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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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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