After a short visit to Mr. Lawson, and an introduction to his two principal wives, whose large dimensions I have already mentioned, we again resumed our journey, and after five miles’ sail by lagoon, though much less geographically, we arrived at Greejee, a town of great note on account of its market, as I have already mentioned. Here a toll was demanded of us. About one mile farther up the river, another barrier crosses the river, and another toll was demanded. This consisted of two bottles of rum. A great trade is carried on in this latter place, which is named Zahlivay. It is situated on a rising ground, on the left bank of the river. The reason of two tolls being established so near to each other, is, to catch all parties attending the markets of both the latter places, whether on descending or ascending the lagoon, each bar being respectively placed below and above both towns. Greejee contains twelve hundred inhabitants, and Zahlivay about two thousand.
The river here is at present only four feet and a half deep, and a quarter of a mile broad; the land, level and rich. The right bank is well cultivated, and there are a few plantations of cotton three miles farther up the river. A beautiful belt of cocoa-trees extends along the land, separating the lagoon from the sea. This belt extended for several miles, and, with a close cover of shrubs of the laurel tribe, gives an indescribable effect to the landscape; while, close to the banks, are different patches of cultivated land. But on neither side of the river does cultivation extend for any distance. Three miles higher from the last-named town, and also on the left bank of the river, running S.E., is a small village of two hundred inhabitants (name not known); and two miles and a half farther in the same direction, and on the same bank, is a small town of some note, owing to its inhabitants performing some feat of valour, according to their ideas.
In the river, opposite this little town of Yakasgo, is a small verdant island, but uncultivated, perhaps owing to the inundations during the rainy season. Another village, or kroom, beautifully situated, and only half a mile distant from the latter, suddenly presents itself, being almost concealed with cocoa, palm, and cachu-trees. This is a fishing village, having a great number of canoes, some of the most simple construction, consisting merely of a cocoa-tree, of about eighteen inches diameter, and twelve or fifteen feet in length, hollowed out with the exception of a foot at each end. This unshapely vessel often carries three boys, who navigate it with a skill quite astonishing, bringing home sometimes a thousand fish.
About six miles higher, and magnetic west, is another town, called Badaguay. This town has a weekly market. Its manufactures consist of cotton cloths, generally blue and white stripe, earthen pots, lime, indigo, country mats, and grass bags holding about a bushel. This town is also on the left bank. The river is still only four feet and a half deep.
Three miles farther, on the right, is a beautiful grove of the cabbage palm-tree, extending for several miles. The belt of cocoa terminates where the cabbage-palm commences. The latter tree is of a very singular and graceful appearance. At the root it is not more than one foot in diameter, and rises to the height of fifty feet. This singular tree gradually thickens till it reaches one-third of its height, its graceful swell increasing its diameter to twenty inches. It then again decreases in thickness to the commencement of the branches, or leaves, which resemble a number of ladies’ fans, each leaf beautifully ribbed like a plaited frill, about four feet long, and spreading so as to form three-fourths of a circle. To those who have never seen one of these trees, it seems a wonderful production of Nature.
The lagoon becomes here half a mile wide, and continues only four feet deep during the dry season. After ascending six miles nearly due west, it widens to three-quarters of a mile, and becomes thickly wooded on the right bank with large trees of different species, mixed with beautiful shrubs of various kinds of the laurel tribe, and numerous orchideous and parasitical plants, together with a great number of singing birds of varied and beautiful plumage. The quiet stillness of the scene, under the rays of a tropical sun, had, at least for a short period, a pleasing effect upon my mind, recalling to my memory scenes of boyhood. Those happy days recur to us now only as it were in dreams, which quickly float past, and vanish on the rapid and silent stream of life.
At sunset we arrived at Porto Sogoora, a town of considerable size, though not of much trade. The chief manufacture here is palm-oil and cotton cloths. The town is on the right bank of the lagoon, on a strip of land separating it from the sea; the distance between the two latter being one mile, and the town equidistant from each, and in the centre of the bank, which is chiefly sand. The bank close to the lagoon is thickly wooded with a great variety of large trees, with underwood and running plants, of at least twenty different kinds. The palm-tree is cultivated here on account of the nuts, used for oil. Monkeys are in great abundance, passing in flocks from one tree to another, as nimbly as if they belonged to the feathered tribe.
Immediately upon arriving at Porto Sogoora, we called upon the caboceer, or headman of the place, a tall, stout, and good-natured looking man, about thirty-eight years of age. After the usual formality of an African visit, Mr. Hutton, who was on his return to Cape Coast, determined at once to proceed on his journey. Mr. Hanson (agent to Mr. Hutton, at his factory at Ahguay), and Mr. Henrique, half-brother to Mr. Ingram, late Governor in the Gambia, accompanied Mr. Hutton as far as the river Volta. Mr. Hanson and Mr. Henrique promised to return in three days. In the interval I determined to remain at Porto Sogoora, with a view to explore a river named Haho, which I have reason to believe to have its rise in the Kong Mountains, north of Dahomey. Accordingly I applied to the caboceer for four canoemen to work the canoe, which he readily agreed to supply, but of course on being well paid for it. He also offered to supply me with a young man as servant and cook, which I accepted. I had, in addition, two volunteers; one old man, named Ithay Botho (and now a fetish-man), a servant to Captain Clapperton during his last travels in this country, and another man, a native of Accra.
After giving my canoemen subsistence, my promised servant presented himself, when, to my great surprise, I recognised in him a servant of Governor Hill’s at Cape Coast only a few months before. I was agreeably surprised at this, particularly as he could speak English. Poor fellow! he was also much pleased at the opportunity of representing his case to me, and the circumstances under which he was made a slave. It appeared that, after leaving the service of the Governor of Cape Coast, he ventured upon a journey along the coast as far as Little Elmina, a distance of at least two hundred miles. At the latter place he was requested by an Elmina soldier (if deserving such rank) to sell a piece of cloth for him. He states that, after selling the cloth, the soldier accused him of stealing the money. He was, in consequence, seized by the soldier, and sold to a slave-dealer at Popoe. Owing, however, to his being able to speak English, it was not deemed safe to ship him. He was consequently exchanged with the caboceer of Porto Sogoora for two younger slaves, the caboceer considering that he might make him useful as an English interpreter in the course of trade. It is very probable that the suspicions of the soldier were pretty correct, for I myself had previous ocular demonstration of his being a thief. Indeed, you will very seldom err far in suspecting most Africans to be rogues.
March 7th.—At 6 A.M., I called, as is the custom, on the caboceer, who, upon the whole, behaved pretty well and kindly, although for pecuniary motives. He called the canoemen and my Cape Coast servant, and my two volunteers, giving them strict injunctions with regard to my safety. I had also a boy left with me by Mr. Hanson. My party altogether amounted to eight in number. We embarked in Mr. Hanson’s canoe, which was comfortably fitted up, and proceeded up the lagoon, which now becomes broad, forming a lake six miles in width and the same in length. On the right bank, and about five miles from Porto Sogoora, we landed, to visit a small kroom, on account of its market, in order to purchase some vegetables. This kroom is distant from the lake one mile, situated on a vast plain of excellent loamy soil. The inhabitants all turned out armed, but upon their finding my little party friendly, we were well received, and supplied with a calabash full of clean water. After purchasing some vegetables and shooting some wild pigeons, which are here in great numbers, we visited the market-place, although the weekly market was held on the following day.