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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In The Afternoon They Were Happily Landed At Clarence Cove, In The
Island Of Fernando Po, Where They Were Most Kindly Received By Mr.
Becroft, The Acting Superintendent.
This worthy gentleman readily
supplied them with changes of linen, and every thing they stood in
need of, besides doing all he could to make them comfortable.
The
kindness and hospitality they received from him and Dr. Crichton in
particular, made a grateful impression on the hearts of the Landers.
Accustomed as they had been during the last month, to the monotonous
sameness of a low flat country, the banks of the river covered with
mangroves overhanging the water, and in many parts, in consequence of
its extraordinary height, apparently growing out of it; the lofty
summit of Fernando Po, and the still loftier mountains of the
Camaroons, on the distant mainland, presented a sublime and
magnificent appearance. The highest mountain of the Camaroons, is a
striking feature on this part of the coast, being more than thirteen
thousand feet high. The land in its vicinity is low and flat, which
renders the appearance of this mountain still more imposing, as it
towers majestically over the surrounding country in solitary
grandeur. It divides the embouchures of the spacious rivers Old
Calebar and Del Rey on the west, from the equally important one of
the Cameroons on the east. The island of Fernando is detached about
twenty miles from the coast, and appeared to them, when they first
saw it, in two lofty peaks connected by a high ridge of land. The
northern peak is higher than the other, which is situated in the
southern part of the island, and rises gradually from the sea to the
height of ten thousand seven hundred feet. In clear weather the
island can be seen at the distance of more than a hundred miles; but
this is not always the case, as the summit is most frequently
concealed by clouds and fogs, which are common at certain seasons of
the year.
As they approached the island in fine weather, and with a moderate
wind, they had ample time to observe it. The shore is formed mostly
of a dark coloured rock, and covered with trees which reach down to
the water's edge. The whole of the lower part of the island is
covered with fine forest trees of various descriptions, extending
about three fourths up the sides of the mountain, where they became
thinly scattered, stinted in their growth, and interspersed with low
bushes and a brown dry grass. In various parts, patches of cultivated
ground may be seen along with the huts of the natives, presenting,
with the luxuriant foliage of the trees, a mass of verdure in the
most flourishing condition. Nature has here done her utmost; the
whole appearance of the island is of the most beautiful description,
and fully justifies its title to the name of Ilha Formosa,
signifying, "beautiful island," which it first received. As they
approached it still nearer, the stupendous precipices, and wide
fissures near the summit of the principal mountain, became more
distinct, by the contrast between their dark recesses and the lights
on the projecting rocks, until by the proximity of the observers to
the shore, the whole became concealed behind the lesser height next
to the sea.
Until the year 1827, the island lay forsaken and neglected in its
primitive condition, neither the Portuguese nor Spaniards having
thought it worth their consideration. At length, the attention of the
British government was directed to it, in consequence of its
favourable position for putting a stop to the slave trade in that
quarter of Africa. Situated within a few hours sail of the coast, in
the immediate vicinity of those rivers, commencing with the Camaroons
on the east, and extending along the whole of the Gold Coast, where
the principal outlets of this unlawful traffic are found, Fernando Po
presented advantages, which were sufficient to authorize a settlement
being formed on it, and Captain W. Owen sailed from England for that
purpose, in his majesty's ship Eden, with the appointment of
governor, and with Commander Harrison under his orders. Captain Owen
had been previously employed on an extensive and difficult survey of
the coasts of Africa, both in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, in
which the shores of this island were included, and therefore, having
visited it before, he was no stranger either to its nature and
resources, or to the climate in which it is situated. Previously to
the arrival of Captain Owen, the island had been occasionally visited
by some of the ships on the African station, for the purpose of
obtaining supplies of vegetables and water, and perhaps now and then
a Liverpool trader would be seen there waiting for palm oil, or
recovering the health of her crew from fevers obtained in the rivers
on the coast. As the natives reside some distance in the interior,
the arrival of a ship of war at the island, was announced to them by
the discharge of a cannon on board, which was sufficient to bring
them to the sea side, with whatever vegetables, poultry, and other
articles they might wish to sell. The articles mostly demanded by
them in return, were pieces of iron-hoop, knives, and nails. At
first, a piece of iron-hoop about six inches long, would purchase a
pair of fowls or four yams, so great was the value which the natives
attached to iron.
The business of forming a new settlement, is a species of service
that requires the exercise of certain qualities of the mind, which it
is not the good fortune of every one to possess. In addition to the
pernicious effects of the climate on European constitutions, there
were people on the island, who, although they might be unable to
offer any serious impediment to the progress of the settlement, it
was necessary to conciliate than treat them with hostility, and for
this, no one could have been better calculated than Captain Owen.
Whatever may have induced him to relinquish the appointment of
governor, no measures for gaining the friendship of the natives, and
thereby securing their good will towards the colony, could have been
better than those which he adopted, and the chiefs even now
frequently mention his name.
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