Travels Of Richard And John Lander Into The Interior Of Africa For The Discovery Of The Course And Termination Of The Niger By Robert Huish
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At Half-Past Ten A.M. He Manned The Boat With Two Of
Lander's Men, And Two Kroomen Belonging To The Brig, And Sent Them To
Tow While The Anchor Was Got On Board.
This had no sooner been done
than the wind fell light, and instead of drifting over to the western
breakers as on the two preceding days, the brig was now set towards
those on the eastern side, and again they had a narrow escape.
With
the assistance of the boat and good management, they at length passed
clear over the bar on the edge of the breakers, in a depth of quarter
less three fathoms, and made sail to the eastward. Their troubles
were now at an end; by the protection of a merciful Providence, they
had escaped dangers, the very thoughts of which had filled them with
horror, and with a grateful heart and tears of joy for all his
mercies, they offered up a silent prayer of thanks for their
deliverance.
The bar extends about four or five miles from the mouth of the river,
in a southerly direction, but is by no means known. This river is by
far the best place on the whole coast, at which small vessels may
procure oil, as it is the shortest distance from the Eboe country,
where the best palm oil is to be had in any quantity. The Eboe oil is
pronounced to be superior to that of any other part of the country,
which is brought to the coast. The river is not much frequented,
owing probably to its being unknown, and the difficulty of crossing
the bar; for not more than five English vessels have been known to
come to it, two of which are stated to have been lost, and a third to
have struck on the bar, but being a new strong vessel, she beat over
into deep water. The Landers recommend any master going to the river
for palm oil, to provide himself with two good strong six-oared boats
for towing, and a double complement of Kroomen. The expense of ten or
twelve Kroomen would be trifling, as they only require a few yams and
a little palm oil to eat, and they are always ready to perform any
laborious work which may be required of them. If masters of vessels
coming to the river would send a boat before to sound, and have two
good six-oared boats towing, it is supposed there would be no danger
of any being lost, as has been the case with some, from being weakly
manned. Vessels are got under way with a fine breeze, and when they
arrive in the most dangerous part, it dies away, and if there be no
boats ready for towing, nothing can save them from destruction.
Vessels going out of the river are usually recommended to keep as
near as possible to the western breakers, but this plan is supposed
to be very dangerous, unless there be sufficient wind to keep command
of them. When a vessel leaves her anchorage in the river, she will be
set by the current over to the western breakers, and when half way to
the bar, will be set over to the eastern, as the Landers were. The
river would be the safest in the month of December or January, as the
rains in the interior would then be over, and all the extra water
will have been discharged, which it has received in the extent of
country through which it has run. When no English vessels are in the
river, the people of Bonny come and purchase the palm oil from the
Brass people, probably for the purpose of supplying the ships in
their river, as well as for their own uses.
On the morning of November 28th, they discovered a strange vessel on
their starboard beam, which directly made sail in chase of them.
After firing a gun to make them stop, or to bring them to, as the
sailors expressed themselves, she sent a boat on board of the brig,
and we found her to be the Black Joke, tender to the British
commodore's ship. The Landers reported themselves to the lieutenant
commanding her, under the hope of her taking them on board of his
vessel and landing them at Accra, from whence they thought it would
be easy to find their way by one of his majesty's ships to Ascension
or St. Helena, from either of which places an opportunity would offer
for them to get home without delay. The orders, however, of the
lieutenant were to run down the coast as far as the Congo, and he
recommended them to go to Fernando Po, where they would find every
assistance, and a vessel about to sail soon for England. Having
obtained from them the intelligence that the Spanish slaver was lying
in the Nun River ready to sail, he immediately altered his course for
that river, for the purpose of capturing her. Captain Lake agreed to
land them in his boat at Fernando Po, as he passed the island on his
way to the River Camaroons, and they again made sail to the westward.
They were two days in making their passage to Fernando Po, and on the
morning of December 1st, to their great satisfaction, they discovered
the island. They were glad to get out of the Thomas, for the
unfeeling commander, notwithstanding that Lander's men had rendered
him every service in getting his brig out of the river, and had done
every thing required of them, afterwards employed every means he
could think of to annoy them, and to make them uncomfortable, while
they were with him. At night, while the people were sleeping, he
would make his men draw water, and throw it over them, for mere
amusement. There are many commanders as bad as he is on the coast,
who seem to vie with each other in acts of cruelty and oppression.
The captain of the palm oil brig Elizabeth, now in the Calebar River,
actually whitewashed his crew from head to foot, while they were sick
with fever, and unable to protect themselves; his cook suffered so
much in the operation, that the lime totally deprived him of the
sight of one of his eyes, and rendered the other of little service to
him.
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