I Do Not Know The Manner In
Which Men-Of-War Pay Off The Kruboy, But I Think In Hard Cash.
In
the circles of society I most mix with on the Coast - the mercantile
marine and the trading - he
Is always paid in goods, in cloth, gin,
guns, tobacco, gunpowder, etc., with little concessions to his
individual fancy in the matter, for each of these articles has a
known value, and just as one of our coins can be changed, so you can
get here change for a gun or any other trade article.
The Kruboy much prefers being paid off in goods. I well remember an
exquisite scene between Captain - - and King Koffee of the Kru Coast
when the subject of engaging boys was being shouted over one voyage
out. The Captain at that time thought I was a W.W.T.A.A. and
ostentatiously wanted Koffee to let him pay off the boys he was
engaging to work the ship in money, and not in gin and gunpowder.
King Koffee's face was a study. If Captain - -, whom he knew of
old, had stood on his head and turned bright blue all over with
yellow spots, before his eyes, it would not have been anything like
such a shock to his Majesty. "What for good him ting, Cappy?" he
said, interrogation and astonishment ringing in every word. "What
for good him ting for We country, Cappy? I suppose you gib gin,
tobacco, gun he be fit for trade, but money - " Here his Majesty's
feelings flew ahead of the Royal command of language, great as that
was, and he expectorated with profound feeling and expression.
Captain - -'s expressive countenance was the battle ground of
despair and grief at being thus forced to have anything to do with a
traffic unpopular in missionary circles. He however controlled his
feelings sufficiently to carefully arrange the due amount of each
article to be paid, and the affair was settled.
The somewhat cumbrous wage the Kruboy gets at the end of his term of
service, minus those things he has had on account and plus those
things he has "found," is certainly a source of great worry to our
friend. He obtains a box from the carpenter of the factory, or buys
a tin one, and puts therein his tobacco and small things, and then
he buys a padlock and locks his box of treasure up, hanging the key
with his other ju-jus round his neck, and then he has peace
regarding this section of his belongings. Peace at present, for the
day must some time dawn when an experimental genius shall arise
among his fellow countrymen, who will try and see if one key will
not open two locks. When this possibility becomes known I can
foresee nothing for the Kruboy but nervous breakdown; for even now,
with his mind at rest regarding the things in his box, he lives in a
state of constant anxiety about those out of it, which have to lie
on the deck during the return voyage to his home.
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