_Thursday, October 4th, 1827_.--At length the day arrived when I was to
quit Sierra Leone, and I might say with some regret; for, during my
residence there, I had been very hospitably and agreeably entertained
by the principal government officers, as well as by several of the most
respectable merchants; and I had found a sufficient variety of objects
of interest, to yield ample occupation for the mind. I could have
desired to remain sometime longer, particularly as the fine weather,
and what is called the healthy season, was fast coming on, which would
have afforded me more time to examine and reflect on what was of
interest to the colony as well as to the mother country; but I was
conscious of a feeling of still deeper regret, and of a different
character from that of mere curiosity;--it was the pain of parting from
those whose kind sympathy had led them to take more than a common
interest in my pursuits, and to whose friendly and constant attentions
I was indebted for the advantages I enjoyed while I remained in the
colony.
The apprehension, too, which was afterwards fatally realized, that many
of us should never meet again, was calculated to embitter my
leave-taking, even more poignantly. Of the friends who were then around
me at Sierra Leone, the greater number are now no more; the principal
persons amongst whom are the following: Colonels Lumley and Denham; Mr.
K. Macauley (member of council); Mr. Barber, Mr. Leavers, Mr. Reffel
(acting judge), Mr. Magnus (clerk of the court), Lieutenant Green,
R.A.C., and several gentlemen volunteers of the same corps.
At daylight in the morning, just as the ship was preparing to get her
anchors up, a heavy tornado came on, and the rain continued for some
hours after the violence of the wind had subsided. Notwithstanding the
rain, however, Colonel Lumley, the Lieutenant-Governor of the colony,
and his private secretary. Lieutenant McLean, R.A.C., came on board at
eight o'clock for a passage to Cape Coast, where the Lieutenant-Governor
was going for the purpose of delivering the fortress of Cape Coast
Castle into the hands of the British merchants, who were to take
possession of it with a militia force, which they were permitted to
organize for their own protection: the Government allowing them a
stipulated sum to support the necessary establishment, at the same time
withdrawing the troops of the Royal African Corps, and all the
government stores, part of which were to be sent to Fernando Po, and
the rest to Sierra Leone or England.
At ten o'clock we got under weigh, and made sail out of Sierra Leone
harbour. The Horatio, a schooner, which Captain Owen had purchased to
take provisions, mechanics and labourers to Fernando Po, was to have
sailed in company with us, but from some unaccountable delay, she did
not join us till we got to Cape Coast.[18] At noon, Cape Sierra Leone
bore E. 1/2 S. distance seven miles; and the Banana Islands S. 1/2 E.
The afternoon cleared up, and the wind was very light. From Sierra
Leone to Cape St. Ann, the course is S. 57°. E. distance 86 miles. From
Cape St. Ann to Cape Mesurada the course is S. 60 degrees E. distance
123 miles.
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[17] All the headmen understand enough of English to perform any
labour under the direction of Englishmen, and the Kroomen are a
hard-working body of men.
[18] Fenao Gomez, a Portuguese, was the first person who rented a
monopoly of the trade of the Coast of Guinea, on consideration of
his paying 300 milreas per annum for five years; and he was to
discover 100 leagues of coast per annum, beginning at Sierra Leone.
He finished his discoveries at Cape St. Catherines.