_The Emma Jane--Quilon--An alarm--Landing prisoners--Johanna and
Mohilla--Friendly authorities--Slavery--A trading monarch--Distance
lends enchantment to the view--Cousins-german of the Sultan--Princes
gardens--Mahommedan sympathy--Off again._
On the 14th January, as the Alabama was lazily drifting in a
north-easterly direction, near the Malabar coast, a ship was discovered
running down towards her. The useful decoy--the United States flag--was
at once hoisted, and the same colours were run up by the stranger. A gun
brought the Yankee vessel to, and the Alabama forthwith took possession
of the Emma Jane of Bath, Maine, bound from Bombay to Amherst in
ballast, and at 8.30 P.M. the prize was set fire to.
About this period the cruiser experienced a series of calms, and she
drifted with the current rather than sailed. On the 16th of January the
Ghaut Mountains were made, and Captain Semmes makes the following entry
in his journal.
_Saturday, January 16th._--At meridian made the town of Quilon, and bore
up east 1/2 south for the town of Angenga, which we made about 2 P.M. At
4.30 came to in the road abreast of the fort, and despatched a
Lieutenant on shore to see about landing my prisoners. In the evening
the residing magistrate's son came on board, and I arranged the matter
with him. There being no external trade or shipping at Angenga, the
prisoners could not well get away by sea; but my visitor stated that
there was lagoon navigation inland all the way to Cochin, some
seventy-five miles to the northward, and that at Cochin there were
always means of reaching Bombay and other ports. Native boats were
passing every day between Angenga and Cochin, and if I would send the
necessary provisions on shore for the prisoners, his father would see
them transported to Cochin. I sent a Lieutenant on shore after night
with the son, to arrange the matter with the father; and as the boat was
delayed much beyond her time, and we heard some firing as of revolvers
and muskets, and as there was also some surf running, I became uneasy,
and despatched the First Lieutenant in another boat to look into the
matter. The chief magistrate had only been at public worship--the cause
of the detention of the boat. Both boats returned about 11.30 P.M.
_Sunday, January 17th._--At daylight I sent all the prisoners on shore,
where they were landed apparently in the presence of half the
village--the native boats taking them through the surf--and at 9.30 got
under way. The town of Angenga was formerly of some importance as a
shipping port for the produce of the country--cocoa-nut oil, pepper, &c.
But all its trade has passed to its more prosperous rival--Cochin. It is
about fifty miles from Travancore, the residence of The Rajah. There is
water communication all the way, and the journey is generally made (in
canoes) in the night to avoid the heat of the sun. The natives are
nearly as black as the Africans, but with straight hair and European
features. A large number of them visited the ship this morning. They
were fine specimens of physical development, and wore scarcely any other
covering than a cloth about the loins. They were sprightly and chatty,
and in their quaint canoes made quite a picture.
* * * * *
On the 17th January the Alabama left Angenga, arriving without further
adventure on the 21st at the Island of Minicoy, and after three weeks
more of fine weather, found herself off the island of Comoro.
* * * * *
_Tuesday, February 9th_.--At 3.30 A.M. passed in sight of the N.E. end
of Comoro. Soon after daylight made the Islands of Johanna and Mohilla.
At 1.30 P.M. came to anchor about three-quarters of a mile from the
shore. Despatched the Paymaster to the-town to arrange for fresh
provisions. In the afternoon visited by several canoes, with a couple of
poles lashed across the gunwales, attached to a float in each, to
maintain their stability. Stalwart naked negroes were for the most part
their occupants. Many of them spoke a little English. Among others, a
dignitary of the Church came on board with the compliments of the chief
priest (Mahommedan). We made arrangements with him for the supply of the
ship. One of his companions asked me to which of the belligerent parties
I belonged to, the North or the South. I replied, to the South. "Then,"
said he, "you belong to the side which upholds slavery." "Yes," said I,
"we belong to the country where the black man is better taken care of
than in any other part of the world." The churchman seeing me put on the
defensive, as it were, came to my aid, and said: "Oh, we are
slaveholders here; being Mahommedans, we have no prejudices that way;
our only trouble is, we cannot get slaves enough. The English, who have
no control over us, we being an independent government, are strong
enough to interfere in everybody's business, and to say to us, that we
bring over from the main no more slaves. The slaves themselves would
gladly come to us, as they are much better off than under their native
chiefs, who are continually making war upon and enslaving one another."
My informant was himself a full-blooded African negro, as black as the
ace of spades, but with an immaculate white turban on his head, and the
flowing robe and loose jacket of the Mahommedan.
_Wednesday, February 10th_.--Visited by the King's Dragoman this
morning, who came to pay the respects of the authorities, to say he was
glad to see us in Johanna. In the course of conversation, he was pleased
to say that our ship was well known to him, and the news of our having
appeared off the Cape some months ago had driven off all the Yankee
whalers, several of which had been accustomed to resort hither. King
Abdallah, he said, resided on the east side of the island. The king
himself would come to see us, but was very busy just now patting up a
sugar-mill, which he had just received from the Mauritius.
The island is a beautiful, picturesque spot. There is quite a mountain
in the interior, and the higher parts of Johanna are densely wooded; the
mountain-sides being in some places so steep that the tops of some trees
touch the trunks and roots of others.
The inhabitants are a mixture of Arabs and negroes. They are intelligent
and sprightly, and had not only heard of the American war, but said it
bore heavily on them, as they were now compelled to pay a much higher
price for their goods, which are mostly cotton. We have driven away,
they say, all their Yankee trade. The Sultan is a young man of
twenty-eight, with a moderate harem of only five wives.
_Thursday, February 11th_.--Visited the town to get sights for my
chronometers--which puts the town at 44.26.30 N., just 30" less than
Captain Owen's determination. The town, as viewed from the anchorage, is
a picturesque object, with its tall minaret, its two forts, one perched
on a hill commanding the town, and the other on the sea-beach, and its
stone houses; but the illusion is rudely dispelled on landing. You land
on a beach of rocks and shingle, through a considerable surf even in the
calmest weather. The beach was strewn with the washed clothes of the
ship, and a set of vagabonds of all colour, save only that of the
Caucasian, were hanging about looking curiously on. The town is
dilapidated and squalid to the last degree--the houses of rough stones,
cemented and thatched; the streets five feet wide, and rendered, as it
would seem, purposely crooked.
It was the second day of the fast of Ramadan, and groups of idlers were
congregated in the narrow porticoes reading the Koran. The language,
which is peculiar to the island, is very soft and pleasing to the ear.
We visited one of the principal houses. The walls were filled with a
number of small niches, receptacles for everything imaginable--coffee-cups,
ornaments, &c. A number of couches were ranged round the room.
A crowd of half-clad, dirty children gathered round us, but no female
made her appearance. We took our sights among the gaping multitude, all
of whom were very civil and polite, and returned on board about 5 P.M.,
having seen all the outside life that was to be seen at Auzuan. The
inside life was, of course, out of our reach.
Upon coming on deck this morning I was struck with the soft picturesque
beauty of the hills, as shone upon by the morning sun lighting up the
tops and sides, and throwing the valleys and ravines into shade. At
night I am lulled by the roar of the sea upon the beach. It is
delightful to sniff the fragrance of the land as it comes off to us
upon the dew-laden wings of the softest of breezes. My fellows on shore
looked rueful and woe-begone--nature had no charms for them--there was
no liquor to be had! If I were to remain here long, I should send them
on shore as a punishment.
_Friday, February 12th_.--This is the Mahommedan Sabbath, but they do
not keep it so grimly as the Puritans. We had a number of visitors on
board, and among others, several princes, cousins-german of the Sultan,
one of them being the Commander-in-Chief of the army. He gave me an
account of the affair of the Dale. Some years ago two Yankee whalers
came in. One of them obtained provisions to the amount of two hundred
and fifty dollars, telling the people he was too poor to pay for them in
money, but that he would give them a bill on the Consul at Zanzibar. To
this they assented; the skipper then ran off with his ship in the night,
without giving the bill. They seized the other Captain and took him on
shore, to keep him as a hostage while his ship should go in pursuit of
the runaway and get the promised bill. But they thought better of it in
a few hours, and released him. The Dale came the next season and
demanded twenty-five thousand dollars, threatening to burn the town if
the money was not paid. They could not pay them, there being probably
not so much money in the island. The Yankees then set fire to one end of
the town, cannonaded the fort, doing some damage, and withdrew. This is
about the usual origin of Yankee shipmasters' complaints to their
government. I made a present of a captured Yankee clock to each of the
princes, and gave them a package of writing-paper. They seemed anxious
to get some finery for their wives, but I told them we were not in that
line, like Yankee whalers.
_Saturday, February 13th_.--Visited the town again to-day. Called at the
houses of a couple of the princes, in which I found everything dirty,
with an attempt at tawdry finery. A black _houri_ was set to fan me. We
were served with rose syrup. Walked to the prince's garden--a beautiful
wilderness of cocoa and betel nuts, sweet orange and mango, with
heterogeneous patches of rice, sweet potatoes and beans, and here and
there a cotton plant. Two or three slave huts were dotted about, and
walls of loose stones ran along crooked lanes and bye-ways. As we came
off, some of the inhabitants were at evening prayer, and others
preparing to take their evening meal. People met us everywhere with
kindly greetings, and the Cadi, a venerable-looking old man, wished me a
safe return to my own country.
_Sunday, February 14th_.--Visited in force again to-day by the princes,
and other chief men. In the afternoon the high-priest visited me. He was
a fine-looking man--Arab by descent--with a well-developed forehead,
and easy, gentlemanly bearing. He wore a sword, and was evidently looked
upon with great respect by his attendants. He expressed much sympathy
with our cause, and said he would pray to Allah for our success. The
Yankee whalers, he said, invariably stole some of their slaves. Said
they could not do very well without the whalers, as they were the only
traders to the island, and brought them many useful things.
_Monday, February 15th_.--Received on board some bullocks and fruit;
paid our bills, and were taken leave of affectionately by the simple
people. At meridian moved out of the anchorage under steam, amid the
cheers, given in real English fashion, by the many boatmen that
surrounded us.