When King Boy Came For His Book, It Was Given To Him, And He Wished To Send It Down To The Brig, To Know If It Was Good.

This was no more than what was to be expected, so he was informed, the book would be of

No use, unless they were sent along with it, and that the captain would not pay it, before he had taken them on board, on which he put the bill into his pocket-book. They then bade him farewell, and he took leave of them in a kind and cordial manner.

Fearing that something might yet occur to detain them, and ultimately to change the king's resolution altogether, they were most eager to get out of the reach of him and his people as quickly as possible. Therefore they lost not a moment in hastening to their lodgings, and having sent their people on board Boy's canoe, they hurried after them immediately, and embarked at three in the afternoon, and thus terminated four of the most wretched days of their existence. They were unable to take along with them their own old leaky and shattered canoe, as it would detain them very much, from being so heavy to move along. The Damaggoo people accompanied them in their own canoe, and every thing was arranged for their departure at an early hour on the following day. The Brass canoe, which was now become their dwelling, was extremely large, and heavily laden. It was paddled by forty men and boys, in addition to whom there might be about twenty individuals, or more, including a few slaves and themselves, so that the number of human beings amounted altogether to sixty.

Like Obie's war canoes, it was furnished with a cannon, which was lashed to the bow, a vast number of cutlasses, and a quantity of grape and other shot, besides powder, flints, &c. It contained a number of large boxes or chests, which were filled with spirituous liquors, cotton, silk goods, earthenware, and other articles of European and other foreign manufactures; besides abundance of provisions for present consumption, and two thousand yams for the master of a Spanish slaver, which was then lying in Brass River. In this canoe three men might sit abreast of each other, and from the number of people which it contained, and the immense quantity of articles of various descriptions, some idea of its size may be formed. It was cut out of a solid trunk of a tree, and drew four feet and a half of water, being more than fifty feet in length. It was, however, so deeply laden, that not above two inches of the canoe were to be seen above the water's edge. With its present burden, it would have been impossible for her to sail on any river less smooth than the Niger, and even as it is, when it comes to be paddled, some danger exists of its being swamped. It was really laughable to reflect that the canoe was supplied with two speaking trumpets, which, considering the stentorian lungs of the men of Brass, were entirely superfluous, and that she was commanded by regularly appointed officers, with sounding titles, in imitation of European vessels, such as captain, mate, boatswain, coxswain, &c. besides a cook and his minions.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 507 of 587
Words from 267087 to 267639 of 309561