Captain Owen's Departure--Runaway Slave--Egbo again--Duke's Sunday--
Superstitious Abstinence--Anecdote of a Native Gentleman--Breaking
Trade--Author's Visit to Creek Town--Bullocks embarked--Departure from
Calabar--Chased by mistake--Dangerous Situation--Mortality at Fernando
Po--Detection of a Deserter--Frequency of Tornados--Horatio hove
down--Capture of a Slave Vessel--Loss of Mr. Morrison--Another Slave
Vessel taken--Landing a part of the Slaves--Author's Daily Routine--
Garden of Eden--Monstrous Fish--Continued Mortality--Market at Longfield
_Monday, 17_.--After breakfast, Captain Owen sailed in the Victoria for
Fernando Po. The Lady Combermere also departed for the same destination;
the latter vessel, being on a trading voyage along the coast, contained
a number of articles in her freight, much required by the people at the
settlement.
Soon after these vessels were out of sight, two parties of slaves came
down from the Baracoons, to wash themselves in the river; they were
chained in pairs, the right leg of one to the left leg of another.
Before the Victoria arrived, they were brought down daily; but were not
seen during the time she remained, notwithstanding there were several
depôts for slaves in the town.
Some black gentlemen came on board to-day to barter for bullocks.
The brig James, from Liverpool, arrived this afternoon. About eight in
the evening, a Calabar man was brought on board from the Kent's
oil-house; he wanted to be secreted until we sailed, as he wished to
make his escape; for, he said, his master wanted to cut his head off, or
to make him chop nut, i.e. to oblige him to eat a poisonous nut, which
produces speedy death, because he had free-mason (meaning witchcraft),
and that his master had been sick ever since he had last flogged him.
Picked up floating about the harbour, the long-boat of a French slaver,
that had been taken while at anchor here, by a French man-of-war brig.--
Ther. at 1 P.M. 93°. F. in the shade.
_Wednesday, 19_.--We saw from the vessel to-day, that Egbo was running
about the town. A small canoe, with a couple of the Eden's Kroomen, came
up the river this evening with a letter from the Eden's tender, for
information respecting the Spanish slave-vessel that was expected to
sail.
_Thursday, 20_.--Fine day, with a fresh sea breeze, which felt quite
reviving after several hot days. Egbo again in action to-day, having
been sent from Old Calabar to Robin's Town, a distance of three miles,
to recover a debt for the Duke.
_Friday, 21_.--Old Calabar being yesterday, this was Duke's Sunday; but
neither of these holidays were kept with the usual festivity, in
consequence of the prescribed time of the mourning for the Prince, not
having yet expired. When these holidays are observed, it is usual for
the Duke to invite all the captains and super-cargoes of vessels in the
river, when he gives them an excellent dinner, with plenty of palm-wine.
The dinner consists, generally, of goats, wild pigs, monkeys, fish,
plain yams, foofoo, &c. The latter dish is a preparation of boiled yams,
which are pounded in a mortar until they obtain a tenacity that will
admit of being drawn out like birdlime. While the Duke is at dinner, or
breakfast, he usually has some foofoo before him. This he rolls in his
hands into small balls, of about two inches in diameter, before he
partakes of it: it is, however, but justice to remark, that his Majesty
always washes his hands both before and after each meal.
There is a superstition, prevalent among these people, concerning food
that is forbidden, which is pointed out to them from time to time by
their doctor, or rather by the fetish men, who are the interpreters of
his supposed will; the doctor himself being a mere wooden image; one of
which is always carried about in the suite of the Duke. At the time of
our visit, the Duke was forbidden to eat beef or fowls, consequently he
never allowed them to be put on his table. He was occasionally permitted
to eat fish, because, I presume, he was supposed to have a fancy for it.
At these times, the Duke's attendants are forbidden to taste fish.
Although the Duke does not eat beef or fowls, he occasionally orders the
animals to be sacrificed as an offering to the devil: for the Calabar
people say, that "God is a good man, and will not hurt them; but the
devil is a bad man, and it is therefore necessary to appease him."
The natives of this country all shave on the day previous to Calabar
Sunday; and it is curious enough that they all do so according to the
Mahommedan mode, excepting when they make devils, that is, go into
mourning, at which period, they not only omit shaving, but put on their
worst clothes.
The captain of an English vessel, calling one day on a black gentleman,
with whom he was on very friendly terms, opened the door suddenly,
without ceremony, breaking a slight fastening, and found his friend
under the hands of one of his wives, who was performing for him the
office of a barber; a discovery which so offended the prejudices of the
native, that he could never summon courage after that circumstance, to
look the captain full in the face.
The Duke, King Eyo, and several black gentlemen, breakfasted, and began
their trade, on board the James to-day. The form of breaking trade here
is not so ceremonious as at the Bonny, being merely done by the Duke's
visit a few days after the arrival of a vessel, when refreshments are
provided for him and his suite, after which he selects whatever goods he
wants, and the trade is then open to all his subjects.
_Sunday, 23_.--There were four guns fired in the town this afternoon,
the object of which was to announce the death of a rich old lady; as
they were not minute-guns one would suppose her relations were rejoicing
at the event which had taken place.
_Monday, 24_.--This evening I accompanied Captains McGhar, Charles,
Coxenham, and Smith, (all commanding English vessels in the river) to
visit King Eyo at Creek Town, but our visit was rather of a different
character to that which would be paid to crowned heads in Europe; in
this instance our host was the gainer, as well as the honoured party,
for his guests came amply provided with the luxuries of life, and he was
only required to furnish a few necessaries, which are also presented to
him by his subjects, or his particular slaves. The excursion, however,
procured us a little variety, and terminated satisfactorily to all
parties, but after the novelty of a first visit has passed away, there
is little interest to be found in a black town, the huts are all on the
same plan; and the streets rugged and narrow.
_Tuesday, 25_.--About noon we left Creek Town, to return on board our
respective vessels. Early in the evening we experienced a slight touch
of a tornado, which in a few hours after was followed by a very violent
one, and a good deal of heavy rain.
_Friday, 28_.--We completed our cargo of bullocks this afternoon, which
we began to receive on board the preceding day. Our whole deck was now
crowded with these animals, divided into compartments, with bamboo and
other spars, leaving only a small space in the fore and after parts to
work the vessel. There was also a platform made in the hold for a
further number. Took leave of our friends at Old Calabar, and dropped
down the river just below seven fathom point, where we anchored for the
night. Had a slight tornado this evening.
_Saturday, 29_.--Got under weigh at daylight, but were obliged to
anchor again before noon, both wind and tide being against us. We here
found the Haywood, Captain Burrel, at anchor; she was from Liverpool,
bound to Old Calabar, for palm-oil. The larger Liverpool vessels have
generally a small one, for a tender, to collect palm-oil, ebony, and
ivory,[38] at different places on the coast, as the ships generally
remain in one river until their cargoes are complete. There was a
dreadful accident happened to one of these tenders. She was boarded by a
number of piratical blacks in canoes, belonging to an island near the
mouth of the Camaroon river, when they murdered all the trader's crew,
and after plundering the vessel of every thing they thought worth
carrying away, they got clear off with their booty.
At 5 in the afternoon we got under weigh, and at 8 crossed the bar,
where there was a heavy surf and only 15 feet water, so that we and our
live stock were in some danger. Soon afterwards we were chased, and had
two shots fired at us, being taken for a slaver escaping under cover of
the night, and when the vessel was ranging up alongside, with the
intention of pouring in a heavy fire and boarding us in the smoke, our
assailants, to their great mortification, heard the bellowing of our
oxen, and we discovered the vessel to be the Eden's tender, commanded by
our friend Lieutenant Badgeley, who came on board, when we enjoyed a
good laugh at his disappointment, in taking our horned cattle for
slaves. We soon parted company, leaving him our best wishes.
_Sunday, 30_.--Soon after midnight the weather, from being very calm and
clear, became overcast, and at 2 o'clock a tornado came on, which
continued with frequent, and most violent gusts of wind, rain, thunder
and lightning, till between five and six in the morning; our situation
was not at all enviable, as we had both the deck, and hold, crowded with
cattle. The violence and variableness of the wind soon raised a very
rough and cross sea, which frequently broke over us, making every thing
fly from side to side, and producing the greatest disorder. All this
time I was in a small moveable bed-place on deck, expecting every
instant that the sea would overwhelm us, and wash me and my bed-place
overboard, for I was in no danger of being washed out of my bed, as it
required no little management to emerge from it at pleasure. This berth
of mine was commonly called a doghouse (a box about six feet long, four
high, and two broad,) containing a mattress fitted about 18 inches from
the deck, above which there was a sliding door and curtain, scarcely
large enough to admit an ordinary sized man. I found it, however, much
more pleasant in fine weather than sleeping below, where the cockroaches
were so numerous that a large dishful might be obtained in a few
minutes, by putting a little treacle in it, to serve both for bait and
trap. I used to think, that if the old story were a fact instead of a
fiction, namely, that the Chinese make Soy of these animals, a very
lucrative trade might be carried on between them and the natives of
these coasts.
Our schooner was a low, sharp, fast sailing vessel, but in an irregular
sea she was tossed about like a cork. At daylight the weather cleared
up, and the day turned out fine with a moderate breeze, which died away
towards noon, when being in sight of the vessels at anchor in Maidstone
Bay, Captain Smith and I left the schooner, to pull thither in a boat,
and got on board the Eden about two in the afternoon: we also went on
board the Louisa, from Sierra Leone.
The accounts we received of our infant settlement were not so favourable
as we could have desired, not with regard to the progress of operations,
for that was greater than could be reasonably expected, but from the
sickness that had prevailed, and the consequent loss of several valuable
lives. Mr. Glover, the master of the house-carpenters, died only the
preceding evening, and it is much to be feared that the panic which took
place on the first symptom of illness, (from a deficiency of that moral
courage which every Christian ought to possess) proved more fatal than
the disease itself. This morning we had a most convincing illustration
of this fact. One of the stoutest and healthiest of our Plymouth
artificers, who exhibited no previous symptoms of illness, on hearing of
the death of Mr. Glover burst into a fit of crying, and exclaimed, "Oh
my wife! my children! I shall never see you again!" From that moment he
drooped, and in a few days died from despondency.
_Good Friday, April, 4_.--About 11 o'clock last night, the sentinel over
the provision store at Newmarket, observed a man lying on the ground,
tearing away the watling off one side of the store. On being challenged,
he rose up, either to make his escape, or to resist the sentinel, who
was advancing with fixed bayonet. In the scuffle that followed, the
culprit was wounded in his left breast, notwithstanding which he
succeeded in releasing himself from the grasp of his adversary. The
sentinel, however, returned to the charge, and following him up closely,
felled him to the earth with a blow from the butt-end of his musket.
Still, however, the thief struggled violently, and prostrate as he was,
endeavoured to bring down his opponent by seizing his legs: the soldier
was now compelled, in self-defence, to transfix his prisoner to the
ground, by running his bayonet through his left arm, until the serjeant
came up, who took him to the guard-house, whither he walked,
notwithstanding his severe wounds, and great loss of blood. His
appearance was that of a native, his body being coated with red clay,
and the fore part of his head shaved, while he wore the usual ornaments,
a girdle, and armlets, of beads: but he was soon discovered to be a
soldier of the African Corps, named Gott, who had run away four months
before, taking with him his arms, accoutrements, and clothes.
The African, schooner, sailed this afternoon, for the purpose of
procuring yams and live stock from other parts of the island, our people
having bought up the whole stock of the natives in the neighbourhood of
the settlement. We found here a few oysters on the Mangrove trees near
the sea-shore, within reach of the tide.
_Saturday, 5_.--The Eden's tender, Victoria, returned from the Old
Calabar this afternoon. A heavy tornado this evening, but as it is
almost a daily occurrence, it is scarcely worth noticing.
_Sunday, 6_.--The Eden's tender, Horatio, with Captain Harrison on
board, returned this afternoon from a week's trading voyage for stock
round the island. A seaman belonging to the Eden was drowned through
carelessness, in upsetting a small boat on leaving the Horatio. The
Victoria sailed this evening, under the command of Lieutenant Robinson,
to blockade several slave-vessels that were daily expected to sail from
the Old Calabar river.
_Monday, 7_.--The armourer of the Eden died this afternoon. I had been
myself affected with feverish symptoms during the last fortnight, but,
although so many persons were dying around me, I still maintained my
cheerful spirits, to which circumstance I attribute the restoration of
my health, which was now daily improving. I mention this solely for the
sake of impressing upon others the importance which cannot be often
urged, of not giving way to despondency in this insalubrious climate.
_Thursday, 10_.--The Fame, brigantine, arrived here on her way from the
Camaroon river, bound to Liverpool with palm-oil, which afforded us an
opportunity of sending letters to England: she sailed on _Saturday_, on
which day the Horatio filled, and sunk in Clarence Cove while in the act
of heaving down. This event occasioned much trouble, and it required the
assistance of two vessels to get her up again. The weather had been very
unsettled throughout the past week, with a tornado during some part of
each day or night.
_Monday, 14_.--The African sailed for the island of Bimbia to procure as
much stock and vegetables as they could obtain. I regretted that a
temporary indisposition prevented me from going, occasioned by a large
boil in a highly irritable state, which is very common on this coast.
_Tuesday, 15_.--Mr. Mercer, midshipman of the Eden, who had sailed from
hence in the Victoria, returned to-day in charge of the Elizabeth
schooner under French colours, with upwards of 100 slaves on board. He
had taken possession of her from the Eden's pinnace, while Lieutenant
Robinson in the Victoria, went in chase of a suspicious vessel in
another direction.
The Elizabeth was said to be from Guadaloupe, but from the testimony of
her crew, and other circumstances, it appeared, that she had only got
her French captain and papers from thence, and that she had sailed from
St. Thomas's, under Spanish colours, where she engaged a part of her
crew; the rest, with her Spanish captain, having previously joined her
at Porto Rico. The Spaniard, who acted as captain in the outward bound
voyage, remained at Old Calabar, to go back in another vessel, while he
sent the Frenchman, with false papers, for the voyage home, knowing that
the Eden's tender and boat were on the look-out for him at the mouth of
the river.
_Wednesday, 16_.--Captain Owen employed himself in the examination of
the papers and crew of the schooner brought in by Mr. Mercer. A short
time before midnight, there was an alarm that a man had fallen
overboard: every exertion was made to pick him up, without success. On
inquiry, the unfortunate person proved to be Mr. Morrison, who had left
England as schoolmaster of the Eden, and who, after the death of Mr.
Abbott, was appointed acting store-keeper to the settlement. For want of
lodging on shore, he used to come on board every night to sleep. Upon
this occasion, he had laid down in the hammock netting on the gangway, a
favourite place with the young gentlemen, as most of the ship's company,
as well as the Kroomen, and black labourers, slept on the deck. It is
supposed, that on awaking, he intended going below, but being drowsy, he
mistook the outside for the inside rail, and fell into the water. He
struggled a very short time before he sunk, and it was therefore
thought, that he must have struck himself against a gun, or the side of
the vessel, in his fall.
_Thursday, 17_.--We this day hove the Horatio down alongside the Eden to
a pinnace filled with iron ballast: the pinnace sunk during the night in
a squall, in consequence of her iron ballast not having been taken out
at sunset. Eighty-one adult female slaves, and some female children,
were landed this afternoon from the Elizabeth.
_Sunday, 20_.--About two o'clock in the afternoon, Lieutenant Badgeley
arrived in a Brazilian schooner, Ou Voador (The Flying-fish), which he
had taken with 230 slaves on board.
_Monday, 21_.--The Victoria, Lieutenant Robinson, returned from Old
Calabar to-day, without having met with any further success. Landed this
afternoon, at the settlement, from the Voador, sixty male slaves, with
forty-two women and children, who were to be employed, with an allowance
of sixpence per day, and their provisions.
_Wednesday, 23_.--Fired a royal salute from Adelaide Island, in honour
of St. George's day. The African returned with stock from the island of
Bimbia. Landed sixty-four sick children, of both sexes, from the Voador,
their complaints being sore eyes, scurvy, craw-craws (itch), &c. The
black mechanics and labourers, and their wives, shewed the greatest
anxiety to take one, two, or more of these children under their
protection, although they had been previously told that they would not
receive any additional allowance for their support. One woman remarked,
that as she had left her child at Sierra Leone, she wanted another in
its place, to carry at her back; and before they obtained the Governor's
permission for the indulgence of their wishes, they took the beads off
their own necks to decorate their newly-adopted favourites. This
philanthropic disposition was happily not confined to people of colour,
(most of whom had fallen under the protection of the British flag, from
similar situations, i.e. the holds of slave-vessels), as most of the
naval, military, and civil officers, who resided on shore, also received
boys under their protection.
_Thursday, 24_.--The Wanderer, transport, Lieutenant Young, agent, from
Deptford, arrived this afternoon, with stores for this and Ascension
island; and in the evening, the sloop Lucy, from Sierra Leone, with
provisions for the settlement.
_Friday, 25_.--This afternoon, the two prizes, Ou Voador and Elizabeth,
sailed for adjudication at Sierra Leone. The African left this evening
for Old Calabar.
_Saturday, 26_.--This evening the Victoria sailed to blockade the Old
Calabar river.
_Monday, 28_.--The French captain of the Elizabeth, having offered his
services to superintend one of the working parties of black labourers on
shore, commenced the performance of that duty this morning. The last of
the two horses brought from Sierra Leone, died to-day from a disease in
the mysenteric glands. The Munroe, an American whaling brig, arrived
this evening. Two men, who were taken ill with fever, were ordered on
board the Eden, and there were still five of the Plymouth artificers ill
with the fever on shore; one of whom was in a state of delirium. We had
likewise several seamen suffering from fever on board.
_Wednesday, 30_.--Ware, a fine boy, about fourteen years of age, whom
Captain Owen had appointed to attend me, was unfortunately taken ill
with fever to-day, which gave me great uneasiness.
_Thursday, May, 1_.--Went on shore soon after daylight, with the working
parties, attended by a new servant, and returned to breakfast. Went on
shore again before dinner, this being my accustomed routine. I
occasionally remained on shore the whole day, and sometimes at night;
but I preferred sleeping on the deck of the Eden, where, on the top of
the Captain's skylight, I weathered out many a tornado. In this
situation, I was tolerably protected by the sloped awning from the
violence of the wind and the heavy rain, by which it is always
accompanied: but even a wetting, now and then, would have been
preferable to sleeping in a close cabin, between decks, where, in spite
of every precaution, the heat was intolerable.
_Saturday, 3_.--We have had either a tornado, or heavy rain, with
thunder and lightning, at some part of every twenty-four hours since I
last noticed the weather. Another of the artificers departed this life.
We had cucumbers from the Garden of Eden for dinner.
The following is a list of the seeds that have been sown there by the
order of Captain Owen, who gave it its poetical appellation.
Many of them were planted in December, 1827.
Early York Cabbage.
Emperor ditto.
American Cabbage.
Custard Apple.
Sour Sop.
Sierra Leone Plum.
Tomato.
Orchilla Weed, from St. Vincent's.
Do. St. Antonio.
Do. The Cape.
Do. Madeira.
Fruit Stones, from England.
Canna, or Indian Shot.
Large and small Pepper.
Balsams.
Pride of Barbadoes.
Madeira Broom.
Rose Apple.
Dahlia.
Sunflower.
Four o'Clock.
St. Jago Lilac.
Marigold.
Malta Turnip.
Spanish Onion.
Kidney Bean.
Lettuce.
Mustard and Cress.
American Cress.
Leek.
Cucumber.
Pumpkin.
Lime.
Lemon.
Orange.
Cocoa-nut.
_Sunday, 4_.--The American brig, Munroe, whaler, sailed to-day, on her
return to her fishing ground.
_Monday, 5_.--The African, schooner, arrived from Old Calabar, with a
cargo of bullocks, seventy-six in number; also a small cutter from
Sierra Leone, with rice, &c. for the settlement.
_Tuesday, 6_.--Captain Hurst, of the Wanderer, towed a very large fish
on shore, and hauled it up on the beach for examination, the mate of
that ship, after some difficulty, having killed it with a harpoon. The
sailors called it a Devil Fish, because, perhaps, they had never seen
one so ugly, or so large of its kind before. They endeavoured to
describe it to me, as I was too late to examine it myself; many of our
black labourers having carried away pieces of it immediately after it
was brought to land. The head was formed like the concave of a crescent,
with an eye near the end of each point, and a small orifice just behind
each eye, like an ear. In breadth, it measured fourteen feet and a half,
that is, from the extremities of the fins, or flaps, which resembled
those of a skate; in length, seven feet in the body, and six feet in the
tail.
A very pretty young native girl, about fifteen years of age, took refuge
in our settlement this afternoon, and placed herself under the care of a
fine strapping young Krooman, servant to Capt. Smith, of the African.
_Wednesday, 7_.--Forster, the marine, who was superintending a party on
shore, was sent on board in a high fever to-day; and Thomas Welling,
another of our Plymouth artificers, died this morning. We also found
that our bullocks began to die very fast, without our being able to
discover the immediate cause.
My poor servant lad has continued in a high fever ever since he was
first taken; and this evening, about nine o'clock, his respiration
became very low and quick (the rattles), and for a full hour no hope was
entertained; but, at the end of that time, the alarming symptoms
subsided; his respiration became more easy and natural, and after a
composing sleep of several hours, he awoke with every prospect of
recovery.
_Saturday, 10_.--The Lucy, cutter, sailed this afternoon to procure
stock from the opposite coast.
_Monday, 12_.--Forster, the marine, died last night, after five days
illness; and, although the sailmaker was called to sew him up in his
hammock before he was quite cold, the work of decomposition had already
commenced, and the corpse was so offensive, that he had much difficulty
in completing his object. This was a case of remarkable despondency. He
entertained an opinion, from the moment he was attacked, that his
illness would terminate fatally, and it was impossible to inspire him
with the least hope; a state of mind which certainly tended greatly to
the accomplishment of his prophecy.
The Victoria returned from Old Calabar to-day.
_Tuesday, 13_.--In the middle of the night, a heavy tornado came on;
after which it continued to blow very hard from the eastward till noon,
when the wind died away to a light breeze, and we had a very fine
afternoon. In the evening, the Horatio sailed for Old Calabar.
_Wednesday, 14_.--A tornado in the middle of the night.
_Friday, 16_.--A market opened to-day at Longfield, where our people
were allowed to purchase what they pleased from the natives, paying a
small duty for this privilege to the Colonial Government. Hitherto an
officer had been appointed to make the purchases, and distribute the
articles, gratis, to the establishment. The following were the rates of
the impost:--
s. d.
For every Gallon of Palm-Wine 0 8
Ditto Ditto of Oil 0 2
100 Yams 2 0
Fowl 0 1-1/2
Sheep, or Goat 2 0
Kid, or Lamb 0 9
For my own part, I cannot perceive the policy of imposing duties upon
such trifling articles, the whole of which would amount to a very
inconsiderable sum, when collected, and it had the bad effect of
rendering the people dissatisfied: God knows, there were sufficient
privations for those living in this infant colony, without imposing
duties upon the few additional comforts of life, that were so scantily
supplied by the inhabitants.
----------
[38] Ebony is plenty in this country, but the high duty that is
imposed upon its importation, renders it an unprofitable article in
the English market. At Liverpool it sells for no more than £4 per
ton, the duty out of which is £2 per ton.