The captain of the brig Jehosse has just come on board of us from the American trading barque Baron de Castine, whose supercargo we brought down from Acra. The former captain had died and been replaced; the present captain was also sick, but under the care of the doctor of the British steamer Viper. He represents that he came out with lumber and provisions from Charleston, S. C., and was on a legitimate trading voyage, when he was boarded by Captain Fitzroy, of the British steamer Falcon, who demanded his register and list of crew, which were given up, who declared him to be a slaver, and ordered him to haul down his flag, which he refused; he was then ordered to open his box of private papers, which he also refused. A prize crew was ordered on board, and himself and crew sent as prisoners on board the steamer. The men were stripped and examined, the captain’s box broken open and papers examined. The clearances, &c., were all found legal, and the captain and crew released. He protested against a release, but was put on his vessel, where he found his liquors all drunk, cigars smoked, prize crew drunk, and the vessel in danger of beaching in the kingdom of Dahomy. The officer in command of the prize crew begged of him to come to his relief, and gave a certificate to that effect. The brig has waited fifty or sixty days for an American cruiser, but not finding one to take up the case, the captain sends his vessel to the United States as abandoned, and takes our steamer to catch an American man-of-war before which to bring his case.
It will be a serious matter for Captain Fitzroy, who is represented as a dissipated commander, of aristocratic family, but will now probably lose his commission, and the British government will pay heavy damages.
A singular custom prevails among the natives of the coast. I asked particularly the details of a black missionary. Every man has a lien upon his nephews and nieces, and can pawn them for debt, or sell them into slavery, but this right he cannot exercise over his own children. In the event of the death of a person, his property goes to his sister, as next of kin. She or her husband takes care of the children, and if occasion demand, they are made slaves, or pawned.
CLX.
Bonny River, Gulf of Guinea, March 27, 1860.
From Lagos, our steamer proceeded to the river Benin, landed some cargo, and received forty-two puncheons of palm oil. We there found a Hamburg ship, just in from Zanzibar, on the coast of Africa, with a full cargo of cowrie shells, used for currency and ornaments. The shores are here monotonous; the vegetation is rank, as well as at the mouth of the Niger, which we passed on our way to this place.
A project is on foot for a new expedition up the Niger, the former expedition on the part of the British government having met with disaster. We have a disabled steward now on board, who accompanied these adventurers; he is as yellow as a marigold, and the seeds of fever in him will probably never be eradicated.
The entrance to Bonny river is difficult, and requires watchful navigation. We brought on deck a huge iron riveted air-tight boiler, to be used as a buoy or guide to mariners passing the bar, and came near losing it, as well as our vessel.
Sunday morning, May 25th, according to usual custom on board of British vessels, the Church of England service was read in the presence of crew and passengers; and I was quite interested in noticing some blacks from Monrovia, who were present, and seemed to take some interest in the ceremonies. At five P. M., just at the close of dinner, the ship some seven miles from the mouth of the river, under full sail and heavy head of steam, the captain on the bridge, struck a sand-bar, jumped twice, and we rushed on deck and found her in a perilous condition. We got out hawsers astern, furled all sail, and worked the machine and windlass back, to haul off, but without success. Night was approaching, and the breakers increasing, the ship at times keeling over, and then jumping as if the masts would come out of her. The ports and skylights of cabin closed, with the sea breaking over the stern, made it look dreary enough. Being on a barbarous coast, where no white man lives, the prospects were not very flattering. The boats were all got in condition, with buckets for bailing. Rockets were sent up for relief, hoping they might be seen some five miles up from the mouth of the river, where lay a small steamer, used as a tender, and for the continuation of the voyage to Fernando Po. Our own steamer being at the end of her line in the Gulf of Guinea, usually takes in her coal from a hulk moored in the stream, brushes up, and waits the return of the tender, with freight picked up in the Old Calabar and Camaroon rivers. A little time after the accident occurred, one of our passengers, an old sea captain, came to me, and said softly, “If you have anything valuable which you wish to save, you had better get it out, as I would not give fifty pounds for the vessel.” I was hurriedly packing up a few articles, when the purser came to me and said, “I have been securing the ship’s papers and valuables, and I would advise your taking a few articles in your valise, as we may have to take the ship’s boats outside the breakers, and wait for the tide.” You can imagine we passed a wretched and sleepless night. The engines were soon choked up with sand, and all began to think the ship must be lost, although strongly built. Morning brought us more quiet weather. We sent the second mate with a boat’s crew up the river for relief. He had twelve miles to make, with sails and oars. At mid-day the little steamer came. We threw overboard coal, and palm oil in puncheons, to lighten the ship, took advantage of the wind, steam, &c., and succeeded in forcing her over the sandbars by nightfall. We had taken refuge on board of the small steamer, in the distance, as she could not approach us for the shoals; and I got off with a portion of my effects, in wet condition.
The Bonny is a broad and navigable river. The New Calibar River comes in a short distance from this place. The trade of the two rivers is in palm oil. Vessels of large size come out from England with a variety of goods, that can be used by the natives in the interior, such as waistcloths, beads, rum, tobacco, guns, powder, &c.