They again rounded the point to take in their countryman, upon which the two natives beat him unmercifully with bludgeons. One of the Englishmen then ran back to the boat and procured a musket, which he presented at the two natives, on which they immediately ran off. Upon reaching the poor Englishman, the mate and men belonging to the Courier ascertained that the barque Margaret, of London, had been plundered at the same place in the month of May previous, that almost all hands had either been murdered or taken prisoners, and that, besides himself, four more men belonging to the Margaret were still alive upon the island undergoing every hardship.
The commander of the Courier, upon being acquainted with this fact, made up his mind to ransom his countrymen, and for that purpose made proposals, which were agreed to; but after the natives got possession of what they asked, they made a second and a third demand, and ultimately compelled the boats’ crew, by firing upon them, to get into their boats, leaving their property behind. The Courier’s boat had got a small brass gun, which they fired on this occasion; but it recoiling to leeward, a man was shot and fell in the same direction, upsetting the boat with ten men, all of whom were either drowned or killed. The natives then got possession of the boat, and were actually coming alongside the Courier with her own boat to plunder the ship, when fortunately the boat came broadside on, and the master got a gun to bear and destroyed her. He then as soon as possible slipped his cable, and, with only four men, sailed for the Gambia, where I saw him.
I cannot help thinking that many masters of merchant-vessels run into great danger, and incur risk to their owners, without any chance of doing any good, merely to obtain a name for themselves. Had the master of the Courier sailed for the Gambia, and communicated with the authorities there, no doubt a man-of-war would have been despatched to Arguin, and the crew of the Margaret recaptured. If Arguin should prove to be a profitable speculation in regard to the Guano trade, some permanent protection must be afforded by the Government.
It is generally believed that the Emperor of Morocco is cognisant of all the piracies committed; and if this be so, why not make him answerable, and take so much territory from him upon every outrage perpetrated by his people upon British property? If the French Government did the same, an end would soon be put to all such piracies.
On the 8th of July, at two P.M., we sailed from the Gambia for Sierra Leone, and anchored at Free Town on the 11th, in the evening. We anchored close to my old ship the Albert, of the late Niger expedition, now commanded by Lieut. Cockroft.
On the 12th, in the morning, I went on shore, and delivered my official letters, and met with a most cordial reception from every one. Dr. Ferguson was acting Governor at that time; he is a most excellent man. Here I was very agreeably surprised to find my old friend Dr. Oldfield comfortably settled. He was one of my most intimate friends many years before I left the First Life Guards. I found him still the same, and still possessing the same generous heart. Long may it beat tranquilly! I had many hospitable invitations; but accepted that of my friend Oldfield, who kindly opened his house for me during my stay here, and gave two large dinner-parties in respect to my presence. He also kept an excellent horse at my service during my stay. He keeps four of the best horses in the colony. I must be ungrateful, indeed, did I ever forget his kindness. I also experienced great kindness from the Rev. Mr. Dove, of the Wesleyan Missionary Church. The country is beautiful, and capable of great improvement; and I cannot help thinking that if it were cleared for some distance, it would be much healthier than it is.
On the 17th we sailed for Cape Coast; and, on the 21st, at daybreak, a sail was reported on our starboard bow, which from her appearance was supposed to be a slaver. All hands were in anxious expectation of a prize; every glass or telescope in the ship was put in requisition to ascertain what craft she was. She changed her course two points, which occasioned still more suspicion. Consequently, steam was ordered on (we were before only under canvass) as quickly as possible, and the fires were backed up, so that we were in a few minutes in full chase of the supposed slaver. We gained upon her very fast, although she set every stitch of canvass, and in an hour and a half we were alongside. All her guns were run out, and ready for action, and every man at his quarters. But, to our great disappointment, she turned out to be a French ten-gun brig, in so dirty a condition as quite to disguise her, so that we never suspected she could be a ship-of-war. The whole of her stern bulwarks were covered over with bamboos, and she altogether resembled a palm-oiler. She was named the Eglantine.
At ten A.M. on the same day we anchored off Cape Coast, and on the morning of the 22d I went on shore, and called at the fort to deliver my official papers from Lord Stanley to the Governor. I was, however, informed by his secretary, that his Excellency Governor Hill had not yet risen. I then waited upon Mr. T. Hutton, a merchant at Cape Coast, to whom I had letters of introduction. He received me with every mark of kindness, and allotted to myself and servant an elegantly furnished house, with servants to attend on us, assuring me that I was heartily welcome to any thing in his house. I afterwards called upon Governor Hill, and presented Lord Stanley’s letter, on which he wished me success in my arduous undertaking, but never once asked me where I intended to remain, or whether I had got my luggage ashore, or how I was accommodated. After visiting the fort, however, I felt very glad that I had escaped such accommodation, or rather imprisonment. Governor Maclean, it appeared, upon his departure, took all his private furniture with him. Nothing consequently remained but the bare walls, and a few of the commonest Windsor chairs and plain tables, as the furniture of the Governor’s apartments. In fact, any part of the fort at Cape Coast far more resembles a prison than many of our prisons in England.
CHAPTER II.
Attacked by Fever—Death of my Servant—Mr. Hutton—Buildings in Progress by him—Indolence of the Natives—Cheapness of Living—The Fantees—Their Superstition—Description of their Idol or Fetish—Their Customs or Holidays—Native Music—Rum, their favourite Liquor—Proceedings on occasion of a Death—Mode of Burial—The King’s Custom or Holiday—Character of the King—My Reception by his Majesty—Comparatively neglected by the British Government—Fetish Houses—Native Funerals—Want of Natural Affection—The Yam Custom—The Fantees, the worst of the African Tribes—Their Power of Imitation—Wild Animals—The Patakoo—Granite and Sandstone—The Dutch Settlement of Elmina—A fine Field for Botanists—State of Agriculture—Excessive Heat—Message to the King of Ashantee—Cattle—Artizans much wanted—Murder of an Ashantee Woman.