As there is a Dashee expected before Ships can wood and water here; it was thought expedient to send the Royal Perquisite up by Embassy (a Lieutenant and Purser) who being in all respects equal to the Trust, were dismissed with proper Instructions, and being arrived at the King’s Town, they were ushered or thrust in by some of the Courtiers into the common Palaaver-Room (to wait the King’s dressing, and coming from his Palace) his publick Audience being ever in the Presence of the People. After waiting an hour, King Pedro came attended by a hundred naked Nobles, all smoaking, and a Horn blowing before them. The King’s Dress was very antick: He had a dirty, red Bays Gown on, chequer’d with patch-work of other Colours, like a Jack pudding, and a Fellow to bear the Train, which was a narrow Slip of Culgee tacked to the bottom of the Gown. He had an old black full-bottom’d Wig, uncombed; an old Hat not half big enough, and so set considerably behind the Fore-top, that made his meagre Face like a Scare-crow; coarse Shoes and Stockings, unbuckled and unty’d, and a brass Chain of 20lib. at least about his Neck.
To this Figure of a Man, our modern Embassadors in their Holiday Suits, fell on their Knees, and might have continued there till this time, for what Pedro cared: He was something surprized indeed, but took it for the Fashion of their Country, and so kept making instant Motions for the Dashee. This brought them from their Knees, as the proper Attitude for presenting it; consisting in a trading Gun, two pieces of salt Ship-beef, a Cheese, a Bottle of Brandy, a Dozen of Pipes, and two Dozen of Congees. But Pedro, who understood the Present better than the Bows, did not seem pleased when he saw it; not for any defect in the Magnificence, but they were such things as he had not present Occasion for; asking some of their Clothes and to take those back again, particularly their Breeches, sullied a little with kneeling in the Spittle: But on a Palaaver with his Ministers, the Present was accepted, and the Officers dismissed back with a Glass of Palm-Wine and Attee, ho, (the common way of Salutation with Thumbs and Fingers mixed, and snapping off.)
To smooth the King into a good Opinion of our Generosity, we made it up to his Son, Tom Freeman; who, to shew his good-nature, came on board uninvited, bringing his Flagelet, and obliging us with some wild Notes. Him we dress’d with an edg’d Hat, a Wig, and a Sword, and gave a Patent upon a large Sheet of Parchment, creating him Duke of Sesthos, affixing all our Hands, and the Impress of a Butter mark on Putty.
This was taken so kindly by the Father, that he sent us a couple of Goats in return, and his younger Son Josee for further Marks of our Favour; whom we dignified also, on a small Consideration, with the Title of Prince of Baxos. Several indeed had been titled, but none so eminently, as by Patent, before; which procured us the entire good-will of the King; suffering us at any time to hawl our Searn in the River, where we catched good store of Mullets, Soles, Bump noses, and Rock-fish; and to go up to their Villages unmolested.
In one of these Towns, some others of us paid a Visit to his Majesty, whom we found at a Palace built as humble as a Hog-sty; the entrance was narrow like a Port-hole, leading into what we may call his Court-Yard, a slovenly little Spot, and two or three Hutts in it, which I found to be the Apartment of his Women. From this we popped through another short Portico, and discovered him on the left hand, upon a place without his House, raised like a Taylor’s Shop-board, and smoaking with two or three old Women, (the favourite Diversion of both Sexes.) His Dress and Figure, with the novelty of ours, created mutual Smiles which held a few Minutes, and then we took leave with the Attee, ho.
From his Town we went to two others still farther up the River; at one of them was a bright yellow-colour’d Man, and being curious to know his Original, were informed (if we interpret their Signs and Language right) that he came from a good distance in the Country, where were more. Captain Bullfinch Lamb, and others, have since told me, they had seen several; Mr. Thompson, that he saw one at Angola, and another at Madagascar; a great Rarity, and as perplexing to account for, as the black Colour.
Exomphalos’s are very common among the Negroes here. I saw also one squint-ey’d; another without a Nose; and another with a Hair Lip; Blemishes rare among them. Circumcision is used pretty much; not as a religious Symbol, but at the Humour of the Parent, who had found a Conveniency in it.
The Diet is Rice, Potatoes, Yacoes or Indian Corn, Parsly, and other Vegetables; the Cultivation of which, and their domestick Affairs, are all imposed on the Women.
In general may be observed, they are exceeding cowardly, like other Countries undisciplined; a whole Town running away from a Boat with white Men. Thievish on their own Dunghills; none of them seeming to have any Notion of it as a Crime, and quarrel only about a Share of what is stole. So lazy, that Scores of them will attend our Searn for a Bisket, or the Distribution of such small Fish as are thrown by; for tho’ their Waters afford great Plenty, they want the Means or Inclination to catch them; chusing rather to loiter and jump about the Sands, or play at round Holes, than endeavour to get Food for themselves.
