CHAPTER XXI

A RENDEZVOUS OF CRUISERS

[Sidenote: 1838. Jan. 1.]

Latitude 4° north and longitude 4° east on the first Monday of the month was the appointed rendezvous for nearly all the cruisers.

On our arrival, we found _Pelican_, _Scout_, and _Fair Rosamond_ already there. Our old fellow-cruiser _Columbine_, Commander Thomas Henderson, joined the following morning.

[Sidenote: Jan. 3.]

_Saracen_ and _Bonetta_ arrived; they had parted company with _Dolphin_ the previous night.

[Sidenote: Jan. 5.]

_Forester_ arrived from England to relieve _Columbine_. Being to the northward, we were the first to notice a strange sail. The senior officer, Commander Popham, of the _Pelican_, mustered the crews and inspected the vessels of all of us, which he did with the pomp and show of an Admiral. He invited the Commanders to dinner, and did the whole thing very well. _Pelican_ was in good discipline, beautifully clean and neat about the rigging.

We had no manœuvring; this coast is not the station for it. The climate is bad, and the cruisers seldom have all their men on board. None of them had points in their sails below the second reef, and sky-sails seemed the order of the day.

_Scout_ loomed large in the Mosquito Fleet; she was clean and very nice inside.

_Columbine_ looked as she always did--beautiful. I think her by far the most perfect of Symonds’ craft. No man understood better how to fit a sail than Henderson.

_Saracen’s_ Commander, Hill, is an active fellow, but his vessel is a brute, and nothing could make her sail or look decent.

Some changes took place in the distribution of the squadron. We took _Columbine’s_ station, to windward of the Bight of Benin, and had the mortification of seeing her depart for old England before us, although a shorter time in commission.

_Forester_ lost six of her crew on her way down from Sierra Leone.

Of the prize crew sent up by _Fair Rosamond_ with her Scotch prize, all had died except the officer.

Of two prize crews from _Bonetta_, only four men returned alive.

_Curlew_ lost three men of her crew: last year she had been nearly unmanned from deaths.

The _Raven_ cutter, surveying, was lying at Accra, so disabled from loss of men and officers as to be unable to go to sea.

Popham decided to go to them at once.

[Sidenote: Jan. 7.]

Having obtained provisions from _Bonetta_, and put letters for England on board _Columbine_, we parted for our station--latitude 4° north to the land and the meridian of Greenwich. The weather was thick and hazy; a Hamattan had just commenced.

[Sidenote: Jan. 11.]

Not having been able to get a correct observation, we were steering for the land with leads both going, when I discovered through the fog a vessel at anchor. Boats were hoisted out, manned, armed, and away in a few minutes--in fact they were alongside the vessel before she had seen us. In hoisting my gig from off the booms, the foreyard tackle got choked, but cleared with a jerk, pitched Lathom across the gunwale and broke his arm. We were obliged to invalid him home. He was a steady, good man, and a born artist. The vessel proved to be the _Camoëns_, a lovely brig of 180 tons under Portuguese colours. She carried one long gun, and was nearly ready for taking a cargo of slaves. She was painted with a white ribbon--the first slaver we had seen so painted. Her commander called himself Feliz Cosme Mendil.

On the same day, just as the men had dined, a sail ahead was discovered. The wind was light, and the boats immediately sent away. On closing with her, we found she had two large canoes (such as are used for embarking slaves) towing astern. Observing the boats’ crews had got on board, and appeared inclined to remain, we concluded that we had at last caught a prize. We sent on board and examined her. The canoes astern were for landing her cargo. Found five negroes on board and seventeen more in the boats astern, and I believe, had we sent her to Sierra Leone, she would have been condemned, as the negroes, although not part of her cargo, were the property of a slave-dealer, who was on board for the purpose of purchasing. But, taking into consideration the dreadful mortality among the prize crews lately sent to Sierra Leone, as well as the small value of a nearly empty vessel, we did not detain her. The slave procurer was sent on board the _Childers_ to be examined, when he was immediately recognised by some liberated African boys who were on board as part complement from _Columbine_. These boys had been kidnapped or bought--one was bought for a keg of rum--by these brutes and sold to the captain of a slave-vessel, which vessel had been captured by one of our cruisers. They spotted him, and would have torn the shirt off his back had they not been prevented. One boy stated that this fellow had stolen him and buried him in the sand on the beach for a whole day with nothing out but his head, over which the fiend placed a calabash, and threatened to kill the boy if he made a noise.

The African children captured in the slave-vessels are sent to school at Sierra Leone, and, when big enough, are put on board men-of-war on the station, and placed under artificers to enable them to learn some trade by which to maintain themselves. The boys turn out very well, but little is ever made of the grown-up negroes.

The vessel was another beautiful brig called the _Amigos_, with raking masts and a white ribbon, which appears to be the fashion on this part of the coast. She was 150 tons, and had a crew of twenty-five men. The master was a Portuguese named Don Ferando José Canieras, an obliging, civil fellow. Most of the captains of these slavers are superior men; some belong to good Spanish and Portuguese families; generally young. I believe many of them take command of these vessels for the excitement of the service. Canieras appeared a gentleman-like fellow: above having any personal dislike to us from the unpleasant duty on which we were employed. He invited me to dine with him, and offered his services in boats, and many other ways.

One of the slavers on the coast is commanded by a man from Barcelona, who had been on board _Childers_ at a dance and supper I gave three years ago.

From the _Dos Amigos_ we ascertained we were off Cape St. Paul’s, the Hamattan having changed the direction of the current, which we found setting strong to the westward.

[Sidenote: Jan. 13.]

Having been on salt grub for more than a month, sent pinnace into Quitta for bullocks and water, intending to return in a day or two. Stood to the eastward.

[Sidenote: Jan. 14.]

At daylight found ourselves close off Little Popoe, in which lay three suspicious-looking vessels. _El Liberal_, master Don Francisco Gonzalo, was a fine brig of 160 tons, mounting two guns, with a crew of twenty-six men. She was not quite ready for her slaves, having still part of her trading cargo on board.

The _Dulcinea_, a small schooner of 81 tons, and crew of 18 men, appeared to be perfectly ready for taking her slaves on board. She, too, was a rakish American-built craft. Her Captain, Don Fernando Penez, was on shore.

The third, the _Louisa_, was a pretty brigantine of 120 tons, carrying a crew of 24 men, commanded by Don Juan Fanara Amez. She appeared nearly ready for a start.

Having examined each vessel, we ran along the coast to Quitta and fresh beef.

About twelve miles to the westward of Little Popoe, a large canoe came off to offer the services of the owner, a Caboceer, an independent chief. He sported over his house a large white flag with a Dutch head to it.

The coxswain of the boat, who brought off his master’s gold stick of office for a bottle of rum, informed us that the slave schooner _Dulcinea_, at Popoe, would embark between 200 and 300 slaves, and that she would get under way at 3 P.M., and was cruising about to see if the coast was clear. At 6 o’clock she was to embark her slaves. I promised the fellow, in case of capture, $20 for his information.

In the evening we boarded a Brazilian polacca brig belonging to the same owners as one of the slave vessels we had already examined. But though not fitted for slaves, she brought from Bahia that sort of cargo generally used in the purchase of them.

[Sidenote: Jan. 16.]

On arriving off Quitta, we found the _Dos Amigos_, whose Captain had been kind in lending his canoes to get off our fresh provisions, and before our arrival accommodated the officers and stewards with beds.

The only return we could make for his courtesy would be to capture him when he had embarked his slaves.

We found here a Portuguese who called himself “John Thomson,” speaking English, ready to give any information respecting slave vessels. Having given him full directions and a promise, hoisted boats in and stood out to sea as if going off the coast, and then proceeded off Little Popoe to watch the movements of the _Dulcinea_.

On the afternoon of the appointed day we were all anxiety. The weather was hazy, but we kept well in the offing, and at 5 P.M. bore up for the land.

Just at sunset observed through the haze a sail to leeward. We made sail, and were closing with chase when dark claimed her.

She being in-shore, we steered such a course as, in our calculation, must have cut her off, but we shortly discovered breakers on the beach, and no sail. _El Liberal_ being the only vessel there, we stood out to sea again in hopes of cutting _Dulcinea_ off to the south-east, as after dark she must have bore up and run along the beach to leeward.

[Sidenote: Jan. 18.]

The following day, at noon, we gave it up, and made sail for Quitta, to see what news my new acquaintance “Mr. Thomson” might have obtained.

[Sidenote: Jan. 19.]

Next day, at noon, when steering towards Quitta, the weather hazy, sail was seen on the weather bow, and we went in chase. We soon discovered her to be a man-of-war brigantine, and it was not, owing to the haze, until after we had pitched a shot somewhere near her that she discovered us, when we exchanged numbers with _Dolphin_; she is the nicest-looking vessel we have seen, and appears in very good order.

She had been about eighteen months in commission, and had captured 16,000 slaves--nine different vessels. But all the officers, with the exception of the clerk-in-charge, and most of the crew had fallen victims to the climate. Every one of her prizes had been taken by falling upon them accidentally.

It took us the remainder of the afternoon to supply _Dolphin_ with provisions. Just as we had finished, a small schooner was running past, and, although we had our heads in the direction to cut her off, she did not seem inclined either to shorten sail or show colours.

I directed a shot to be fired across her bows, which happened to fall within a few yards of her; down came her sails.

It was the Portuguese schooner, _San Igual_, 87 tons, mounting two long nines, carrying 24 men. The master, José Ferreira, with the usual cargo of cloth and tobacco; only thirty-three days from the Havana. She had been boarded by the _Hyacinth_.

_Dolphin_ parted for Prince’s Island and we for Quitta, where we got water, not particularly good.

[Sidenote: Jan. 20.]

In the evening observed the vessels at anchor in Whydah Roads. Whydah was formerly famous for slaves, but owing to the great Fernandez not being so active as he used to be, the slave captains prefer Lagos.

[Sidenote: Jan. 22.]

We found the _Espartante_, a fine Brazilian brig, 250 tons, a crew of 17, mounting two long 12-pounders, belonging to Bahia; the _Julia_, a Portuguese brig, Don Antonio Lavandeira, 94 tons, fitted for the slave trade; and the _Feliceades_, Don José Iguanoda Costa, a fine brig, 176 tons, carrying 18 men, with two 12-pounders. She was flying Portuguese colours, and fitted for slaves.

Finding nothing on which I could lay hands, ran to the limits of my station and commenced working to windward, to try our luck about forty miles off-shore.

[Sidenote: Jan. 26.]

Having got as far as Cape St. Paul’s, went on to Accra, the only civilised place. Sent the pinnace to reconnoitre, and the cutter to Occo, another likely place.

[Sidenote: Jan. 29.]

Arrived off Accra. As it was thirteen miles to the westward of our station, did not anchor. We found no less than eleven vessels at anchor; among them the _Triumphant_, a French corvette, 900 tons, mounting twenty-four long 32-pounders. She could not sail, and was attended by a schooner, looking as nice as paint and putty could make her.

_El Liberal_ brought the account of our having boarded her in Popoe Roads, about two hours after the departure of the _Dulcinea_ with her cargo of slaves.

[Sidenote: Jan. 30.]

The next morning we met the brig _Enterprise_, under Portuguese colours, the largest slaver on the coast. De Souza, her master, is an intelligent, well-educated young Spaniard, whose father is the owner of half the slavers on the coast.

In the evening at Senegal found two vessels, the schooner _Josephine_ and _Diligente_ brig, at anchor off Occo, both ready for embarkation of slaves. We remained invisibly near for two days.

The time allowed for the provisions in the boats having expired, and the time of rendezvous at hand, we were obliged to give it up.

Found the _Diligente_, a fine brig of 174 tons, with her slave deck

## partly laid, water completed. By way of deception the first two

breakers that came to hand (and which are generally tasted by the boarding officer to ascertain if they are filled with fresh water, if for ballast with salt) were found filled with salt, the remainder fresh.

The same attempt at deception was practised by the _Joseph_ schooner.

[Sidenote: Feb. 3.]

Fell in with the _Fortuna_; she was coming to an anchor in man-of-war style off Owye, as we were standing in towards Quitta to pick up the boats.

From the description I had received of the vessel, I knew her the moment we saw her, and went on board to see her Captain, José Antinio Barbozo, being the same man who commanded the large slaver _Velo_ when she fought the _Primrose_ in 1820. He is a handsome, intelligent-looking man, a Biscayan. He bore the marks of the action about him, having but one arm.

The _Fortuna_ is also a very handsome brig, in beautiful order.

Barbozo informed us of the _Saracen’s_ having chased a schooner off Whydah, full of slaves, which, however, got away. The _Fortuna_ observed the _Saracen_ before the slaver, and made a private signal, which enabled her to escape.

Don José was civil. He pressed me to breakfast; offered cigars, etc.

[Sidenote: Feb. 6.]

This being the appointed day for our rendezvous, we had no time to lose. We got there during the night, and at daylight exchanged numbers with _Scout_ and _Saracen_.

[Sidenote: Feb. 7.]

The senior officer not coming in, we parted, but not until _Scout_ had beaten us in a royal breeze on a bowline, she being the same vessel that three years ago we beat in the Mediterranean.

Having more guns than we were likely to use, six of them were sent below, where they were suspended by chains on the lower deck to the midship stanchions, to accelerate speed.

[Sidenote: Feb. 11.]

2 P.M.--A sail reported on weather-bow; breeze light and variable.

It being a likely place, we immediately gave chase, and, by tacking and manœuvring, at sunset we had gained considerably on a fore-and-aft rigged schooner, evidently trying to escape us. We were, however, gaining considerably, but night came on and hid him from our view.

At Quitta we fell in with the _Mansfield_, a Liverpool palm-oil ship. Her master murdered two natives in the Old Calabar river a few months back.

All the trade for palm-oil and ivory is carried on with the natives by means of barter, one merchant supplying the natives with rum, clothes, etc.; not being particular, the rum is frequently watered.

The natives soon detected this, and thought they had equal right to water their oil (forgetting it is more easily discovered), and took alongside the _Mansfield_ two small casks of oil mixed with water.

Of course, when this was discovered, the casks were returned to them with the usual allowance of blows and abuse, which is on all occasions liberally bestowed by skippers and mates on the unfortunate negroes.

Unluckily for the two with the watered oil, brave Captain Lillie came off from the shore, and got on deck from the opposite side of the vessel before the canoe was out of hail, and being indignant that the blacks should have attempted to play off such a trick on him, hailed the canoe to come alongside.

The natives, knowing what they might expect, gave way like devils for the shore. The skipper then discharged a fowling-piece, which, being loaded with small shot, had no effect; he then deliberately loaded a musket, and with one shot killed both poor fellows!

In this part of the world murders are far too often committed with impunity, and complaints are made by the merchants that men-of-war afford trade no protection.

Of course the natives retaliate, and, what with sickness and accidents, our merchant vessels generally lose two-thirds of their crews.

[Sidenote: Feb. 14.]

Arrived in West Bay. Completed water; sailed the following day to join the senior officer off Lagos.

On arriving on the coast station, look-out men are stationed at each masthead, one of the crew and the other a Krooman, with the reward of a doubloon for the one who should first see a sail that proved a prize.

We showed no lights at night; a small hole in the binnacle was all that was allowed the helmsman. We had one of the smartest signalmen I had met, whom I supplied with a glass worthy of him.

A sail to the north being announced, the signalman went aloft and reported a square-rigged vessel before the wind. On deck he expressed his opinion that she was a man-of-war. We expected none from that direction. He judged from the squareness of her yards, and soon described her as an 18 gun sloop. He had counted the cloths in her main topgallant sail; later, when he could see the foreyard above the horizon, he pronounced her as from home. I thought this a rather strong assertion, and inquired: “How the deuce he could tell?”

He drew my attention to three mid-ship cloths of the fore-topsail being discoloured.

“What had that to do with it?”

He explained that the look-out men were young hands, and their stomachs could not stand the difference of motion in a swell.

She proved to be the _Modeste_, 18, commanded by Harry Eyres, just from home.

[Sidenote: Feb. 20.]

Arrived at Lagos, having had but one chase since leaving West Bay, and she proved to be _Fair Rosamond_.

Fell in with senior officer, and from him learned our orders were to return home. What is very provoking, they had been out some six months; I had been promoted December 5, 1837. There was also a letter from the Admiral, desiring me to proceed to Spithead in October of last year!

We found _Scout_, _Dolphin_, and _Pelican_, with whom we remained a day or two, to enable them to write letters for England.

[Sidenote: Feb. 22.]

Parted company, with orders from Popham to join the Commander-in-Chief at Ascension.

Arrived at Accra, and took in stock and other necessaries. We got pretty well filled with parrots, monkeys, tiger-cats, crown birds (a beautiful species of crested stork), and all sorts of curiosities, dead and alive.

Our chief object in calling here was to take leave of our friend Bannerman, whose kindness and attention to the service nothing could exceed.

The Danish Governor, Lieutenant Murck, paid me a visit, and returned our parting salute.

The time between quitting Accra and crossing the “Line” was the only chance we had of picking up a prize. South of the equator, if we found slavers, we were forbidden to capture them.

Although ordered home in October of last year, and now a captain, I had nothing to show for it, and was sent by Commander Brunswick Popham to join the Commander-in-Chief at Ascension, in case he might have letters for England.

We had toiled much and caught nothing, and were approaching the equator, on the south of which slavers were free. On going below, I thought how nice it would be if we could finish our commission by the capture of one.

I was awoke just before daylight by the officer of the watch announcing something to leeward. Followed him on deck with my Dollond, and took up a position on the forecastle.

There could be no mistake--the rake of her masts, the small peak to her boom mainsail, the perfect set of her sails.

We had made all sail in chase, and were gaining on her. Ordered an officer and prize crew to be ready. At eight bells we had risen the foot of mainsail. She altered course, which was in our favour.

The wind fell. With fire-engine and fire-buckets passed up, wetted our well-worn sails. She moved slowly, with occasional airs; so did we.

Night fell calm and dark. Ten o’clock, out boats, and sent them in chase, with water and steering compasses.

At 11.10 moon rose, bringing a light breeze. Our brig, being light, skimmed over the water, as did our chase. Having to hoist in boats, although we kept in sight all the next day, we lost our chance.

[Sidenote: Mar. 12.]

Called at Prince’s Island, watered ship, and took leave of Madame Ferraz.

[Sidenote: Mar. 29.]

Came to off Ascension. Found _Fair Rosamond_ and _Raven_.

[Sidenote: April 1.]

Arrived _Thalia_, with flag of Rear-Admiral Sir Patrick Campbell, who, after receiving our Kroomen, ordered us home.

It appeared to me that while cruisers are not allowed by treaties with Spain and Portugal to capture vessels fitted for the slave trade without slaves on board, we did more harm than good. Along the coast negroes are brought from the interior and confined in pens, and, when closely watched by our cruisers, are frequently starved to death.

If a slaver is captured with slaves on board, the price rises on the other side of the Atlantic, which is immediately followed by an increase in the number of vessels that come out. Some of these vessels are owned by the sons of wealthy Spaniards, who purchase American clippers, easily fitted as slavers, who come to the coast of Africa as much on pleasure as business.

The little Spanish I picked up at Barcelona enabled me to converse freely with these agreeable young roués, who, if they did not carry slaves, easily kept our cruisers employed by drawing their attention from the coast to chase these yacht-like slavers. They found matches in our fifteen cruisers.

[Sidenote: May 20.]

Arrived at Portsmouth.

[Sidenote: May 21.]

_Childers_ inspected by Captain Dundas of _Britannia_.

[Sidenote: May 26.]

Visited by Rear-Admiral Superintendent the Hon. Duncombe Bouverie. Ship paid off.

On _Childers_ going into dock, it was discovered that seven feet of her false keel was partly athwart ships, which accounts for the escape of several loaded slavers. I _thought_ she sailed better on one tack than on the other.

##