Dutch Settlement at El Mina--Appearance of the Town--Cape Coast
Castle--Burial-place of L. E. L.--An English Dinner--Festivity on
Ship-board--British, Dutch, and Danish Accra--Native Wives of Europeans--A
Royal Princess--An Armadillo--Sail for St. Thomas--Aspect of the Island.
_April_ 29.--At 10 A.M., anchored off the Dutch settlement of El Mina.
The Governor's lieutenant boarded us in a large canoe, paddled by about a
score of blacks. A salute was fired by our ship, and returned from the
castle with a degree of splendor quite unexpected; for a portion of the
native town, situated beneath the castle-walls, was set on fire by the wad
of a cannon, and twenty or thirty houses burnt to the ground. On landing,
we received a message, intimating that the Governor would be glad to see
us, and consequently called upon him. He is a man of about thirty, who
came out in 1832, as a clerk, and has risen to be Governor, with the
military rank of lieutenant-colonel. All the civil officers have military
titles, and wear the corresponding uniforms, for effect upon the natives;
but the Dutch evince their shrewdness by placing practical men of
business, rather than soldiers, at the head of their colonial
establishments. The only officer of the regular army is a lieutenant,
commanding the guard, of one hundred men.
El Mina--the Mine--was built in 1482, or thereabouts, by the Portuguese,
whose early navigators have left tokens of their enterprise all along this
coast; although the achievements of those adventurous men do but
illustrate the nation's present supineness and decay. The settlement was
taken by the Dutch about a century after its foundation. The main fortress
is extensive, mounting ninety guns, and is capable of withstanding the
assault of a large force of regular troops. On an eminence, above the
town, is a second fort, apparently strong and in good repair; and two
small batteries are placed in commanding situations.
The houses in the town are built of stone, and thatched. The streets are
narrow, crooked, and dirty, imparting to the place the air of intricate
bewilderment of some of the old European cities. Much of the trade is done
in the streets, and entirely by women, who sit with their merchandize on
the ground before them, and their gold-scales in their laps, waiting for
customers. It would perhaps add to our manliness of character, if at least
the minor departments of traffic were resigned to the weaker sex, among
ourselves. Crossing a small river, we came to another, and by far the best
section, of the town. There are long, wide streets, two of which, meeting
at an obtuse angle, form together an extent of nearly a mile. A double row
of trees throw their shade over the central walk of this Alameda. At
intervals are seated groups of women-traders. The wares of some are
deposited upon the ground, while pieces of cloth are displayed to
advantage upon lines, stretching from tree to tree.
Before returning on board, we bespoke rings and chains of a native
goldsmith. The fashions of Africa are less evanescent than those of
Europe; and we may expect to see such ornaments as glittered on the bosom
of the Queen of Sheba.
_May_ 2.--Sailed for Cape Coast Castle with the evening breeze.
3.--At Cape Coast Castle.
The landing is effected in large canoes, which convey passengers close to
the rocks, safely and without being drenched, although the surf dashes
fifty feet in height. There is a peculiar enjoyment in being raised, by an
irresistible power beneath you, upon the tops of the high rollers, and
then dropped into the profound hollow of the waves, as if to visit the
bottom of the ocean, at whatever depth it might be. We landed at the
castle-gate, and were ushered into the castle itself, where the commander
of the troops received us in his apartment.
I took the first opportunity to steal away, to look at the burial-place of
L.E.L., who died here, after a residence of only two months, and within a
year after becoming the wife of Governor McLean. A small, white marble
tablet (inserted among the massive grey stones of the castle-wall, where
it faces the area of the fort) bears the following inscription:--
Hic jacet sepultum
Omne quod mortale fuit
LETITIAE ELISABETHAE McLEAN,
Quam, egregiâ ornatam indole,
Musis unicè amatam;
Omniumque amores secum trahentem,
In ipso aetatis flore,
Mors immatura rapuit,
Die Octobris XV., A.D. MDCCCXXXVIII,
Ætat 36.
* * * * *
Quod spectas viator marmor,
Vanum heu doloris monumentum,
Conjux moereng erexit.
The first thought that struck me was the inappropriateness of the spot for
a grave, and especially for the grave of a woman, and, most of all, a
woman of poetic temperament. In the open area of the fort, at some
distance from the castle-wall, the stone pavement had been removed in
several spots, and replaced with plain tiles. Here lie buried some of the
many British officers who have fallen victims to the deadly atmosphere of
this region; and among them rests L.E.L. Her grave is distinguishable by
the ten red tiles which cover it. Daily, the tropic sunshine blazes down
upon the spot. Daily, at the hour of parade, the peal of military music
resounds above her head, and the garrison marches and counter-marches
through the area of the fortress, nor shuns to tread upon the ten red
tiles, any more than upon the insensible stones of the pavement. It may be
well for the fallen commander to be buried at his post, and sleep where
the reveille and roll-call may be heard, and the tramp of his
fellow-soldiers echo and re-echo over him. All this is in unison with his
profession; the drum and trumpet are his perpetual requiem; the soldier's
honorable tread leaves no indignity upon the dead warrior's dust. But who
has a right to trample on a woman's breast? And what had L.E.L. to do with
warlike parade? And wherefore was she buried beneath this scorching
pavement, and not in the retired shadow of a garden, where seldom any
footstep would come stealing through the grass, and pause before her
tablet? There, her heart, while in one sense it decayed, would burst forth
afresh from the sod in a profusion of spontaneous flowers, such as her
living fancy lavished throughout the world. But now, no verdure nor
blossom will ever grow upon her grave.
If a man may ever indulge in sentiment, it is over the ashes of a woman
whose poetry touched him in his early youth, while he yet cared anything
about either sentiment or poetry. Thus much, the reader will pardon. In
reference to Mrs. McLean, it may be added, that, subsequently to her
unhappy death, different rumors were afloat as to its cause, some of them
cruel to her own memory, others to the conduct of her husband. All these
reports appear to have been equally and entirely unfounded. It is well
established here, that her death was accidental.
We dined at the castle to-day, and met the officers of a new English brig,
the Sea-Lark, among whom I was happy to recognize Lieutenant B----, an
acquaintance at Mahon, and a messmate of my friend C----. All these
officers are gallant fellows; and the commencement of our acquaintance
promises to place them and ourselves on the most cordial terms. The
dinner, like other English dinners, was rather noisy, but rendered highly
agreeable by the perfect good feeling that prevailed. At eight in the
evening, we returned on board, though strongly urged to sleep on shore by
the Governor and all our other friends. Such hospitality, though
unquestionably sincere, and kindly meant, it was far better to decline
than accept; for it was much the same as if Death, in the hearty tone of
good-fellowship, had pressed us to quaff another cup and spend the night
under his roof. Had we complied, it would probably have cost the lives of
more than one of us. Our captain took wisdom by the sad experience of the
English brig, which had lost her purser and master by just such a
festivity, prolonged to a late hour, and finished by the officers passing
the night on shore. The fever of the climate punished their imprudence.
All vessels, except those of our own navy, allow their officers to sleep
on shore. They expect to be taken sick, but hope that the first attack of
fever will season them. Possibly, this is as wise a course as the British
officers could adopt; for, unlike ourselves, they are compelled by duty to
trust themselves in pestiferous situations, particularly in the ascent of
rivers, where there is scarcely a chance of escaping the deadly influence
of the atmosphere. They therefore confront the danger at once, and either
fall beneath it, or triumph over it.
4.--Governor McLean, and all the officers of the castle and brig, dined on
board. The table was laid on the quarter-deck, and was the scene of much
mirth and friendly sentiment. In the evening, the theatre was open, with
highly respectable performances; after which came a supper; and the guests
took their leave at midnight, apparently well-pleased.
6.--We sailed yesterday from Cape Coast Castle, and anchored to-day at
Accra, abreast of the British and Dutch forts.
7.--Early this morning, we were surrounded with canoes, filled with
articles for sale. The most remarkable were black monkey-skins. There are
seven vessels at anchor here, including our own, and an English
war-steamer. Three of the seven, a barque, brig, and schooner, are from
the United States. Landing in a canoe, we were met on the beach by the
Governor and some of his gentlemen, and escorted to the castle. Thence we
went to the residence of Mr. Bannerman. He is the great man of Accra,
wealthy, liberally educated in England, and a gentleman, although with a
deep tinge of African blood in his cheeks. But when native blood is
associated with gentlemanly characteristics and liberal acquirements, it
becomes, instead of a stigma of dishonor, an additional title to the
respect of the world; since it implies that many obstacles have been
overcome, in order to place the man where we find him. This, however, is a
view not often taken by those who labor under the misfortune (for such it
is, if they so consider it) of having African blood in their veins.
8.--A missionary, on his way to the Gaboon, and two American
merchant-captains, Hunt and Dayley, dined with us in the ward-room. The
latter are respectable men. The missionary, Mr. Burchell, seems much
depressed. He has had the fever at Cape Palmas, the effects of which still
linger in his constitution; while his companion, the Rev. Mr. Campbell,
although but recently from America, has already finished his earthly
labors, and gone to his reward. We left them only a month ago at Cape
Palmas, in perfect health.
9.--My impressions of Accra are more favorable than of any other place
which I have yet seen in Africa. British and Dutch Accra are contiguous.
The forts of the two nations are within a mile of each other, situated on
ground which, at a little distance, appears not unlike the "bluffs" on our
western rivers; level upon the summit, with a precipitous descent, as if
the land had "caved in" from the action of the water. The country round is
level, and nearly free from woods as far as the rise of the hills, some
ten miles distant. About three miles to the eastward, Danish Accra shows
its neat town and well-kept fortress. I did not visit the place, but learn
that it is fully equal to its neighbors. Thus, within a circuit of three
or four miles, the traveller may perform no inconsiderable portion of the
grand tour, visiting the territory of three different countries of Europe,
and observing their military and civil institutions, their modes of
business, their national characteristics, and all assimilated by a general
modification, resulting from the climate and position in which they are
placed. There seems to be an exchange of courtesy and social kindness
among the three settlements. Seven or eight Europeans reside in the
different forts; so that, together with the captains of merchant-vessels
in the roads, there are tolerable resources of society.
All the Europeans have native wives, who dress in a modest, but peculiar
style, of which the lady of Mr. Bannerman may give an example. She wore a
close-fitting muslin chemisette, buttoned to the throat with gold buttons,
a black silk tunic extending to the thigh, a colored cotton cloth,
fastened round the waist and falling as low as the ankles, black silk
stockings and prunella shoes. This lady is jet black, of pleasing
countenance, and is a princess of royal blood. In the last great battle
between the Europeans on the coast and the powerful King of Ashantee (the
same who defeated and slew Sir Charles McCarthy), the native army was put
to total rout by the aid of Congreve rockets. The king's camp, with most
of his women, fell into the hands of the victors. Three of his daughters
were appropriated by the English merchants, here and at Cape Coast, and
became their faithful and probably happy wives. One of the three fell to
the lot of Mr. Bannerman, and is the lady whom I have described. These
women are entrusted with all the property of their husbands, and are
sometimes left for months in sole charge, while the merchants visit
England. The acting governor of the British fort, Mr. Topp, departs for
that country to-morrow, leaving his native wife at the head of affairs.
Mr. Bannerman is of Scottish blood by paternal descent, but African by the
mother's side, and English by education, and is a gentleman in manner and
feeling. He is the principal merchant here, and transacts a large business
with the natives, who come from two or three hundred miles in the
interior, and constantly crowd his yard. There they sit, in almost perfect
silence, receiving their goods, and making payment in gold-dust and ivory.
Towards us Mr. Bannerman showed himself most hospitable, yet in a
perfectly unostentatious manner.
Accra is the land of plenty in Africa. Beef, mutton, turkeys and chickens
abound; and its supply of European necessaries and luxuries is unequalled.
10.--We got under way, yesterday, for the "Islands," a term well
understood to mean those of St. Thomas and Prince's. Mr. Bushnell (one of
the two missionaries who proposed to take passage with us from Cape
Palmas, a month since) is now on board as a passenger to Prince's Island.
The other, Mr. Campbell, is dead. He was of a wealthy and influential
family in Kentucky, and is said to have been a young man of extraordinary
talent and promise.
Yesterday we fired seventeen minute-guns, in obedience to an order from
the Navy-Department for the melancholy death of its chief, by the
explosion of the Princeton's gun. At twelve o'clock to-day, we fired
thirteen minute guns, as a tribute of respect to the memory of Commodore
Kennon, who fell a victim to the same disastrous accident. Alone on the
waters, months after the event, and five thousand miles from the scene of
his fate, we gave a sailor's requiem to a brave and accomplished officer.
11.--Calm and sunny. Oh, how sunny!--and, alas, how calm!
At Accra, I received a present of an armadillo, or ant-eater, who is
certainly a wonderful animal, and well worth studying, in the tedium of a
calm between the tropics. The body proper is but about nine inches, but,
when stretched at length, he covers an extent of two and a half feet, from
head to tail, and is wholly fortified with an impenetrable armor of bony
scales. On any occasion of alarm, it is his custom to thrust his long nose
between his hind-legs and roll his body and tail compactly together, so as
to appear like the half of a ball, presenting no vulnerable part to an
enemy. In this condition he affords an excellent example of a
self-involved philosopher, defending himself from the annoyance of the
world by a stoical crustiness, and seeking all his enjoyment within his
own centre. His muscular strength being great, and especially that of his
fore-legs, it is very difficult to unroll him. An attempt being made to
force his coil, he sticks his fore-claws into the scales of his head, and
holds on with a death-like grip. At night, however, or when all is quiet,
he vouchsafes to unbend himself, and waddles awkwardly about on his short
legs, in pursuit of cockroaches, weevils and spiders. [Footnote: The
above-described ant-eater is properly the long-tailed Manis, being an
African species of the Pangolin. His scaly armor will turn a musket-ball.
This animal, with a few other natural and artificial curiosities from
Africa, has been deposited in the National collection, attached to the
Patent Office at Washington.] 18.--After many days of calm or light
winds, a stiff and fair breeze, for twenty-four hours past, has been
driving us rapidly on our course. We hope to see St. Thomas to-morrow.
19.--Land was discovered at daylight; but the wind had again failed us. It
being Sunday, divine service was performed, and well performed, by Mr.
Bushnell. He has gained the respect and regard of all on board, by his
amiable, guileless disposition, and unassuming piety.
At noon the breeze freshened, and brought us within ten miles of the
island, by the close of day. St. Thomas is high, and possesses strong
features. One landmark is so singular as to strike every beholder most
forcibly. It is a rock, apparently not less than five hundred feet high,
and shaped like a light-house, towering into the air, about a third of the
distance from the southern extremity of the island. We are now within a
few miles of the equator; and sundry jokes, not unfamiliar to the nautical
Joe Miller, are passing through the ship, touching the appearance of "the
line."
20.--A heavy tornado struck us last night. We were prepared for it,
however, with nothing on the ship but the topsail, clewed down, and the
fore-topmast-staysail. The last mentioned sail blew away, and the ship lay
over with her guns in the water. In five minutes, nevertheless, we were
going before the wind and away from shore.
The appearance of the island is pleasant. A high volcanic peak, hills
covered with wood, and spots of ground reminding us of the lawns or
pasture-lands of our own country. On these tracts not a tree or a bush is
visible for acres together; but whether the soil was left naked by nature,
or rendered so by cultivation, is yet to be ascertained. A ruined chapel
on the top of a hill, a large mansion, apparently unoccupied, on the
shore, and a few huts among the cocoa-trees, are the only evidences that
men have ever been here. Several canoes have now come off to us, bringing
fruit and shells.