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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Their Huts, Which Are
Of The Rudest Construction Imaginable, May Be Distinctly Seen Amongst
The Trees In Small Groups, Surrounding
A clear space of ground, in
which they cultivate the yam, and are formed of a few stakes driven
firmly
Into the ground, thatched over with the palm leaf, the sides
being completed with a sort of wicker work. They are about ten or
twelve feet long, and half that in breadth, and not more than four or
five feet in height. Their only furniture consists of some long flat
pieces of wood, raised a few inches from the ground, and slightly
hollowed out, to answer the purpose of sleeping in.
Numerous instances have occurred, of the thieving propensities of the
natives, and it required, at first, a considerable degree of
vigilance to prevent them from being successful, but it is due to the
chiefs to say, that since the establishment of Clarence, they have
invariably taken an active part in putting a stop to it. Whatever may
have been their habits previously to the formation of the settlement,
they seem to be little improved by their intercourse with the
settlers. Their principal chief has received the formidable
appellation of cut-throat from Captain Owen, a name, by which he will
be known as long as he lives. This fellow is a most determined
savage, and seems to have lost none of his natural propensities by
communicating with the settlers. He has received innumerable presents
from the English, of clothes, and a variety of things, which are all
thrown away upon him, and he goes about as usual, wearing his little
hat, with feathers stuck in it, and the long grass about his waist,
disdaining such useless coverings as he imagines them. This is not to
be wondered at, for accustomed as he has been all his life time, to
the unrestrained freedom of his whole person, it would be rather a
matter of surprise to see him make use of them, particularly in the
climate of Fernando Po, where one almost wishes to follow the example
of the natives, excepting in the use of their clay and palm oil. No
doubt Cut-throat thinks this quite a sufficient covering.
The natives pay frequent visits to the colony, and, however they may
deal out justice amongst themselves, are by no means backward in
seeing it administered among the free negroes and Kroomen of
Clarence. It frequently happens, that in the scarcity of live stock,
some of the former, unable to restrain their desire for more
substantial food, and tired of their Indian corn, venture to help
themselves to what the natives will not bring them; parties of these
people are accordingly formed, who find their way to the huts of the
natives in the interior, and steal their yams, goats, and sheep, or
whatever they meet with. These depredations are sure to bring the
unfortunate owners to the colony with complaints of their losses,
which are laid before the governor.
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