READERS of Travels like travellers are rarely satisfied, till they know some particulars of those with whom they are about to embark, in pursuit of advantage or pleasure: without this knowledge, some dissatisfaction, or doubt, will fre­quently take place in their minds. In this view therefore it is that I think proper to introduce a few particulars concerning myself, which, on any other occasion, would neither be sufficiently important or interesting to merit relation: but as the greater part of young men are directed through life more by accident than choice, and many of their fortunes and misfortunes to be placed rather at the door of chance than predisposition; [Page 10]so, it will be useful on this occasion, to mark the course which led me to the Voyage and Travels which I am about to relate, in order that the reader may carry the remembrance of my circumstances and situation in life, and the part I acted in some transactions which I have to describe; that I am not an adven­turer of pleasure nor of choice, but one who started from the humble walks of private life in search of a competence, and launched into the ocean of the world with no other pilot than necessity, or other chart than that of a youthful knowledge of the world, destitute of every stock but that of industry and an active disposition.

My Father's family, although not popular in point of property, were respected for their industry and probity, in the town of Kings­bury, Washington County, state of New York, where I was born in 1772. Arrived at the age of eighteen, bred up with a disposition to an active life in common with my countrymen, I was encouraged to com­mence [Page 11]a mercantile pursuit at the Town of Alsburgh, in the state of Vermont; where having resided, and witnessed the wildly rude and romantic beauties, that sur­rounded Lake Champlain, at the end of fourteen months I found my hopes of success in business disappointed, and that I must necessarily seek some new pursuit.

Hearing it frequently said that a young man of a moderate education and industrious habits, with a good recommendation, would be sure of an eligible and constant employ­ment in the southern states, after advising with my friends and making the necessary preparations, I determined to proceed for Charleston, South Carolina. I set out for Boston on horse-back, where I arrived with­out any very interesting adventure, and soon obtained a passage by sea for Charleston, where I arrived in 20 days after leaving Boston Harbour, heartily sick of my first sea voyage—as I called it.

[Page 12] My circumstances and prospects on arriving in Charleston by no means equalled my wants or expectations. Disappointed hopes, and the still predominating turn of my disposition, prompted me to new pursuits, urged on by the more potent stimulus of necessity, and my efforts were redoubled, but without success. While in this unsettled state, an offer was made me of a situation on board a Guinea Trader; the ship had been delayed through the want of a supercargo. I was suf­ficiently qualified, and happy did I consider myself in obtaining a situation reputable in its nature and highly profitable in prospect.

We sailed from Charleston the 1st of Dec. 1793, on board the ship Charleston, J. Con­nelly master, burthen 400 Tons; and after a passage partly boisterous, and frequently becalmed for several days, we made the isles of Delos on the 17th January 1794.

These islands are nine in number, and afford harbours and safe anchorage in deep [Page 13]water for ships of any burthen; they are six leagues from the main land of Africa, in 12 deg. 30 min. south lat. they are inhabited by French and English factors, who find their account in living on those islands in prefer­ence to the main, particularly from the circumstances of accommodation for their ships, which lye here with the greatest safety in all weathers, and that their slaves cannot easily escape. The slaves are in those islands suffered to go at large, without chains, con­trary to the customs on the continent. The surface of the islands is barren and rocky, but there is abundance of fine fresh water; and provisions are procured with facility.

From the factors here we learned that the Ebo and Golo Kings had been at war, the lat­ter of whom having been defeated, and a great part of his army had fallen into the hands of the conqueror, they therefore advised us to proceed for the Reyo-pongo river, about 25 leagues south westward, and from thence the access to the Ebo nation would be easily [Page 14]secured, by a passage up that river and from thence by land, about three hundred miles from the mouth of this river; they furnished us with further directions, and assured us of a certain and good trade.

Agreeably to this information, we provided ourselves with such necessaries as the factors could afford us, and proceeded for the Reyo-pongo, which we made on the 5th of Febru­ary, and after chusing a proper situation, came to anchor in a handsome harbour within the northern bank, three leagues from the mouth of the river, close to the shore, in view of a luxuriant country, low, and thinly covered with scattered woods and pictu­resque collections of reed. The opposite side of the river appearing in perspective, more bold and rising in proportion to its distance.

The country bore the appearance of being frequently overflowed, which we afterwards learned to be the case; the banks were however covered with the most exuberant [Page 15]richness, the air was not intensely hot, the clearness of the sky charming, and the nights delightfully serene and tranquil.

The river abounds with fish, of which we caught several, different in form from any that I had ever seen; and the crocodiles from numbers and size may be considered as in their native empire when in the Reyo-pongo; here the number of beautiful islands formed by the windings and divisions of the river into branches afford them a secure and peaceful retreat.

The tree most prominent and conspicuous is the palm of various species, but particu­larly one which I understood to be peculiar to Africa, which I shall have occasion subseqently to describe, with a variety of uses to which it is converted, and which renders its value inestimable to the natives.

On the 6th February we were visited by numbers of the natives, who offered to barter [Page 16]with us fruit and ivory for our hardwares; but finding after we had exchanged a few articles, that they belonged to a nation which had been before represented to us as thinly inhabited, and that we could not accommo­date ourselves here as we wished, we made use of them to obtain information concerning the country of the Ebo king. We fortu­nately sound an interpreter acquainted with that country and the trade, him we engaged, and an expedition was immediately deter­mined upon by the captain.

After some consultation, no person could be found so suitable for the journey as myself, and the captain proposed it to me. On viewing the dangers and difficulties that must be necessarily attendant on a journey of this kind; in which I was ignorant of the country, and its languages, and without any knowledge of the duties of the charge, but such as might be derived from instructions that could not be expected to apply in all cases that might occur, I was averse to the [Page 17]attempt, and declined in engaging in it; my reasons were not deemed satisfactory by the captain, whose orders I must obey, and after obtaining as full an account as the poor negro interpreter could afford me, I was obliged to provide the necessaries for the journey, arranged my affairs on board the ship, and prepared for the expedition.

An enterprize so hazardous, will natu­rally be conceived as undertaken with consi­derable anxiety and apprehension. I was not destitute of resolution, nor unused to hazardous expeditions; and a habit of perseverance acquired on the borders of the extensive American Lakes, and on the sides of the Green Mountains, could not be inauspicious to an adventurer so young, and much possessed of the sanguine confidence peculiar to that period of life:—I had but barely entered on the course of a journey, in which the flattering allurements of profit were too potent to be conquered by sears or forebodings!

[Page 18] I now satisfied myself of the knowledge of my guide, of his acquaintance with the languages of the people, and with the course of the route which we were to pursue; and, having taken precautions to cultivate a kind understanding between my future fellow-traveller and companion, I provided myself with a stock of ammunition for sport and defence, with a case of pistols in my belt, a fusil on my shoulder, and a hanger by my side; my friend Hurdee I furnished with a good fowling piece, a sword, a handsome bow and arrows, purchased in the neigh­bouring village, some powder, shot, flints, trinkets, and a quantity of rum. With these we landed and set out on the morning of the fourth of February, accompanied by a crood of the natives, men, women and chil­dren, who appeared anxious to do us every sort of kindness, and aid us by their good offices. They assisted us in plucking fruit and passing over the creeks and gulleys across which this days route lay. They left us, however, about two hours before noon, and we retired to the covert to avoid the [Page 19]heat of the sun, and to partake of refresh­ment for the first time in this expedition.

About 4 o'clock, P. M. we continued our journey nearly S. E. keeping a distant chain of mountains that appeared like a mist, inclining to our left. The river lay before us, extending through a tract of country variegated with clusters of trees, plains, and spacious swamps, covered with lofty and clustering reeds, or canes. Here we could mark on the sides of the rivulet the traces of the voracious crocodile, which finds in these recesses a secure retreat. Here, likewise, the windings of poisonous serpents, of which Africa affords such multitplied variety, are frequently observed. In the course of this evening my heart frequently palpitated with alarm, and my apprehensions figured the wide jaws of the dreadful animal, or the poisoned tooth about to strike me, and finish, by a miserable death, my journey and my cares. My fellow traveller was not destitute of vivacity, and being a stranger [Page 20]to fear from this quarter, took occasion, when he saw me thoughtful as we walked along, to call my mind into action by explaining some of the African terms, which in the end proved of great utility.

After about two hours march, we reached a deep ravine; through this it was necessary to pass, in order to gain the hills which we had to cross the ensuing day, and at the foot of which we were to take our repose for the night. The side upon which we stood was marshy, and that opposite to us shaggy, and covered with thick irregular underwood. We had been searching for a place convenient to ford, the current appearing too rapid, and too deep, to ven­ture across with perfect confidence, when, as I was lost in a momentary reflection, my companion suddenly roared out that there was a crocodile—I had scarcely power to move: a sudden rustling in the reeds, with a loud plunge in the water, left me totally stupified: Hurdec had pursued the animal [Page 21]and caused his plunging into the water, and now returning, roused me from my terror by immoderate laughter. I judged it prudent, however, to conceal as much as possible my embarrassment, acknowledging that I was in a slight degree alarmed. We crossed the creek in a place that was fordable, and spee­dily ascended the sloping side of the opposite bank, which as we ascended thickened with charming timber, and led to a long and winding range of beautiful hills, at the feet of which we could trace the river gradually narrowing to the eye, and receiving the tribute of a thousand little streams that flowed from the woods, and declivities that presented themselves in wild but simple grandeur, far as the sight could reach in an eastwardly direction.—The approach of night, and the sun setting behind us, threw an imposing shade over this landscape that is not capable of description.

We concluded to form our encampment in one of the valleys, and accordingly pro­ceeded [Page 22]to light a fire, and for the first time guard against the beasts of prey, the traces of whose feet I marked with lively appre­hension in the course of the day, and to keep clear of the monkeys that I learned to expect in great numbers, from the accounts my guide had already given me.

We chose a situation somewhat detached from the thickets beneath the rich and lofty palm tree, and having collected wood suffi­cient to sustain large fires during the night, we dressed our plain but delicious repast, composed ourselves to rest, and passed a tolerably easy night, free from every real danger, although I was still in some fear of the wild beasts.

Our distance from the villages that we had left I calculated, to be not more than sixteen miles, having pursued with little deviation the irregular course of the river. To this we were compelled, in order to avoid the obstructions to which we might have been [Page 23]subjected by the inhabitants who occasion­ally reside, at this season of the year, conti­guous to the opposite bank of the river. To their proximity, Hurdee informed me we might attribute the composure of the night, and my being released from the terrific howl­ings of wild beasts.

The opening of the morning was the signal for our rising. Having dressed our necessary provisions of goats flesh over night, we refreshed as appetite required, and after bathing in an adjacent rivulet, we proceeded on our journey. After two hours travel along the skirt of an irregular hill, we disco­vered at some distance, several of the natives scattered apart with bows and arrows: these Hurdee informed me were in pursuit of game. We endeavoured to gain the covert of the wood, but they had also perceived us, and had formed into two parties, one of which pre­sented themselves in our way, and appeared disposed to dispute our passage through the path into which we had turned. They stood [Page 24]for a considerable time with marks of sur­prize, but without the least appearance of violent intentions. In the mean time, the other party had approached us at some distance behind, where they also stood fixed with admiration.

My unacquaintance with the temper of the people, and judging of their ferocity by circumstances that belonged to the severe character of the savages of the American Lakes, I suggested to my companion my fears of their intentions being hostile: he made answer they were friends, and left me little opportunity for further consideration, when he advanced towards them in a slow pace; I followed him in the same manner.

When we had reached the party in front within about twenty paces, Hurdee spoke to them in their own language; they appeared much pleased, and approached us without further reserve; the second party soon after joined us likewise.

[Page 25] My companion informed them of the proposed extent of our journey; they expres­sed much surprize at our undertaking a journey of such length, with so few in num­ber, and through countries thickly infested by beasts of prey; this latter part of their information, however, was concealed from me at that time. A party of these negroes proposed to accompany us part of our route, to which we assented, and the whole com­pany partook of refreshment about noon. At 4 o'clock in the evening, as we ascended a hill marked by beaten pathways, the serenity of the sky and the stillness of the air caused me to notice the violent agitation of a tree at some distance before us, on the skirt of a shady cluster: I pointed it out to the guide, and to the negroes; they drew me out of the path into a more open one, and I learned the following particulars of a large snake, whose beauteous folds but cumbrous form, I could discern upon ap­proaching it at a safe distance.

[Page 26] This species of snake grows to the length of 24 feet, being in diameter from six to eight inches; its back is of a deep green, intermingled with luminous colours, and its belly of a lighter shade; its motions are slow, therefore not dangerous if discovered in time by the traveller. It seizes its prey by stratagem, climbing lofty trees close to the pathways of men and cattle: these it attacks by winding its tail round the trunk of the tree, and letting its fore folds fall on the object it means to destroy; after crushing it to death in the instant of surprise, it devours its victim at leisure. The negroes complained of some recent mischief committed in that neighbourhood, and Hurdee suggested that the destruction of this snake with our fire arms would be at once easy to us, and highly agreeable to our good natured fellow-travellers.

We accordingly loaded our guns with two balls each, and having taken a conve­nient position so as to fire together, we [Page 27]perceived from the noise, and the blood flowing down the trunk of the tree, that it was severely wounded. It presently made a most hideous noise, and vented its rage on the branches of the tree, which having torn in various directions, gave us a more clear view of his violent struggles

I was not perfectly satisfied as to our safety from its rage, and prepared to complete its destruction by another discharge. The negroes who had seen with astonishment the effect of our arms, had retired to some dis­tance behind us; we fired a second time, and the monster fell gasping to the ground, where it lay a few minutes apparently dying; but suddenly collecting the vigour of despa­ration and torture, threw itself into various forms; now it collected itself, blood flowing from its wounds, in knots and circles, crush­ing and breaking the young saplings that that grew within his circuit; exhausted by its struggles and the loss of blood, the ne­groes approached and helped to complete [Page 28]the catastrophe with their arrows; Hurdee employed his hanger, and assisted in cutting off such parts of the animal as they chose, which they did with exultation: they each took such parts as suited them, and night approaching, we were constrained to seek a convenient place of rest. Our fellow travel­lers resolved to spend the night with us, which gave me considerable pleasure. We encamped, and fires were kindled in a lovely valley. The negroes fell to dressing their snake with great glee, and feasted heartily on its slices and rice cake; while I preferred some dryed ship beef, which from prejudice I chose rather than their high flavoured luxurious banquet.

Free from the anxieties of the previous night, and fatigued by the labour and exertions of the day, I lay down in the midst of them, and slept undisturbed by noise or care till the break of day, when I awoke refreshed and chearful.

[Page 29] The advantage and security derived from our innocent and voluntary fellow travellers, rendered it painful to me to part with them; I signified my wish that they would accom­pany us farther; they expressed some reluctance, but the promise of a few trinkets which I shewed them prevailed, and these children of nature, agreed to accompany us further on our journey, to the foot of certain mountains which they called Kailoo.

After bathing, a rule which I resolved to pursue every day when the contiguity of water afforded me an opportunity, and which I pursued thenceforward; we break­fasted on our usual simple fare, and set forward.

After a journey direct E. of about fifteen miles, over a beautiful champain country, we made the banks of the river Dundy, running from the N. E. which being too rapid and deep to ford, we were obliged to bend our course four miles along the bank; [Page 30]but the heat of the day growing irksome, we took to the covert and resolved to construct a raft; we procured timber, and having secured them by ropes of withy and vine, we crossed at a convenient bending, and set ourselves over by poles, assisted with great address by our fellow travellers, with whom we were now become completely familiar.

This river displayed an abundance of various fish, of which our negroes caught several with peculiar ingenuity for our eve­ning's repast; and after a march of four hours we gained a rising ground, on the side of which we determined to spend the night.

The surrounding country in the neigh­bourhood of this river is truly luxuriant; the soil is soft and loamy, producing a variety of elegant flowering shrubs, and fruit trees; among which are the wild orange and limes, with tufts of the rich bannana and pine apple. We provided ourselves with as [Page 31]much as we could carry of these rich stores, understanding that our next day's route would be more irksome and fatiguing.

We rose early, and as usual comfortably refreshed; my health was never better than I had hitherto experienced it in this expe­dition, and I seemed to feel an agility of mind and body that was superior both to danger and fatigue.

The accustomed formalities of the broiled and roasted, with the morning dessert and the simple beverage, being dispatched, we set forward, with a party of our friendly Africans in front. We had ascended a sloping ground, and wished to reach by a less-circuitous route the elevated country which our little party in advance had gained, where we saw and heard them shouting for us to hasten, as we understood it. We found much difficulty to form a new path, but at length succeeded, and were exceedingly alarmed to find a youth of about seventeen [Page 32]bewailing loudly: his father, a robust mid­dle aged▪ cheerful man, had been bitten by a large snake which they call the Hoopel Koppel; the animal's head had been cut off by the boy, and the body lay writhing at his feet, while he vented his complaints and the bitterness of his resentments, in language that I could not comprehend otherwise than by the vehemence of his actions, and by his emphasis. Hurdee acquainted me with the particulars of the honest boy's imprecations; and I hastened to the old man, whom I found in the most tranquil manner applying medi­cine to the wound, which was on the exte­rior of his left thigh. The antidote to this most poisonous of snakes is a simple root, which the Africans always carry about them; they chew it to the consistence of a soft pulp, and apply it like a poultice to the wound; removing it continually as the poison disco­lours the application, until the chewed root remains of its original colour, when they finish the operation by washing the part affected in clean water, and applying a large [Page 33]portion of the root, which they fasten with a bandage over the wound, where it remaine till the cure is effected. We necessarily halted till the process was completed, and as it was tedious, were constrained to prepare for dressing our mid-day meal earlier than usual.

The animal that had been thus the cause of our delay measured nine feet without the head, which was flat and somewhat resem­bling the fore part of the sole fish, or black flounder; the tongue forked; the body thick; the back of a dirty yellow and brown, very like the rattlesnake The bite is not always curable, to which cause must be attributed the grief of the boy; his father, however, appeared no wise discon­certed, and we had the pleasure to see the application come from the wound without the least appearance of poison, after about three hours application. The attention of these innocent people to their wounded bro­ther, their activity and kindness in procuring [Page 34]the antidote and encouraging him not fear, was extremely impressive, and such as is not always to be seen among more polished people.

I examined the head of this snake, and the Africans pointed to me the cavities in which he conceals his venom of death. It is contained in a sack, at the roots of the two teeth answering to the canine teeth; the upper and lower jaws, are likewise armed with each a smaller row of teeth, used as I suppose for mastication only. The Africans describe the effects of this poison as extremely sudden and dreadful, if the antidote is not immediately at hand: in this case, the body is said to swell to an uncommon bulk, with excruciating torture: the swelling continues till the body bursts, when death follows and closes the scene.

We had a difficult journey for the next day, it was therefore agreed to gain the eastern side of the hill, or rather mountain, [Page 35]upon which we now were, and having set out about 3 o'clock, we reached the summit by an easy march, through a broken and unequal piece of ground; and at about 7 o'clock, being much fatigued, we reached an agreeable situation, where we proposed to rest for the night.

The customary preparations of collecting wood for fire, and arranging our rations of food, were scarcely made, when one of the Africans signified with some alarm that he saw a fire at some distance. I had seen a small blaze myself, a few minutes before; but felt no sense of alarm at it, more than I should at any other ordinary occurrence, from being unacquainted with the danger. The distance might be about three leagues, and it was on a mountain from which we were separated by a deep and gloomy valley; I found that Hurdee as well as my other companions were extremely uneasy, and signified that it would be preferable to remove, to a situation where we should be [Page 36]be covered from the danger of our fire's being seen at a distance. We accordingly bent our course to the southward round the contiguous hill; and after a march of about a mile and a half, found a convenient shelter under a lofty cliff of rocks, where we con­trived to dress some venison, caught the pre­ceding day by one of our Africans, in a snare that he had set for the purpose. We passed the night to a later hour than usual, in conversation with our companions, who were to part with us, on their return, in the morning. We slept till the usual hour the next morning without alarm. The distance from the water we found to be a very severe inconvenience; so we hastened our dry repast, and having distributed, as I proposed, a variety of trinkets among our good natured friends, we saw the old man and his son depart in perfect health and spirits, and with some evidences of regret at our separation, a sentiment which came home to my bosom with new and redoubled sensibility.

[Page 37] It was vain to repine, and resolution to persevere and fortitude to bear, were now the only feelings that could be of use to us. I determined to brave every apprehension— and in a critical time, for we were now on the confines of a nation of whose pacific dis­position my guide suggested some fears; a matter the more alarming to me, as it was not his usual character hitherto to betray symptoms of alarm.

We pursued our journey, keeping the deepest covert of the woods, occasionally ascending every prominent ground that could afford a prospect of the country before us. This day for the first time I saw a Panther; he was discovered by Hurdee; he came frequently in sight, but hung down his head and retired into some neighbouring thicket whenever we turned round to look at him. My guide, simply enough, said that the beast was terrified at seeing a white man, and to this cause it was he attributed his retiring, when I turned round. Such, however, was [Page 38]the fact; for when I kept advancing and Hur­dee remained a few paces behind, the animal semed to redouble his pace forward till I turned round, and he then retreated with equal precipitation.

My companion suggested a fear that he might climb a tree and spring upon us, as he said it was a common practice with those animals; and being obliged still to travel through the woods to avoid discovery by the natives, it was no less dangerous for us to fire our guns. Hurdee feared capture, as he said he should certainly be destroyed, if taken, and that I should be kept at least a considerable time a captive, perhaps till ransomed. Night approaching with this choice of difficulties, we resolved to retire into a thick recess, and there keep large fires burning all night; to sleep and watch by turns.

Having chosen our lodgment and kindled our fires we supped as usual; I determined [Page 39]to keep the first watch; Hurdee had lain down to sleep, and I was parading close to the fire, when Hurdee, who had heard the sound of steps on the ground suddenly started up and ran to his gun: I directed him not to fire but at my order, and should I fire, not to discharge his piece, till I should have loaded. We could hear the trampling of a soft foot, and the rustling of the bushes close on our left, but could not determine whether it proceeded from man or beast. We were soon satisfied however that it was our morning visitor, whom we could see crossing and recrossing an opening in our front where the fire was low: we therefore renew­ed our fire, and threw several pieces of the lighting wood in the track of the animal, who we found retreated snorting, and grow­ling. Finding ourselves thus successful, we kept our fires alternately well lighted, and obtained a troubled sleep, but sufficient for a moderate refreshment.

[Page 40] In the morning we pursued our route rather to the eastward, the mountain side bending off in that direction. The morning sun shined extremely hot through the thick­ets, and we could discern a variety of wild animals, such as I had never seen before; the monkeys were very numerous, and seve­ral leopards beautifully spotted, passed us affrighted, mostly in pairs.

About noon we had gained higher ground, the woods grew thinner, and we had an occa­sional prospect of an open, but mountainous tract of country, extremely romantic, but dreary in the distant appearance. We loit­tered through the heat of the day in a shady ravine or glen, worn through rocks and sands by streams from springs in the bosom of the mountain; here we enjoyed the pleasure of bathing, and an agreeable repast of wild fruits.

The course that we had hitherto pursued was tedious, and though not destitute of [Page 41]pleasures was fatiguing and attended with danger. We had calculated the distance we had come as well as we could, and concluded that we must be not far from the little Congo river; we determined to follow the course of the ravine, to the place into which the water discharges itself; often were we on the verge of retracing the path we had come up to the summit, the fatigue was so excessive, and the heat reflected from the rocks and a chalky loam on the sides of the ravine be­came intolerable; it became necessary to take up our nights rest in this glen, where we rested well but with our fires as usual.

Early in the morning we pursued our route downwards: the descent became less steep, and the water accumulating, gradually formed a deep rivulet. About 10 o'clock, we had the satisfaction of seeing the winding of a beautiful little river, flowing with gentleness along the skirts of the hills. We concluded it must fall into the Congo, and accordingly resolved to construct a raft to [Page 42]cross. After some labour we effected our purpose, and gained the opposite bank about eight miles down. Here we could perceive the track of human feet: we, in conse­quence, determined to change our course directly S. E. though the champaign lands, and to keep the shade, which was but light, consisting of trees thinly scattered and of slender growth, interspersed with a tree like the wild date, and the palm tree in great variety. About 5 o'clock, when we had walked about an hour and a half after din­ner, we came unexpectedly upon a town of the natives. The huts stood scattered irre­gularly in our front, and the appearance of fallow land stretched off contiguous to them on the right and rear. Fortunately, the village was deserted, but we could observe on an open elevation the smoke of domestic fires at the dusk of evening, a considerable way to the eastward. We were obliged once more, with reluctance, to seek the woods to the southward of us; and encamped that night amid the horrors of the desart, [Page 43]the roaring of the tyger, and other beasts that haunt the neighbourhood of the inno­cent savage.

We slept none this night!—Its horrors are still awake in my memory, and I shudder when I recall them!—Our fires appeared scarcely sufficient for our protection. We heard the step of the heavy breathing tyger, his horrid, broken, panting aspiration: this, with the thrilling screams of the jackall, the yell of the wild dog, and the rustling of the leaves and branches, on several sides, kept us in a state of terror that cannot be conceived, but by those have experienced such situations, and seen the glaring eyes of the most fero­cious animals rolling within a few paces, and ready to pounce upon and tear the trembling victim to a thousand pieces.

Thinking it best, when day joyfully broke in upon us, to quit this neighbourhood, where the vacated village already pointed out a warning that we had neglected, of the [Page 44]dangerous course we were pursuing; we determined to prefer the risque of exposure to our own species, than to the monsters of the wood, and again bent our course to the eastward. About 11 o'clock, we were sur­prised by two of the natives, armed with bows and arrows, apparently hunting. A half scream expressed the first emotions of their surprize; our confusion was no less extreme, perhaps it was more so. They retired softly to some distance, and immedi­ately ran away with infinite speed, and we soon lost sight of them.

My perturbation may be conceived. I revolved past, present, and future, with the rapid glance of regret and apprehension:— Hurdee, too, was lost in reflection; but soon collected himself, and endeavoured to cheer me. We lamented that we had not kept the margin of the great river, where our dangers could not have been greater than they now were; and that our journey could not be many days longer. I saw the absur­dity [Page 45]of this after-wisdom; but it tended to rouse me. Hurdee could not distinguish of what nation they were: he supposed they might be of the Ebo country, but they also resembled natives of the Galla, from which we could not be very distant. If they were of the former, we might deem ourselves secure; if the latter, there was some danger: we concluded it to be safest to get out of their way. Hurdee suggested that their surprize was principally excited by the sight of a white man; and that curiousity, as well as other motives, might tempt them to follow us with a large body of men. We made for the adjacent hills, and as we ascended them, could observe a numerous body of the natives pursuing the course we had taken: we accordingly changed our course from the S. E. to the N. E. and rather ran than walked.

We had to cross a mountain, and after labouring to its summit, we became exposed from the want of cover, there being little [Page 46]else of vegetation but a light herbage and brush wood. We viewed them from an elevated ground as they crossed open patches, and then crept on our hands and knees, and crouched behind clusters of the thicket to prevent discovery.

From the different views we had of them, we estimated them at about three hundred in number: they were armed with clubs, lances, bows and arrows, and kept their usual order of battle in a very compact body. Hurdee now seemed satisfied that they were of the Galla nation, and he was certain we must be the objects of their pursuit.

We resolved to keep them in view, and watch till they should encamp, when we might take advantage of the night to counter­march them: we did so, and embraced the cover of the night to return to our former course direct to the eastward.

[Page 47] This whole night we travelled without ceasing, under constant alarm from the roar­ing of wild beasts. The night was excessive dark, and we could not discern any objects at a great distance. I drew the charge from one of my pistols, and when we heard a rustling among the bushes near us, burned priming, as the only expedient we could devise beside firing shot, which we would not do, lest we should alarm our pursuers.

About day break my companion trod upon a small green snake, which bit his right leg close to the outer ankle. I was much alarmed; but he very coolly took some of the root out of his pouch, and chewing it as the good old African had before done; the juice of the root was white like milk, but on applying it to the wound it changed to a yellow, disagreeable colour: having repeatedly applied it, until the juice was no longer discoloured, he tied a bandage round it, and we pursued our route, happy that he had escaped so well.

[Page 48] This root I have repeatedly seen; but from a neglect of concerns less important for the time, I unfortunately did not bring it with me. The loss of my sight would prevent me from knowing it, should it be common in our country; which I think probable, as the American Indians say they possess the knowledge of a similar powerful antidote. This root appears to me as acting upon the poison by decomposing it by some peculiar quality of its own juice. It is certain that the poison does not remain in the wound; and from the colour of the juice being changed, I suppose it must be by a decomposition of the constituent parts; for a change in its properties and appearance is certainly effected ^*.

[Page 49] Hunger, which we had disregarded in the moments of terror, now came on with the utmost force; and our dried beef and other provisions growing short, it was necessary that we should seek for some fresh provisions. We were not sufficiently remote from the Galla men to trust to our fire arms; but Hurdee being expert with his bow and arrows, we resolved to use them and spare our powder and shot.

[Page 50] He accordingly let fly at the first animal we met, and it fell, we could find no wound but a slight one in the leg. We collected wood, made a fire, and were about to dress our prey, when lo! it disappeared. We were about to go in search of some other animal, when we found it rustling in the bushes, and soon retook it. In shape and colour it resembled the Opossum, except that it had no pouch or false belly; the hair also was much shorter—However, when dressed, it tasted deliciously; and after breakfast, for the first time, we lay down to sleep.

We awoke about 10 o'clock, tolerably refreshed; and having yet to pass a moun­tain which we hoped would be the last, we judged it prudent to keep on the verge of the woods, between that and the top of the ascent. About 4 o'clock we discovered fires at a distance, and vestiges of population in the pathways which intersected each other, and appeared newly trodden. The appear­ances of population to the northward were [Page 51]very distinguishable; and therefore, appre­hending that we approached some of those numerous nations, that constantly inhabit the luxurious countries in the neighbourhood of the Congo River near its sources, and the charming vallies at the feet of the Galla moun­tains on the south and eastern sides; we determined to be circumspect, and proceed by easy journies to avoid falling into the hands of either of them.

Night was approaching fast, we had descended the mountain towards the E. some­what southwardly, and the sun was already hidden from us by the heights we had passed, which threw their shadows over the beau­tiful vallies that we could just distinguish, expanded to a boundless distance before us. We determined to proceed slowly towards the low country, and repose once more secure from the terrors of the forest; to view the country the next day, and to take such steps as might be most like to ensure our safe [Page 52]arrival, now that we could not be remote from the place of destination.

A few monkies, whose chattering was no longer deemed an annoyance, after our acquaintance with sounds so chilling and terrific, were our only disturbers during the night;—we slept peaceably, and rose with the dawn.

Having agreed to reconnoitre the country before we should proceed, we made a kind of festival of this charming morning. We unpacked our powder, and repacked our flints, and trinkets; we cleaned our arms, and by the time we had partaken of a plen­tiful breakfast, the sides of the green hills and plains beneath us, were disclosed to our view by the opening sun, in a style of verdure and beauty truly delighting. The light shades of the sloping hill on the north­eastern aspect, contrasted by the dusky hue of the valleys on the southern and western [Page 53]sides; and the irregularity of the shades cast by the profile of the more elevated hills, on the plains scattered through the winding vallies, gradually descending, and the whole prospect vividly brightning without mist or cloud in the horizon, altogether exhibited, a scene of serene grandeur that warmed my heart and made me almost forget the incon­veniences I had sustained.

The country was thickly peopled, the marks of cultivation were visible on the sides of the declining plains, and on the level; but no river could be seen. We considered it however, as at no great distance, and resolved to pass the day as a time of rest, and to pursue our journey under the protection of night to avoid discovery, until we should judge that we had gained the country of the Ebo King.

After a pleasant dinner we went to repose preparatory for the nights travel, we awoke about sun-set, immediately descended to the [Page 54]valley, and set forward; we continued this course for four nights, frequently meeting with settlements, and changing our course thro' the nearest woods to avoid the haunts of men; living upon cold provisions, or the fruits which we gathered in abundance as we passed along.

The country we had now gained was once more apparently very fertile and watered with little rivulets, which promised us the pleasure of speedily gaining the banks of that river, for which we had long looked with aching eyes. On the morning of the fifth day before sun-rise, we reached the bank, and were fortunate enough to find means to pass it without difficulty or danger; now we considered ourselves, as the mariner after a long voyage, arrived at the destined port.

The paths from the river were now no longer objects to be shunned, we pursued [Page 55]that which appeared to be the greatest; and about 9 o'clock we entered a handsome village.

Our appearance alarmed the inhabitants, who fled from their huts, and collected in considerable numbers, with their simple arms in their hands. Hurdee, whose countenance lighted up with pleasure, seeing they were friends, gave his gun to me, and made the usual signal of peace, by sheathing his arrows and hanging his bow over his shoulders. They then approached near us, and he delivered to them his bow and knife, telling them we were on our way from the Congo to the Ebo King to trade, on which they returned his knife and bow, and told him we were wel­come, and should be well received.

I proposed delivering my arms likewise, but Hurdee advised me not, thinking that as they were very scarce in that country, and consequently highly valuable, they might be prompted to detain them.

[Page 56] The ease and good humor with which we were received was to me most consolitary, and I took it to be a most flattering presage of the success to attend our laborious and dangerous enterprize. We were conducted into one of their houses, or huts, composed of slight timbers or branches sunk in the earth, or in an artificial bank of earth raised about a foot above the ordinary level of the scite of the village. The tops of the huts are round, or dome like, formed very rudely into that shape, by bending the tops of the branches toward the centre, and there tying them with slender saplings to each other. The broad and fan-like branches of the palm and date tree, tied by their stems on the outside, and the points downward, form their covering or thatch. Repeated layers of these materials, and the skins of animals, are further used to defend these humble habitations from the most severe rains; and as the domestic offices of cookery, and their rude handicraft works are performed in the open air, or in the shade of branching trees, [Page 57]which here are never disrobed of their foliage, their small dwellings are not incommoded by this sort of family business. The insects so troublesome in warm countries, especially adjacent to woods or low grounds, are kept aloof by the inartificial expedient of a thick smoke produced by fires kept constantly light­ed, and composed of the dung of their cattle, or a composition of leaves of trees or reeds and rotted timber kept in a state of moisture.

These artificial clouds had not yet dissipated in my new habitation, and the effect on my eyes was considerably painful: through my friend Hurdee care was taken to ease me on that head, and a repast was soon served up, of which we partook with minds and appe­tites that converted the habitation of the savage into a palace, and gave a relish to the food equal to that enjoyed by the luxu­rious. Seated on the floor, on skins and mats spread for us, we feasted on fresh beef and ears of maize roasted, and for our dessert [Page 58]on the finest bannanas: our drink was new milk and palm wine.

The people had caught the information, on all sides, of the arrival of one of those extraordinary animals a white man, and all thronged, eager as it appeared to discover whether it resembled the men or the monkies of their own country; for such it appeared were the comparisons they made, and in a manner, as I afterwards understood, no wise flattering to the pride of a fair skin.

The women appear among the Africans to be endowed with the sexual attribute of curiosity, in common with those of all other colours and countries: they thronged foremost around me, and so crowded that I found it necessary for the sake of air, and to gratify curiosity at once, to walk abroad. The children looked with wonder, and the women according to their age or temper tittered, roared out in laughter, or clasped their hands, [Page 59]as they were each affected. Some opened my hair, others examined my jacket and trowsers; my sleeve buttons amused one, and the frill of my shirt another; my hair, which had by their curiosity or accident become loose, was the object of admiration to all.

Their familiarity surprised me for a time; but reflecting that it must be the natural consequence of innocent curiosity excited by novelty, I returned their freedom with good humour, and sound that they were pleased with my manner of treating them.

Fatigued with the previous travel, and tired with trifling, I signified to Hurdee my wish of retiring to rest: he accordingly informed the villagers, and we were soon left alone. After this we partook of a second repast consisting of boiled rice, mutton, and palm wine, and agreeing to set out for the residence of the Ebo king on the [Page 60]morrow, retired to a comfortable and secure repose.

Early in the morning we were awakened by the villagers, fifteen of whom had been appointed to escort us on our route. They were armed with lances pointed, some with bone, others with a hard burnt wood, and some with iron. They had bows and arrows, the former more than three feet long, the arrows of irregular lengths, from about eighteen inches to two feet, coarsely barbed.

After a slight refreshment of fruit and palm wine, we proceeded to the southward, it being about 4 o'clock in the morning. A great croud of the villagers had collected to view the prodigy once more, and many of them accompanied us, not tired of gazing, till near mid-day; when we lay by for rest, and retired from the heat which was now daily encreasing.

[Page 61] We did not reach the next village until after dark: one of our escort had preceded us about an hour, and had provided a hut much more commodious than that in which we had last lain: here we had com­fortable beds of neatly formed mats, and here marks of ingenuity were evident in a species of wicker work on the walls, or rather partitions; refreshments were pro­vided for us in like manner, without their seeking for recompence of any kind.

We rose early as usual, but our fame was up before us with the villagers; who here and on the greater part of our course incommoded and sometimes obstructed our passage by their numbers.

The country through which we now tra­velled was extremely picturesque, and the towns thickly scattered displayed to me much more enlarged ideas of their civiliza­tion than I had before conceived. Agricul­ture seemed to be carried on with much [Page 62]industry, but not indeed with any appear­ance of regularity or system. The grounds in open places appeared sown with grain in detached patches, without fences or ditches. A rivulet not unfrequently bounded a piece of land newly turned up, on the other side of which was observable either a copse, or a field of corn advanced in growth, a space of vacant ground, or interspersed with reed or sugar cane, and maize. In the midst of these a solitary palm tree sometimes stood, and a declivity, a swamp, or a thick wood, broke upon the line of culture and habitation. Roads appear next, which owe nothing to art, and their existence only to the constant succession of travellers obstructing the progress of rapid vegetation when not in the shade, and when beneath it, to an absence of the sun's rays.

We reached a very populous village at the noon of the fifth day; when finding myself extremely alarmed with feverish symptoms in consequence of the croud which [Page 63]pressed round me, was obliged to request by my interpreter, that we might have a retired and separate habitation, and be secured from the intrusion of the curious. My wishes were answered, and I determined to persevere in the journey which now promised to be so short. The villagers procured horses for us, but without the convenience of saddles. In this circumstance, and in a warm climate I would have preferred walking, but was persuaded to accept offices dictated by such hospitable intentions, and accordingly set forward. A person was dispatched before us to announce our arrival; we determined to repose during the heat of this day in a pleasant valley described by the natives, and to travel in the night so that we might reach our destination by the ensuing morning. My fever had entirely abated, and I found myself after the mid-days repose, perfectly able to ride the rest of the way during the night.

[Page 64] We were now near our journey's end; and about 11 o'clock we had the pleasure of seeing our courier return accompanied by about 100 persons armed with long lances, who we were informed, composed a part of the Ebo Kings guard, and had been sent to receive us. Upon their approach, they opened on each side of us in good order, with their lances pointed downward behind, and as we passed thro' them closed in files and followed with much regularity.

It was now about 2 o'clock, and we had advanced half a mile in this form, when a large body of people appeared who we were given to understand, were the principal persons of the town, dispatched to conduct us to the kings presence. The roads were covered with people, so as to render our progress slow and irksome—at length we entered the town about 4 o'clock.

The capital of Ebo, or Quappa Ebo, is pleasantly situated on the sides of two hills, [Page 65]which are cut at an acute angle by a cascade that descends through an agreeable wood, and discharges its waters in a shallow pebbled rivulet that bisects the valley in the center. Those parts of the town that occupy the sloping grounds, form two sides of a triangle, the remaining side is formed by a river of about four hundred feet wide, into which the rivulet falls; our entrance was from the wood across this river which we forded. The open country along the river downward was highly cultivated, and beautifully contrasted in its verdure with the brown appearance of the town, which excepting the few trees here and there dispersed, exhibited a view of considerable population and regularity. The streets were laid out with a considerable regard to order, so as even to be observed at a distance; there was not any thing of grandeur, it is true, but certainly a degree of elegant simplicity and neatness which I did not expect to find.

[Page 66] We were conducted to the kings hut, he received us at his door, and after shaking me by the hands very earnestly for a minute, retired and beckoned us to follow, which we did. This hut was oblong as large as some of our barns, and divided into rooms by wicker partitions covered with neatly coloured mats, and ornamented with cane and reed baskets with other fancy works of the kind.

When we had reached the third apart­ment, where was a number of women already seated, he sat down on a bench covered with a mat and holding out his hands to me shook mine very earnestly again. He then shook Hurdee, speaking to him in the Ebo language; I was then directed to salute all his wives, seventeen in number; I would willingly have dispensed with this branch of the ceremony, but Hurdee told me with a smile it was the custom—and I accordingly, with no little [Page 67]discomposure of my stomach, complied with all the form.

Having completed this business without showing evident marks of dissatisfaction, was handed round to the elders, or what I suppose some subject of an European monarch would call the nobility. With all these I shook hands in turn, and was then led to a mat placed for me nearly in the front of his sable majesty, with whom by means of Hurdee I entered into conversation on the subject of my mission.

He informed me that he had been made acquainted with the object of my journey, that he was pleased at my prefering him to his neighbours; that he was willing to trade with me in gold, ivory, or prisoners; that he should wish to trade constantly, and to be furnished with goods from the sea countries, as he called them, in abundance, for which he would pay largely. Having stated my satisfaction at his kindness, and my thanks [Page 68]for the attention bestowed by his favour on me then and while on the road, I told him it was my wish to put his proposals into practice by keeping the trade open constantly and supplying it abundantly. He then entered on general conversation, enquiring into the manners, customs, and situation of my country, of which he appeared to have already had some accounts. He related some particulars concerning himself and the people of Ebo, his wars with some neighbouring people and frequently enlivened his spirits and our conversation with draughts of excel­lent palm wine.

We continued thus, partaking occasionally of pine apples and other fruit, till dusk, when a large fire being lighted, a banquet of roasted venison, some birds, and milk, with rice, was served to us as we sat. He arose and beckoning to a woman on his left, six others were called in, who were pre­sented to me and offered as wives. This piece of politeness and hospitality I endea­voured [Page 69]to decline, Hurdee had previously apprized me of this custom, but I conceived that my informing them that I was already a married man would release me from this dilemma; I was disappointed; the king femed surprised at the nature of my objection, and instanced himself who was also married but yet took other wives. Finding myself in this delicate predicament, and deriving no resource from the advice of my interpreter, I resolved to accommodate myself to my situation with as good a grace as possible. Judging one wife sufficient for any reason­able man; I resolved not to be burthened with six; but thinking that I must in some degree sacrifice to custom I resolved to chuse two—and with these I was directly conducted to a handsome, but newly built apartment near what I must, for the honour of the thing, call the palace!

My residence consisted of a long open building like a piazza, without any side covering; within this was a long cross room [Page 70]divivided into two by a partition; and in the rear another room the floor of which was a few inches higher than that of the outer apart­ment. Lamps, (if I may so call small earthen mishapen cups with cocoanut oil,) darkly illu­minated these appartments;—the outer was covered with ordinary mats, the inner with one neatly woven and of various colours, with rushes and palm tree fibres, At one end of this appartment was half spread a large kind of mattrass made of cotton, thin but not uncomfortable; and here it was that for the first time in my life, I was to repose with the dusky daughters of Africa.

Readers of different humours will view this scene with varied sentiments;—the jocu­lar will anticipate the embarrassment of a qualmish youth, shoved into a neat hovel with a tall slender and comely but sedate African girl who sat half averted from me in the part of the room most remote from the door and the place of repose, while another plumy, middle sized wench stood laughing [Page 71]and giggling, by turns looking at me and then at her female partner, as if anxious to deter­mine which should enter upon, or avoid—conversation.

I could not for a time determine whether to lie down in my clothes or undress—I really forgot every thing but the aukwardness of my situation.—The lamps, however, had fortunately nearly consumed their oil, and I took advantage of the glimmer, to dispose of my apparel, and lay down—like many a fond husband—with my face averted from my Ebon companions, who contrived to approach and partake with me of the mat­trass, and with it as I infer from my own experience, of a pleasant repose.

When morning appeared, a wicker woven aperture admitted the light, and discovered to me my two wives (for so I must hencefor­ward call them) wrapped in the arms—of sleep;—one at each side of me; but at a respectful distance. I lay a while reflecting [Page 72]on the oddity of my situation, and call to mind the graces of my own more favored country-women: I was soon however, disturbed from my reveries, by the awakening of my two ladies, whose counte­nances I thought seemed to rebuke me with dissatisfaction or contempt—for my want of politeness to, or neglect of them.

I could not speak a word of their language, and we were thus lying composed in silence, when Hurdee announced a visitor. I sallied forth without the ceremonial of a bow, or a farewel; and found the old Chieftain was waiting for me. He proposed a walk after I should have refreshed myself; we accord­ingly sat down to breakfast, and I was joined by my wives, as we were about to proceed on our little tour; I was shewn the greater part of the town; we ascended the hill to the south westward, and the old man explained to me by means of Hurdee, every particular that he thought worthy of notice, or that I asked.

[Page 73] The town consists of about 1200 houses, laid out into very regular streets, not so much the effect of a previous plan, as of the judicious arrangements taken to prevent any dwelling encroaching on the line of a street. The western side of the shallow rivulet that passes through the town was first planned, and laid out in one great street along its margin, not following its irregu­larities, but presenting a strait front. On the opposite side, the same system was pursued, but the streets, diverging from these to the feet of the hills, were wider on one side than the other; they terminated each in a large street at the feet of each hill, beyond which were gardens or maize ground, orchards, or walks of orange or citron trees, with some of the date and cocoanut—here was likewise to be seen the sugar cane, and the finest maize I had ever beheld, and the tree from which the cassava is procured, with a considerable quantity of large species of millet, the broom, or guiney corn. The whole town formed almost a regular triangle; [Page 74]the little rivulet divided it into two irregular triangles, owing to diverging more one side than the other; the other streets were strait, but at unequal distances.

I have before in some degree described▪ the houses of the natives: I had now an opportunity of hearing the process of their building art described, and witnessing the truth of the description.

When they purpose building a house, they first determine upon the form and extent of it, by fixing stakes and making a large bank of earth within the line, either circular, semicircular, oblong or square, for they have houses of all these forms:—this earth or clay being well tempered and mixed with sand, is beat down and smoothed with an inclination of the plane to the door. They leave it exposed to the heat of the sun, which is here very considerable, for some days before they proceed further. When they find it sufficiently hard, the frame is [Page 75]raised, roughly as may be supposed, and connected by ropes of the cocoa bark, or dry­ed canes, or the withes or saplings of young trees. When they have fixed timbers round the cornice or eaves, if I may so call it, they elevate two long slender timbers at each end of the building. These they tie firmly at the corners, when the house is angular, and again at the elevated points where they meet, longer timbers are raised about the middle, and what may be called a ridge pole, consisting of one slender timber, firmly lashed above throughout the whole length. Light branches are now laid on, and the whole is covered over like the round huts, with the leaves or bark of trees, &c. This species of building may be considered sump­tuous, and is rare; the structure of the round buildings requires less labour and combination. When the roof is covered, they proceed to fill up the spaces between the corner posts in the sides and ends: for this they drive stakes in regular order, leaving fit openings by their intersections for [Page 76]doors or windows. These last are very narrow and numerous, admitting a constant draught of air, and capable of being easily closed: cane works formed with much inge­nuity, ornament the inside. When the walls are thus far compleated, the outside plaistered with clay well kneaded, which being smoothed, really has a handsome appearance, but suffers upon the fall of heavy rains, against which every house is provided with a deep ditch, leading all round to carry off the water as it falls. Each dwelling is separated from the other by a small yard, marked by a fence or stockade of posts, of four to six inches diameter.

The king's house alone was unencumbered by a close neighbourhood, having a greater space of yard in front. It had eight rooms, but was in reality, two houses united: a handsome grass plot, shaded by about ten or twelve lofty trees lay behind, and through this a path strewed with a brown and yellow [Page 77]glittering sand, led winding to the summit of the hill, where was a neat hut erected with only a light roof, and sides composed of mats that admitted of being raised or let down at pleasure.

Before we had arrived at this place, I took care to send Hurdee for a few articles that I purposed presenting to the king; and when we sat to rest, after ascending to this beautiful eminence, I took an oppor­tunity of presenting to him, a handsome ornamented clasp knife, a small oval looking-glass, some brass rings for bracelets, and a pair of ordinary paste sleeve buttons, with red tinsel and a gilt knot in them. The old man was highly delighted, and did not speak for several minutes, being so much engaged in admiring his riches. He at last broke out into expressions of thanks, and proposed shew­ing me where he had lately fought a great battle with the Galla king, who had invaded his kingdom, attempted to carry off his people, and reduce the country to be under his own government.

[Page 78] We proceeded along the western side of the hill, about three miles, passing by a sine cultivated country, and large fields of corn. Huts were scattered here and there along our course, and goats and sheep grazed on the rich pastures as far as the eye could reach. We now descended through a wood, and entered a large plain: on our way to this place, he related the cause of the invasion to have arisen from the following adventure.

A party of hunters from one of the remote towns of the Ebo country, had pursued their game beyond what the Galla king considered his boundary, and were met by a party of the latter people, likewise hunting. They now commenced a pursuit of the game, that had been nearly run down by the Ebo people, but were not successful, for one of the Ebo hunters, brought it down with his spear. The Galla hunters sought to appropriate it to themselves; a fray ensued, one of the Galla people was killed, the rest put to flight, and the game brought off in triumph though [Page 79]several of the Ebo people were wounded severely.

Both parties were highly enraged; the Galla king raised an army, invaded the country, burned two villages, carried off some cattle, and a few prisoners, which he sold for slaves. The Ebo people were terrified with the first successes of the enemy: they alloted a considerable force to oppose them; several actions were fought, but the Ebo king was so much the sufferer in each, that his army was nearly destroyed. The Galla king encouraged by these successes, and relying too much on the weakness of the Ebo people formed the resolution of subju­gating the whole country to his rule. For this purpose he collected all his force, and spreading desolation as he passed, crossed the great swamp to the N. W. in order to avoid the circuit of the upper lands, and had already approached within the distance of three miles from the capital, where all the [Page 80]fugitives from the desolated towns, had taken refuge.

The city could be approached only by a narrow defile, through which the river passed, leaving a road on that side next the city; or be attempting the road over the hills and through the woods, by which we had entered. The Galla chief preferred the former: a party of the Ebo people who had escaped from bondage, communicated the design; that the old Ebo chief took his measures accordingly. He collected a body of 200 picked men, supported by a body of 300 [...], to guard the pass on the side next to the enemy. Over these as the reserve, he appointed his eldest son, and his own bro­ther; the rest of his army he led himself, in two divisions: his second son heading the left, in which his principal wives ^* and their brothers, were distributed.

[Page 81] The king shewed me the spot where he took his station; it was an elevated spot of ground, covered with large shady trees, inaccessible in the front; but overlooking the whole plain below, with which it communicated by two paths at some distance to the right and left. A path was opened, and a line of men stretched along the top of the hill, to the edge of this pass, to which he paid constant attention.

The Galla people attempted to march before sun rise, but a large fire suddenly appearing on their right, at the distance of about half a mile, occasioned them to halt: it ceased in a few minutes, but had the effect of dispiriting the Galla people; who marched on however, about an hour after. They advanced rapidly, and soon descried [Page 82]the troops under the kings eldest son, ready to receive them: the Galla people began the attack by a discharge of arrows, which was returned by the Ebo party; and followed by a second flight before the Galla army expected it. The Galla warriors then bran­dished their lances, closed their ranks, and made a vigorous attack on the kings army, who being unprepared, threw by their bows, and closed in a compact body to receive them with their spears: this opposition was short, for the Ebo party fled into the narrow part of the pass, as if panic struck, the Galla people pursuing them. The two parties of the Ebo army now rallied on the inner side of a sloping ground; and as she Galla people crouded through the pass to pursue them, the old Chief sallied from his recess, and commenced the attack in the rear. The battle was now carried on with the greatest vigour on both sides. The Ebo army being sensible that this was their last and only hope, fought with desparation; while the Galla troops no less instigated by the [Page 83]desire of victory and plunder, [...] them­selves to the utmost. The slaughter was terrible for a considerable time; the Galla people, however, at last gave way, and fled in immense numbers to the river, among the foremost of whom was their chief. He, however, rallied his troops on the plain, in front of their camp. The numbers killed already, exceeding that of the Ebo army; what remained was still as numerous. The old Ebo chief determined to pursue his success, while his people were elated, and marched into the plain, fate as yet seeming to hold the balances of victory.

The attack was made by the eldest son, but he was met with such warmth and intrepidity by the enemy, that his ranks gave way. He called aloud to them, and drawing a circle round him with his sword, declared, he never would quit the spot, but with victory. The people roused by his bravery, returned to the charge, but before they could rescue him, he fell, covered with [Page 84]wounds, and run through by lances. When his younger brother appeared, having carried all before him on the left, a more desperate action ensued; the shouting of women and children, enlivened the Ebo people, when the arrival of the old chief and his brother with their divisions, decided the victory in their favour.—The enemy fought with desparation, but the old chief having attacked them in the rear, no hope remained, and they who did not prefer death, were made captives. 700 were taken prisoners, those who had remained in the Galla camp to guard against surprize, took to flight; num­bers of them were taken by the women and scattered inhabitants, who pursued them for two days. The king, with but few followers, effected his escape with much difficulty, while most of the principal warriors were among the captives.

The Ebo king lost, beside his eldest son, his brother, who fell in the conflict, and three of his wives. The old man conducted [Page 85]me to the spot, and I could not but be sensibly affected at the tenderness which he displayed, when speaking of them on this scene of their valor and death. He appeared to me on this occasion, in a point of view very different from what he had at any time before, so that I esteemed the man now, whom I before considered as the savage.

His person was strait and robust, and of excellent symetry, being about five feet ten inches high: his countenance was extremely expressive; his eye quick and penetrating, and his air and deportment affable, cheerful, and mild, but still expressive of confidence and command. He appeared to be about 55 years old, but was more. He made a motion to return, and we all moved towards the city by way of the pass: our wives who had all followed us, now joined the party; and my ladies sought every means to divert and please me, during the walk, by plucking flowers and fruits, or picking up pieces of broken arrows or lances, [Page 86]and at the same time, pointing at places, and speaking as if I understood every word they said—they continued their lively gambols all the way home.

This species of amusement was at first to me very loathsome—but after some time, I must confess, the pains they took to please, and the little efforts they made in the house, with their labor to teach and make me understand their language, soon softened my disgust: from laughing at their folly, I came to like it, and to be thankful for their efforts to excite it—and in short, I soon became so habituated to my situation, as not only to be satisfied, but pleased with it. In fact, I felt a fondness for both my wives, although I reluctantly confess it to the ladies of my former acquaintance, for they never differed but in their efforts to please me, and never disputed, lest I should be offended.

In all my subsequent rambles, they were never from me; when I talked to others, [Page 87]they were silently caressing me, playing with my hands, or hair, handling my side arms or pockets; if I sat, they squatted at my feet, and my buckles became the objects of their care and curiosity—for all which atten­tion and favor, they appeared highly gratified, if I made but a return of bare notice, and highly familar, if I would enter into conver­sation with them.

We had now approached the town, and were met by several of the elders, and a considerable number of the inhabitants, both men and women, who formed a procession with us into the public streets. I had now some leisure and opportunities to notice them; they were evidently, considerably blacker than the natives of the lower Congo country, and the neighbourhood of the sea, who have generally a yellowish tinge in their com­plexion, owing, I suppose, to their greater intercourse with the whites. Their stature is generally between five feet six inches, to six feet high; the fewer number, however, [Page 88]approach the latter height. The women were generally more slender and smaller, as is usual, than the men; but were evidently more variable, in the first respect particu­larly. Both sexes are admirably well formed, their limbs strait, and bodies upright. They go almost entirely naked; the loins and waist only being covered; the women wear a slight garment, or bandage of cotton cloth round the waist, or a small apron of cotton stuff, fancifully decorated with feathers, or strips of different coloured cloths; this is about six inches long, and eight broad, hanging in front, and tied on by two strings of cotton, which knot behind, from which hangs a little tassel. The men, from the age of puberty only, wear a narrow bandage of cotton cloth round the waist, with a strip of the same kind, but five or six inches in breadth tucked in before, and passing thro' the crutch, so contrived that the knot behind also affords a long bunch or tassel, like that of the women. The men of respect among them, beside a number of trifling ornaments [Page 89]of shells, ivory bracelets, &c. wear a large and broader piece of cotton, that hangs nearly down to the knees like the Scotch highlander's trews.

These simple garments, however display works of ornament, distinct from those of mere utility; feathers, pieces of cotton cloth of different colours, trinkets of copper, brass, glass, and tinsel, of European fabri­cation are frequently seen, but these are uniformly the signs of riches or respect. The old chief was dressed with a profusion of these baubles, fantastically arranged on a kind of dark cotton smock frock, that hung down close to his knees.

Men and women uniformly wear rings round their wrists and ancles, mostly of ivory, but frequently made of brass; these are made merely large enough to admit the hand or foot through with some pressure. Their looseness renders them to appearance incon­venient, but when we consider the numerous [Page 90]aukward articles worn by both sexes in civilized life, we will not continue to wonder at the sacrifices which savages offer to that universal idol, vanity, seeing that these ornaments carry in their minds as lofty ideas, as any excited either by the gold or embroi­dery, the coronet, the purple, or ermine.— The ivory rings are made by sawing the elephants tooth across the hollow part, and polishing the rings with the dust; there are some, however, who wear clasps or broad hoops, and other ornaments of gold.

The women wear beads of glass and metal with little plates, and other figures suspended from their necks in successive strings falling over their breasts. Some of them that in infancy promise to be comely, by the early care of their mothers, have rings put on while young, which filling as they grow, become tight, and this ornament in their riper years is esteemed an object of peculiar note and elegance. Their admirers are more numerous, and this species of [Page 91]ornaments often exhibits the love of shew, admiration, and prudery in the simple African, in as ridiculous and natural a point of view, as any of our polished fashionable female decorations.

Every man wears a knife in his girdle, the blade of which is from six to eight inches long, resembling the blade of a spontoon, rather narrower, but sharp at both edges: it is carried in a sheath, generally of rush or reed work, and much ornamented. This instrument serves for all purposes, for cutting timber or food, slaying a beast or an enemy; and in occasions of war, is worn likewise by the women. They employ it in their simple process of agriculture with much dexterity, and this with a sharp pointed stake, was all the implement I could discover them using, either for digging, turning up the soil, sow­ing or reaping the crop.

I have been thus particular in the outset, from having observed when very young, [Page 92]that circumstances among strangers are noticed more exactly at first, than at a later period; perhaps familiarity with all objects lessens our admiration of them.

The next morning the king shewed me the spoils made in the late action, which had taken place as nearly as I could learn, about the month of June preceding. The bracelets and rings of gold and copper, the gold breast plates, some European swords, and a numberless quantity of trinkets, spears, bows and arrows, &c. formed a group of objects extremely striking and amusing. The same apartment contained a variety of other articles, such as presents made him by his own people, and by others, together with a quantity of elephants teeth and gold dust, which was contained in small earthen pans, or pots, covered with wicker basket work.

Having satisfied my curiosity here, he proposed that I should go and see the prisoners; we accordingly crossed to the [Page 93]south-eastern side of the rivulet, where at the lower side of the town, we found them confined in a large area within a thick stockade, on the outside of which was a trench: the inside was divided into parcels, and huts irregularly constructed, and the entrance as well as the whole circuit, was guarded by men with spears.

We commonly find ourselves impressed with emotions of horror and compassion, on entering places where our fellow men are doomed to punishment or thraldom. In the scene before me, the ear was not indeed dinned with the clanking of heavy fetters, but was horrible in its peculiar way. The captives were distitute for the most part of even their necessary covering, and bound indiscriminately together by the hands and legs, the cords being again fastened to the ground by stakes; they were loosed a few at a time once every day, when each was permitted to eat the only meal they were allowed, consisting of rice and palm oil. [Page 94]Benevolence, however, sometimes broke through the rigours of a savage life, and occasionally alleviated the sufferings of the weakly, or the wounded with milk or other necessaries: their condition was on the whole deplorable.

I had often in the course of the voyage, and of the journey, rebuked myself for having embarked in the African trade, but found a consolation in the reflection, that it was not from a malicious inclination or avaricious disposition, that I had embarked in it, but from the pressing call of necessity, and at a time when my dissent could not alter or obstruct the undertaking. On the present occasion, however, I was fully convinced the removal of these poor wretches even into the slavery of the West-Indies, would be an act of humanity, rather than one exposed to censure.

We passed through the whole range of the place of confinement, the old chief [Page 95]pointing out to me those who were the greatest warriors of the Galla nation. He then intimated to me that I might chuse such of them as I should think proper, and agree on what he was to receive in return. I agreed to do so, but requested that I might have an opportunity of conversing with them, and chusing such as would go with me voluntarily, if any could be found. To this he readily assented; and for the next week I continued to visit them daily, and took occasion through my interpreter, to exhibit as flattering a prospect of their future situation in America, should they go with me, as I thought was just in itself, and favorable to their wishes.

This week was occupied by occasional excursions, in fishing and hunting parties, in pleasant evening entertainments, and at intervals by my visits to the captives. Hav­ing arranged matters on this subject to my mind, I mentioned to the old king the several articles which I proposed exchanging with [Page 96]him, and shewing specimens of such few articles as I had brought, proposed dispatch­ing a person to the ship with a letter, direct­ing the Captain to send a shallop with goods to the mouth of the little Congo, and that rafts should be ready with hands to convey them up the rest of the way. The Galla nation having suffered so much by their last war, had now became fearful of molesting or interfering with the Ebo people, a circumstance, which if we had previously known, would have saved us a long circuitous and troublesome journey, which might now be performed with ease in one half the time.

The old Chief was much pleased; three persons were appointed to carry my dispatches, and they departed accordingly. From this time, I had no occupation but making myself acquainted with the language and manners of the country, and obtaining such infor­mation as they could afford.

[Page 97] Their form of government is a limited monarchy; the affairs of the nation are comprehended in the simple measures neces­sary for the defence against an enemy, and so far the chief is absolute.—The ablest warrior, is generally therefore chosen to the place, but he must possess other qualities, he must merit the affections rather than excite the fears of those, whom he is to govern. There is no writing, and of conse­quence no written law; the plain lessons of natural equality in regard to personal safety and property, are well understood, so that parental and filial love, are among their most distinguished characters.—Disobedience to a parent in a slight degree is severely punish­able, and in a larger extent, the punishment extends to death or slavery:—as every man has the means of obtaining a house by his industry, and consequently will have to defend it and his family, he is obliged by necessity for the time, and thence by habit, to be a soldier. From this circumstance there is no army, but the inhabitants are [Page 98]called together by the urgency of necessity or danger, or by the immediate will and command of their chief. Before they are disbanded, however, enquiry is made into the conduct of the different officers, whether they have done their duty, or whether any one has eminently distinguished himself. Those who are thus remarked for their valour and good conduct in other respects, obtain a considerable distinction among them, and soon acquire from the liberality of their king and country, rewards in ornaments and other property, sufficient to support the honours they have acquired.

From among these the king or chief is chosen, in the event of a vacancy by death, or otherwise. If the king has a son or a brother distinguished, and worthy of the public confidence, the preference is given to him; but either the want of approved courage, of activity, of talents, or of a family and children, are sufficient disquali­fications to prevent his election. On such [Page 99]an occasion, the old men and warriors from all parts of the kingdom, meet and chuse the person whose character is best suited to the important trust. If two or more are equal in estimation, it falls to him who has the greatest number of children, which from the prevalence of polygamy as well as other circumstances, the warm climate, &c. it may readily be supposed, are in consider­able numbers.

It is remarkable, however, that hospitality is one of the virtues which procure men distinction among these people; I saw two instances of this; during my stay at Quappa Ebo: a person who had by his own valour, with the industry of a daughter and son, acquired considerable spoil from the Galla invaders, and had seized a large flock of their cattle, was suddenly raised to opulence. He was eager to follow the passion of his countrymen, to share his riches, and obtain the reputation of an hospitable man; his own immediate relatives were invited to his [Page 100]house, and preparations commenced for a sumptuous feast for the king, with all the elders at court, and those of the neighbor­ing towns of the Ebo country. The forests were ravaged for venison, and the trees for fruit; the palm poured forth its exhilerating juices, and every skin shined in bright blackness with the anointing of rich oils. The elders wore their best makad: or dresses, and the young girls displayed their feathers and rings with all the purposed artifice of coquetry.—The feast is held on a lawn or plain, the conversation is general, on sub­jects of love, war, or hunting; the parties employed taking frequent opportunities of making it partial. The generous entertainer takes care that all are satisfied, encourages the warriours to valour, the lovers to fidelity, and reminds them that these virtues are the only sure paths to universal regard. These sentiments, no doubt, are not expressed in their regular form, but in this way (if I may so express it) may their ideas and expressions be translated. The master of the feast [Page 101]thenceforward becomes a man of celebrity, and is called to the meetings of the elders of the several towns, which at stated times, assemble and consult upon measures of com­mon utility.

The repast terminates with a dance, to the music of two sorts of drums; the one made by cutting the trunk of a hollow tree across about a foot in diameter, and eighteen inches long. The bark is pulled off and the knotty parts made smooth; a square hole is cut in its side, and a piece of dried sheep skin drawn light over it; both ends are covered in the same way, and beads, rings, &c. are fixed to it. The other kind is the gourd or callabash, cut off at one side, and a skin drawn over it in like manner, both these instruments are sounded by strik­ing with the hand or fingers. The dance, as may be supposed, is neither pleasant to the eye, nor agreeable to the ear of a person acquainted with the sound of a violin, but [Page 102]to them is a source of the greatest enjoy­ment.

From these particulars, it might possibly be supposed that the inhabitants are of a very active character. The reverse how­ever, is the fact; they are from the natural effect of the climate, indolent to an extreme, but in cases of exigency exhibit a vigor that is truly surprizing. Their wants are but few, and a warm sun and prolific soil supercedes that powerful stimulus to activity— necessity. They know not those cares which call forth labour, to provide for their children, nature is their inheritance; if they possess rice, roots, and palm wine, a cow, a few goats or sheep to afford them occasionally milk or meat, to feed themselves and entertain their friends, they enjoy con­summate happiness. In metals they find little value, except for occasional ornament and ex­change for provisions. For this purpose mostly when prompted by the soft passion, both sexes will spend weeks in tedious succession [Page 103]gathering gold dust in but scanty portions. The command of a parent, the desire of a brother or sister, or the order of a chief, will procure the like assiduity, but these latter occasions are rare. This operation is performed only in the rainy season, when the torrents which fall wash down from the high lands, the sands and soil in which these riches are lodged. The specific gravity of the metal causes it to subside, while lighter bodies are hurried along with the waters, and thus it is that where the roots of trees, or crevices between rocks, suspend the rapid course of the stream, the gold dust settles with the coarser particles of the sand, and is gathered by the African, and deposited in his gourd or calabash.

When a sufficient quantity is collected, it is taken to a standing water, where it is again cleanly washed from all particles of earth, and in this state is reserved for their purposes of trade, or for being formed into trinkets. This they perform with the rude [Page 104]clay crucibles and charcoal fires; some preserve it in small bars, of the value of about ten dollars, which method is much more convenient for the trader, than when in dust.

I have before noticed that polygamy is customary among them, for having no reli­gious institutions, the practice cannot be considered a matter of toleration; but it must be observed, that be the number of wives ever so many, there is uniformly one who holds a distinguished place in the family. She is called the makilma, and has the privi­lege of directing the domestic concerns and employments of the rest; she sits next to the master of the family, and obtains a suit­able and undisputed regard from all the other members of it, whose labours she superintends and controuls; for however opulent the husband may be, his wives must work, and by them are all the labours of agri­culture usually performed. This appears cer­tainly very laborious considering the heat of [Page 105]the climate, but it must likewise be observed, that the soil is luxuriant, and the vegetation rapid, the seasons of tillage though frequent, are short, and the wants of the savage life few and simple; he must be a poor and a spiritless African, who cannot maintain three or four wives.

The serenity and evenness of their tem­pers is truly admirable; their cheerfulness is seldom clouded by passion; and jealousy is rare among the men, although the women are by no means averse to gallantry. In fact, the commerce of the sexes, as may have been already surmised by the reader, is not shackled by the forms of laws, or the refine­ments of etiquette or hypocrisy; the sense of shame is totally disconnected with their ideas on this head, though no people are more strenuous and confined in their attach­ments when once formed from mutual choice.

[Page 106] Irregularities of conduct are not, however, tolerated, though the discovery is not attend­ed with disgrace; the gallant, if detected, is subjected to a fine, by the person aggrieved, such as a sheep, a goat, a cow, some rice, and the like. Instances have been known of a husband conniving with his wife, to entice persons into this snare, and to share the exactions of their treacherous cunning; such instances, however, are extremely rare, and not peculiar to the black children of Africa.

In other respects they exhibit examples that would do honour to the most exalted people of the civilized world: in friendship and benevolence, no people are so truly stedfast and disinterested; and theft, the reputed vice of all savages, is rarely known among them; the unfortunate are sure of the solacing aid and support of their friends, whose kindness does not halt even at the lapse of life. When a neighbour dies poor, they assemble and perform certain ceremonies with the same [Page 107]respect as if he were one of their own chiefs; if he leaves children unprovided for, they are adopted and bred up; if marriageable, they are provided with suitable companions, and the means to commence a new family.

Hearing that the master of a family whom I had seen on my arrival, was dead in my neighbourhood, I was inclined to attend, having heard that their funeral ceremonies were strangely ludicrous. It is their rule never to bury the body on the day of decease, the intervening night being devoted to lamen­tation; the women of the family perform the clamorous part of this duty, and with little intermission, until the corps is interred. They seat themselves in order round the deceased, his favorite wife being seated at the head; if the deceased be a woman, the most beloved matron of the family performs the same office. Should the family not afford a sufficient number of women, they call in friends, or employ strangers to assist them, whom they reward according to [Page 108]merit. In the present instance, the deceased had been rich, but had few female relatives besides his wives, who hearing that I meant to attend the funeral, had resolved to show their respect for the deceased master, in the most pompous manner, by procuring a lamentation which they could not of them­selves find lungs to support. It appeared, however, that the persons employed had been differently rewarded, and their tones varied in proportion to the value received, all were found too low for the occasion. The wives were dissatisfied, but resorted to the expedient of further presents to promote the vigour of their grief: a sensible effect was produced, for with an increase of sound from the lamenters, there was an evident change in the tone of what they uttered, different from that of the widows, and very different from that of grief. The matrons had further resort to their first plan, but the poor women unaccustomed to dissemble, could not now conceal under their wailings, the satisfaction which they derived from the [Page 109]value of their presents received, and scarcely restrain the smile. The wives themselves appeared glad, when I visited them on the morning, at the approaching period of their grief; when the good man was wrapped in a kind of mattrass, and carried to a grave where he was interred, and further lamen­tation ceased. The whole then returned to the house of the deceased, and the scene of grief was converted into merriment; men and women regaled with palm wine, and then dispersed to their respective homes.

Their notions concerning death, prove that they have an idea of a future state of existence; they believe that after a given time, they must return to their own country, and remain forever free from care or pain; on this account it should seem that they are always hospitable to strangers on their arrival among them, as they consider such persons coming thither, and from a judicious choice prefering it to other countries.

[Page 110] Girls are usually marriageable at fourteen, but few of them bear their virgin zone untied to the nuptial bed; this, however, is never a subject of solicitude or enquiry. The ceremony of marriage is very simple; a few presents of ornaments are made by the lover to the bride, her father or friend, gives in return a few lances, bows and arrows, a knife, and some provisions; the relations and friends of both sexes meet together in the evening, drink plentifully of palm wine, and dance till pretty late, when the bride goes to her husband's hut, and the next day enters on the employment and duties of her station.

Their police is as simple as their manners, and more efficacious than volumes of labour­ed regulations. I have before noticed that offences against parents, are punished by slavery or death; thefts I also said are rare; the catalogue of their crimes is indeed a brief one; if a quarrel arises, or blows ensue, or if any personal injury is done, [Page 111]through passion, or any finister motive, a complaint is made to one or more of the elders of the village or town, who, after hearing the complainant, and the person com­plained of, give their decision by the plain rules of common sense, from which there is no appeal: instances of murder are very rare, one however, took place while I was among them; the culprit was seized, brought before the old King, who immediately on hearing the cause, passed his sentence of death, and ordered six of the best marksmen from among his guards to seize and bind him to a tree, and to shoot him to death with arrows. The appointed persons could not but obey, they stood at about ten paces from from the vic­tim, and he died at the first discharge, from which fact may be formed a tolerable idea of their skill and power with those weapons: the body was interred on the spot, and was looked at with an awe that could not fail of producing strong moral impressions.

[Page 112] Stealing and such petty offences are gene­rally punished by selling the offender into slavery. When a thief is detected, the neigh­bourhood assemble, and are bound to make it a common affair; if convicted, the full value of the thing stolen is made good to the person aggrieved, from the sale of the culprit, with one third of whatever should remain; the two other thirds as a perquisite to the king.

Persons who have borrowed goods or pro­perty of any kind, and have failed to make restitution, are brought before the chief, or elders; and if found to have wilfully avoided payment, or neglected it through indolence, he is sold, and if not sufficently valuable, his children or wife, or wives, or all together, are sold to make up the sum; as they say the community should not be made to suffer by the knavery or idleness of one man, who has rendered himself unworthy by neglecting the duty he owed his own children, his wives, and himself. The case of the savage [Page 113]in this particular, is more severe than in any other of their modes of justice; but it must be allowed, that the ease and abundance of their climate and soil, afford strong evi­dence of vice in the man, who with such advantages, still contrives to wrong others without bettering himself, where neither fashion, luxury, nor arts exist to seduce or allure him: indeed I believe it will be found true upon examination, that they decide with wisdom, when they pronounce the borrower who means not to return, only a more wicked kind of robber.

I have before said they have no religious institutions, they however, entertain certain sentiments common to all ages and nations; they believe in a happy futurity of life in their own country; and they have some idea of a Supreme Being, who has made them and all things. They call him Kanno, and ascribe to him infinite power, and all the common attributes of the Divinity, except­ing only the eternity of the person. They [Page 114]believe that he will die and be succeeded by another, who will punish the vicious, and reward the good, in proportion to their merit, or demerit. They believe likewise, that the deceased become spirits, and act as protectors or guardians to their former friends; under which impression, one of them, when flying from danger, will hurry to the grave of his patronising friend, where if he escapes, it is all attributed to the inter­position of this good genius, either person­ally, or by intercession with the Kanno. This protecting spirit they call the Jannanin, and hold it in higher respect and veneration than their Supreme Being. They consult their private Jannanin in any case of uncer­tainty and doubt, with full confidence that he will direct them for the best. They sacrifice to them on these occasions, a cow, rice and palm wine, believing that this sub­leity delights in no other kind of offering. If they prove successful in any of their undertakings, they sacrifice for gratitude, and if unsuccessful, they likewise sacrifice to [Page 115]appease the offended spirit. Their prayers and incantations, although intended for the Supreme Being, are all addressed to these spirits as mediators for them with the Kanno, of whom as mentioned before, they hold the most exalted ideas that can be imagined.

They are as much given to the belief in sorcerers and magicians, as to that of the good spirits. These they are persuaded, have a power over the seasons, are able to forward or retard the growth of their rice, destroy the cattle, afflict them with disease, and render their lives miserable. They believe all the Albinos, or white Moors, are of this class of beings, and the poor wretches from this character, are con­stantly harrassed and tormented by the peo­ple. They finding themselves excluded from society, and attacked on every occasion, are under the necessity of providing for them­selves some private cavern. They retire and constructing a hut in the neighbouring woods, remain private, and issue forth only at night, [Page 116]not being able, from the structure of their eyes, to bear the brilliant light of the day. In these excursions they plunder indiscrimi­nately, not considering themselves interested in preserving the laws and customs of their country; and frequently being unacquainted with them, they will destroy the property, and do whatever mischief they can, without being immediately discovered. Their appear­ance has considerable effect in exciting these unfriendly opinions of the Albinos in the minds of the people. They go entirely naked; their skin is white, but has not that animated appearance so perceptible in Euro­peans; it has a dull, deathlike whitish cast that conveys an idea more of sickness than of health. Their hair is a red or ashes-coloured yellowish wool; and their eyes are uniformly white, in that part by which others are distinguished into the black, grey, and blue eyes. They are set deep in the head, and very commonly squint; for as their skin is deprived of the black mucous web, the distinguishing characteristic of these [Page 117]Africans, so their eyes are destitute of that black matter resembling a pigment, so uni­formly found in people of all countries, and so useful in preventing the eye from being injured in cases of exposure to a strong light.

These people rendered unfortunate by a prejudice of their countrymen, are born of black parents, they have all the features of other inhabitants, but differ from them only in these circumstances. The difference in colour cannot arise from the intercourse of whites and blacks, for the whites are very rarely among them, and the result of this union is well known to be the yellow or mulatto. Many of the Natives assert that they are produced by the women, being debauched in passing through the woods by the large Baboon, the Ourang-outang, and that species in particular called the Quaga mooroos. No satisfactory discovery has been made to account for such singular, but not unfrequent, phenomena in the species, it may perhaps be ascribed to disease, and that [Page 118]of the leprous kind, with more reason than to any other cause that has yet been assigned; the generally apparent vigour of the indivi­duals being the only material objection.

The time of new moon is always attended to, and celebrated as a festival by the Ebo nation. No work is done on this day, nor do they enter into contracts, or execute business, though the occasion be of ever so ungent a nature. The different families assemble at an appointed place, and begin to dance by the time it is clear day, and con­tinue till the heat becomes disagreeable: they then retire and enjoy each others com­pany in small parties, in different places throughout the day, drinking of palm wine, and renewing the dance in the evening.

Their year is divided into four parts; the sunny season, the tornado season, the rainy season, and the foggy season, no sub­divion, such as months and weeks, are attended to, except the different periods of [Page 119]new moon, by which they ascertain the time of planting their rice, hunting, fishing and building.

The sunny season commences about the last of December, and ends about the last of April, continuing not less than four months, in which time the inhabitants collect the different kinds of fruit, intended for provisions; gather in their rice, and provide in general against the more unfriendly season. The country being situated between the 10° and 12° of south latitude, this season answers to that of summer in our climate; the month of February being esteemed mid­summer with them. In this season the inha­bitants are frequently visited by the land cloud, called ferrino by the Portuguese, which is most frequent in the dry sultry weather, about the time of noon, and mostly when easterly winds prevail. It makes its appearance like a cloud, or thick white mist extended but a few hundred yards in breadth, but in length covering the space of one or [Page 120]two miles, in height not exceeding one hun­dred feet. There are many varieties, how­ever, in these particulars of extent, it being remarked that the largest are in general the least distressing, from the circumstance of their being more diffused, and less dense than the smaller. When one of these clouds appears, the inhabitants shut themselves up in their houses, the goats, sheep, &c. fly for shelter to the nearest hovels or thickets, and every animal appears anxious to avoid exposure to its influence. When it comes in contact with the body, a sensible increase of heat is first observed, the respiration is then instantly affected in a very peculiar manner, attended with an itching, prickling sensation on the skin, increasing with the length of exposure, so as to be almost into­lerable, with a dryness and actual change of colour in the negro, from the black, to a dusky grey. It does not appear to affect the respiration by any sensible quality of its own, for no stricture or pain is perceptible about the breast when taken into the lungs, but [Page 121]an extravagant anxiety, an uneasiness of mind, a want of some thing to support life, the nature of which we did not understand, was very evident. Its increased heat could not be the cause, for common atmospheric air of that or a much greater temperature, would not produce effects in any degree equal to this—viz. the destruction of life. Its colour and its continuing in contact with the surface of the earth, although warmer than the surrounding atmotsphere, will prove it to be a fluid very different from common air; probably some exhalation or eruption, similar to the volcanic, discharged from the earth in the vast deserts eastward of this, by the violent and constant action of heat, and wafted on by the prevalence of earsterly winds. This at least is certain, that it is an air deprived of that property by which life is supported, for it uniformly extinguishes the fires over which it passes. This cloud is more particularly injurious in high and open situ­ations, in the neighbourhood of the city, where the country is low, and sheltered by [Page 122]the adjoining hills; instances of death from this source are but rare; back of this, how­ever, where the country is higher and more exposed, they are by no means unfrequent, particularly among the wild animals; some­times likewise, the domestic animals, and occa­sionally the unfortunate inhabitants expe­rience its destructive influence.

The weather continues warm without interruption, except by a few occasional showers of rain, till the last of April, when the season of Tornados commences. These are violent hurricanes that infest the warm tropical elements, throughout this part of the year. They are in general preceded by an uncommon degree of calmness and stillness in the air, the leaves of the trees cease to move, and the ponds and other waters resemble glass by the smoothness of their surfaces, every thing indicating a supension of circulation in the atmospheric air. In that night and next day, the wind rises, but is extremely irregular, changing rapidly to [Page 123]all points of the compass, and-blowing from them only in sudden gusts, or what are called flaws. At length a sudden and violent blast is observed from the west; the horizon begins now to be covered with scattered clouds, and one black, peculiarly thick and heavy cloud makes its appearance in some point westwardly. This advances rapidly, extending itself over the greater part of the horizon, attended with constant and reite­rated claps of thunder, and the most severe flashes of lightning, which appear to contend for pre-eminence with the extraordinary darkness, which would otherwise prevail; torrents of rain succeed, which by their weight and violence, would threaten to force away even the earth itself in its course. To a scene of this kind I was witness, after my return from the present expedition, while we lay on the river receiving the remainder of the cargo. I thought it the most awfully majestic of any sight I had ever beheld, and such as would afford a most elegant field for the descriptive genius of some poet, to display [Page 124]itself into advantage. To see a partial mid­night, like a monster winging its course through the air, darting from its horrid brow the incessant streams of electric fire, enforcing silent and awful attention by the constant and reiterated peals of dreadful thunder, and marking its progress by the vast deluge of rain which uniformly falls as it advances, leaves an impression on the mind of the most imposing grandeur that can be imagined.

This disagreeable season, in which the inhabitants live under the continued impres­sion of fear, is not as lengthy as the others. It commences as mentioned before, in the last of April, and is generally over by the middle, or last of June. About this time the rainy season sets in, and continues without interrup­tion till the end of September, in all which time, scarcely a day passes without the country being drenched by one or more showers of rain, the violence and force of which, can scarcely be conceived by those who have only [Page 125]lived in the northern or even middle latitudes. Next ensues the season very properly called the Foggy, from the sun being obscured throughout the greatest part of the day, by a thick dense fog, which falling at night, covers the whole horizon so completely as not to admit of a view, except for the dis­tance of a few yards. This is doubtless occasioned by the cold in the upper regions in the atmosphere, condensing the water evaporated from the ponds, marshes, and low grounds, which are all overflown and covered with water, by the excessive rains in the preceding season. The heat of the sun produces the evaporation, the cold of night ensuing, condenses the vapour which descend­ing in consequence, obscures the prospect, till the sun on the succeeding day, restores it to the form of vapour, and occasions a further exhalation. This continues until the excess of water is either evaporated, or has run off, which generally takes place about the last of December—the succeeding, or sunny season, gliding on imperceptibly [Page 126]as this declines. The first part of this season is properly speaking, their winter, for though the weather about noon would be called warm by persons in our climate, yet the mornings are in general, such as are stiled raw and cold.

My time was now constantly occupied by the customs and characters of the people, among whom I lived; and the 22 days of danger and fatigue, which I had endured on the journey, appeared but as hours of plea­sant trial long past, for, from the 7th. of March, the day of the departure of the messengers, to their return on the 3d. of April, having no other objects to engross my attention, I had become so perfectly familiar with my company and way of life, that I could almost have brought myself, if self alone were concerned, to relinquish the bustle and cares of enlightened society, to partake of the simplicity and kind manners of the cheerful African.

[Page 127] I had become desirous of acquiring all their knowledge, and found the people ready to communicate what they knew;—among others of their arts, and of the most impor­tant to them, that of extracting the oil from the fruit of the palm tree, excited my curio­sity, because the process indicates a combi­nation of ideas, that the Africans are alledged incapable of maintaining.

The palm tree—the object which first attracts the observing eye of the stranger, and the regard of the natives, is called Avoura; the various uses to which it is capable of being applied, justify their predilection. It rises to the height of, from 58 to 60 feet, presents a trunk at its full growth of from 30 inches to 3 feet in diameter, at the height of 4 feet from the ground it insensibly lessens, but without branches to the top, where it may be about a foot or more, in diameter. From this part the branches, or rather fibrous leaves, expand in a beautiful tuft like rays from a centre, to the variable length [Page 128]of six, eight, and twelve feet. In order to procure the wine and the fruit, they climb this tree, with remarkable speed and adroitness, by means of a rope, or hoop, which encloses the trunk of the tree, but so as to leave commodious room for action to the climber. He being provided with his empty calabashes, and a knife in his girdle, places himself within the hoop, against which he leans his back, and raises himself up by his feet, placed against the tree, till he can rise no higher, when he has thus far elevated himself, he grasps the tree in his arms, and raises the hoop as far up as it will extend, and again leans against the hoop, thus conti­nues to raise himself by his feet and the hoop, until he gains the top, where with his knife, he cuts away such of the branches as are necessary, to afford room for his calabash. He then proceeds to make an incision in the tree, and forms a lip or spout, for the con­veyance of the juice, which flows in a few days from this aperture. Sometimes they fix a small piece of a hollow cane in the hole, [Page 129]through which the liquor flows for nearly a month, they taking care to supply new vessels to receive it accordingly as the others fill; when it appears to flow slowly, they kindle a fire at the foot of the tree, and it again flows, as fast as formerly, but the tree is then exhausted, and will not bear again, but it is converted to domestic uses. The juice when fresh drawn, resembles water slightly coloured by milk; in the course of a few hours, however, it undergoes a light fermentation, and becomes a wine of very pleasant flavour, much resembling that of the weak Spanish white wines, but soon loses these properties, being unlike other wines, growing worse by age. But the fruit is the most valuable part; this grows at the top between the branches; when young, it is used as food by roasting, and is of delicate flavour, being covered when full grown and ripe, with a hard shell of a brown colour, but which when cut, appears black in the edge. The oil, so essential an article of food, and of domestic use, for [Page 130]anointing their bodies, feeding their lamps, and various other uses, is procured by expression. The nuts are broken in a trough made of a hollowed tree, and planks radely hewn are then placed over each other for the press, the power of compression being produced by a long piece of timber, acting as a lever, is made firm at one end, close beyond the planks, and resting on them, the other end is forced down by the weight of a number of persons, who place them­selves on it, until they find by the quantity of oil that has run off, that it has been suffi­ciently pressed. The oil appears of a crude reddish colour when fresh, but changes to yellow, and at length to white. To the palate of the white man, this oil in any state is very nauseous at first, until like tobacco, from being disagreeable, habit renders it pleasant; the Africans employ it in all their meals, with yams, rice, millet, fish, and even with beef and mutton.

[Page 131] The palm possesses many useful qualities beside these above described; and in respect to beauty, it must certainly be ranked first of the graces of the forest, or the landscape; of inferior trees and shrubs, Africa affords abundance. I have already noticed some on the route toward the capital; but the toils of travel, and the calls of appetite under circumstances, such as I made my tour hither, left very little room for the mental taste to feed upon, and perhaps at times jaundiced the eye, and converted the luxuriance of the enamelled plain or fruitful wilderness, into simple uninteresting wastes; certain it is, that on my excursions in my hours of leisure, the wild boar that would have appeared an object of horror, under the impressions of fatigue and anxiety, no longer excited any apprehensions; I could calculate upon the whiteness of his tusks, and the moroseness of his aspect, as objects of traffic and curio­sity; and I would instead of trembling, lest I should hear, travel under the dews of night, heedless of sleep, to listen to the hoarse [Page 132]voice of the lion. Of this noble animal, I saw none on my journey hither, and but two old ones and a cub, during my stay in Ebo. The antelope whose venison alone I sought, now excited my curiosity by its grace, innocence, and agility; the elephant, the ty­ger, and the wolf, are become objects too fami­liar to need description. Industry prompted by the appetite of human curiosity, has familiarized the inhabitants of the most populous cities with these beasts of the desart; and we no longer have to learn from books, how close description adheres to nature. Goats of a large long bearded species, short horned, and with a curved profile, like the Spanish gennet; the celebrated African sheep with the hair coat, and tallow tail; and the horses small, but hardy. The cows are small, and yielding but little milk, and the art of making butter was unknown to the people of Ebo; I endeavoured to teach my housekeepers the process, but their good humour prevailing on me, or their own want of habituated performance, always frustrated my efforts [Page 133]to teach them what might have proved so highly useful.

Among the plants and shrubs that I saw, and could form any knowledge of, were the sisban, or large thorny sensitive plant, some­times called the good-morrow, these are abun­dant among the underwoods. The bind-weed that winds about the loftiest trees, exhibited a beautiful object, it bears a many-leaved flower, with purple and white horns; it blows at sunrise, and sheds at the approach­ing night, for about six weeks, (a moon and a half); it grows extremely thick, either from seeds, or branches torn and placed in soft mold within the reach of the sun's rays; the children of the natives amuse themselves in planting it, and forming arbours, within which they spend several hours of the warm part of the day. The gum tree and the pal­metto, are among the useful and elegant productions of the climate; the basil and the annota, are beautiful flowering shrubs; the Guiney a [...]e, of the bark of which they make [Page 134]cords; the acacia, is also abundant; and the sides of the sloping hills, exhibit the white Narcissus and the Convolvulus. In the flat grounds, and on the edges of the rivers, the mangroves are frequently to be found, and fertility always with them; here also, there are some species of the willow, distin­guishable from the European, by the weak­ness of its wood, and by the leaf being round at the point. Among the fruit trees that I have not mentioned before, are the Guava, of three or four species, which are esteemed by the inhabitants as powerful remedies in the cure of dysentery, likewise the Pomegra­nate, with all its beauties. The Amaranth that spends its odours in the morning, and the Lotus or night lily, the white, yellow, and red, that droop at the approach of day, and perfume the air with their intoxicating fragrance during the night only, are abun­dant here.

The brooks and rivulets yield their abun­dance likewise, for beside the Carps the Grig, [Page 135]and the Perch, that are to be had in great numbers, with others that I cannot describe, the rivers at their mouths, and up as far as the tides flow, afford lobsters, crabs, prauns, cray-fish, soles, mullets, &c. in great abun­dance; while the thickets on their banks, afford the Guiney-hen, the Moor fowl, the Ortolan, and innumerable others.

Between the amusements in the villages, and the pleasures of various expeditions into the country, I could bear with perfect ease, the long absence of accounts from the ship; it was not the 1st. of April, and the people were not yet returned, although I had under­stood they could reach the ship in ten days by the course of the river; I amused myself in shooting birds and other curious animals, or in pursuing the monkeys, in the vallyes and woods. Of these animals, beside the small green and brown species, I saw several of a large kind, of a yellowish cast, and with white bellies; greet parrots, scarlet birds, honey-birds, the long tailed fly-bird, [Page 136]grey parrots, and green and red paroquets; the vulture and many other birds well known to the naturalists. I was frequently accompanied by the old chief, who was delighted with the execution of my gun, and made himself acquainted with its use, as well as the nature of gun-powder, so far as to understand that it was composed of very sim­ple materials.

On the 3d. of April, while I was on an excursion abroad, one of the messengers returned from the ship, and I found him before me at my hut in the evening, with a packet from the Captain, advising me of the goods which he had sent by the shallop, to the mouth of the little Congo, and giving me directions how to proceed.

The information being communicated to the old chief, he informed me he would send a number of experienced old men with me, to chuse such articles as they should approve; and after three days, provisions and horses [Page 137]being provided, we set out, the company consisting of six of the deputation, with some of their families, a number of persons to carry provisions and goods, and my two wives. We had nearly 100 miles to go, which engaged us six days; riding proved very unpleasant to me, on account of the heat and the want of a saddle. We found the boats as we were directed, and a cargo of brandy, rum, gin, and tobacco, a few coarse guns, some ammunition, swords, knives, spears, and ornaments, such as rings of various kinds, for the legs, arms, and fingers, some gilt and plated breast plates for their warriors, tinsel laces, and some glass-ware. An assortment so extensive and rich in their eyes, had never been there before; and bargains were very soon made for goods, in exchange for 100 slaves, (being ordered not to bring down more) for the rest I procured ivory and gold, in dust and bars. In these dealings I found my wives of more use to me than my companion Hurdee, for they [Page 138]sincerely studied my interest, while he studied to profit himself.

Being informed by my wives, that if I had a quantity of goods at the capital, I should be likely to turn the whole to valu­able account, I determined to take with me as much as the horses we had could bear, and the people for a reasonable reward, would be prevailed on to carry. Accordingly we set out on our return to the city, where we arrived without any other difficulty, than what arose from the ordinary labour of tra­vel, and the heat of the weather, for I was now too well acquainted with the comforts of repose under the canopy of heaven, without any other furniture than the thick leaved trees, to complain at trifles.

I was considerably diverted during my return by the effects which ornaments pro­duced on the vanity of those who had acquired them, either by traffic or labour. Their [Page 139]passion for spiritous liquors, was likewise excessive, but I was both surprised and pleased, to find their effects on the tempers of the Africans, so very different from that of our American savages. Those who pur­chased them, used them at first divertingly, trying the taste of them in small sips, fre­quently repeated until their operation com­menced, or the experimenters became toler­ably intoxicated. A rude scene of drollery then was acted; fits of laughter and antic pranks were played; the parties running, hallowing, climbing trees, and the like, without the least disposition to mischief or ill humour. I reflected frequently on the outrages and crimes committed in drunken­ness by the American Indians, but could not account in any satisfactory way, for the sin­gular contrast between their behaviour, and that of the Africans under similar circum­stances.

We were received with great satisfaction by the old chief and his family, and by our [Page 140]general acquaintances in the city; the goods brought by the deputation, gave him parti­cular satisfaction, and I contrived to con­vince him of my gratitude for his attention, by a present of some paste jewellery, which though coarse in the eye of one acquainted with their true worth, were of a lustre and value, in the eyes of the Ebo king and his people, comparatively superior to the diamonds of the Indies; a handsome hanger with a plate hilt, completed my present, and made him in his own estimation, one of the richest of potentates.

Having arranged affairs for the sale of the remaining effects, the intelligence was soon spread around the adjacent villages, and the whole as soon converted into ivory, and gold in bars and dust. It soon became necessary for me to prepare for the chief, but most irksome and difficult part of my duty. The slaves that I had purchased were young men, many of whom being eager to escape from their bondage in Ebo, preferred the evil that [Page 141]they "knew not of" to that which they then felt; but the majority were evidently affected with grief at their approaching departure.

Arrangements were made, and a sufficient body of the Ebo people undertook to accom­pany me as a guard to the place of embarka­tion; provisions were provided for the journey, so that each of the slaves was well fed, and a load of provisions or goods given him to carry. They were tied to poles in rows, four feet apart; a loose wicker bandage round the neck of each, connected him to the pole, and the arms being pinioned by a bandage affixed behind above the elbows, they had sufficient room to feed, but not to loose themselves, or commit any violence; and as the guard was provided with arms, we had nothing to apprehend during the night, as we divided the Ebo people into parties, one of which slept while the other watched.

[Page 142] We set out from the city about 5 o'clock in the morning; the old King and his family, the elders and their families, and my two wives; of the former I took my leave, with evident marks of regret; the old man telling me if I should come that way soon, he would be fond of seeing me at my own house, for he should continue henceforth to call that part of his own, mine, which I had occupied; my wives accompanied me.

This journey was extremely different in its nature from that in which I had last passed this way; the giddy pranks of the vain, or the inebriated Ebo, was woefully contrasted by the sullen melancholy, and deep sighs of the poor Galla prisoners: often did they look back with eyes flowing with tears, turn sud­den round and gaze, seeming to part with reluctance, even from their former bondage. It was excessively affecting to me, but I con­sidered that death night have been their sure otherwise, and I endeavored to reconcile them to their condition, by representing flat­tering [Page 143]accounts of the country to which they were going; that the bonds they then bore were only to prevent their flight; that they should be at their liberty where they were going, and have plenty to eat, drink, &c. These assurances occasioned a temporary composure, and we at length arrived at the place of our embarkation; two boats had been brought up, as the shallop drew too much water; the slaves were put on board, and necessarily in irons brought for the purpose.—This measure occasioned one of the most affecting scenes I ever witnessed: their hopes with my assurances had buoyed them up on the road; but a change from the cordage to iron fetters, rent their hopes and hearts together: their wailiags were torturing beyond what words can express; but delay at this crisis would have been fatal; the boat's crews were acquainted with the duty, and they were all safely embarked.

Meanwhile I had retired from the painful scene, and had to arrange my departure so as [Page 144]to leave the two affectionate creatures who had been so anxious to procure me every satisfaction during my residence with them. It was a task more delicate (although affec­tion cannot be supposed as concerned) than may be believed by those who are unacquaint­ed with vicissitudes of an adventurous life, and such as would be deemed absurd to those whose standard for judging the feelings and actions of all mankind is formed by the education, the habits, and prejudices of a particular society. I had prepared some pre­sents for them, consisting of such trifles as I deemed suitable to their sex and tempers; Koomla the tallest was a graceful young wo­man, and possessed a degree of sensibility and disinterestedness that might be deemed un­common even under a fair complexion and a more temperate climate. Yanee whose tem­per was more lively, displayed her feelings in a different way; Koomla with her head reclined, expressed herself by sighs and up­braidings that I should go without her; Yanee believed that I would, as I said, soon [Page 145]return again; the former would not accept my presents, the latter enjoined her to keep them for my sake, and told me she would make it her care to please Koomla till I should return: she would still fain that both should go with me.—I promised shortly to return, and enjoined them to take care of each other, that on my return I might find both well as I meant to reside then with them. They followed me to the edge of the river and held me by the coat till I broke from them and jumped on board the boat, when they both burst into tears, and were carressed by the rest of the natives among whom I had distributed such little baubles as remained with me.

We soon lost sight of them in a winding of the river; and continued going down with the current till night; the slaves seemed every hour to feel their situation more griev­ously, and I ordered them each a dram of liquor which for a while exhilerated their spirits, and quieted their cares. The nar­rowness of the river, and the difficulty of [Page 146]rowing from the shoals, and fallen trees that thwarted the current, obliged us to lie too; we accordingly made fast an anchor, and lay with the two boats along side of each other, keeping a regular watch during the night. We furnished the slaves with provi­sions, but whether through grief or sulleness, very few of them would partake of any refreshments beside water.

As soon as we had light we unmoored, and before noon we reached our shallop, extremely fatigued from the heat and close­ness of the air, the banks of each side as we passed, being overgrown with wood and thicket, obstructing its free circulation. We had now another disagreeable piece of duty to execute, viz. the removal of the slaves from the small boats into the shallop; they were in want of room, and it was suggested to loose six of them at a time; we accord­ing moved to the centre of the river, and being moored by a grapling, began to remove them; they appeared generally more quiet, [Page 147]and willing to act as we directed by the inter­preter than usual, and had now all been removed, and placed below, but the last six, whom we suffered to remain on the deck; when we had not under weigh, and were passing through a narrow part of the river, two of them found means to jump overboard; a sailor who was in the small boat astern, seized one of them by the arms, and the end of a rope being thrown to him, the slave was taken on board, though not without some difficulty. The others who had been at the oars, seeing their fellows, one of them seized, and the other struck on the head with a pole, set up a scream, which was echoed by the rest below; those that were loose made an effort to throw two of the sailors over board; the rest, except the one in the boat and at the helm, being asleep: the noise had now roused them, and the scream had impressed them with some degree of terror; they sezied on the guns and bayonets that lay ready, and rushed upon the slaves, [...] of whom from below had got loose, and [Page 148]were endeavouring to set the rest free, while those we had to deal with above, were threat­ening to sacrifice us to their despair. These transactions were but the events of a moment; I had neither gun nor sword, and to retire in search of either, would have been to give the slaves a decisive superiority; I laid hold of the palloon stick, and had raised it to strike one of them who had nearly wrested a gun from one of the sailors, but before I could give the blow, I received a stroke of an oar, which severed my little finger from my hand; I know not how it was that I felt nothing of the severe pain for the moment, a slight twitch on the hand was the only sensation I experienced; the blow was broken that I had intended, but I renewed the effort, and with effect, for I levelled the fellow, and the sailor recovered his gun, whom I could not prevent from running the poor negro through the body; the hatch was open, and he fell among his fellows, who had, crouded tied, and ironed as they were, to assist as far as they were able, by holding our legs, [Page 149]encouraging their companions, and shouting whenever those above did any thing that appeared likely to overcome one or other of us. We at length overpowered them; one only having escaped and one being killed, the rest we immediately bound in double irons, and took care from thence till our arrival at the ship, not to suffer any of them to take the air without being made fast. Five of the sailors were considerably, but not dangerously hurt, and of the slaves, those who had been riotous above and below, nine were severely wounded.

We reached the ship in five days from our first embarkation, where we were received with much satisfaction; the officers had all provided themselves with three or four wives each, and rebuked me for not bring­ing mine along, alledging that they would, according to the account given by their mess­mates, bring a good price when we arrived in America. I was sorry, however, to find that two of our best seamen had expired [Page 150]during my absence, from the excessive fatigue of the ships duty, and the heat of the climate.

While I was away, the Captain had opened a trade in another channel, he had obtained [...] slaves in the place where he lay, beside gold and ivory; and had contracted with some French and English factors up the river Reyo Naunus, for the remainder of his cargo, and for his sea stores. We accordingly weighed anchor and stood for that river, which lies about 40 leagues N. of the Reyo Pongo, or in 10 deg. 40 min. south, and on the 16th. of May arrived off the Cape, which forms one side of the southern outlet of that river.

The Reyo Naunus is navigable above 150 miles from its mouth; its banks are low, fertile, and moderately inhabited, but within a few miles of the sea; for, advancing far­ther into the country it is swampy, unwhole­some, and uninhabited for seventy or eighty miles above; beyond which, the ground again obtains its elevation, so that health and [Page 151]population are seen in union with a luxuriant country, and a pleasant climate. Here the factors of European nations have established a settlement, and lead a life of heedless extra­vagance and dissipation. The American and European traders to this country, supply them with all the luxurious produce of the world, with wines, jewellery, and costly [...]thing. The produce of their gardens, uniting the productions of every climate by being maintained at a great expence of negro labour, is obtained in great perfection by a few, and in abundance by all. Although a plenteous climate and limitted society, ren­ders hospitality scarcely praiseworthy, and although every individual, even of mode­rate property, supports his own establishment, of house, gardens, horses, and slaves; these settlers unquestionably deserve notice, for among them hospitality exists, in a degree unknown in other countries.

The Captain and I on our arrival, went on shore to lay in stock and water, but had [Page 152]contemplated returning as soon as we should have engaged with some person to supply us; we were met, however, and invited to the house of an Englishman, who had once fol­lowed the sea; he entreated us to spend the day with him, and that in the meantime, our business could be done by ordering what we wished from his house. It was early, and we were provided with a sumptuous breakfast of chocolate, tea and coffee, ele­gantly served up in beautiful China and plate, with fruits of various kinds in glass ware. Several of the neighbouring factors joined us, and appeared jealous of our accidentally becoming guests of one and not of the other; however, that the society of the place should be kept up, they agreed (without asking our consent) that we should spend a day with each of them, in order. We objected to this excessive liberality, but were obliged to stay dinner with one, and sup with another, to take a bed with a third, and a glass of wine en passant, with half a dozen more; we were conducted to the gardens that I have [Page 153]before noticed, and heard the anecdotes of the several plantations, and possessions from the first settlement. As the heat of the day increased we retired, and the sacrifices to Bacchus commenced, with what they called a whetter before dinner. Some of our com­pany, however, had been rather earlier at their devotions;—but as the minutiae of the two days which we were obliged to spend with them, would be tedions, a general description of their customs and mode of life, will be more suitable and comprehensive.

These factors mostly consist of persons who have led a seafaring life, but being left in the country either by design or accident, have gradually become attached to the indo­lence and indulgence which the climate affords. The woods, the rivers, and the labours of the Africans, afford all that luxury can require for the table, and trade supplies the rest. One of them, John Stone by name, whose house we had first entered, was from the north east of England, and [Page 154]had resided at the Colong about 8 or 10 years. He had at first sight, (these were his words) attached himself to me partially, and took much pains to induce me to remain there, pointing out the advantages that I should derive from being the only American in the settlement, and the independence I would speedily acquire by trade in the interior, from the experience in that line which he learned I already had. These temptations offered in the moments of hilarity made but a feeble impression on me, and the laxity of manners and intoxication that I saw, did not appear so much the effect of common and general custom, as of a supposed desire of these settlers, to contribute to the comfort and pleasure of persons who had partaken of none, but the few enjoyments of an adven­turous life, for a long time previous.

But I proposed describing their way of life, I need not remark on the customary plu­rality of women in the domestic establish­ment, but will only observe that the whites [Page 155]adopt this fashion of the country in all its extent; the morning beverage of Madeira or Lisbon wines, spiritous liquors, or the more palatable liqueurs of the belle nation, circulate during the forenoon, which is devoted to visiting from house to house. The hour of dinner is that which fixes company to a point, as all keep open and ample boards; it is not so much the question whether they shall all dine together, as with what parti­cular one that shall be, and each person wishing to be the favoured man, the best accommodation has generally the preference, which makes every one emulous to have the most tempting viands and agreeable fare. This spirit so liberal in appearance, is yet not the effect of an amiable passion, but rather the contrary, and the excesses of which, is the parent will, be perhaps the best test to prove its mischievous tendency.

The board is scarcely spread, and the guests seated when the debauch begins; for their behaviour is untestrained by that taste for [Page 156]decorum which is always inspired by the society of amiable and accomplished women, while the rudeness of the conversation is generally assorted with the uncourteous way of life, to which the company has been habi­tuated. They come to the table nearly intoxicated, and before dinner is completed, they become downright drunk; the vacancy which marks the uncultivated mind, afford­ing no room here for useful conversation or agreeable hilarity, folly and wantonness supply their place. The coarse jocularity of destroying their apparel or wasting the food, is their amusement; while the most exquisite viands are wasted without utility, and the appetite being palled by superabundance, loses all its value but that which gratifies the vanity of the provider, by indulging the waste and absurdity of his guests. After the wine has circulated freely, the meats are even occasionally dashed about at the heads of the best humoured, or most patient of the company, and the empty dishes, plates, and tables are demolished to shew the spirit of [Page 157]the party, and the lengths to which they could carry a joke.

A man of high spirit on an occasion of this kind, has been known to furnish a second, and a third course for a like entertainment, each of which met with a similar fate—and the whole was afterwards celebrated as a high frolic.

At the conclusion of these debauches, the black wives who know their duty, attend and convey each exemplary master to his own house. This, with the simple variation of hunting, shooting, and fishing parties, at particular seasons, giving orders for the management of their gardens, their meals, and occasionally their traffic, is the round of life the white people lead in this settlement.

My landlord had contrived to acquire convertible property, to the amount of between 3 and 4000 l. he had originally hoped to have returned to Europe, and [Page 158]spend the remainder of his life happily, but he confessed he did not then think he could be comfortable any where else, and had deter­mined to stay where he was.

I had however, conceived different ideas of comfort, and though I could not shun their noisy and mad festivity for the time, was convinced that if I possessed the means which my host then did, that I should find scenes on the banks of the Hudson or Dela­ware, where it could be converted to more rational and desirable purposes.

As our cargo was now complete, and our stock and water provided, sufficient for the passage home, it was high time to depart, which we did not without much obstruction from our madly hospitable factors, and with aching heads and sick stomachs, not likely to let us soon forget them.

Our entertainers determined to accompany us to the ship, and the Captain with some [Page 159]others of the factors having taken one boat, my host accompanied me in the other; on the way he took much trouble to persuade me to leave the ship and stay with him, and offered me 300 l. per annum to quit the ship and keep his books. It was in vain that I told him I could not obtain a discharge from the vessel, that all the accounts were kept in my hand writing, and that I was not san­guine enough of advantage to induce me to stay, even if I had the power; he still conti­nued to urge his proposal. I was however, indeed much allured on further reflection, by the knowledge I had of my own resolution against a dissipated life, and particularly by the prospect of making a rapid fortune, so much within my power, by my acquaintance with the Ebo King and people, and by the progress I had made in their language; so much, that could the difficulties which I saw in my way, be removed, I should have embraced the offer.

[Page 160] We reached the vessel, and with such rough fare as we possessed, endeavoured to regale our visitors, who took leave of us with the evening, but not without a more pressing invitation to me, to get on shore.

We were now to prepare for sea; our vessel lay nearly a mile from the shore, and our cargo was all on board; but a very severe distemper already threatened the slaves; they had become sullen and melan­choly, and discontented with their food, and confinement. The air of the ship, and the scene before me, perhaps together with the remaining fumes of debauch on shore, con­tributed to render me discontented with my situation. I revolved in my mind that I had now discharged my duty to the owners, that I had but a few entries to make to complete the accounts, and while the hope of fortune and the temptations of the English factor, pressed upon my recollection; I determined finally, to finish my business, and embark in [Page 161]the enterprize that now occupied every turn of my mind.

The work being executed in the heat and enthusiasm of my resolution; I had now to contrive the means of my departure. The Captain could not according to his articles, give me a discharge, but this obstacle was only a stronger instigation to persevere in the attempt. Every person of the ship's company but the Captain, Surgeon, and myself, had stated duties in the watch, which from the arrival of the slaves, was constantly and rigdly kept up: the only boat not on board was chained astern, and this it would be impossible to get clear without exciting alarm.

I had marked the advice of the factor, not to leave the ship till on the verge of her departure; we had dropped down with the tide, and moored by the best bower and stream anchor, in a fine sandy bottom, but the opposite shore was marshy: the next morn­ing [Page 162]was to be that of our departure. My determination to escape was confirmed by my accidentally seeing as I passed the main hatch, one of the slaves in the pangs of death; the sickness had already made considerable progress, and I was struck with the danger that must follow when out at sea, as the dis­ease had already inflicted death.

My whole mind was now concentred on my escape, and I soon prepared two bottles of spirits to give the watch, after the Cap­tain should have gone to sleep: a few articles of linen, my best hat, and my hanger, I set apart; and when all had retired, about ten at night I came upon deck, and offered the boatswain, who commanded the watch, a can of grog, of which I knew him to be not a little fond; he freely shared it with the rest, and I was not backward in replenishing the quantity, which had its desired effect; for I then retired, and soon after coming up with my things, found them all extended on the deck, and fast asleep. I fixed [...] [Page 163]on a plank which the carpenter had marke [...] out for the scantling of a barricade, and l [...] it down in the water by a rope's end; I the [...] stripped myself to all but my shirt and trow­sers, and committed myself to the water, intending to swim to the shore with the plank, and buoy myself up by it when I should feel fatigued. I meant to float astern, but from want of means to manage the plank, it had got entangled in the man ropes, I endeavoured to make for the boat, which with much diffi­culty, after having disengaged my clothes and hanger, letting them go adrift, I effected. Persisting in my purpose, I once more made the attempt; but the tide was now rapid, and I unfortunately swept against the stream cable, by which I was turned over, and sepa­rated from the plank. My only resource now was to adhere to the cable in order to get safe on board if possible, and after much difficulty, I got out of the water and clam­bered up to some distance: having rested for some time here, and the tide slackening, I once more thought of committing myself [Page 164]to the water and swimming to shore, when I discovered by the occasional scintillations of lightning, three or four aligators floating below me in the current; my blood was chilled, and I congratulated myself for the moment on my happy escape. I now concluded to make my way back on ship­board as well as possible, which having effected, I found my shipmates all still happy and heedless; and slunk to my birth, cooled and fatigued, and ready for repose. On the morning as the anchors were about to be taken up, I was called to take the usual beverage which seamen call their morning, but pleaded illness, and was waited on by the Doctor, to whom I without reserve, but in confidence stated the plain truth. He was much surprised, promised secrecy, and fur­nished me with some of his own clothes, in which I made my appearance upon deck, the Captain condoling with me upon my illness, which he said was visible in my countenance, and expressing his fears that I had caught the sickness which had already killed several [Page 165]of the people; though I could with difficulty refrain from laughter, I was satisfied to find all had gone so far well.

We had now dropped down a considerable length, and I had nearly despaired of effecting my escape, when accident threw an oppor­tunity in my way, that I directly embraced. It was found necessary to take in some ballast, and the boatswain having surfeited himself with watching the previous night, and was unable to go on shore with the boat, I accord­ingly offered my services; but had no oppor­tunity of taking any conveniencies with me, except a small cutlass and jack knife. I determined upon effecting my purpose now once for all.

When we reached the shore I set the men to work, urging them to make haste, while I took a short walk along the bank, to return by the time they were ready, if not, for them to call me. Instead of taking to the water side, I soon got out of sight of the boat's [Page 166]crew, and made the best of my way inland from the water; but finding it was populous in that direction, I judged it better to take the shelter of some brush wood and high grass that was near. They hailed as directed, and I heard them; they searched in all directions, and passed several times close by me, calling my name, and at length returned concluding me lost or devoured by wild beasts. The Captain was extremely sur­prised to find the sailors return without me, and determined to go on shore himself that evening, and engage a party of the natives to go in search of me. I, insensible, and unsuspecting of this, had not stirred before midnight from my covert, but having marked where the sun went down, set forward from that direction, and travelled till daylight; having found plenty of fruit, I feasted, and chose a recess once more, and committed myself as I hoped, to sleep. The monkeys, however, were less civil than I had before found them, they collected in numbers about, and annoyed me by their incessant screaming [Page 167]and chattering, which made me uneasy, as I feared that their noise would attract some of the natives to the place. To avoid this, I determined to move forward, and was accom­panied by this noisy pestiferous crew, jump­ing from tree to tree before and on all sides of me, crying louder if possible, than before. Frequently did I, with the desire of revenge, wish for a gun that I might sacrifice some of them; but in the afternoon having obtained some quietness, I lay down to sleep; and about 9 o'clock pursued my route. Several pathways crossing convinced me that the country was thickly peopled; I endeavoured to take that which was least trodden, but shortly after discovored five persons crossing the path which I was pursuing, I changed my course up an ascent, and escaped unno­ticed, but had not gone above a mile when I discovered two others somewhat ahead of me. The openness of the country now deprived me of shelter, for a few scattered trees were all that this rising ground afforded; the two men approaching, and I had placed [Page 168]myself behind a tree, shifting my position as they drew near—I thought they would have heard my heart beat as I stood against the tree, so great was my apprehension; they passed me, however, and I turned into a path that led down into the woody country. I had plucked some fruit and sat down by a rivulet to refresh myself, when fatigue and want of sleep overcame me, so that I lay down under shelter of a bank. About mid­night, as I computed by the time I had been asleep, I was awakened by violent claps of thunder, the lightning streamed along the verge of the horizon, and illumined the hea­vens; the dark heaps of clouds, rising volume over volume, displayed a variety of the most sublime shadows, through the intervals of which, the coruscations burst in a thousand points, breaking into angles, and exploding in deep resounding peals that gradually were lost undulating on the ear, and this still suc­ceeded by another louder, and accompanied by a torrent that seemed to pour from the heavens like the waters of a cataract. The [Page 169]storm began now to abate, and was faintly heard muttering at a distance; but the winds rose, the trees of the forest shook, and in alter­nate moments was all horrible, awful, dark, and still.—Drenched with rain and overcome with a depression, from the awful scene that had passed, a momentary consideration of my present circumstances, produced sensa­tions that I cannot describe; my eyes over­flowed with tears which eased me of my anxiety, and I then felt an unconquerable propensity to sleep.

The day had been far spent when I awoke; the heat of the sun was considerable; I stripped off my dripping clothes, dried them, and bathed in the rivulet on the banks of which I had lain. Having collected a few fruit, and being further refreshed, I deter­mined to pursue my route over the hill from which I had before descended; but found I had suffered more than I previously suspected by fatigue and by the rain: of this I was convinced by my weakness, and the length [Page 170]of time employed in ascending the hill. I took advantage of a few trees that stood near each other to rest myself, and sat down for about half an hour, when I was alarmed by the sound of human voices. I rose up, and to my astonishment saw a body of the natives of about twenty, armed with fire arms and spears, and within 100 yards of me. I was immediately struck with an apprehension that they were in pursuit of me; but concluded that the ship must have sailed before this time. I then felt a dispo­sition to accost them; but still undertermined I found myself creeping along towards the opposite side of the hill on all fours. As soon as I conceived myself out of sight I fled towards the valley with all the speed in my power; but I fled in vain, I was discovered, and to my astonishment and alarm, three or four shots fired after me. I redoubled my speed; but the pursuers were too fleet, and uncertain what fate awaited me, I turned short round and faced them; they seized and were about to tie me; I endeavoured [Page 171]to make them understand what I had to say in the Ebo tongue without effect but by signs informed them that I would go with­out-opposition. They conducted me back by almost the same route I had come, guard­ing me closely, and some of them occasionally shewing the marks of my shoes, by which I suppose they had traced my course. We arrived that night at a village, where I had a dry hut and plenty of rice straw to sleep upon; a party was placed to watch me, but I was supplied with food and palm wine—I slept soundly, but awoke feverish, and was obliged to rise early in that condition. I felt extremely weak, but determined to go whithersoever they led, provided my strength should be sufficient; to my surprise, however, upon clearing a wood through which we passed, I saw the ship close in by the shore. Mixed emotions overcome me, and I fainted; on recovery I found the Captain, the Doctor, and some of the ship's crew around me; the Captain received me with great coolness; [Page 172]but the Doctor, the mate, and sailors all with the greatest cordiality.

Having arrived on board; the Captain upbraided me with deserting him; I alledged in my defence that I had completed his busi­ness, and signified the apprehensions I enter­tained for my health; apprehensions which have since proved to my sorrow, were but too well founded. I did not hesitate to declare my expectations of soon realizing a property, could I reach the Colong factory, and desired as the ship's business was all brought up, that he would permit me to go thither in the best manner I could. He told me that there was yet further business to do, that he had shipped in my absence, an addi­tional number of slaves, brought to him down the Reyo Naunus, and that he could not agree to it, even had that business not interfered; finding it in vain to strive far­ther against difficulties, I relinquished my ideas of fortune, and reconciled myself to return home.

[Page 173] I was afterwards informed, that the Cap­tain had gone on shore, finding me not return with the boat, and learned from the people of the next village that they had seen the footsteps of an European in their neigh­bourhood on the preceding day; he accord­ingly hired 25 of the natives to go in one direction, and an equal number in the other, as they said I could only get out of that part of the country by two passages, owing to the large rivers then filling with the rains that had fallen on the inland mountains. The party that took me had discovered my tracks, and pursued their course till they overtook me, in consequence of which, they received a runlet of rum as a reward.

The whole number of slaves that we had now on board, I found about 500, of whom above 50 were then lying in a dangerous state of illness; it was time for us to depart, being now the 13th. of June, 1795. We accordingly got in our anchors, and procured six of the natives boats, with six men in [Page 174]each, to tow us down night and day, when the tide served.

On the morning of the 15th. while waiting for the tide, about 9 o'clock, we were alarmed on beard by a quarrel in the boats. Some of our people who had been on this coast before, had excited a spirit of com­petition between the natives in the boats that towed on each of our bows; each party claiming the greater merit, to ensure it, they proceeded from hard words to actual blows; the party offended had drifted a little astern, the others preserved their place; the offended now united their force, and rowed up to attack the aggressors. These being pressed, flew up the sides of the ship, and were pursued by the others, which made it time for us to interpose. Our only resource was to drive both parties over the sides of the ship, we were then swinging round, and it would be vain to expect further service from the com­batants; all hands were, therefore, ordered to quarters, and the Captain directed he inter­preter [Page 175]to order them from off the deck, and the ship's side, or we should fire upon them. They directly made to their boats, but assailing each other with knives and other weapons: some of them, to escape, attempted to get in the cabin windows, where I was stationed with two men, I discharged a musket over their heads, which scared them so that they jumped into the water; their boats were cut adrift, and the tide serving, we left them in a warm conflict, wherein several must have been killed.

We cleared the Capes without any fur­ther event worthy of notice, on the 17th June; the wind at S. E. we steered a N. N. W. course. From thence to the 27th. there was little to note, but the ordinary variations of wind and weather, except the increased severity of the disorder that raged on board; it was an inflammatory fever, attended with symptoms of dysentery in some, but mostly with a violent inflammation and swelling of the eyes and eyelids, with a discharge of [Page 176]fetid rheum. The slaves were almost uni­formly afflicted with this disorder in the eyes, even more than had been seized with the dysentery. Both diseases soon communicated to the crew, and by the 30th. of June, we had scarcely men enough to work the ship.

Hitherto by exercise and an open air, by keeping constantly on deck, refraining as much from salt food as possible, and by fre­quent bathing on board, I had kept myself in perfect health, though in constant terror, from the frequent deaths of the slaves, and the sickness of the crew around me.

On the 1st. of July, I found my precau­tions had not availed, and the goodness of my constitution not sufficient to support me against the prevailing disease any longer. The fever attacked me, and my eyes swelled to such a degree that I could scarcely open them, my spirits, however, still kept me up, and after the eleventh day I began to reco­ver: on the 20th. I could go upon deck, [Page 177]and continued to do so, regaining my strength hourly. Early on the morning of the 24th: a vessel of war hove in sight, and as we had heard on the coast of Africa, that war was expected between the United States and Great Britain, we were much alarmed lest it should prove a British man of war.

The crew were divided in opinion regard­ing the ships form, some asserting that she was not a British vessel; I took the glass, intending to satisfy myself and settle the dis­pute, and went forward;—I saw that the ship carried the British colours, but alas! I had strained my sight, and never saw more. The inflammation returned, a relapse took place, and the light of the sun became to my eyes, as indistinct and dark as the gloom of death; the beauties of nature to me were "blotted out for ever," and in my 23d. year, when I looked forward to days of ease and comfort, from the resources of my activity and industry—my path is shut up, and the [Page 178]world become a blank of indistinctness and uncertainty.

A termination of this kind to the voyage, could afford me neither amusement nor com­fort, for upon reaching my native country, and returning to my once cheerful home, the reader will easily conceive how melan­choly must the impression have been, which my misfortunes had made on my friends and family; and how sorely I was distressed by the want of sight, and its invaluable and consoling blessings.

But it becomes man to submit to that range of toward or untoward circumstances, which is the birthright of his being—to persevere calmly and bear patiently with the changes of fortune, and the shocks of black adversity; If he be fortuate, never let him be too con­fident that he is placed beyond the reach of affliction,—and he will thus be always wil­ling [Page 179]to act the man, and able to stem the torrent of misfortune, though equal to that which I now sustain.