The following extract from the statement of Mr. Charles Hilliard, a highly intelligent man, who accompanied Mr. Duncan as his mate, in the “Herald,” throws additional light on this affair, and shows us that considerable changes among the Portuguese on the east coast of Africa must take place if commercial relations are to be established with the interior of the country by way of the magnificent rivers on that coast:—
“On a previous trip to Lourenço Marques, Captain Duncan had, out of charity, taken three poor starving wretches, by permission of the Portuguese Governor of that place, to Natal. One of these men, João Alberto, shipped with us on this voyage as cook and interpreter, pretending also to a knowledge of the language of the natives to whom we were going. After the seizure of the vessel by the Portuguese on our way to Lourenço Marques, he ingratiated himself with the half-starved soldiers who were on board, by stealing the ship’s bread for them at night, in which he was several times detected. On the removal of the cargo from the vessel to the fort, at Lourenço Marques, he gained the patronage of the guard by treating them with liquor he had stolen from the cabin, part of which I took from him while serving it out; and in the confusion and pillage that took place, and which neither the captain, myself, nor the custom-house officers could restrain, he was leader, throwing articles out on the beach, breaking, and wasting their contents. And in a scuffle that ensued for some private articles between him, assisted by the guard, and a fellow from the shore called the harbour-master, and one of the crew, John Fysh, he attempted the life of Fysh, by stabbing him twice with a clasp knife; and I got some blows on the breast from the butt of the corporal’s musket in endeavouring to save Fysh.
“When we were sent back to the vessel, he was allowed to remain in the fort, and to keep for his own use a number of articles, beads, handkerchiefs, pieces of blue calico, &c., belonging to the cargo of the vessel, which he had stolen with the assistance of the guard, and afterwards sold; and in a few days many of the Portuguese troops were dressed in new blue cotton jackets, the property of J. D. Koch, Esq., of Natal.
“At Lourenço Marques he wanted to leave the cutter’s crew, but, finding that if he did so the Portuguese would make him carry the musket again, and give him a sound flogging into the bargain, he claimed the protection of the British flag, and was sent on board the ‘Clara,’ where he again refused to do anything, even to carry refreshments from the galley to his sick shipmates; for which he was treated with just contempt by his countrymen.
“During our stay at Delagoa Bay, no examination of any one, not even the captain, took place respecting our voyage, nor were any questions asked upon the subject.
“The object of the expedition was to open friendly commercial intercourse with the natives of Manakusi, or River King George, for which we had an assorted cargo, to engage a hunting party and obtain a place from the natives, or build a house for a depôt of goods and ivory.
“As great stress has been laid on the monstrous ingratitude of Captain Duncan (in the Portuguese despatches) in firing a pistol at Lieutenant Silva (who had so generously come to save him), I assert that it is a base falsehood, as Captain Duncan neither burnt a grain of gunpowder, nor had a pistol in his hands during the affair. What did take place was done by myself. One barrel of my rifle, which I was loading, not being clear, I blew some loose powder out of it to clear it, but which I don’t believe either the lieutenant, or any of his party, so much as saw the smoke of, they having pulled away round a bend of the river below us, and were wholly hidden from view by a thick border of high reeds.”
How it fared with the master and crew of the “Herald” at Mozambique will be related in the following chapters. Meanwhile, enough has been stated in this one to show the restrictions which are thrown in the way of legitimate trade.