Cabo TRES PUNTAS.
We stopped a few Hours at Axim in our Passage from Apollonia, and anchored here June 7, most Ships doing it for the Conveniency of watering, more difficultly supplied at any parts above. It is called Three Points, from that number of Headlands that jutt one without the other; within the innermost is a commodious Bay, nigh the watering-place. John Conny, who is the principal Cabiceer, exacts a Duty from all Ships, of an Ounce of Gold, for this Privilege; and sends off a Servant with his Commission, a large Gold-headed Cane, engraved John Conny, to demand it. Our Neglect herein, with some opprobrious Treatment of the Agent, occasioned John Conny next day to come down with a Posse and seize our Water casks ashore, carrying away ten or a dozen of our Men Prisoners to his Town. The Officer among them endeavouring to distinguish to John the Difference of a King’s Ship from others, got his Head broke: John (who understood English enough to swear) saying, by G—— me King here, and will be paid not only for my Water, but the Trouble has been given me in collecting it. Drink on, says he to the Sailors, (knocking out the Head of a Half-Anchor of Brandy,) and eat what my House affords; I know your part is to follow Orders. John, after some trouble in negotiating, accepted in recompence, six Ounces of Gold, and an Anchor of Brandy.
His Town stands about three Miles Westward of the watering-place; large, and as neatly raftered and built, as most of our North or West small Country Villages. Every Man his Coco-trees round the House, and in the Streets (such as they are) sit People to sell the Nuts, Limes, Soap, Indian Corn, and what is a great part of their Food, Canky, the Work of the Women. It is made of Indian Corn, after this manner; they pound it in a Mortar for some time, then malaxing it with Water and Palm-Wine, they grind it still finer with a Mull upon a great Stone, which every House almost has at the Door for that purpose; baked or boiled in Cakes, it makes a hearty and well-tasted Bread.
The Danish (or, as they say, the Brandenburghers) Fort was on an adjacent Hill, of four or five Bastions, and could mount fifty Guns. The Garison, when in being, probably taught the Natives the way of marketing, observed only where the Factories are; but being some few years since relinquished by them, it’s now in John Conny’s possession, and has raised up some Contests and Palaavers with the Dutch: for they pretending a Title of Purchase, sent a Bomb-Vessel and two or three Frigates last Year, to demand a Surrendry; but John being a bold and subtle Fellow, weighing their Strength, answer’d, that he expected some Instrument should be shewed him to confirm the Brandenburghers Sale; and even with that (says he) I can see no Pretence but to the Guns, the Brick, and Stone of the Building, for the Ground was not theirs to dispose of. They have paid me Rent for it, (continues he) and since they have thought fit to remove, I do not design to tenant it out to any other white Men while I live. This sort of Palaaver nettled the Dutch; they threw in some Bombs and Shot; and heating more with Rage and Brandy, very rashly landed forty of their Men under the Command of a Lieutenant to attack the Town: They fired once without any Damage, and then John at the Head of his Men, rushing from under the Cover of the Houses, outnumbred and cut them in pieces; paving the entrance of his Palace soon after, with their Skulls.
This Advantage made him very rusty, upon what he called his Dues from every body, tho’ just in Trade; and when we had returned to a good Understanding, my self, with some other of our Officers paid him a Visit: Our landing was dangerous, the Southerly Winds making so great a Surff, nor could we do it by our own Boats, but Canoos of his sending, paying an Accy for the Service; they count the Seas, and know when to paddle safely on or off. John himself stood on the Shore to receive us, attended with a Guard of twenty or thirty Men under bright Arms, who conducted us to his House; a Building pretty large, and raised from the Materials of the Fort. It ascends with a double Stone Stair-case without, of twelve Steps; on that Floor are three good Rooms; one his Armory, another his Chamber, with a standing Bed in it, and the third for Entertainment of Guests, furnished with Tables, Chairs, &c. We came to it thro’ two Court yards; the outermost has Houses for Officers and Servants belonging to him, the inner (a spacious Square) has a Guard-Room and good Armory fronting the Entrance, with Piazzas to accommodate his Guard, and imitate in some measure the Grandeur he had observed in the Prussian Governours; John having been some Years a Servant with them, and thence had taken his Punctilio and Ceremony, and knew how to put on a significant Countenance. He is a strong-made Man, about fifty, of a sullen Look, and commands the Respect of being bare headed, from all the Negroes about him that are worth Caps. To us he shewed very great Civility; we had returned his Salute of six Guns with [20]an equal Number, and made up the Breach of Watering, on his own terms; things that pleased him, and he gave us leave to fish in a River on the back of his Town; but returning with very little Success, which John could not foresee, we were disappointed of our Dinner, and had a hard Look into the Bargain, for he told us, this ill Luck was owing to our neglect of giving the Waters a Dashee, for it was a Grandee-man’s [21]Fetish, he said, and deserved more notice; however we got some Canky-Bread, salt Butter, Cheese, Palm-Wine, and Beer, served up with clean Plates, Knives, Napkins, &c. One of his Wives (for he seemed to have many) sat all the time he entertained us behind his Chair, big with Child, a clean Wrapper round her, and handsomly fetished; both together, I believe, had in Gold Chains about their Necks, their Wrists, Ancles and Legs, with the Drops in their Hair, to 8 or 10lib. Troy-Weight.
Finding our Landlord cheerful and familiar, I ventured to ask him what was become of the Dutchmen’s Skulls that lately paved the entrance of his House. He told me very frankly, that about a Month before our Ship’s Arrival, he had put them all into a Chest with some Brandy, Pipes, and Tobacco, and buried them; for, says he, it is time that all Malice should depart, and the putting up a few Necessaries with the Corps, such as they loved, is our way of respecting the deceased. Among themselves, I learned it was customary with the Rich, to sacrifice a Slave or two also at their Funerals. The under Jawbones of these Dutchmen he shewed me strung, and hanging on a Tree in the Court-yard.
From this odd Ceremony in their Funerals, and what is above noted upon the Word Fetish, it looks as though there were some dark Notions of a future State among them, and an Expectance in it of Retribution.
It is impossible to expect in such a State of Nature as theirs, naked of Education and Science, that they should be able to form any refined Notions of a Deity; which, we experience among our selves, receives the Improvement with our growing Understanding, purely the Effect of Art and Study; the Philosopher and Countryman being at as much distance in their Explanation of divine Points, as it is possible the Christian Sailor and the Negro can be. Let us imagine then, apart of our Species started up in the World, without knowing how or why, (the Negroes Case) and examine strictly in our own Thoughts, what religious Notions could be framed by them?