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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Adooley Received Them With His Accustomed Politeness And
Gracious Smile.
He prefaced his wish by saying, that he wished to
inform them of his intention, to detain them at
Badagry a day or two
longer, the "path" not being considered in a fit state for;
travelling, rather than his reputation should suffer by leading them
into danger, which would undoubtedly be the case, if he had not
adopted his present resolution. Yet, he continued, they might depend
upon his word as a king, that they should be at liberty to depart on
the following Thursday at the latest. Now the Landers well knew that
the country was never in a more peaceable or quiet state than at the
moment he was speaking, and they were consequently mortified beyond
measure, at the perpetual evasions and contradictions of this chief.
They also regretted that the dry season was drawing fast to a close,
and that then they would be obliged to travel in the rainy months.
Having made this declaration, Adooley requested them to write on
paper in his presence, for a few things, which he wished to procure
from Cape Coast Castle, or from England, as a return for the
protection he had promised them. Amongst other articles enumerated
were four regimental coats, such as are worn by the king of
England, being for his own immediate wear, and forty less splendid
than the king of England's, for his captains; two long brass guns, to
run on swivels; fifty muskets; twenty barrels of gunpowder; four
handsome swords, and forty cutlasses; to which were added, two
puncheons of rum; a carpenter's chest of tools, with oils, paint and
brushes; the king himself boasting that he was a blacksmith,
carpenter, painter, and indeed every trade but a tailor.
Independently of these trifles, as he termed them, he wished to
Obtain half a dozen rockets, and a rocket gun, with a soldier from
Cape Coast capable of undertaking the management of it; and lastly,
he modestly ordered two puncheons of kowries to be sent him, for the
purpose of defraying in part the expences, he had incurred in
repelling the attacks of the men of Porto Novo, Atta, Juncullee; the
tribes inhabiting those places having made war upon him, for allowing
Captain Clapperton's last mission to proceed into the interior
without their consent.
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