Africa and the American Flag

by Andrew H. Foote

On arriving at Gray’s Point, the proffered assistance was declined, as one British cruiser had just arrived, and another was momentarily expected, which would transport the sick and suffering to Sierra Leone.

The Perry then proceeded to Porto Praya, and on the 8th of January, 1851, after one year’s service on the south coast, reported to the commander-in-chief. Soon afterwards, the commodore was informed that a large Hamburgh ship, with a cargo exceeding in value the sum of three hundred thousand dollars, had been wrecked at night on the island of Mayo—forming one of the group of the Cape Verdes. The Perry proceeded to Mayo, for the purpose of rendering the wrecked ship all assistance in her power. The commander called on the American vice-consul, who was an intelligent, dignified black man, holding the offices of mayor and military commandant, superadded to that of vice-consul. It was found that the ship and most of her cargo had proved a total loss. The passengers and crew had escaped with their lives. Among the passengers was a clever young governess, going out to Santiago, in Chili: she proceeded to Porto Praya, where her losses were fully compensated by the contributions of the officers of the squadron. After rendering all possible assistance to the wrecked vessel and sufferers, the Perry returned to Porto Praya, and made preparations for a third southern cruise. A first lieutenant and one midshipman were ordered to the vessel, to supply, in part, the vacancies occasioned by sending home officers in charge of captured slavers.

CHAPTER XXXI.

RETURN TO THE SOUTH COAST—COMPARATIVE COURSES AND LENGTH OF PASSAGE—COUNTRY AT THE MOUTH OF THE CONGO—CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE BRITISH COMMODORE—STATE OF THE SLAVE-TRADE—COMMUNICATION TO THE HYDROGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENT—ELEPHANT’S BAY—CREW ON SHORE—ZEBRAS.

On the 19th of February, the vessel having been reported ready for sea, the commodore issued orders to proceed on a cruise south of the equator, under former orders and instructions, stopping at Monrovia and at the island of St. Helena; and returning to Porto Praya when provisions should be exhausted.

The vessel sailed at daylight on the following morning, and after a passage of eight days, during which she had a long chase after an English brig, arrived at Monrovia. Five days were spent in wooding and watering ship. On Sunday, a colored Rev. Dr. of Divinity in the Baptist church, preached to a large congregation, giving his own rendering of the text from the original Greek. The effort was perhaps unusually elaborate, in consideration of several officers forming part of the audience.

In running down the coast, a great number of canoes, filled with natives—sans culottes and sans chemises—pulled off to the vessel. By one of these, a note addressed to the missionaries was sent into Cape Palmas, expressing regret that orders to the south coast prevented the vessel from touching either at the Cape or at the Gaboon River.

The former passage to the south coast had been made on the port tack, by standing out into the southeast trades, and forty-one days had expired on reaching Benguela. This passage was made on the starboard tack, in-shore, and occupied but twenty-two days to Ambriz—a run of four days from Benguela. The great advantages of the in-shore passage will be made manifest in a letter hereafter to be referred to. Greater alternations of weather, pleasant and squally, with now and then a strong tornado, occur in-shore; but a good look-out will enable a man-of-war to encounter all these with safety. Besides a number of legal traders, on the passage down, several British cruisers were boarded, who reported the slave-trade as being exceedingly dull.

Three days were spent in Loanda, and then cruising for the same length of time, with the new commander of the British southern division, was resumed off Ambriz. Thence the vessel proceeded down the coast towards the Congo River, where the new commander of the steamer Fire-Fly boarded the Perry, when at a distance of four miles from his own vessel. Passed the Congo, after encountering a tornado.

This river is more than two leagues broad at its mouth. At the distance of eight or ten miles seaward, in a northwesterly direction, the water preserves its freshness; and at the distance of fifty and even sixty miles, it has a black tinge. Here are often seen small islands floating seaward, formed of fibrous roots, bamboo, rushes and long grass, and covered with birds. The banks of the Congo are lined with low mangrove bushes, with clumps of a taller species interspersed, growing to the height of sixty and seventy feet. Palm-trees, and others of a smaller growth, are seen with a rich and beautiful foliage. In going up the river, the southern shore, where there is plenty of water close in with the land, should be kept aboard. The current is so strong—often running six miles an hour off Shark’s Point—that an exceedingly fresh sea-breeze is necessary in order to stem the stream. The greatest strength of this current, however, is superficial, not extending more than six or eight feet in depth. The Congo, like all rivers in Africa, except the Nile, is navigable but a short distance before reaching the rapids. The great central regions being probably not less than three thousand feet in altitude above the sea, these rapids are formed by a sudden depression of the surface of the country towards the sea, or by a bed of hard rocks stretching across the basin of the river.