All preparations being at length completed, on the morning of the 17th
of August, just twenty days after having so providentially succeeded
in reaching her port of refuge, the Nemesis was once more ready to
continue her voyage.
On the 22nd August, she passed near the group of Rocky Islands, called
Bassa da India, which are situated nearly in the middle of the channel,
and pursued her voyage under sail. Of course, her progress was slow
against an adverse wind, and no little anxiety was felt by her captain,
on account of the uncertainty of the compasses, and their discrepancy
with each other. She arrived, however, safely at Mozambique on the
afternoon of the 31st, without having had occasion to use her engines,
except just to carry her into the anchorage.
As she passed through the outer roads, she communicated with H.M. brig
Acorn, Captain Adams, which was on the look-out for two slavers daily
expected to arrive for cargoes; and, the better to entrap them, she had
hoisted a sort of decoy-flag at her main, which she had already taken
from one of the same description. While a short visit was being paid on
board, a pilot had come off from the shore, to conduct the Nemesis into
the inner harbour, where she was soon brought to within a quarter of a
mile of the town. Little time, however, could be spared for the visit,
but there was still some necessary work to be done on board, which
could not be completed until the following day.
As the errors of the compasses have been alluded to above, and seem
to have occasioned very great anxiety upon this passage, it may be
well to make some remarks about them again in this place. It will be
remembered, that before leaving Liverpool a long series of experiments
had been made, which were intended to provide means of counteracting
the local action of the iron of the ship's hull upon the compasses.
But no worse place can be imagined than a crowded dock for the purpose
of carrying on experiments of such nicety. Disturbing causes were
continually operating, and the accident she met with on her way to
Portsmouth proved that the correctness of the compasses was very far
from being satisfactory. The experiments which were afterwards made at
Portsmouth were also very doubtful in their result, in all probability
owing, as before explained, to the absence of the boxes of chain or
broken iron, which are always used by Professor Airy. It may readily
be imagined that the utmost anxiety was always felt on board the vessel
on this account, particularly when near the land; and many a long and
anxious night has been spent on deck, with frequently a leadsman upon
each of the paddle-boxes, to take soundings, and one in the bowsprit
besides.
The large magnets, as originally placed in their positions, have never
been moved, neither has the compass been changed in the slightest
degree. But although they have greatly _modified_ the errors, they have
by no means sufficed to correct them. It has been always found the
safest course not to put faith in the compasses at all; or rather, in
this instance, observation showed that a compass, suspended in a box
from a cross spar, at the height of ten or twelve feet above the head
of the man at the helm, acted with much more accuracy than any other,
and it was always the most relied on whenever it could be used.
It is scarcely to be doubted that the vessel has often made a longer
passage than she would have done had the compasses been correct; for,
in bad weather, when observations of the celestial bodies could not
be taken, she could scarcely have avoided making many errors in her
course. But nowhere were these difficulties felt more anxiously than
in this passage through the Mozambique Channel, where land could never
be very far distant. The necessity for a constant good look-out, and
for two or even three men in the chains, produced anxiety and fatigue
in itself; while it was also necessary for the officers to have the
advantage of taking the altitudes of the stars, whenever the night
was clear enough, not only once, but many times during the night.
The compasses not only differed from the true points, but differed
also from each other; and particularly in the Mozambique Channel, it
was observed that they differed more than elsewhere, without being
influenced however by the rapid atmospheric changes which prevailed.
The more the ship's course was directed towards the true pole, the less
was the error of the compass; but gradually, as her course was changed
towards the east or west, so did the errors and discrepancies of the
compasses increase.
It is satisfactory to know that the same degree of difficulty was
not experienced on board the other iron steamers which were sent out
afterwards; and as the Nemesis was the first of her class that ever
made the voyage, it is right here to record the difficulties she
encountered under this head. Many an anxious watch has been spent on
deck, trying to catch the altitude of particular stars as they emerged,
for a moment, from the dense clouds or haze; and much of this kind of
labour, so frequently repeated, would have been saved had her compasses
been trustworthy.[9]
It is now time to return to the anchorage at Mozambique, where we left
the Nemesis. Of course as she passed the principal Portuguese fort, she
fired a salute, which was returned, and immediately became the signal
to the whole town that something uncommon was to be expected. The
arrival of a large steamer was soon made known in every direction, and
not only became a source of curiosity to all, but an object of great
alarm to many. The first impression was that she was sent purposely
to put an end to the slave-trade at that place, and the consternation
became general; for the governor, of whom more will presently be said,
at once encouraged this opinion, which he felt would strengthen his
power, as it did his determination, which was proved to be perfectly
sincere, to do his utmost to stop the trade. Those most interested in
the traffic had already begun openly to defy his power, and had not
hesitated to declare to him that they would still carry it on in some
of the shallow rivers, where vessels of war could not approach them.
But the sight of a large steamer, running along close in shore, almost
as if she were a small boat, drawing at the same time only five feet
and a half of water, at once damped their ardour. They never could
have dreamed that a large heavily-armed vessel could move wherever
she pleased through their smallest streams; and their alarm was
proportioned to their surprise.
Shortly before this, there had been so strong a disposition to resist
the governor's power, that it had amounted almost to a rebellion;
and his Excellency, though a bold man, and the first governor of the
Portuguese possessions on that coast, who had come with the honest
determination to stop the trade at all hazards, felt himself in a
very awkward position. He, however, felt himself strong enough to
take extreme measures, the moment he saw the steamer so close to the
town. He afterwards admitted that her arrival was most opportune,
and so pleased was he, at the same time, that he turned at once upon
the slave-dealers; even that very day he seized two large slavers,
condemned them at once, and publicly sold them by auction before the
day was over. Such vigorous measures had been quite unknown under any
former governor, and at once proved, both to the Portuguese and to the
world, that his professions were real, and that he meant to keep his
word. He had before this taken strong measures against the dealers in
slaves, but this bold step was the finishing stroke of his policy, and
at once filled all parties with dismay. In fact, trade of all kinds was
stagnant for the moment, in consequence of the measures adopted; and
large heaps of valuable ivory were lying there useless, in consequence
of the impossibility, or, at all events, extreme hazard, of sending the
usual slave-ships to sea, which would convey it to a market.
The governor is a brigadier-general in the Portuguese service, by name
Joachim Pereira Morinho, and had formerly served under the Duke of
Wellington in the Peninsula. He had not been long on the coast; but,
as he had come with a full determination to destroy the slave-trade,
or, at all events, to do his utmost towards it, he had already been
long enough there to gain the ill-will of all the Portuguese residents.
Indeed, he did not live altogether in security from violence, arising
from the vindictive feelings of those interested in the traffic; and he
had, therefore, requested Captain Adams, in the Acorn, to remain there
as long as he could, to afford him protection; and had also detained a
small brig-of-war, belonging to his own country, named the Villa Flora,
to overawe the sea-faring part of the population.
The governor seemed to entertain the best feelings towards the English
generally, with whom he had associated a good deal, and particularly
inquired what assistance he could give to the Nemesis. As fuel and
vegetables were, of course, most in request, they were mentioned. He
appeared quite pleased to have it in his power to furnish something
that would be of use to her; and, to the gratification of every one, a
large boat came off to the ship early in the morning, bringing a fat
ox, four sheep, a large pig, and some vegetables and fruit; besides
which, there was also a large country boat, full of wood, containing
eight thousand pieces. In addition to these very handsome presents, he
also proposed to fill up the ship's water free of expense. This was
accompanied by a note, in Portuguese, from the secretary-general of
the province, Don Antonio Julio di Castro Pinto, of high degree and
higher-sounding name, who was charged by his Excellency to offer the
good things above-mentioned, "as a mark of his good-will, and of his
sense of the service which the visit of the Nemesis would render to the
cause of anti-slavery, and, at the same time, as a trifling present to
a brother in arms from an old soldier, grown grey in the service of his
country, both at home and abroad."
Nothing could have been more acceptable, and, through the active
assistance which the Nemesis received, she was enabled to proceed on
her voyage, after little more than a day's delay. As an acknowledgment
of his Excellency's attention, a trifling present of some capital
hollands, preserved salmon, and English pickles, were sent to him,
which were very great luxuries in that part of the world, and appeared
to be duly appreciated. His Excellency had never before seen a steamer
in those parts; and, the better to acknowledge his good-nature, and
increase the sensation her arrival had produced on shore, he was
invited by Captain Hall, to come on board to look at the ship, and to
partake of such refreshment as she had to offer. This was, accordingly,
a grand day for all parties, and the 1st of September, 1840, will, on
many accounts, be long remembered at Mozambique.
His Excellency came on board in his state-barge, attended by all his
suite, in full uniform, under a salute from the batteries and the
Portuguese brig-of-war, while crowds of spectators stood upon every
point on shore, whence a good view could be obtained. The deck of
the Nemesis, though rather crowded with visitors, presented a gay
appearance, from the variety of uniforms and foreign orders, which all
those who were entitled to them, not few in number, displayed upon the
occasion.
Sufficient time having been spent in viewing the ship and inspecting
the machinery, which few of them had ever seen before, the whole party
sat down to a grand _déjeûner à la fourchette_. Now, it may seem that
a trifling incident of this sort could have no possible connexion with
the suppression of the slave-trade; and, moreover, this latter question
has been more frequently discussed at tea-drinking parties among
benevolent ladies, than at champagne luncheons among the redoubtable
sons of Mars. Yet the impression which a thing makes is often of more
consequence than might otherwise be anticipated from the trifling
nature of the thing itself.
The healths of the Queens of England and of Portugal were drank with
three times three, followed immediately by a salute of twenty-one
guns, both from the steamer and the Portuguese brig. The effect of
this upon the inhabitants was by no means unimportant; it impressed
them more than ever with the conviction, that the governments of the
two countries were perfectly united in their determination to suppress
the slave-trade; and the sound of the royal salutes ringing in their
ears, completely put an end, for the moment certainly, to all their
inclinations to resist the governor's authority.
In proof of his determination to do his utmost to suppress the
slave-trade, General Morinho had already ordered one of the
deputy-governors to be brought up to Mozambique, to be tried by
court-martial for disobedience of orders, in permitting the trade
under his own eyes; and, it has already been mentioned, that, from
the information which was given by the Nemesis, of the slave-brig at
Delagoa Bay, lying under the very guns of the fort, the governor of
that settlement was also to be sent for.
That no attention might be omitted, after the great kindness his
Excellency had shown to all on board, he and his party were steamed
some way up the river, to show them the capabilities of the vessel;
thousands of boats crowded round her in all directions, while the
house-tops, the fort, the beach, and all the ships in port, were
covered with people anxious to see the greatest novelty the place had
ever been witness to--the first steamer, moving with rapidity about
their fine harbour, and in whatever direction she pleased.
A few words may not be out of place concerning the position of
Mozambique, and its eligibility as a place of call for fuel, should
steamers be sent more frequently by that route to India. The following
description of the harbour, taken from Captain Owen's narrative of his
surveys on that coast, will be found perfectly correct. "It is formed
by a deep inlet of the sea, five and a half miles broad and six long,
receiving the waters of three inconsiderable rivers at its head. At
the entrance are three small islands, which, together with reefs and
shoals, render the anchorage perfectly safe in the worst weather.
Of these islands, that of Mozambique, on which stands the city, is
completely formed of coral, very low and narrow, and scarcely one mile
and a half in length. It is situated nearly in the centre of the inlet,
and just within the line of the two points that form its extremities.
The other two islands, called St. George and St. Jago, lie about
three miles outside of Mozambique, but close to each other. They are
uninhabited, although covered with rich verdure and trees, but upon a
coral foundation."
Mozambique was taken from the Arabs by the Portuguese, at the very
commencement of the sixteenth century; and the extent of the fort of
St. Sebastian, built there by them, and which, even now, might be
rendered a very strong fortification, capable of mounting nearly a
hundred guns, if in proper repair, will be sufficient to show the great
importance which they attributed to it, even in that early period of
its settlement. It still contains large barracks and extensive quarters
and storehouses, but only a very small and feeble garrison, of scarcely
more than a couple of hundred men, either black or creole sepoys.
There are likewise two other smaller forts upon the island, which may
therefore be considered strongly fortified, although more indebted to
the past than to the present, for the importance, which, at first
view, it appears to possess.
The public buildings of Mozambique all bespeak the value of the
settlement to its possessors, in the days of Portuguese maritime
distinction. The governor's palace must have been, in its best days,
a residence worthy of an influential ruler. It is built of stone, is
of considerable extent, and has some fine rooms in it; in fact, it
speaks much for the importance attached by the Portuguese, in former
times, to their eastern possessions. The large stone wharf, built on
handsome arches, with the fine Custom House, in a sort of square at the
extremity of it, clearly point out the ancient commercial value of the
settlement; withered at last, perhaps, more by the paralysing effects
of the slave-trade, than by any natural decrease in the commercial
capabilities of the east coast of Africa.
In short, the city has retrograded into comparative insignificance;
the number of resident Portuguese has become very inconsiderable, with
the exception of some Canareens or creole Portuguese, born in other
Portuguese possessions in India, and, though commonly called white,
only so "by courtesy," being often quite as black as the true Indians.
Bad government and moral deterioration have added not a little to the
other causes of its downfall; and it will scarcely be credited, that
a distinct law has been passed, that those who were married should
be compelled to remain there, or, at least, not return to their own
country. The effect of so extraordinary a measure, has been, that
nobody is disposed to get married at all; and, so low a tone of moral
feeling has come to prevail, that the sexes live together openly,
without any matrimonial or moral ties, and with little feeling of shame
at the absence of them.
I have dwelt a little upon these particulars concerning Mozambique,
because it is the principal of all the Portuguese settlements on that
coast; and if, as such, it has fallen so far from its former state,
we may judge how the others must now be lingering on between life and
death. The fatal influence of the slave-trade appears to paralyse the
whole commercial traffic of the country; the natives, being reduced
to mutual distrust of each other, and continually living in fear and
poverty, are unable to purchase the comforts of foreign manufactures.
The selling of slaves is almost the only profit of the chiefs,
unfitting them for every other enterprise, and deadening within them
every feeling of honour and every hope of improvement. A universal
stagnation seems to hang over the mind of man, as well as over the
productions of the earth. Were it not for the industry of the Arab
population in the neighbourhood, a periodical famine would inevitably
occur. At the present moment, the whole of the Portuguese possessions,
along the Rios da Senna, do not supply even enough grain for their
own consumption. Yet the country is a remarkably fine one, capable of
producing luxuriantly all the fruits of the earth, and, were it cleared
and cultivated, would become habitable even for Europeans, through the
improvement of its climate; yet, there is much land now neglected and
barren, which was once highly cultivated.
The slave-trade is, in fact, a worse pestilence to the country than
even the fever itself; and Mozambique, Quillimane, Delagoa Bay, Sofala,
and Inhamban, are all fallen to the lowest grade of civilization.
If you ask the simple tale of history, what has been the effect of
Portuguese rule upon that coast, you will hear neither of savages
reclaimed, soil improved, commerce extended, justice and mercy
practised, nor Christianity taught. The blight of slavery has poisoned
everything on which it rested.
Nevertheless, as a place of call for refreshment, for ships passing
through the Channel, Mozambique has some claims to attention. Abundance
of vegetables and fruit are to be obtained there; pigs and goats are
readily to be purchased, as well as poultry, and, were the demand for
bullocks larger, they would soon be brought to market in numbers. At
present, however, they are very dear.
But the great treasure of the place remains yet to be developed; at all
events, the subject is well open to investigation. The existence of
good coal in that neighbourhood is now, I believe for the first time,
made public. There is reason to expect that it will be found in large
quantity, and of good quality, although as yet the search for it has
not been carried on to any great extent. The all-engrossing subject of
the slave-trade seems to darken every other object of attention in that
quarter, and the Portuguese are probably afraid that the discovery of
coal in their settlements would occasion the continual visits of so
many steamers and other vessels, that even greater difficulty would be
thrown in the way of the traffic.
Just as the Nemesis was leaving the harbour, the captain of an English
merchant ship, the only one there at the time, brought off a large
piece of excellent coal for inspection. It had all the appearance of
coal perfectly adapted for steaming purposes; it was stated to be
found at Quillimane, (the settlement before alluded to) about three
hundred miles to the southward of Mozambique, and that there is every
reason to believe it might be procured in large quantities, and worked
without difficulty. This specimen was sent to England for examination,
by Captain Hall; but it has since been ascertained that it did not
reach its destination. This is on all accounts to be regretted. It was
sent down to the Cape of Good Hope from Mozambique, in a box, with
directions that it should be forwarded to the India House, but was
probably lost, or set aside at the Cape.
If further investigation should prove what is here stated to be
correct, there can be no reason for not searching for coal upon other
parts of the coast; and under any circumstances, as Quillimane is so
short a distance from Mozambique, the coal might easily be brought
up to the latter at little expense; and, if it were to become a more
frequented route to India, it would be desirable to moor a large
coal-hulk off the town, in which a constant supply of coal could be
kept ready, and which could be taken in rapidly, and at little expense,
by a steamer running up alongside of her.
But the Portuguese, unfortunately, seem quite blind, even to their
own interests; and they cannot perceive, that if they could work
coal-mines, they would employ a large population, circulate wealth
throughout their territory, and attract a considerable and improving
commerce to their port. But then their slave-trade would be ruined:
and they are not even wise enough in their own generation to perceive,
that out of its very ashes would gradually spring up the healthy and
vigorous plant of commerce, upon an extensive scale, not only with
foreign parts, but with the native tribes of Africa. These, however,
are now continually desolated by the scourge of war and slavery. But
they would soon learn to value peace and peaceful arts, and the taste
for new articles of manufacture would grow gradually into wants, and
wants in course of time give birth to the wish for luxuries. Far above
all the profits of the traffic in human beings, would then become the
fruits of wholesome trade; the country would advance, instead of being
driven back; and the welfare of the community and of the government be
simultaneously promoted.
New regulations respecting trade would in the first instance be
indispensable, as at the present time the commandants or little
governors of all the minor Portuguese settlements are themselves
allowed to trade, and often are the principal, or in a manner the
only, merchants in the place. This alone must destroy all healthy
competition, the soul of commerce. But, were trade placed upon a proper
footing, and coal likely to become an article of demand, it would
easily be exported to the Cape, Mauritius, and up to Aden for the
Bombay steamers, and to numerous other parts, in which the demand for
coal is yearly increasing, and likely to become almost unlimited.
I have here rather assumed that coal will be found in large quantity
than proved it; but sufficient has been said to point out the great
probability of its existence upon that coast in more places than one,
and the question involves such important consequences that it deserves
the fullest investigation.
It was at one time thought that coal would be found in some one of
the Comoro islands before alluded to, at the northern extremity of
the Mozambique Channel; and the Nemesis was directed, at all events,
to touch there on her way, for the purpose of inquiring into its
eligibility as a depôt, and place of refreshment for steamers.
The distance of the nearest of the Comoro islands, Mohilla, from
Mozambique, is scarcely two hundred and fifty miles; and from thence to
Johanna, which is the principal one, and the place of residence of the
sultan or ruler of the islands, is about thirty miles. Johanna lies as
near as possible in the middle of the Channel, between Madagascar and
the mainland of Africa, just where it widens into the open sea.
The Nemesis took her departure from Mozambique on the evening of the
1st of September, but did not reach Johanna until the afternoon of the
4th, having made nearly the whole distance under sail only, against a
very strong south-westerly current.
The island of Mohilla is, of course, the first seen, and strikes you
by its lofty, wooded summit, and the numerous small islets which
surround it to the southward. The Channel between Mohilla and Johanna
is picturesque, and the high inland mountains every where present a
rich and refreshing appearance, being covered with luxuriant wood, and
broken occasionally into deep glens, marked by the usual rich tropical
verdure. Johanna is the most frequented of all the islands, and affords
the best anchorage. But it was quite dark before the Nemesis approached
the bay, and an occasional blue light and a rocket were let off, to
give notice of her approach, in order that a pilot might come off, or
else a signal be made to direct her to the best anchorage.
A large fire was soon lighted on shore for this purpose; and, no sooner
did she come within a moderate distance, than numerous boats came
alongside; the natives jumped on board, in apparent delight at seeing
her come in, not unmixed with extreme surprise at her appearance, and
the mode in which she moved through the water. Several of them spoke
broken English, and although they were naturally delighted at the
prospect of earning a little money, they were even more so at the sight
of her armament, and at once concluded that she was sent purposely to
assist the sultan and the people of the island, who were at that time
in great danger and trouble.
Johanna is occasionally frequented by English ships, for provisions,
which are there abundant and reasonable, and the people have become
favourably known in England, in consequence of their kind treatment of
numerous poor English seamen, who have from time to time been wrecked
on those islands, or on the neighbouring coasts. The great bay,
which is on the northern side of the island, is not, however, a very
suitable anchorage, except, perhaps, during the S.W. monsoon. At all
times, there is a very heavy surf rolling in shore; and, during the
N.E. monsoon, which sets directly into it, the heavy swell renders the
anchorage unsafe. It cannot, therefore, be considered at all eligible
as a coal depôt for steamers, particularly when Mozambique, which has
greater claims to attention, is within such a moderate distance. Still,
it is a very useful place of refuge for our whaling ships in that part
of the world; and, as the inhabitants, as well as the authorities, have
always shewn great kindness to the English, and, in fact, consider
themselves almost in the light of allies of England, it would seem
politic to keep alive the good feeling they evince toward us.
The inhabitants of these islands are principally of Moorish origin,
nearly all Mohammedans, and they wear the turban and loose dress which
belong to no part of the neighbouring coast; and a dagger or pistols
in their girdle are by no means uncommon. They have a genuine old
English or Arab mode of shaking hands, with a gaiety of manner that
is very pleasing. Their features are regular, and well formed, and
their complexion, though dark, is very different from that of the
inhabitants, either of the neighbouring continent, or of the island
of Madagascar. In short, it is evident, that they were originally
emigrants from some distant part, probably Arab traders, although their
appearance has become modified in the course of successive generations.
These islanders appear to be rather favourites of the different
men-of-war and merchant ships which touch there; though they have
acquired a character for duplicity and cunning, and, consequently, for
telling falsehoods, which at the same time they smooth over with the
most artful flattery. But high testimony has been often borne to their
kindness and hospitality towards Englishmen in distress; and, when
the Exmouth grounded there several years ago, with a great number of
passengers, on her way home, the Sultan Abdallah, the father of his
present highness, particularly distinguished himself, by even attending
in person to direct the efforts of his men, who came to assist in
getting the vessel off. He paid the utmost attention to all the
passengers, particularly to the women and children, taking care that
they should be provided with every thing he could furnish for their
comfort, until they could pursue their voyage further. Nor is this by
any means a solitary instance of the kind services which they have
rendered to our countrymen.
FOOTNOTE:
[9] With respect to the effects of lightning upon an iron ship, and
the danger which was to be apprehended from the attraction, both of
the vessel as a body, and of its particular parts as points for the
electrical fluid to touch upon in its passage between the clouds and
the earth, no inconvenience whatever seems to have been felt. Much
had been said about it in England before her departure for a tropical
region. The timid, and those less acquainted with the subject, openly
expressed their apprehensions; the learned smiled with more of
curiosity than fear; but the officers of the vessel itself were too
busy about other matters to give themselves time to think much about
the question. During their voyage to the southward, when many dangers
were encountered, certainly that from lightning was amongst the least
thought of; and now, as they were passing through the Mozambique
Channel, a part of the world particularly famous for its heavy storms
of thunder and lightning, not the slightest effect from it was observed
upon the iron vessel. The funnel has a perfectly smooth top, without
any ornamental points, such as are sometimes seen; and the main rigging
and funnel stays were made of chain at the top, and rope throughout the
rest.