which had discovered her broken yam, and was nibbling it
fast away, she replied, pointing with her finger to the spot on which
she had been so anxiously gazing,—‘_There I was born_.’ The chord was
touched; she had striven to repress her feelings before, but she could
no longer command them; she became more agitated, and wept bitterly as
she faltered out, ‘_That is my country!_’ I was softened and moved at
the woman’s distress, and should doubtless have felt still stronger
compassion, if I had not observed her, in the midst of her tears,
inflicting the most rigorous chastisement on her brute companions, in
the most unmerciful manner. The kids and goats had, in their
playfulness, been gamboling about her feet and legs, and bespattered
them with a little dirty water from the bottom of the canoe; and I
thought to myself, that if a female could behave with cruelty to a
companion, being herself in distress, that little pity or gentleness
could dwell in her bosom. However, be this as it may, she was greatly
afflicted. She might have recalled to her mind, as she was borne past
the place where she had received her being, and where her childhood had
been spent, the pastimes and amusements of that innocent and happy
period of life; and this reflection, bringing along with it a train of
pleasing associations, had produced her grief, which was no doubt
increased by comparing the freedom which she once enjoyed with her
present miserable condition of bondage. It may appear strange that I
should dwell so long on this subject, for it seems quite natural that
every one, even the most thoughtless barbarian, would feel at least some
slight emotion on being exiled from his native country, and enslaved.
But so far is this from being the case, that Africans, generally
speaking, betray the most perfect indifference on losing their liberty,
and being deprived of their relatives; while love of country is
seemingly as great a stranger to their breasts, as social tenderness and
domestic affection. We have seen many thousands of slaves, some of them
more intelligent than others; but the poor little fat woman whom I have
mentioned,—the associate of beasts, and wallowing in filth, whose
countenance would seem to indicate only listlessness, stupidity, and
perhaps idiotism, without the smallest symptom of intelligence,—she
alone has shown anything like regret on gazing at her native land for
the last time. ‘There I was born,’ said she; as she was passing by it,
weeping,—‘That is my country!’
At eleven o’clock at night we arrived at a spot which had been chosen as
a place of rendezvous for the whole party, and here we slept in our
canoes. The river has run to-day rather to the southward of west,
varying but slightly from yesterday’s course.
_Monday, November 8th._—Long before sunrise, though it was excessively
dark, the canoes were put in motion, for as the ‘Eboe’ country is said
to be at no great distance, the Eboe people with us were desirous of
arriving there as early in the day as possible. It proved to be a dull
hazy morning, but at seven o’clock, A.M., 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. However we had gone but a little way after this arrangement,
when the men fancied that they had departed from the proper track, and
therefore they determined to pull ashore, and wait there till the mist
should be dispelled; yet they toiled a full hour before their object was
effected. We wished to be more particular in our observations of this
interesting part of our journey; but were constrained to forego this
gratification, on account of the superstitious prejudices of the
natives, who were so infatuated as to imagine, that we had not only
occasioned the fog, but that, if we did not sit or lie down in the canoe
(for we had been standing), it would inevitably cause the destruction of
the whole party;—and the reason which they assigned was, ‘that the river
had never beheld a white man before,’ and, therefore, they dreaded the
consequences of our rashness and presumption in regarding its waters so
attentively. This and similar nonsense was delivered with such
determination and earnestness, that we reluctantly lay down and allowed
ourselves to be covered with mats, in order to quiet their
apprehensions; for we did not forget that we were prisoners, and that a
perseverance in standing up would have exposed us to the mortification
of being put down by force.
We hung on by the shore till the fog had dispersed, when we were again
allowed to see the river. We now found ourselves on an immense body of
water, like a lake, having gone a little out of the road, and at the
mouth of a very considerable river, flowing to the westward, it being an
important branch of the Niger; another branch also ran from hence to the
south-east, while our course was in a south-westerly direction on the
main body; the whole forming, in fact, _three_ rivers of considerable
magnitude. The banks were all low and swampy, and completely covered
with palm trees.
An hour or two after this, or about mid-day, one of the Eboe men in our
canoe exclaimed ‘There is my country!’ pointing to a clump of very high
trees, which was yet at some distance before us; and after passing a low
fertile island, we quickly came to it. Here we observed a few fishing-
canoes, but their owners appeared suspicious and fearful, and would not
come near us, though their national flag, which is a British Union,
sewed on a large piece of plain white cotton, with scollops of blue, was
streaming from a long staff in the bow. The town was yet, we were told,
a good way down the river. In a short time, however, we came to an
extensive morass, intersected by little channels in every direction, and
by one of these we got into clear water, and in front of the Eboe town.
Here we found hundreds of canoes, some of them even larger than any we
had previously met with. They are furnished with sheds and awnings, and
afford commodious habitations for a vast number of people, who
constantly reside in them; perhaps one of these canoes, which is made of
a single trunk, contains as many as seventy individuals.
The little we could see of the houses with which the shore is
interspersed, gave us a very favourable impression of the judgment and
cleanliness of the inhabitants of the town. They are neatly built of
yellow clay, plastered over, and thatched with palm leaves; yards
sprucely fenced are annexed to each of them, in which plantains,
bananas, and cocoa-trees grow, exhibiting a pleasing sight, and
affording a delightful shade. When we came alongside the large canoes
already spoken of, two or three huge brawny fellows, in broken English,
asked how we did, in a tone which Stentor might have envied; and the
shaking of hands with our powerful friends was really a punishment, on
account of the violent squeezes which we were compelled to suffer. The
chief of these men calls himself _Gun_, though _Blunderbuss_, or
_Thunder_, would have been as appropriate a name; and without
solicitation, he informed us 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 us than
this ridiculous list of kings, was the information he gave us, 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, we passed on to a little artificial
creek, so narrow that our canoes could scarcely be pulled along, and
here we were desired to wait till the King’s pleasure respecting us
should be known. On the return of the messenger, we were drawn, in the
canoe, over ooze and mud to a considerable distance, when we got out and
walked to a house, similar to those which we have already mentioned as
having seen from the river. There was a little verandah supported by
wooden columns in front, and on the floor mats had been placed for our
accommodation. Indeed its whole appearance was so clean and comfortable,
and it likewise had such an appearance of neatness and simplicity about
it, differing entirely from anything of the kind which we had seen for a
long time, that we were quite pleased with our new abode; and if the
countenance of our host had been at all in unison with the agreeableness
of his dwelling, we imagined that we could live at ease in it for a few
days at least. But it was not so. The harshness of this man’s manners
corresponded with his sulky, ill-natured face, and deprived us of a good
deal of pleasure which we should 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 us extremely; and we
then received a message from the King, that he was in waiting to see and
converse with us. Having little to adjust in regard to our dress, we
rose up, and followed the man immediately. Passing near the outskirts of
the town, the man conducted us, 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, very rude of
course and very ugly. Having crossed the yard, in which we saw nothing
remarkable, we entered by a wooden door into another, which was far
superior. This formed an oblong square; it was cleanly swept and had a
very spruce appearance, and each of its sides was furnished with an
excellent portico. Near the doorway we saw, with surprize, a large heavy
cannon, lying on the ground. From this enclosure we were led into a
third, which, like the former, had its porticos, and in one of them a
number of women were employed in manufacturing a kind of cloth of cotton
and dried grass, which they wove together. Opposite the entrance, is 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 we observed a little squat figure,
also of clay; but, whether these were intended to represent males or
females, it is impossible to conjecture. Here we were desired to place
ourselves, 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. Our friend Gun was with them, and
he immediately claimed priority of acquaintance with us. He chatted with
amazing volubility, and in less than two minutes he was on the most
familiar footing, slapping us with no small force just above the knee,
to give weight to his observations, and to rivet our attention to his
remarks. Then, while we spoke, he would rest his heavy arms on our
shoulders, and laugh aloud at every word we said; look very knowingly,
and occasionally apply the palm of his hand to our backs with the most
_feeling_ energy, as a token of his encouragement and approbation. We
wished him to answer questions which concerned us nearly, but the only
satisfaction which we 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
our disappointment, we were vastly entertained with him.
In this manner was the time beguiled, till we heard a door suddenly
opened on our right, and the dreaded _Obie_, King of the Eboe country,
stood before us! And yet there was nothing so very dreadful in his
appearance after all, for he is a sprightly young man, with a mild open
countenance, and an eye which indicates quickness, intelligence and
good-nature, rather than the ferocity which we had been told he
possesses in an eminent degree. He received us with a smile of welcome,
and shook hands with infinite cordiality, often complimenting us with
the word ‘yes!’ to which his knowledge of English is confined, and which
no doubt he had been tutored to pronounce for the occasion. Several
attendants followed their sovereign, most of whom were unarmed, and
almost naked, and three little boys were likewise in attendance, whose
office it was to fan him when desired.
The dress of the King of the Eboe country somewhat resembles that which
is worn, _on state occasions_, by the monarch of Yarriba. Its appearance
was altogether _brilliant_; and from the vast profusion of coral
ornaments with which he was decorated, Obie might not inappropriately be
styled, ‘the Coral King,’ such an idea at all events entered our minds,
as we contemplated the monarch, sitting on his throne of clay. His head
was graced with a cap, shaped like a sugar-loaf, and covered thickly
with strings of coral and pieces of broken looking-glass, so as to hide
the materials of which it was made; his neck, or rather throat, was
encircled with several strings of the same kind of bead, which were
fastened so tightly, as in some degree to affect his respiration, and to
give his throat and cheeks an inflated appearance. In opposition to
these were four or five others hanging round his neck and reaching
almost to his knees. He wore a short Spanish surtout of red cloth, which
fitted close to his person, being much too small. It was ornamented with
gold epaulettes, and the front of it was overspread with gold lace, but
which, like the cap, was entirely concealed, unless on a close
examination, owing to the vast quantity of coral which was fastened to
it in strings. Thirteen or fourteen bracelets (for we had the curiosity
to count them) decorated each wrist, and to give them full effect, a few
inches of the sleeves of the coat had been cut off purposely. The beads
were fastened to the wrist with old copper buttons, which formed an odd
contrast to them. The King’s trousers, composed of the same material as
his coat, stuck as closely to the skin as that, and was similarly
embroidered, but it reached no further than the middle of his legs, the
lower part of it being ornamented like the wrists, and with precisely
the same number of strings of beads; besides which, a string of little
brass bells encircled each leg above the ankles, but the feet were
naked. Thus splendidly clothed, Obie, smiling at his own magnificence,
vain of the admiration which was paid him by his attendants, and
flattered without doubt by the presence of white men, who he imagined
were struck with amazement at the splendour of his appearance, shook his
feet for the bells to tinkle, sat down with the utmost self-complacency,
and looked around him.
Our story was related to the king in full by the Bonny messenger who had
accompanied us from Damuggoo, who also dwelt upon the losses which the
people of that place and his own had met with at Kirree; and if we may
be allowed to form an opinion, it was a fine piece of savage eloquence.
The man’s looks and gestures were natural, animated, and forcible, and
strictly in keeping with the feeling, power, and energy with which his
expressions were poured forth. The inflections of his voice, also, were
truly admirable. This singular speech lasted, as near as we could guess,
two whole hours, and produced a visible effect upon all present. As soon
as it was over we were invited by Obie to take some refreshment; being
in truth extremely hungry at the time, we thankfully accepted the offer,
and fish and yams, swimming in oil, were forthwith brought us on English
plates, the king retiring in the meanwhile from motives of delicacy.
The oil was the commonest kind used in the lamps of warehouses in
England, extremely unpalatable, and emitted so unsavoury a smell that we
found it impossible to partake of it, so great was our disgust: Gun was
of a different opinion, and declaring it to be the best Liverpool beef
fat that he had seen for a long time, he soon made away with it. When
Obie returned, a general conversation ensued, and he was engaged in
talking promiscuously to those around him till evening, when the ‘great
palàver,’ as it is called, was formally prorogued till the morrow, and
presently after the chief bade us good night, and retired. We conceive
it somewhat strange, that though the palàver was chiefly on our account,
not a single question was put to us while it lasted, nor did we
understand a single sentence that was uttered. Nevertheless we are led
to believe, from the flattering and gracious manner in which we have
been received, and other corresponding circumstances, that every thing
is proceeding favourably to our wishes, and that the palàver will have a
happy termination. But _nous verrons!_
The path to Obie’s house is in a westerly direction from the creek where
we landed, distant about a quarter of a mile, between two lines of neat
little huts. In the third, or inner yard of his palace, we also observed
a large iron tank, which we were told was used by the king as a bath.
The people, with whom we had to wait the arrival of the king, pestered
us with all manner of questions before he made his appearance. In answer
to their interrogations, I told them we had come from a country called
Yàoorie, and another called Boossà, where we had been to obtain the
books of one of our countrymen who had been killed a long time ago by
the people of the latter place. This answer was quickly followed by a
question whether he went there in a ship? and I answered, ‘No, in a
large canoe.’ ‘Where is the canoe?’ they asked; ‘He ran it on the
rocks,’ I replied, ‘and broke it.’ They did not, however, seem to
comprehend me, and imagined that I was speaking of a ship that was lost
at sea on the other side of the land. The _little military king_ of
Brass-town told us that he had come here for the purpose of buying
slaves for a Spanish vessel. When Obie entered he was followed by a man
carrying a little brass figure of a deity, which, when he had seated
himself, was placed on his right hand.
The poor Damuggoo people were in tears all the time their chief was
relating the account of the attack at Kirree: they had lost every thing
they had; not only their master’s property, but their own also, with the
exception of the slaves. They had no means of obtaining provisions,
having nothing with which to purchase them, so that the poor fellows are
in a starving condition. Obie made them a long speech, and seemed to
feel for their destitute condition; he gave them ten yams, and desired
them to go to their house, promising to hear the remainder of their
story on the morrow.
Our hut is so small that we have scarcely room to lie down, but little
as it is we feel ourselves far better off than in our canoe. The mats
were comfortable, and we were well inclined to enjoy a good rest. We had
not retired long before a boy arrived from the king, bringing with him
five yams and one small fowl. This was a poor supply for eight persons,
which our party amounted to besides ourselves, and would scarcely keep
us from starving. At seven in the evening we made a slight supper off a
piece of the boiled fowl with part of a yam, and laid ourselves down to
rest. Tired as we were, and much as we needed sleep, we could get none.
Our sulky old landlord annoyed us beyond measure by introducing his
friends to see us, and all our endeavours to make him understand that we
did not like their intrusion and wished for rest were fruitless; there
was no getting rid of them, for no sooner was one party gone than
another supplied their place. The first part of the night was thus
employed, and in the latter part we were kept awake by the most dreadful
screaming we ever heard. The noise proceeded from some unfortunate
person who seemed to be suffering the severest agony in a hut hard by
our own, so that the cries were distinctly heard. We could not learn the
occasion of them; but these people having the name of being most
barbarous in their habits, we concluded that they proceeded from some
unhappy victim who was a prisoner of war suffering some horrible death.
Our people slept in the house with us, so that we felt some sort of
security from their presence.
_Tuesday, November 9th._—Two of our attendants who have accompanied us
from Cape Coast Castle, and who, during their lifetime, have spent many
years in Ashantee, declare that the buildings of the people here are
nowise different from those at Coomassie, the capital of that kingdom,
than in their size, which is much smaller. They certainly resemble the
houses of the Yarribeans, but they surpass them in neatness, regularity,
and cleanliness, and are besides much better secured from the rain.
There is not a single round hut in the place. The Eboe people, like most
Africans, are extremely indolent, and cultivate yams, Indian corn, and
plantains only. They have abundance of goats and fowls, but few sheep
are to be seen, and no bullocks. The city, which has no other name than
the ‘Eboe Country,’ is situated on an open plain; it is immensely large,
contains a vast population, and is the capital of a kingdom of the same
name. It has, for a series of years, been the principal slave-mart for
native traders from the coast, between the Bonny and Old Calebar rivers;
and for the production of its palm-oil it has obtained equal celebrity.
Hundreds of men from the rivers mentioned above come up for the purpose
of trade, and numbers of them are at present residing in canoes in front
of the town. Most of the oil purchased by Englishmen at the Bonny and
adjacent rivers, is brought from hence, as are nearly all the slaves
which are annually exported from those places by the French, Spaniards,
and Portuguese. It has been told us by many that the Eboe people are
confirmed anthropophagi; and this opinion is more prevalent among the
tribes bordering on that kingdom, than with the natives of more remote
districts; but whether it be well or ill-founded, we have as yet no
means of ascertaining. Certainly, with the solitary exception of their
monarch, the Eboes bear on their countenances strong indications of a
brutal, unyielding, and ferocious temper, but so likewise do many other
people of different countries, who detest cannibalism, and speak of it
with horror.
We were visited this morning by numbers of the inhabitants, who broke
through every restraint to gratify their desire of seeing us. This was
what we naturally expected; yet after all they were much better behaved,
and less impatient, than we 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 we
are.
About noon we were informed that our attendance was required at the
king’s house, Obie being fully prepared, it was said, to resume the
hearing of our case, and examine the deposition of the Bonny messenger
and the Damuggoo people. On entering the principal yard or court, in
which we were yesterday introduced to the king, we found two little ugly
clay figures, by the side of their companions, near the platform, and
round them ‘magical characters,’ as a fortune-teller in Europe would
call them, were chalked on the ground. We did not remain here long to
admire this strange contrivance, but were presently ordered to return to
the middle yard, and there wait under the eastern portico, till Obie
should make his appearance. A common English chair, covered with
inferior red cloth, had been previously placed there for his use.
It is plain, that the king, for some reason, is very unwilling to
introduce us into the interior of his dwelling; as yet we have seen
nothing but his yards. The chair alluded to above, was placed between
two wooden pillars which support the roof of the verandah, and a great
number of images are carved on them, very much after the manner of
Yarriba. Indeed the difference between the productions of both
countries, in this branch of the arts, is scarcely, if at all, to be
perceived. On the left of the empty chair stood about fifty of the
king’s attendants, and to the right of it, the Bonny, Brass, and
Damuggoo people, with our own, were assembled. In less than half an
hour, the men having in the mean time been regaled with a large quantity
of palm-wine, the monarch, dressed in every respect as yesterday,
entered the yard. His fat, round cheeks, were swelling with good humour,
real or assumed, as he shook our hands with a sprightly air, when he
instantly sat himself down in his chair 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 soon arose between the Brass and Bonny people, but scarcely
any part of the conversation was interpreted to us. Sufficient, however,
was explained to put us in a very bad humour; for notwithstanding the
opinion we had entertained of the benevolence of the chief, from his
pleasing countenance joined to a mild and affable demeanour, we are
assured that we shall never leave this country unless ransomed at a high
price! No doubt Obie has been induced to adopt this line of conduct,
partly by the instigation of his minions, and partly from the eagerness
which has been displayed by the Bonny and Brass people to take us to
their respective countries; for he imagines that such bitter contentions
would not arise among them, as to whither we shall go, had it not been
for the expectation of receiving a handsome recompense from our
countrymen at those places. Therefore he is determined on his part to
make as much of us as he can.
Bonny is now the place of our destination. We have with us a messenger
from the present and a son to the late ruler of that state (King
_Pepper_,) and, as it has already been related, we had engaged some
Damuggoo people to accompany and protect us thither. Whilst, on the
other hand, we know nothing at all of _Brass_, never having heard the
name of such a river in our lives before, and equally ignorant are we of
the manners of the natives who inhabit its banks; though it is evident
that they have some acquaintance with our countrymen, and some slight
knowledge of our language. The former, who say that Obie maintains a
friendly intercourse with their monarch, are as anxious as we ourselves
that they should take us to Bonny, and have remonstrated with the king
rather angrily to this effect. But the latter are by far the most
numerous and influential party, owing most likely to their very recent
arrival from Brass, with a fresh stock of European goods, with part of
which, it is said, they have already bribed Obie to give them the
preference.
The discussion was violent and stormy, and the council did not break up
till a late hour in the afternoon. They came to no decision, but will
meet again to-morrow morning. The Brass people affirm that the ‘Bonny
creek,’ which is a small branch of the Niger, is dried up, and that the
main river which runs to Brass belongs to King _Jacket_, who will permit
no foreigners whatever to pass up or down the Niger, without exacting
the accustomed fees or duties. They will therefore have a very plausible
reason for taking us entirely out of the hands of Obie and the Damuggoo
people. We returned to our dwelling rather saddened than otherwise at
the result of this day’s proceedings.
I asked King Obie permission to allow us to proceed on our journey, and
to send one of his canoes to accompany us to Bonny, and was surprized at
hearing that it was dried up. We must go down the large river, he said,
to Brass, from whence we might get to Bonny, as there is a branch of the
river which communicates with the two places. We are much annoyed by our
interpreter. This fellow had told us that the branch leading to Bonny is
the principal, whereas it is evident that it is that leading to Brass-
town. This man, whose name is Antonio, is a native of Bonny, and never
tells us exactly what the king says, so that we are a good deal in the
dark as to what is going on concerning ourselves, and in fact he is the
most useless fellow I ever knew. We were the subject of conversation two
hours to-day between the kings; and could not learn what was said, and
we went away without knowing for certain what was to become of us.
In the evening Antonio and five other Bonny people came to our 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?’ I asked, ‘Only six,’ was the reply. ‘And can you
fight with two hundred Brass people?’ I said; ‘We can kill some of
them,’ they answered, ‘and your people can assist.’ I 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 our hearts
sore,—that it was ‘a bad palàver.’ ‘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.’ Our poor canoemen on hearing this began to sob aloud, and
continued lamenting their fate nearly all night. My brother and I felt
much hurt at our situation, for we did not expect it would be so bad as
this; but we have made our minds up to prepare ourselves for the worst,
for it is impossible to foresee the lengths to which these savages will
go. We saw a Funda man at the chief’s house, with whom we could have
communicated in the Haussà language, but for some reason or other we
were not permitted to speak to him.
_Wednesday, November 10th._—Being taken very unwell with fever this
morning, I was unable to attend the summons to the king’s house, and
requested my brother to go in my stead. The following is his account of
what took place.
‘On arriving there this morning, to my infinite surprize 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, as we have already said, I believe, are not
permitted to be worn, either by natives, or strangers of the same hue as
themselves, the king alone being an exception to this 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 infinitely 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 previously
been 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 is 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
mention certain dealings which their authors have had with him, and they
likewise bear testimony to his own character, and the manners of his
countrymen. Among 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 generally, and the pilots in
particular.” These he anathematised as 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 honesty and
integrity than either of his countrymen. These are the rulers of the
Brass country, and pretty fellows they are, truly. Mr. Dow observes
further, 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. Another of Boy’s papers informs us that the writer’s name is
“Thomas Lake, and that he is master of the brig _Thomas_, of Liverpool,”
which is now lying in Brass river.
‘This business had been no sooner settled than Obie entered the yard,
attended as usual, but clad differently 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 hear, speak, 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 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 the matter fairly arranged
and settled, he should, of his own accord, prevent our leaving the town,
till such time as our countrymen at Brass or Bonny 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 that 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 anything 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 Damuggoo 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 guide 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 fears of his subjects, and the
representations of the men of Brass, had made too deep an impression on
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 result 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 await 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 will feel a
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 palàver, and he was
as greatly surprised and affected 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 hour of adversity, and
relieved us in times of pain and distress,—which has rescued us from the
lap of danger, and snatched us from the jaws of death.’
_Thursday, November 11th._—This morning my brother felt himself
extremely unwell, but I am rather better. In truth we wonder much that
our health, generally speaking, has been so good, when we reflect for a
moment on the hardships and privations which we have lately undergone,
the perplexities in which we have been entangled, and the difficulties
with which we have had to contend. After all of them, however, by the
blessing and mercy of our God, instead of sorrow and suffering, we have
enjoyed a lightness and even levity of spirits, which caused them to
make but a feeble and transient impression upon our minds; but Nature,
though she make extraordinary efforts for a time, will at last be
crushed by repeated disappointments, cares, and vexations, unless she be
supported by the vigour of health, and encouraged by the excitement of
powerful feelings; whilst Hope, that most agreeable but delusive
phantom, is oftener sought than found, and will frequently vanish from
the desponding bosom, when her influence is most required, leaving it
for a season a prey to fear and suspicion, and the whole dark and
sorrowful train of the depressing passions. Under their baneful
influence we are at present, in some degree, labouring; and we
occasionally fall into such a state of apathy and quietism, in regard to
our present situation and future prospects, as to be perfectly
indifferent about them; and I verily believe that if a single struggle
could restore us to freedom and happiness, we should scarcely have
sufficient animation to make that effort. I blush to say that on these
occasions, neither the reflection of _past_ deliverances, nor the
consciousness that we are still under the protection of the same
beneficent and indulgent Being, that has ever been our refuge and
guardian, can restore entirely our confidence in His mercies, or teach
us to be resigned to His divine will.
During the few days that we have spent in this place, we have been sadly
perplexed for want of provisions, and our people, who for the first day
bore this privation in silence, have since then been loud in their
complaints. The constant fear which they entertain of being taken away
and sold, has now, however, changed this lively feeling of discontent
into sullenness and despondency. What makes the matter still worse is
the fact that having lost our needles and cowries at Kirree, we have not
the means of purchasing anything, although the cowry shell is not
current here. Poverty is in most places, I believe, considered one of
the greatest of evils, but it is more particularly so here where it is
tantamount to a curse, (or at least it is reckoned so in us;) and where
the virtues of benevolence and humanity, if exercised at all, are never
displayed except on extraordinary occasions. Obie has been in the habit
of sending us a fowl, or a yam or two every morning; but, as we are ten
in number, it makes but a slender meal, and it is barely sufficient to
keep us from actual starvation. To stop, if possible, the sullen
murmurings of our people, we have been reduced to the painful necessity
of begging; but we might as well have addressed our petitions to the
stones or trees,—we might have spared ourselves the mortification of a
refusal. We never experienced a more stinging sense of our own
humbleness and imbecility than on such occasions, and never had we
greater need of patience and lowliness of spirit. In most African towns
and villages we have been regarded as demi-gods, and treated in
consequence with universal kindness, civility, and veneration; but here,
alas! what a contrast,—we are classed with the most degraded and
despicable of mankind, and are become slaves in a land of ignorance and
barbarism, whose savage natives have treated us with brutality and
contempt. It would be hard to guess whence these unkindly feelings
towards us have originated; we feel that we have not deserved them, yet
the consciousness of our own insignificance sadly militates against
every idea of self-love and self-importance, and teaches us a plain and
useful moral lesson! Though we make the most charitable allowances for
the Eboe people, we are notwithstanding obliged to consider them the
most inhospitable tribe, as well as the most covetous and uncivil that
we are acquainted with. Their monarch and a respectable married female,
who has passed the meridian of her days, are the only individuals,
amongst several thousands, that have shown us anything like civility or
kindness, and the latter alone has acted, we are convinced, solely from
disinterested motives.
All ranks of people here are passionately fond of palm-wine, and drink
of it to excess whenever they have an opportunity, which often occurs,
as great quantities of it are produced in the town and its
neighbourhood. It is a very general and favourite custom with them, as
soon as the sun goes down, 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 till after midnight; and as the revellers generally contrive
to get inebriated very soon after they sit down to drink, the greatest
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 is held outside the yard
of our residence every evening, and the noise which they make is really
terrifying, more especially when the women and young people join in the
affray, for a quarrel of some sort is sure to ensue. Their cries,
groans, and shrieks of agony, are 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. We 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; and we 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 now we are in some
measure more reconciled to them from the frequency of their occurrence,
or rather we feel less apprehension than we did, as to their
origin,—understanding with surprise that they are only the effects of a
simple quarrel, and excite from the inhabitants no more than a casual
remark; though they say that, in fits of ungovernable passion, the most
heinous crimes are consummated in these frantic revels.
Our matronly female acquaintance, though excessively fat, is of
diminutive stature, and by her cheerful pleasantry she has beguiled in
some degree the wearisomeness of the long evening hours, and banished
that _ennui_, which the disagreeableness of our situation has partially
induced, simply by her endeavours to do so. For not content with paying
us formal visits in the day-time, she comes into our 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 our misfortunes, and dissipating our melancholy. Two or three
slaves follow 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 may be passed the more agreeably.
Our sleeping quarters are in a recess, which is elevated three or four
feet from the ground, and supported by wooden columns. It is without a
door, or indeed anything answering the same purpose, so that we enjoy
the refreshing coolness of the evening air, with the disadvantage of
being gazed at by whoever has the curiosity to enter our premises. We
generally lie down shortly after sunset, and presently our fat, jolly,
little friend, duck-like, waddles into our yard with her companions and
slaves, to offer us the evening salutation, and enter into the usual
familiar discourse. This is commonly preceded by a large potation of
palm-wine, which is 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 our recess, our
lady-visitor and her associates, together with our ill-natured host, who
has by this time joined the party, squat themselves down in a circle,
and under the inspiration of the fermented juice, maintain a pretty
animated conversation till it is all expended, and sleep ‘weighs their
eyelids down.’ For ourselves we have little if anything to say, because
we are pretty nearly as ignorant of their language, as they are of ours;
and interpretation is unfavourable to the contagion of social felicity.
Yet it is 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 complacent idea of her own good points,
and superior qualifications, which elicit her own approbation without
exciting the applauses of her associates, and which distinguish the
inexperienced male reveller in every part of the globe. All these were
observable in our talkative little friend, as well as in her companions.
It is a relief also to contemplate from our resting-place, the peace and
harmony of the little party before us, so entirely different from the
boisterous one without, because it gives us a comfortable sense of our
own security, which we should not certainly have entertained had we been
left to our own reflections; and when after a good deal of turning and
restlessness we at length fall into a disagreeable and unrefreshing
dose, and are attacked by that hideous phantom, nightmare, which is
often the case,—starting up in a fright from the assassin’s knife, which
we can scarcely persuade ourselves to be unreal—it is pleasant to fix
our eyes upon our comical little visiter, with her round shining face,
and her jolly companions; all apprehension of mischief immediately
vanishes, and a truly pleasing effect is produced upon our minds and
spirits. The breaking up of the party outside is a signal for our
friends also to depart, when, rising from her mat, the mistress, after
shaking hands, wishes us good night, in a thick tremulous tone, and
waddling out of our yard in a direction which Hogarth denominates ‘the
line of beauty,’ she returns home to her husband, who is a
valetudinarian. Thus our evenings are past, and thus much of our
solitary Eboe friend.
In addition to the value of twenty slaves which the King of Eboe demands
for us, we hear that King Boy requires the value of fifteen casks of
palm oil, which is the same as fifteen slaves, for himself, and as
payment for the trouble he and his people will have in conducting us to
the English vessel. He says that he must take three canoes and one
hundred and fifty people, and therefore that it is impossible he can do
it for less. The chief has said that if I do not consent to give King
Boy a _book_ for all this money, he shall send us into the interior of
the country to be sold, and that we shall never see the sea again. I see
clearly that we have no alternative, and I think it best to agree to
give him the bill, not intending, however, on our arrival at the sea, to
give him more than twenty common trade guns, to pay this chief and all
other expenses. King Boy was to give Obie five pieces of cloth and one
gun, as part payment; the remainder is to be paid on his return from
having delivered us up to the brig. Our people are all in high spirits
at the prospect of leaving this place and obtaining their freedom, for
they have so much faith in the character of the English, that they do
not doubt that the Captain of the brig will redeem us.
The Eboe people have a savage appearance. The custom of marking their
temples with indigo, in the shape of an arrow, is general among them,
both with the males and females. The women are generally pretty and wear
the same sort of ivory rings round their legs and wrists, to which
allusion has been previously made. They are extensive traders, and
supply the Brass people entirely with palm oil, poultry, goats, and
yams, &c. The Eboe people are also famous for making large canoes, and
all those of the different rivers, from Benin to Calebar, are
constructed by them. Since the first day of our arrival we have had no
fowl, but have been kept on the regular slave allowance of half a yam
per day. This may have preserved our health, for it is more than likely
that if we had lived well after being nearly starved, and exposed as we
had been to the hot sun during the day, and the dews at night, we should
have had some dangerous fever.
Last evening, Obie, in his showy coral dress, came barefooted to our
hut, to inspect our books, and examine the contents of our medicine
chest. His approach was announced to us by the jingling of the little
bells which encircled his feet. He appeared greatly pleased with
everything he saw, and looked aghast when informed of the powerful
properties of some of the medicines, which ended in a fit of laughter.
He expressed a strong desire to have a little, especially the
purgatives; and as we treated the sultan of Yàoorie and family, so we
treated him. Obie, was evidently fearful of our books, having been
informed that they could ‘tell all things;’ and appeared to shrink with
horror at one which was offered him, shaking his head, saying that he
must not accept it, for that it was good only for white men, ‘whose God
was not his God!’ The visit was of short duration.
We found King Boy in the inner yard of the king’s house again to-day,
and from his significant physiognomy we conjectured that he had
something of consequence to communicate. Obie received us with his usual
politeness and jocularity; but instantly directed his attention and
discourse to King Boy, who maintained an earnest and pretty animated
conversation with him for some time. The Bonny people were in
attendance, weeping. As we were frequently pointed out and named, we had
no doubt whatever that it was chiefly concerning ourselves, which
opinion was soon after confirmed. As if the parties had some secrets to
discuss which they did not wish either their attendants or our own to
overhear, they retired to the middle court, where having conversed for a
time by themselves, they returned with anxious looks to resume the
conversation. This was repeated twice; after which (as we subsequently
understood) Obie briefly related in a loud voice the result of this
extraordinary conference, and all present, except the men of Bonny,
shouted simultaneously the monosyllable ‘Yah!’ as a token of their
approbation.
In the meantime, from anxiety to be made acquainted with what had
transpired respecting ourselves, we felt rather impatient and
uneasy,—the answer of King Boy to our repeated interrogations having
been only ‘plenty of bars!’ the meaning whereof we were grievously
puzzled to define. But shortly after the termination of the palàver, how
transported were we to hear the last-mentioned individual explain
himself in broken English to this effect: ‘In the conversation which I
have just had with Obie, I have been induced to offer him the goods
which he demands for your ransom, on the faith that they be hereafter
repaid me by the master of the brig Thomas, which is now lying in the
First Brass River, and that the value of fifteen bars or slaves be added
thereto in European goods, and likewise a cask of rum, as a remuneration
for the hazard and trouble which I shall inevitably incur in
transporting you to Brass. If you consent to these conditions, and on
these only I consent to redeem you, you will forthwith give me a bill on
Captain Lake for the receipt of articles to the value of thirty-five
bars, after which you will be at liberty to leave this place, and go
along with me whenever you may think proper, agreeably to the
understanding at present existing between Obie and myself.’
This was heavenly news indeed; and we thanked King Boy over and over
again for his generosity and nobleness; for we were too much elated at
the time to reflect on the exorbitant demands which he had imposed upon
us. We immediately gave him a bill on Mr. Lake: indeed there was nothing
which we would not have done rather than lose the opportunity of getting
down to the sea, which seemed so providentially held out to us. Obie
perceived by the great and sudden change in our countenances, the joy
which filled our breasts; and having asked us whether we were not
pleased with his arrangements, in the fulness of our hearts, he exacted
us from us a promise that, on returning to England, we would inform our
countrymen that he was a good man, and that we would pay him a visit
whenever we should could come again into the country.
When King Boy came for his _book_, I gave it him, and he wished to send
it down to the brig, to know if it was good. This I had expected, so I
told him that the _book_ would be of no use unless we were sent along
with it, and that the Captain would not pay it before he had taken us on
board the brig, on which he put it into his pocket-book.
We then bade him farewell, and he took leave of us in a kind and cordial
manner.
Fearing that something might yet occur to detain us, and ultimately
change the king’s resolution altogether, we were most eager to get out
of the reach of him and his people as quickly as possible. Therefore we
lost not a moment, but hastened to our lodgings, and having sent our
people on board Boy’s canoe, we hurried after them immediately, and
embarked at three in the afternoon. And thus terminated four of the most
wretched days of our existence. Our own old leaky and shattered canoe we
are unable to take with us, as it would detain us very much, from being
so heavy to move along; the Damuggoo people will accompany us in their
own, and everything is arranged for our departure at an early hour to-
morrow.
The Brass canoe, which is now become our dwelling, is extremely large
and heavily laden. It is paddled by forty men and boys, in addition to
whom there may be about twenty individuals, or more, including a few
slaves and ourselves,—so that the number of human beings will amount to
at least sixty. Like Obie’s war-canoes, it is furnished with a cannon,
which is lashed to the bow, a vast number of cutlasses, and a quantity
of grape and other shot, besides powder, flints, &c. It contains a
number of large boxes or chests, which are filled with spirituous
liquors, cotton, and silk goods, earthenware, and other articles of
European and other foreign manufactures; besides abundance of provisions
for present consumption, and two thousand yams for the master of a
Spanish slaver, which is now lying in Brass river. In this canoe three
men might sit with ease abreast of each other, and from the number of
people which it contains, and the immense quantity of articles of
various descriptions, some idea of its size may be formed. It has been
cut out of a solid trunk of a tree, and draws four feet and a half
water, being more than fifty feet in length. But it is so deeply laden
that not above two inches of the canoe is to be seen above the water’s
edge. With its present burden, it would be impossible for her to sail on
any river less smooth than the Niger, and even as it is, when it comes
to be paddled, there will be danger of its being swamped. It is really
laughable to reflect that the canoe is supplied with two immense
speaking-trumpets, which, considering the Stentorian lungs of the men of
Brass, are entirely superfluous, and that she is commanded by regularly
appointed officers, with sounding titles, in imitation of European
vessels, such as captain, mate, boatswain, coxswain, &c., besides a cook
and his minions. These distinctions are encouraged by King Boy, whose
vanity and consequence even in the most trifling concerns is
irresistibly diverting. We shall sleep in the canoe to-night, but it is
almost unnecessary to say that want of room, as in former cases, will be
an intolerable grievance.
Before we embarked, we had taken a little boiled yam with palm-oil at
Obie’s house, and we remained two hours lying by the bank. At seven in
the evening we settled ourselves for the night, but found that we were
exceedingly cramped up from want of room, occasioned by the yams being
stowed badly.