Mr. James Hanson, being anxious to render me assistance, as well as his generous employer, kindly offered to lend me his horse. Unfortunately, the poor animal was at the time in a wretched state; for, although Mr. Hanson never rode the animal himself, his generosity would never allow him to refuse to lend his horse to any one who desired it. In consequence of his lending it to a Portuguese slave-dealer, named Gonzago, who possessed not a spark of humanity, but rode the poor beast with an old saddle much too large, and with scarcely any padding, the iron of the tree resting on the back-bone, had caused two dreadful ulcers. This, and neglect in food, no doubt had reduced the poor horse to its wretched condition. The people, I have said already, are void either of sympathy or gratitude, even in their own families; and the poor horse is not held in half so much esteem as the swine, because they cannot eat it. It may remain tied up without food or water until it perish, if left to a negro’s discretion. However, as some considerable time must elapse before I commence my journey to the interior, owing to the King of Dahomey not having returned from his slave-hunt, I knew that by proper treatment I could soon get the animal into good condition.
I accepted, therefore, the offer of the horse, and on the morning of the 17th March I left Ahguay for Whydah again, accompanied by the master of an American schooner, named Pearce, taking with us a small canoe with two men to carry the horse. All went on well for a few miles, with the exception of the American, who was sick and feverish. After passing down the lagoon six miles, the horse fell overboard, and I was compelled to go into the water to get him in again. Before we reached Grand Popoe the horse had been upset six times, and as often was I compelled to go into the water after him.
On our arrival at Popoe, which is half way from Ahguay to Whydah, we remained about an hour to refresh our canoemen, and then we resumed our passage. Being occupied with the mapping of the course and soundings of the lagoon, I did not observe, till we had proceeded six miles, that the two fellows had made off up another river to the northward, with a view of stealing the horse. Upon this I ordered my canoe to return in search of the villains, and overtook them opposite a town also named Popoe the Little. On finding themselves discovered, they ran the canoe ashore, and deserted her. I caught one of them, and hired another, taking care to keep the horse ahead till we again reached Grand Popoe, when the men again ran the canoe ashore, while I was purchasing palm-oil.
My American friend expressed some timidity at being without a light now night had come on, he having a few doubloons in his pocket, and having to pass the place where two years ago the Hamburgh supercargo was murdered. A second time I caught the men; and, after a few good blows with my stick, I pushed them into the canoe, with a promise and determination that I would shoot the first man who attempted to disobey my orders. I remained in the canoe with the horse some time, till, owing to the great weight and the struggling of the horse (though small), the little canoe again upset in the middle of the stream, now more than ten feet deep. The horse fell on me, but we both got ashore well, and I again got the horse into the canoe, and determined to remain in it, and hold the horse. Mr. Pearce, however, being sick, and not relishing being alone (with the exception of his servant) with four ruffian-like canoemen, I made a switch and put on the horse, sending one canoeman from my own canoe to hold him the remainder of the distance.
My clothes being entirely soaked, I changed my dress and drank a glass of grog, which was the last of our first bottle. We expected that we had another, as Mr. Hanson on the previous evening had ordered two bottles to be packed in our provision-box, one of wine and the other of gin. But, during the night, one of the men who had packed it had substituted a bottle of water for it. This is only a slight specimen of the roguery of this race, on whom England has spent millions, without one spark of gratitude in return.
All now went pretty well, Captain Pearce and myself enjoying our cigar till we came to the toll-bar across the river, which is always shut at twelve o’clock, to prevent any one passing without being observed. We stopped and hailed the toll-keeper, who very independently replied we must wait till morning, though there is an order that the toll shall be open at any time of the night. However, I went to work, and soon destroyed the pins that secured the slip-bar.[13] My canoemen, all this time, exhibited the greatest concern. The toll-keeper, upon seeing the canoes pass through, vowed vengeance, and pursued us with two canoes, determined to make us prisoners. But I told my canoemen not to fear, nor yet surrender. My canoe being covered, our pursuers never perceived me till I had my sword-blade close to the throat of one of them; and, instead of taking us prisoners, I made them our prisoners. They had muskets with them, it is true; but if taken suddenly and with determination, they are great cowards. It is singular that the sight of a sword alarms them more than that of a gun. After detaining the men for some time, and taking them some distance from their home, we allowed them to return.
At four o’clock we arrived at the ferry-house at Whydah, at which place we remained till daylight, laughing at our vexatious journey, or passage; and at eight o’clock we once more arrived at my friend Mr. Hutton’s factory, English Fort, where we were cordially welcomed by Mr. Robert Hanson and Mr. Roberts, agents for Mr. Hutton. I remained at Whydah, awaiting intelligence of the King of Dahomey’s return from his war, and the commencement of his custom, or holiday. During this time I occupied myself in learning as much as possible of the manners and habits of the people, as also the condition of the surrounding country. My horse began rapidly to improve, and in a short time, with great attention, the ulcers healed, and he would have been fit to ride, but some villain gave him a dose of some vegetable poison, which nearly killed him; still, by great care, he recovered much quicker than I expected.
Mr. J. Hanson had lent me a military saddle of a light construction, though a little too large, my horse being small, though considered large in this country. With a little alteration and a fresh pannel, however, I made the saddle fit well. I covered my holsters with bear-skin from my helmet tuft, and made a new tuft of black monkey-skin. I also made a crimson cotton velvet shabrack, trimmed with scarlet cloth, and having a snaffle bridle I had brought from England, as also some leather for reins, I made myself a curb, bit, and chain, shoed my horse, and made some spare shoes. This occupied me some considerable time, owing to the want of proper tools. My horse was now strong, and capable of carrying me at a reasonable pace with ease. Early in the mornings I took a ride, every morning changing my direction, so that in a short time I knew much more of the surrounding country than the oldest residents in Whydah. I also took a great deal of walking exercise, which tends materially to promote good health.
The country ten or twelve miles round Whydah is very interesting, the soil good, land level, and in many places well cultivated by people returned from the Brazils, as I before stated. Since my last mention of these people I learn that many of them were driven away from Brazil on account of their being concerned in an attempted revolution amongst the slaves there, who turned against their owners. These people are generally from the Foolah and Eya countries. Many, it appears, were taken away at the age of twenty or twenty-four years, consequently they can give a full account of their route to Badagry, where they were shipped. They are by far the most industrious people I have found. Several very fine farms, about six or seven miles from Whydah, are in a high state of cultivation. The houses are clean and comfortable, and are situated in some of the most beautiful spots that imagination can picture. It is truly gratifying to find unexpectedly a house where you are welcomed in European fashion, and asked to take refreshment. I invariably found upon inquiry that all these people had been slaves. This would seem to prove that to this country slavery is not without its good as well as bad effects.
There is another class of colonists, emancipated slaves from Sierra Leone, who emigrated to Whydah, with the intention of farming; but they are inferior in that science to the former class. Though most of them can read, and write a little, unfortunately the male portion of them appear nearly as indolent as the uncivilized native; notwithstanding that the King of Dahomey has afforded them every encouragement, by making them gratuitous grants of land on which they have built a small town. Immediately adjoining, is their cultivated land, which is little more than sufficient to meet their own consumption; but this is chiefly owing to the jealousy of the great slave-merchants, who use their combined influence to keep their produce out of the market. There is consequently little stimulus to exertion in agriculture. Through some means these colonists had been informed that I had come to Whydah for the purpose of establishing a model farm; and I was consequently waited upon by their headman, accompanied by several of his people, at the English Fort. They offered to give up to me all the cultivated land belonging to their settlement, upon condition of my affording them employment on the farm when labour was required, as they said that their united efforts, under a proper leader, would be worthy the attention of some of the European merchants trading on that coast. They all seemed much disappointed when I told them that I was not in a position to accept their proposal. They derive support chiefly from the females, who are during the season employed in the bush collecting palm-nuts for making oil, for which a market can always be found. Several are also engaged in washing, which they obtain from European slave-agents, who are numerous here. I had during my residence in this place a servant as interpreter, one of these colonists, who had himself been a slave, but had been captured by a British cruiser while on passage to Brazil, and carried to Sierra Leone, and there educated. He afterwards emigrated to Understone or Abbakuta—that saintly place of so many converts[14]—and commenced slave-dealing. While on his passage, on board a slaver, he was again captured with several slaves in his possession. The slaves were carried to Sierra Leone; but he himself was with the crew of the slaver put on shore at Whydah, where he is now a resident in the above settlement of liberated Africans from Sierra Leone. He now practises as a quack doctor, and his wife as a fetish-woman. I believe this is only one of many instances where emigrants from Sierra Leone to Abbakuta, who, on being liberated from slavery themselves, have commenced the same abominable traffic. In spite of what has been said of the moral condition of the last-named settlement, agriculture, commerce, and industry, in my opinion, will be the only permanent means to improve and moralize those people.