The King took what I said in good part, telling me, “I should name my own Custom,” which I at first declined: But being prest to do it a second time, I told the Linguist to ask his Majesty, “Whether he would be pleased to take one half of what we used to pay at Whidaw?” To this the King readily agreed; adding, “He designed to make Trade flourish; and I might depend upon it, he would prevent all Impositions, and Thievery, and protect the Europeans that came to his Country, saying, that his God had made him the Instrument to punish the King of Whidaw, and his People, for the many Villanies they had been guilty of towards both Whites and Blacks: That the Embassadors now in his Camp from the said King, had informed him of me and my Character, and that by the account they had given him of my former dealings in their Country, he could put much Confidence in me.” Then his Majesty having asked me divers Questions concerning our former ill usage in the Country of Whidaw, to which I answered as I thought proper; I took this Opportunity of pleading for the common People of that Kingdom; representing, “It was the great Men amongst them that had encouraged their thieving, in which they shared: But if his Majesty would be pleased to receive them to Mercy, and restore them to their Country, on paying a certain Tribute, they would be of great advantage to him; because they were very industrious in cultivating the Land, and many of them understood Trade exceeding well, which his own People were little versed in. Moreover it was a Maxim amongst the white Princes, that the number of useful Subjects was their greatest Glory and Strength; and if his Majesty thought the same, he had an opportunity of adding many hundreds of thousands to his former Vassals.” To this the King replied, “He was sensible of the truth of what I alledged, but that the Conquest of Whidaw could not be secured, till he had the King’s Head; and he had already offered the People to restore them to their Country, as soon as they should send him alive or dead to his Camp.” I did not think proper, on hearing this, to say any thing more on the matter, or observe to his Majesty, how wrong a Policy it was, to oblige Subjects to act so villanous a part towards their Sovereign. For as the Custom of these black Princes was little known to us, I was afraid of giving offence: So I only answered, “That as the King of Whidaw was on an Island by Popoe, with many thousands of his People, the rest that were dispersed up and down the Country in the Bushes, could not possibly perform what his Majesty required of them: For if they were ever so ready to do it, yet having no Cannoes to ferry over to the Island, it was not in their Power to take the King from thence; and that I believed if he did not receive them to Mercy quickly, the far greater part of them would perish by Famine.”
Account of Bullfinch Lambe.
After this his Majesty fell into a variety of Discourse, and amongst other things complained of Mr. Lambe, (who, as I have related in the beginning of this Book, had been taken Prisoner in the Ardra War,) saying, “That tho’ he had given him, at his leaving the Court, three hundred and twenty ounces of Gold, with eighty Slaves, and made him promise with a solemn Oath to return again in a reasonable time, yet twelve Moons had now pass’d, and he had heard nothing from him: Adding, He had sent a black Person with him, whose name was Tom, one who had been made a Prisoner at the same time, being a Jaqueen-man, who spoke good English; and this Man he had ordered to return again with Mr. Lambe, that he might be informed, whether what that Gentleman had reported concerning our King, Customs, and manner of Living was true.” To this I replied, “That I had no personal Knowledge of Mr. Lambe, but had been informed, before I left England, that he went from Whidaw to Barbadoes, which is a Plantation where the English employ their Slaves in making Sugar, and which is at a great distance from our own Country; But I hoped he would prove an honest Man, and return again to his Majesty, according to his Promise and Oath.”
To this the King replied, “Tho’ he proved not as good as his Word, other white Men should not fare the worse on that account; for as to what he had given Lambe, he valued it not a Rush; but if he returned quickly, and came with never so large a Ship, she should be instantly filled with Slaves, with which he might do what he thought proper.”
Account of the black Man.
It may not be improper here to give a short account of the black Man the King mentioned to me, because he was in England last year, and the Affair was brought before the Lords of Trade, by whom I was examined about him.
Mr. Lambe carried this Person to Barbadoes, and several other Places, but at last left him with a Gentleman in Maryland. Afterwards Mr. Lambe trafficked for some Years, from one place to another in the Plantations; and coming to the Island of Antegoa, where I had been in the year 1728, and told the foregoing story to some Gentlemen, and how kindly the King of Dahomè had express’d himself with regard to the said Mr. Lambe, being by them informed of it, this induced him to return to Maryland; and the Gentleman who had Tom in his Custody was so good, as to deliver him again to Mr. Lambe, who came with him to London, the beginning of the year 1731.
Mr. Lambe, soon after his arrival, came to see me at my house, enquiring particularly about what I had related at Antegoa; which I confirmed to him. Then he desired my Advice about his going back to the King of Dahomè. To this I frankly answered, “It was my opinion, he had miss’d the opportunity, by not returning in a reasonable time, according to his promise; several years being now pass’d since he came from thence, and the State of Affairs much altered for the worse: Besides, he might justly fear the King’s resentment, as Mr. Testefole had experienced lately to his cost, for abusing his Goodness; for tho’ he was Governour for the African Company at Whidaw, yet he had been put to death in a cruel manner.”