THAT Part ofAfricacommonly calledGuinea, is of a large Extent, beginning atCape Verd, in 14 Degrees 30 Minutes North Latitude, and extending to the South and East, as far as the Coast ofAngola; the RiverCongo, in 6 Degrees South Latitude, being the farthest place where theEnglishcarry on their Trade.
In this Country ofGuinea, theEnglishhave trafficked a great many Years: But especially, since the Conclusion of the lastFrenchWar, it has been so improved, that whereas in the Year 1712, there went only 33 Ships fromEnglandto that Coast, in 1726, it was proved before theCommissioners of Trade, that there had been there the Year before above 200 Sail, to the great increase of Navigation, and the advantage of our Plantations inAmerica.
Such as are unacquainted with this Country, may reasonably suppose we should have gained by this time a perfect account of the Inland-Parts; yet perhaps we know the least of it of any Country theEnglishhave so long traded to, for reasons I shall give hereafter. But as I design only to inform the Reader, (for his better understanding the following Sheets) in a cursory manner, of those parts of the Coast ofGuinea, that I have been personally acquainted with: So, as I go along, I shall intermix my Reasons with the Account.
I have traded along this Coast for near 700 Leagues, from a River calledSherberow, in the Latitude of 7 Degrees 30 Minutes North, toCape Lopez Gonsalvez, in 1 Degree South, near the Coast ofAngola: Now in so large an Extent, we meet with very different People and Trade.
The first part I shall mention, is about 250 Leagues in length, from the above-mentioned River ofSherberow, roundCape Palmas, to the RiverAncobernearAxim. This is commonly called theWindward Coast, on which there is no Settlement or Factory of anyEuropeanNation; but the Trade is carried on in this manner.
As soon as the Natives perceive a Ship on their Coast, they make a smoke on the Sea-Shore, as a Signal for the Ship to come to an Anchor, that they may come and trade with the People on board. As soon as we are at an Anchor, they come to us in small Boats, calledCannoes, being made of a single Tree, and bring their Commodities with them.
Along the greatest part of this Coast, theEuropeanshave been cautious of venturing on Shore amongst the Natives, they being very barbarous and uncivilized, as several have experienced to their cost. In those few places where I have been on Shore my self, I could never obtain a satisfactory account from the Natives of the Inland Parts. Nor did I ever meet with a white Man that had been, or durst venture himself, up in the Country; and believe, if any had attempted it, the Natives would have destroyed them, out of a Jealousy that they designed to make discoveries to their prejudice.
However, the Trade on this part of the Coast, has been exceedingly improved within these 20 years past. It consists in Negroes, Elephants Teeth, and other Commodities; which the Natives freely bring on board our Ships, except when any Affront has been offered them; which, to the great Scandal both ofEnglishandFrench, has too often been done, namely by their forcibly carrying away the Traders, under some slight pretence of having received an Injury from them. And this has put a stop to the Trade of the particular place where it has happened for a long time; and innocent People, who have come there to trade in small Vessels, have suffered for their Countrymens Villany: Several in my time having been surprized by the Natives, and the People destroyed out of revenge.
From the aforementioned River ofAncobertoAcra, is about 50 Leagues. This part is commonly called theGold-Coast, and thereon are manyEnglishandDutchFactories, under each of which is aNegroe Town, protected by them. The Reader may reasonably suppose, that here we might have a perfect account of the Inland parts; but we can have no such thing. For the Policy of the Natives does not suffer white Men to go up any great way into the Country. Moreover, the Inland People are very jealous of those Negroes, who are under the Protection of the Factories; so that the account I have received from both when at peace (which has brought some of the former to the Sea side) has seemed so fabulous and contradictory, that it could not be depended upon; for the Negroes are very apt to impose on us. However, in this part called theGold Coast, the Natives near the Sea side are much civilized, by their conversing with theEuropeans, at their Settlements; and by going on board so many Ships to trade, as frequent this part of the Coast. Here we can venture on Shore amongst the Natives, without any hazard; for ’tis to be noted, a large part of the Gold Coast is not in Subjection to them.
FromAcra(where stands the last of theEuropeanSettlements, on this part of the Coast,) toJaqueen, is about 60 Leagues. In this Tract there are no Factories but at two places, namely atWhidaw, andJaqueen. And tho’ they have been so long settled by theEuropeans, yet till the late Conquest of them by the King ofDahomè, we could learn but little of the Inland parts; no white Men having been permitted to go beyond the Kingdom ofArdra, which is about 50 Miles from the Sea side. But, as I have related in the following Sheets what I saw and heard when I was there; so I omit farther mention of it here.
FromJaqueento the Bay ofBennin, and so round to theCallabars,Camerones, andCape Lopez, is above 300 Leagues, in which long Tract there is no Settlement of anyEuropeanNation; so of course the Natives are for the most part barbarous and uncivilized. I have, in my younger years, traded to many places in this Tract, especially atOld Callabar, where, in the year 1704, I saw a sad Instance of Barbarity. The King of the place, calledJabrue, being fallen sick, he caused, by the advice of his Priests, a young Child about ten Months old, to be sacrificed to his God, for his recovery. I saw the Child after it was killed, hung up on the Bough of a Tree, with a live Cock tied near it, as an addition to the Ceremony.
The last Voyage I went to this place, was in the year 1713, when I commanded the ShipAnne, belonging to MessieursBradley,VirginiaMerchants; where I had the good fortune to save a Child from being Sacrificed, as the other poor Infant had been. And tho’ ’tis a long story, and therefore may not so well suit an Introduction, yet on account of the singular Circumstances wherewith it was attended, I believe the Reader may be pleased with it.
The chief King, or Lord of the Country (for there are several petty Princes on that River) calledAcqua, came on board, sometime after my arrival, to see the Ship, and hear our Musick. Being highly pleased with his Entertainment, he kindly invited me on Shore; so I promised to wait on him in a few days. Accordingly I went; but as I knew his People to be fierce brutish Cannibals, I took, by way of precaution, ten of my Sailors as a Guard, with my Gunner to command them. They were all well armed with Musquets and Pistols, which those savage People I knew were much afraid of.
Upon my landing at the Water side, I was received by some persons, whom the King had appointed to conduct me about a quarter of a mile up, where I found him sitting on a Stool, under some shady Trees; another being placed by his side, which I was desired to sit on. The King did not speak one word, or moved in the least, till I was sat down; but then he bid me welcome, enquiring after my health; as I did after his, having first paid my respects to him, by bowing and taking off my Hat. There were many of his Courtiers present, and I observed above 50 of his Guard, stood at a little distance. They were armed with Bows and Arrows, a Sword by their side, and a barbed Lance in their Hands. My people ranged themselves opposite to them, at the distance of about twenty paces.
After having presented the King with some things, which, tho’ trifling to us, he seemed highly delighted with; accidentally turning my Head about, I saw a little Negroe-Child tied by the Leg to a Stake driven in the Ground, the flies and other vermin crawling on him, and two Priests standing by. Being surprized at this sight, I asked the King, “What was the reason of the Child’s being tied in that manner?” He replied, “It was to be sacrificed that night to his GodEgbo, for his prosperity.” Moved at the hearing of this, I called (too hastily I must own) to one of my People, to take the Child from the Ground, in order to preserve him. He had no sooner done it, but one of the King’s Guard advanced towards him, in a threatning posture with his Lance; and fearing he would run him through, I immediately took out of my Pocket a small Pistol; at the sight of which, the King rose from his Stool in a fright. But I bid the Linguist tell him, “I would offer no Injury to him or his, provided he ordered his Guard not to attack mine:” Which he readily doing, and all things being quiet, I expostulated with him, “for his breaking the Laws of Hospitality, in permitting one of his Guard to threaten my Man with his Lance.” To this the King replied, “I had not done well in ordering him to seize the Child, it being his Property.” This I acknowledged, “excusing it on the account of my Religion, which, tho’ it does not allow of forcibly taking away what belongs to another, yet expresly forbids so horrid a Thing, as the putting a poor innocent Child to death. And that this would, instead of Blessings, certainly bring on him the Wrath of the most high God, whom we white Men adored.” I also observed to him, “That the grand Law of human Nature was, To do to others as we desir’d to be done unto;” and many other Arguments I used, too long to repeat here. At the same time I offered to pay him for the Child, which the King readily accepted: And on my asking, what he desired for it? to my surprize he only asked a bunch of sky coloured Beads, worth about half a Crown Sterling. I expected he would have demanded at least ten times that Value; for the Negroes, from the King to the Trader, are generally very ready, on any extraordinary occasion, to make their Advantage of us.
After this was over, I staid about an hour with the King, treating him withEuropeanLiquors and Victuals, which I had carried on Shore for that purpose; but I took care not to drink any of his Palm Wine, (which is a Liquor drawn from a Tree, and which they can artfully poison) under pretence, it did not agree with me. But my People did not spare it, drinking plentifully of it with his Guards; and eating likewise heartily of their Victuals.
After this I took my leave, and the King expressed himself well pleased with my Visit; promising to come on board again, before I went out of the River.
As we were returning in our Boat, I told the Gunner, “That when we came on board, he should pitch on some motherly Woman, to take care of this poor Child.” To which he answered, “He had already one in his Eye.”
It happened, the day before I went on Shore to see the King, I had purchased the Mother of the Child (tho’ I knew it not then) from one of his People; and at that time my Surgeon observing to me, she had much Milk in her Breasts, I enquired of the Person that brought her on board, whether she had a Child when he bought her from the Inland Trader? To which he answered in the negative.
But now on my coming on board, no sooner was the Child handed into the Ship, but this poor Woman espying it, run with great eagerness, and snatched him out of the white Man’s Arms that held him. I think there never was a more moving sight than on this occasion, between the Mother and her little Son, (who was a fine Boy about 18 Months old; for ’tis to be noted, the Negroe-Women generally suckle their Children till they are above two years old) especially when the Linguist told her, “I had saved her Child from being sacrificed.” Having at that time above 300 Negroes on board my Ship, no sooner was the Story known amongst them, but they expressed their Thankfulness to me, by clapping their Hands, and singing a Song in my praise. This affair proved of great service to us, for it gave them a good Notion of white Men; so that we had no Mutiny in our Ship, during the whole Voyage.
I went from the River ofOld Callebar, to the Island ofAntegoa, where our Cargoe was sold; and upon my telling one Mr.Studeleythis remarkable story, he bought the Mother and her Son, and was a kind Master to them.
I could give a farther account of some more extraordinary things, that have happened in the many Voyages I have made to this Coast; but am afraid of being tedious to the Reader: So I shall conclude with observing, that MynheerBosman’s Account of the Coast ofGuinea, is the most perfect History we have of that Country; and do readily confess, that whatever he mentions, as far as my Observations have reach’d, I have found to be true. To this Book therefore I refer the Reader, who is curious to know, theManners,Customs,Trade, &c. of theNegroesalong the Sea-Coast.
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