Tuesday, 8.—Our market at Longfield, which of late has been held only twice in the week, when the natives are summoned by the sound of the bugle, has been well attended to-day. Hitherto Mr. Jeffery has had the superintendence of it, and it is impossible to pay too high a tribute to his exertions, and the manner in which he has discharged the very arduous task of conducting the barter with the natives. The system acted upon has now become so well defined, that Captain Owen deems it sufficient to commit the future charge to a corporal of marines, who has to-day entered on this duty.
Thursday, 10.—A native afflicted with insanity came within our lines this morning, and continued there until the afternoon. The conduits, or shoots from the watering-place to the beach, were this day reported to be completed.
Saturday, 12.—We have for some days been experiencing close warm weather, which I regret to say has proved unfavourable to our invalids, the ulcerations having in consequence been apparently aggravated.
Monday, 14.—Mr. Abbott, the store-keeper at Clarence, and John Earle, seaman of H.M.S. Eden, who had charge of the ordnance at the settlement, died this afternoon from intermittent fever.
Thursday, 17.—At daylight, the African, steam-vessel, got up her anchor and steam; when she stood out of the bay and parted company for England, intending to call at Sierra Leone, for a fresh supply of coals. She was under the command of Lieut. Vidal, who was charged with despatches relating to the proceedings of the settlement, &c. Mr. Bremner, master of the Eden, as well as several invalids, went home passengers in her: and I availed myself of the opportunity of sending home numberless specimens of articles used by the natives, amongst which were the following—the model of a canoe, spears, fishing lines, and stone slings, made from the fibre of the bark of a tree, bracelets, armlets, and other trifling ornaments worn about their person; a knife, made out of an iron hoop, and fitted into a wooden handle; a bell-shaped wooden rattle, some small boxes, made of split cane, monkey skins, &c. &c.
A building, composed of the frames of two small houses, each twenty feet square, having been erected, near Point William, for an hospital, it was this day reported to be ready for the reception of the sick, and 17 seamen of the Eden, with bad ulcers, were sent on shore to occupy it, leaving 15 on board with the same complaint, besides a few fever cases; there were also eight more ulcer cases that had been on shore for some time under a tent, near Point William. This situation was chosen by Capt. Owen for the hospital, as it was near the extreme point of a small peninsula, on which the prevailing wind blows transversely, therefore, if any spot on the settlement, or near the sea-shore of any part of the island was healthy, it is reasonable to suppose that this would be. The house consisted of only one floor, with a good broad verandah all round it, shingled in the same way as the roof of the house.[[33] ]
Friday, 18.—This morning, one of the African Corps followed the example of our interpreter, Anderson, with this difference, however, that when he ran away, he took his musket and accoutrements with him. I do not see what advantage they proposed to themselves by going amongst the islanders, as they did not speak their language, and could not expect to procure the means of support, without working hard for it. The only point in their favour was, that they were of the same colour.
This afternoon the Eden's boats were sent after a vessel in the offing, which proved to be a sloop laden with palm-oil, from the Old Calabar River, bound to Liverpool. A few guanas have been seen here, and the Kroomen caught one a few days since, which they considered a great treat, and had cooked agreeably to their taste; but no venomous animal, except a few snakes, has yet been discovered. The guana is harmless, and, in some countries, is used for food. It is common to Asia, Africa, and America. Fortunately the alligator has not been seen in any of the rivers here, notwithstanding that they are native to all the rivers of the proximate continent. The cause, no doubt, is, that the rivers on the island, are mere mountain streams, which are very unfavourable to the retreat or repose of those reptiles.
Saturday, 19.—Soon after midnight, I accompanied Lieutenant Badgeley from his Majesty's ship Eden, on board the schooner African, Captain Smith, when we got under weigh to proceed round the coast of the Bight of Biafra, between the Camaroon River and Cape Formosa, for the purpose of cruising off, and entering any of the rivers, in quest of vessels trading for slaves, where we might have reason to believe that the inhuman traffic was pursued. The weather was very unpropitious during the night, for we had it squally, with heavy rain, thunder and lightning; but it cleared up in the course of the morning, and, at noon, it was calm and fine;—soon after which we saw a strange vessel, which we supposed to be a slaver: we, therefore, used every effort to overtake her, getting out our sweeps, and sending the Eden's pinnace a-head to tow; which boat, with a good crew of English sailors, Lieutenant Badgeley had brought with him, to assist in performing the service. We had not advanced far towards the strange sail, before we observed two boats coming from her, which came alongside of us about three in the afternoon, when we found that they belonged to his Majesty's brig Clinker, which was well manned and armed, and that they entertained the same suspicions of our purpose as we had held of theirs. The Clinker was in the very best order, and was commanded by Lieutenant Matson, a most active and experienced officer.
I would here remark, that if we desire to be eminently successful in putting down the slave-trade, our Government ought to select vessels of a peculiar description, I mean vessels constructed principally for sailing; for, in the first instance, the very service on which they are employed is that of chasing vessels that have been built with a special regard to swiftness on the water. The consequence of the unfitness of our ships for this particular service, is, that of the number of slavers that we descry in these seas, the captures make but a small proportion.