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.