gun of the Nemesis would have made the walls tremble,
and the defenders hide themselves .
The Nemesis was uncertain whether her reception
would be friendly or otherwise. But she needed assist
ance, and was determined to obtain all she wanted by
friendly civility, if possible ; but at any rate she would
not be denied. Slowly she passed up beyond the fort,
to explore the river, and great was the surprise of all
the lookers-on, to see her move so easily through water
so shallow that they thought it could scarcely float one
of their smallest slavers. The effect of this was advan
tageous. They had little dreamed that so large a vessel
could, if necessary , pursue even the boats of the slavers
into their most secret haunts, drawing, as she then did ,
even less than five feet water, all her fuel being ex
pended .
As she again descended and approached the fort,
there was evidently some excitement, as if they doubted
DOUBTS AND FEARS. 65
what would happen next. There was no disposition on
the part of the Portuguese to act on the offensive, but
they had all the appearance of being willing, however
little able, successfully to defend themselves. And here
occurred a trifling accident, which might have led to
very serious consequences. The Nemesis was prepared
to fire a salute, intending to unfurl the flag of Portugal
at the moment the first gun was fired . Unfortunately,
however, the flag, instead of throwing itself out when
pulled by the halliards, after being hoisted, stuck fast :
the gun was fired, but no flag appeared. This was an
awkward mistake at the moment, but was speedily
remedied, and thus the friendly intentions of the Ne
mesis were properly developed, and the salute of honour
very gladly received, and answered by the defenders of
the fort, instead of the crash of hostility.
An aide-de-camp soon came on board from the
governor of the fort, to inquire whence the vessel came,
and what her object might be in visiting such an
unfrequented place. This redoubtable man of arms was
dressed in all his best finery, but did not seem quite at
ease upon the ship's deck, until he had been fully assured
of the intentions of the vessel, by the aid of a large glass
of good wine, which seemed entirely to satisfy his curi
osity. At all events, it was the only mode of commu
nication, as neither he nor any one on board could make
each other understood in words.
On the same day, the captain and some of the officers
of the Nemesis went on shore, to pay their respects to
his Excellency, who affected to be exceedingly glad to
see them , and showed them all possible civility and
VOL . I. F
66 THE SLAVE -TRADE .
attention. This was, no doubt, politic on his part, for
he had every reason to believe that the Nemesis was a
man - of-war, and he also well knew that, had she been
so, it would have been a difficult matter for him to
exculpate himself from the charge of openly aiding and
abetting the slave-trade, which was at that very moment
being carried on under his own eyes, and within reach of
his own guns. It was, moreover, sanctioned by the very
flag flying at the peak of the slavers. Yet the same flag
was hoisted on the fort itself, under the stipulations of a
treaty, by which its exertions were to be used to prevent
the continuance of the horrid traffic in the river. A
slaver was ,
in fact, lying in the river not far from the fort,
and, as the steamer was passing up, it was easily observed
that the crew were deserting her, and trying to make
good their escape, leaving their craft at the mercy of aa
single boat's crew. But the Nemesis was not a man-of
war, and had no right to capture her ; and it was,, there
fore, more politic not to seem to notice, in the first in
stance, what was very apparent to all . For this reason,
nothing was said to the governor upon the subject,
more particularly as the Nemesis required great and
willing assistance during the short time she had to
remain .
For some time, there was a difficulty in communica
ting with the governor at all, no one knowing the lan
guage ; but at length a Parsee merchant was sent for,
who could speak Hindostanee as well as Portuguese,
and as there was also a man on board who could speak
Hindostanee, a regular cross-fire conversation was thus
maintained , in a roundabout manner. The Parsee had
DELAGOA BAY . 67
an opportunity also of raising himself in the opinion of
the other residents, by declaring that, “ As to steamers,
they were nothing new or wonderful to him ; he, for
sooth, had seen something of the world, and, above all,
had seen plenty of steamers at Bombay.” Doubtless, he
henceforth became the oracle of the village. One would
hardly have expected to find aa Parsee merchant settled
in such a remote and unhealthy spot as Delagoa Bay,
under the Portuguese government. But where will not
the “ auri sacra fames” tempt mankind to court the
smile of Fortune, even with the grin of pestilence and
death before them ?
To aa traveller in the far east, it has often appeared ,
“ a thing hard to be understood,” that countries which
abound in the most luxuriant vegetation and the richest
soil are rendered almost inaccessible, from the deadly
poisons which, at certain seasons, infect their atmo
sphere. Yet the black man lives and thrives in the very
midst of that which only tempts the white man to
destruction. “ By the sweat of his brow shall man live, "
and where nature scarcely needs man's labour to entice
her into luxury and richness, there shall the white man
scarcely dare to sojourn. Such is Delagoa Bay. As a
settlement it is of very little use to the Portuguese, of
whom very few reside there , and without the stain of
slavery it could scarcely linger on. There is, however,
a limited trade in ivory and gold-dust, and the coast is
frequented by whalers, particularly Americans, who
come into the settlement for supplies. The narrative
of Captain Owen’s survey on the coast gives a melan
choly picture of the deadly nature of the climate, which
F 2
68 A SLAVER .
very few , either of his officers or his men, were fortu
nate enough to survive.
The fact of a slaver lying under the guns of the fort,
and other little evidences that the governor was very
backward in carrying out the instructions he had re
ceived respecting the slave- trade, went hard with him
afterwards. This case was mentioned to the governor
of Mozambique, under whose jurisdiction Delagoa Bay
is placed, and by whom the deputy-governor is appointed .
It will hereafter be seen that he was, at all events, sin
cere and energetic in his efforts to stop the trade. He
became excessively angry when the circumstances were
stated to him, and declared that it was in violation of
his most strict and positive orders, and instantly
directed that the deputy-governor should be removed
from his post .
The slaver, which was a fine Portuguese brig, was
subsequently visited by some of the officers of the Ne
mesis, and found to be regularly fitted out for the trade,
the planks for the slave -deck being all ready, with boilers
for their food, and shackles, &c . Her masts and spars
were large, and of excellent stuff, and advantage was
soon taken of this circumstance to procure some neces
sary materials for the repairs.
It appeared that there were some excellent timbers
lying on the beach, which had probably belonged to
some large ship wrecked in the neighbourhood. They
were precisely such as would best suit the wants of our
vessel ; and, as it was stated that they belonged to a Por
tuguese merchant in the town, inquiry was at once made
about the purchase of them. Various excuses, however,
A SLAVE - TRADER . 69
were made, and unnecessary difficulty suggested. It
was evident that there was a " screw loose ” somewhere
or other, or else that they wished to impose an exorbi
tant price for them . But the Nemesis could not dis
pense with them, as they were strong and perfectly well
seasoned. A message was, therefore, immediately sent,
declaring that if the timbers were not given up at a fair
valuation, within twenty minutes, the captain of the
Nemesis “ would go on board the slaver with his men,
and take the masts and spars out of her, and as they
appeared to be exceedingly good ones, they would an
swer her purpose rather better."
No talisman could have acted more instantaneously
than this well-timed threat, which, moreover, would cer
tainly have been put in execution. The whole commu
nity, from the governor downwards, were more or less
interested in the affair ; the report rapidly reached the
master of the slaver ; his alarm was natural enough, and
his reasons for urging the immediate surrender of the
timbers sufficiently evident. “ Pray give them anything
in the world they want,” said he ; “ let me rather pay
for it a dozen times over, than keep that strange-looking
ship here. She will ruin us altogether ; we must get
rid of her in any way we can ; give her, by all means,
every thing she wants, and let her be off, for mercy
sake."
Long before the twenty minutes had expired, the
timbers were given up, and that too with such alacrity,
that you might almost fancy they really were glad to
give you the utmost assistance they could . The governor
himself, on the following day, the 29th of July, sent a
present of some vegetables and ivory on board, and
70 ENGLISH RIVER .
afterwards came in person to look at the ship, and was,
to all appearance, so pleased with his reception, and
doubtless so well impressed with the appearance of the
vessel, that he staid to dinner with the officers, and did
his best to show himself a good fellow .
So far all went on smoothly enough ; and as every pre
paration had by this time been completed for commen
cing the repairs of the ship, the few remaining coals
taken out of her, the guns put into boats alongside,
and all the materials in readiness, the Nemesis was, on
the following day, hauled alongside the spot fixed upon
as the most eligible for the purpose required.
It may here be observed that the so-called “ English
River,” which empties itself into the sea at Delagoa Bay,
is in reality the estuary of three rivers, called the Temby,
the Dundas, and the Mattoll. But they are none of
them of much importance, considered separately, having
their sources at scarcely more than a good day's journey
from the entrance, and forming rather the drains of a
rich alluvial country, than the outlets of the super
abundant waters of distant tiers of mountains. They
run into the English River at the distance of little more
than five miles above the fort. Their shores are generally
bordered by an extensive muddy flat, gradually rising
towards higher land , covered with large bushes, but
which can hardly be said to be crowned with luxuriant
woods. Nothing can be imagined more calculated, under
a tropical sun, to produce the most deadly pestilence.
No wonder that those who have endeavoured to trace up
these rivers, for even a short distance, have so commonly
fallen victims to their enthusiasm .
The entrance to English River, from its breadth and
NATIVE TRIBES . 71
general appearance, leads you to imagine it of greater
importance than it really is. Yet it is not without
something of a picturesque character; the sand hills
covered with calabash trees, and the aspect of the
village and Portuguese Fort, tottering though it be,
all present a refreshing picture, when first viewed, after
a long and dangerous voyage .
The neighbouring country is divided among different
tribes, who are frequently at war with each other, and
over whom the Portuguese have very little control.
Their own factory, or fort, is situated on the north
side of the river, in the country of Mafoomo. But the
most warlike and troublesome of all the tribes are the
so called Hollontontes, living some distance to the
southward, and resembling, or indeed probably a branch
of, the Zooloo Caffirs, of whom we have lately heard so
much in connection with the unfortunate Dutch emi
grant-farmers at Port Natal. These Hollontontes (pro
bably a corruption from Hottentots) have, on more than
one occasion, made themselves. formidable, even to the
Portuguese themselves.
All the tribes on this coast are known to be both
treacherous and thievish ; and it was, therefore, not
without reason that a request was made to the Por
tuguese governor, by the captain of the Nemesis, that
patrols should be placed at some distance round the
spot where the vessel was to be repaired, with orders
neither to permit any of the natives to approach the
ship, nor any of the people of the ship to stray beyond
the line. This answered the double purpose of pro
tection from robbery, and of preventing drunkenness and
9
72 PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS .
quarrelling, owing to the use of the deleterious spirit of
the country, from which it would have been otherwise
difficult to restrain the men .In this respect, the
governor behaved with great consideration, and the
guards placed round the Nemesis were found to be of
very great service. To stimulate further the exertions
of the men to complete the necessary work as expe
ditiously as possible, they were promised double pay,
upon good behaviour, as long as they should be em
ployed in the laborious and unremitting work of
completing the essential repairs. On the 31st, she
was hauled on shore on the fine sandy beach near the
fort, and, in fact, within range of its guns.
It was on this day that a remarkable phenomenon
occurred, which is here worth mentioning ; the more
particularly as it was followed at night and during the
subsequent day by a very heavy gale of wind, whose
approach it might, in a manner, be said to have indi
cated. This was, in fact, the seventh great plague of
Egypt, the plague of locusts, which filled the atmo
sphere in myriads, as far as the eye could reach on every
side ; and indeed much further, for, during the time
it lasted, the very sky was darkened, and the whole air
was filled with a sound as of “ a mighty rushing wind,”
by the flapping of their wings. You could scarcely
open either your eyes or your mouth, without fear of
being blinded or choked by them. It became, in fact,
a living pestilence, “ which covered the whole face of
It will be remembered that the plagues were, frogs; dust turned to
lice ; swarms of flies; the murrain of beasts ; the plague of boils and
blanes ; the plague of hail, of locusts, and of darkness.
PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS . 73
the earth, so that the land was darkened ; they filled
all the houses, and all the houses of the servants, and
all the houses of the Egyptians [ Portuguese] ; very
grievous were they ; and they did eat every herb of the
land, and all the fruit of the trees ; and there remained
not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the
field through all the land.”— (Exodus, chap. x.)
Fortunately, the visitation did not, in the present
instance, last quite long enough to commit such ex
tensive destruction, but it was nevertheless a source of
great alarm and inconvenience. In some parts of China,
also, the swarms of locusts occasionally produce a great
deal of mischief, and are very naturally dreaded, both by
the people and the government. But those visitations
are not so severe as this was, during the short time it
lasted .
In the account given of the Egyptian plague, it is
לל
stated “ that the locusts were brought by an east wind ,
and were carried away “ by a mighty strong west wind.”
I was curious to ascertain whether there was any thing
worth noting in relation to the state of the wind at Dela
goa Bay when the locusts appeared, and when they were
carried away again. On referring to the ship's log, I
find that the day preceding the appearance of the locusts
was one of perfect calm ; but the morning of the day
on which they came was ushered in by a north -east
wind, which lasted until the evening, when it changed
round to precisely the opposite quarter, namely, to the
south -west, and increased on the following day to a
strong gale from the same quarter, which carried away
all the locusts. Subsequently, it again veered round to
74 FEAST OF LOCUSTS .
the north -east, and continued so for several days, but
brought no more locusts .
Large quantities of locusts were collected by the
natives for food ; and it was a very curious sight, for
two or three days afterwards, to watch the different
groupes of black men, as nearly naked as possible,
crowding round their fires, with all the eagerness of
hunger, and all the longing of an epicure, to enjoy a
feast of locusts. They stripped off the wings and legs,
and having slightly roasted or grilled them, appeared to
find them a capital luxury, even not unworthy of the
dance and song with which they accompanied their
repast.
THE ACCIDENT . 75
CHAPTER V.
Repairs commenced - Description of the accident - Plans — Mode in
which a recurrence of it is prevented Description of the repairs -
Completed in twelve days — Curiosity of the Native Chiefs at Delagoa
Bay — Annual visit to the Governor— Trading speculations in slaves
and ivory - Bad feeling between the natives and the Portuguese
Horrible tale of cruelty — Natives flogged to death — A Chief with
seven hundred men visits the settlement - Curious costumes - Native
war -dance —Violent excitement and gestures
-
- A warrior's speech -
Passions of the savage - Tattooing the face - Savage tortures — Cutting
the hair into ornaments — Native Chief and his Wife on board the
Nemesis - Great preparations— The King's fool — Plays the Pan-pipes
-Description of the Queen - African standard of Beauty - Mass of
iron a mine of wealth — Present of the King's arms.
a
No time was now lost in commencing the repairs of
which the steamer stood so much in need. Even at the
risk of being tedious, some explanation is necessary .
It will be remembered, that the structure of the ship's
side has been elsewhere described , and that the angle
irons are, in fact, the ship’s ribs. The split amidships
had taken place in the middle of the iron plate, between
the two angle- irons immediately before the after sponson
beam . It extended downwards full seven feet from
the deck on either side the vessel ; and, as the dis
tance from the deck to the water-line, with a moderate
draught of water, is only from three feet four inches to
three feet six inches, it must have extended under water
for about the same distance as it did above. But the
76 THE ACCIDENT DESCRIBED .
whole semi-circumference of the vessel's hull is only
about twenty-three feet and a half. Therefore, as the
crack was full seven feet in length on each side of the
ship, there only remained sixteen feet on each side of
the ship’s hull, or about two-thirds in all, not separated
in two. During the night of her greatest danger, be
fore reaching Delagoa Bay, the broken portion of the
vessel was principally held together by the long iron
bars or bolts, which had been run through the angle
irons from one to the other, assisted by stout spars and
planks, nailed on upon the top of the deck, and fastened
through into the paddle-beams.
Before this strengthening process had been resorted
to, there had been strong symptoms of a disposition to
open in the deck. The ends of the planks began to
start, and there is reason to believe that, if the several
attempts made to hold the vessel together, as above
described, had not been ably and rapidly carried into
effect, even during a gale of wind, the vessel would have
completely separated, and the Nemesis would never
have been heard of more.
In other iron vessels more recently constructed by
the same builder, Mr. Laird, of Birkenhead, near Liver
pool, it is satisfactory to know that full provision has
been made against the recurrence of any similar acci
dents. The Phlegethon, which was afterwards built
upon the same model, has been constructed in such a
manner, by the addition of bulk-heads, &c. , that not
only could there be no apprehension of the accident,
but an almost impossibility of its recurrence. The
accompanying wood-cut will explain the improvement.
IMPROVED IRON STEAMERS. 77
TRANSVERSE SECTION AT THE ENGINE-ROOM OF H. E. I. COMPANY'S IRON
STEAM VESSEL PHLEGETHON .
Shewing the method of giving additional strength by originally
building-in the coal- box bulkheads as part of the vessel.
F
D
A H
C O
B
A
А Keel. F Covering board, 18 ft. by 4 in .
B Floorings. G Longitudinal iron bulkheads, built into the
C Keelsons . vessel , forming the sides of the coal-boxes.
D Deck beams (iron .) H Augle-iron stay-beam between .
E Deck. I Side frameand coal-box bulkhead .
N.B. These bulkheads appear to have remedied the weakness complained of in the Nemesis,
as the Phlegethon is reported, after nearly three years' bard service (including the passage
round the Cape, when she experienced very bad weather), in as good order as when she left
England, never having required any alteration or strengthening.
The first thing now to be done was evidently to
remove the broken iron plates, and to rivet in new ones
in their place. This was accordingly done, with the
exception of the bottom one, which was allowed to
remain inside, a new one being riveted over it on the
outside. (See plan at page 79.) In order to provide
for additional strengthening of the vessel inside, the
large timbers, which had been purchased, were made
use of as being exactly adapted for the purpose. Three
of these were placed across the angle- irons against the
side of the vessel, the longest and stoutest, which was
twenty -three feet in length, one foot broad, and six
inches thick, being placed highest up, about two to
three feet below the deck. This was secured in its
place by bolts, each a foot long, which were run through
78 REPAIRS OF THE NEMESIS .
the ship's side, one at the centre of the space between
each of the angle- irons. As there would, however, be
a space left between the face of the beam and the side
of the vessel, except at those points where it rested
upon the angle-irons, this interval was filled up with
well-seasoned red pine, which added very much to the
solidity of the contrivance. To “ make assurance
doubly sure,” two other beams, of the same depth and
thickness, but not of the same length, and secured in a
similar manner, were also employed. By this means , it
is very evident that the ship was made a vast deal
stronger than she ever was before, though not a bit
stronger than was proper for her size and shape. The
whole length of the new plates put in the ship's sides
was eight feet two inches ; and so effectually was the
work done, that the whole of it remained perfect,
stringers and all, at the end of two years and a half of
severe and uninterrupted service.
These contrivances added very little to the weight of
the vessel, and gave it very great support in the weakest
part, and just where it was most required, to enable her
to carry coals on deck, &c. It should here be observed,
that the cracks had taken place within the coal-bunkers,
and that two only of the deck angle-irons, which connect
the gunwale and the deck, had given way. With the
object of still further strengthening the vessel upon deck,
two other stout timbers, twenty -five feet long, were pre
pared as “ water-ways, ” and were fastened through upon
the deck, just along the inside of each paddle-box. They
were bolted into the sponson -beams, and were calculated
to add materially to the midship strength of the vessel .
64
SHOWING
PLAN
OF
SIDE
NEMESIS
THE
REPAIRED
ANI STRINGEND
VIEW
OF,
THE
ERS
SH
STRENGTHENE D.
STRINGERS
BY ALSO
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THE
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M
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REPAIRS OF THE NEMESIS .
TR
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DMIT
The
old
A.
plate
cnt
away
between
angle
the Kuee.
D
iron.
frames Deck
angle
ironE.-
Part
of
the
old
plateB
left
remaining
inside frames
sideF-.
iron
Angle
the Coal
bulkhead
box
augleG.-
iron beam
Deck
ofI
iron.
new
StringerCs61,
the
ft.
.;
in
by Paddle
beam
wood
by
of
21
15.
in
H. Flat
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of
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space under
between
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Diagonal
N by
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Covering
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L4,
made
stanchion
Waist
M.
solid
with.
wood stringers.
EndsC.
the
of
Stringers
Stringers
through
secured
driven
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seven
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N.B.
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irons
each
two
all
80 REPAIRS OF THE NEMESIS .
Various other minor repairs were also made while so
favourable an opportunity offered ; in short, a general
refit was bestowed upon her.
Numerous large barnacles were again found adhering
to the ship's bottom, which required some labour to re
move. But, in spite of all the toil and fatigue requisite
in such a climate, the recruited Nemesis was ready to be
hauled off shore again, and launched into her befitting
element, in the short space of twelve days. She was
now, in all respects, a stronger vessel than when she
originally started upon her voyage. It may be readily
supposed that the utmost exertions had been used ; and
it is highly creditable to all the parties concerned, that
the work was performed with so much expedition and
efficiency, and entirely by the people belonging to the
ship.
During all this period, the Nemesis had been an object
of great curiosity to the native Africans, as well as to
the Portuguese settlers. The chiefs of some of the
tribes were occasionally allowed to look at the vessel,
and, naturally enough, expressed the greatest possible
astonishment at what they saw . It happened to be just
the time of year when the king of one of the tribes most
friendly to the Portuguese (probably, as it appeared ,
because they have large dealings together in slaves)
usually came down from his own country, about thirty
miles distant, to pay his annual visit to the Portuguese
governor. On these occasions, there is a vast attempt
on both sides to appear very friendly to each other, with
precisely that degree of sincerity which, as a minimum,
is indispensable to the advantageous barter of slaves and
NATIVE TRIBES . 81
ivory for iron and spirits, or occasionally gold -dust for
various trifling articles, which in the eyes of a savage
possess inestimable value.
Alas ! the black man sells his fellow -man for IRON
with which to shape his spear or point his lance ! the
white man sells his fellow -man for Gold, and bribes his
conscience by the calculation of his gain !
There appears, in general, to be very little good-feel
ing existing between the native tribes and the Portu
guese. The former look upon the latter with some
degree of dread, arising from the injuries which they
have at various times received at their hands ; and the
latter regard the former merely as degraded savages, fit
for little else than the speculations of the slave -trade.
On both sides there is a degree of mistrust, arising from
the debasing tendency which such a traffic necessarily
exercises upon all concerned in it . In Captain Owen's
narrative, an instance is related of the most savage cru
elty, exercised by Portuguese Christians upon a few un
armed and oppressed natives who fell into their hands,
which it is impossible to read without shuddering. Up
wards of aa dozen of the natives, who had been reduced
to destitution and misery by the ravages of the Hollon
tontes, took refuge (as they thought) in the neighbourhood
of the Portuguese fort. They were immediately arrested
upon suspicion of having robbed the governor's garden,
although it was known that the Hollontontes, from whom
they had themselves suffered, had also committed all
kinds of depredations in the neighbourhood. The de
tails of the mode in which these poor creatures were
tortured , (this occurred in 1822 or 23 ) and literally
VOL . I. G
82 NATIVE CHIEF .
flogged to death with a thong of bullock-hide, and tor
tured with thorny bushes all the time if they chanced
to faint, and other atrocities, too heart-rending to be
here repeated, are such as it is impossible to read with
out feeling that terrible indeed must be the black man's
vengeance, if he once should have the opportunity of
exercising it.
On the present occasion, the native chief who came
to do honour to the governor was a decrepid old man ,
nearly seventy years of age, attended by about seven
hundred or eight hundred of his most doughty warriors,
partially clothed in skins, and ornamented with ostrich
feathers stuck in their heads. He himself, as being a
very great man, was clothed in a loose sort of dressing
gown, with a red nightcap on his head, a present from
the governor himself. In his own estimation , he was
doubtless the perfection of a prince, and his men the
very models of warriors ; but, in the opinion of every
one else, the whole group were excessively fantastical
X and ridiculous. Every man had three spears of different
sizes, probably to be thrown at different distances, to
gether with a stout club and shield ; and in the use of
these weapons they exhibited great dexterity.
The governor had invited the officers of the ship to
go and witness the performance of their war-dance,
which was, in reality, as savage an exhibition as it was
possible to conceive. They divided themselves into two
bodies, one on each side of the square before the gover
nor's house. Upon a signal being given among them
selves, seven or eight of them rushed out from either
side, spear in hand, with that peculiar and active step
A WAR DANCE . 83
which distinguishes the savage, in the north as well as
south of Africa. Judging from the apparent earnestness
of their manner, and the threatening of their gestures,
you would imagine that they were intently bent upon
instantaneous and mutual destruction . They seemed to
work themselves up into a real fit of mad fury ; and,
just at the very moment when you thought that nothing
could prevent a ferocious onslaught upon each other,
down fell the points of their spears to the ground, as if
in mock derision of each other. Away they now ran in
full retreat, stooping and holding their shields behind
their backs, as if to ward off the expected flight of
arrows or spears of their enemies, to whom but a mo
ment before they had presented so bold aa front. The spec
tators all the while kept up a tremendous savage howl,
like that of angry beasts, which they themselves dignify
by the name of song. When the belligerent parties had
retreated as precipitately as their legs could carry them,
the heavy clubs were seized by some of the bystanders ;
and with these they beat the ground, as if to pound
the last remnant of their wounded enemies to death.
The old chief, or generalissimo, soon made his way
up to the governor's house, attended by some of his rela
tives, where they were all treated with a glass of grog
each . Hereupon, of course , a speech was requisite, in
accordance with the practice of more civilized com
munities. One of these ferocious warriors stood up in
the doorway, and delivered himself, with great satisfac
tion to his own mind, and very little intelligibility to
any body else, of a very luminous and probably highly
patriotic harangue.
G 2
84 A CAROUSE .
As evening advanced, the rest of the attendants were
also called upon to drink the governor's health, out of a
large tubfull of rum ; and, in order to ensure fair play,
a corporal stood by with a stout cane in his hand, with
which he most courageously belaboured all those who
shewed an uncivilized disposition for helping themselves
to more than their share. But the passions of the
savage are not so easily to be subdued ; and, if the mere
sight and smell of the liquor had warmed them up into
something like a quarrelsome mood, what was to be
expected from the actual taste and fire of it ? Words
ran high, and all the threatening gestures of the excited
savage promised even bloodshed ; until, at length, the
corporal's stick being insufficient to allay the disturb
ance, he very quietly upset the whole remaining contents
of the tub, and soon dispersed the mighty men of war,
in apparent reconciliation.
The negro tribes of these parts adopt the practice of
tattooing their faces, but not in that peculiarly neat and
regular manner for which the New Zealanders are dis
tinguished. It is here more like aa rude system of notch
ing the skin, as if done rather to show how manfully
they can endure pain, than as a mere ornamental art.
It is wonderful to think of the numerous cruel con
trivances which are invented by savage tribes, and prac
tised by none so extensively as by some of the North
American Indians, to test the fortitude of the young
aspirant for distinction, and to try what appalling cru
elties the human frame can bear, and bear them wil
lingly, without sinking under the protracted torture.
A more sensible practice among some of the tribes
SAVAGE HEAD-GEAR. 85
about Delagoa Bay is that of shaving a large portion of
the thick wool off their heads, tending greatly to clean
liness in a tropical country. Occasionally it is trimmed
into some fanciful shape, like the old yew-trees in some
of our English villages, which stand forth as curious
specimens of nature improved ; while, again, the na
tives on some parts of the Madagascar coast, generally
stout, athletic men, divide their hair into little tufts all
over the head, each of which is frequently tied round
the roots, and thus made to stand out on all sides in
little knobs, giving a very savage appearance to the
head, more particularly when they are seen working
side by side, as I have often witnessed at the Mauritius,
with close-shaved Indian or Chinese labourers .
As the king above-mentioned and his followers had
come from a considerable distance, and were reported
to possess great influence among their neighbours, it
was thought a good opportunity both to impress them
with aa knowledge of our power, and to conciliate them
by a shew of our good -nature. There was the more
reason for this, in consequence of pretty certain evidence
having been obtained that the crew of an American
trading- vessel, which had been wrecked on the coast not
long before, had been most barbarously treated by the
tribe into whose hands they fell. As such a misfortune
might again happen , it was thought a good opportunity
to make an impression upon the native tribes, which was
sure to be communicated from one to the other, by means
of the old king and his adherents. Accordingly, the
old man (who was called Appelli by the Portuguese)
was one day invited to go on board the Nemesis, with
86 A ROYAL VISIT.
one or two of his attendants. The vessel had by this
time been got nearly ready for sea, and on this occasion,
in order to produce greater effect upon all the lookers
on, was dressed out with her flags, and, being newly
painted, presented a very gay appearance.
Towards noon, preparations were observed to be
going on , for the embarkation of the veteran chief. His
attendants were all drawn up in line, and appeared to
treat him with the utmost respect and deference ; which
rather bore out the idea that he belonged to an influen
tial race . A Portuguese merchant accompanied him to
the ship as interpreter, and, rather unexpectedly, several
women also came off with him, dressed in showy colours,
and impelled perhaps as much by the flattering thought
that they would quite astonish the white man , as by the
mere feeling of curiosity about what they could scarcely
be expected to comprehend.
The moment the king put his foot upon the deck , the
single fife and drum which was on board set up 66 God
save the king !" with highly musical effect ; at all events,
the old man appeared to think so, being evidently well
pleased both with the tune and the attention. After
this, a particularly ugly, repulsive-looking fellow , who
turned out to be the king's fool, and appeared to have
grown no wiser as he grew older, though as old as the
king himself, set up a most discordant note of admira
tion, upon three reeds which he held in his hand, some
thing after the manner of pan-pipes. At intervals he
treated you to a sort of explanatory text of his own, in
the shape of a few uncouth words, yelled out in a manner
particularly edifying to all except those in whose honour
A ROYAL VISIT . 87
it is supposed they were especially poured forth. His
appearance was further distinguished by a large uncouth
bag tied under his chin, but for what purpose was not
very evident, unless to contain either his charms or
his tobacco. Perhaps he derived some little private
revenue from the former, in ways best known to himself ;
while with the latter he could at all times soothe and
pacify himself, should he not befool enough, or foolishly
wise enough, to retain his master's favour.
The queen herself had also accompanied her lord
upon this occasion, and exhibited no fear, and certainly
no beauty. The king of aa nation — at all events of the
uncivilized — is supposed to be lord of all, and to be
able to choose his wife where he pleases. His majesty on
this occasion must have had a very peculiar taste, or
else their standard of beauty must be very original.
Picture to yourself a young sable queen , a capital ca
ricature of one of the Egyptian statues in black marble,
plump and shiny as her prototype, only less expres
sive. Then invest her in your imagination with sundry
huge scars about her cheek and nose ; not those deli
cate lines and graceful curves which decorate the upper
lip of royalty among New Zealand tribes, but regular
lumps, squeezed up and dried, as it were, into large
warts, particularly about the nose, as if a race of gigantic
musquitoes had held aa feast there !
However, to do justice to the lady's rank, if not to
her looks, it was thought proper to show her due atten
tion, and, accordingly, a glass of wine was offered to
her, as well as to her lord. The old man, though at
first suspicious, like all half-savages, very gladly swal
88 ASTONISHING THE NATIVES .
lowed it, as soon as one of the officers had tasted it
first. But she, “the young, the proud , the beautiful!"”
-wine was not half good enough for her. But, rum !
that was the nectar for queens - that was the soul
stirring influence which could bend her pride, and warm
her heart to gentleness.
Having by this means warmed the royal hearts to
good humour, the next thing was to bewilder them with
astonishment. This was not difficult. They were re
quested to examine the ship's side, and to assure them
selves that she was made entirely of iron. A loud
Heugh ! was their exclamation. To them it seemed a
boundless mine of wealth, that mass of precious stuff, to
purchase which was all their ambition. They were cal
culating in their own minds how many thousands and
tens of thousands of slaves they would have to procure,
before they could be able to obtain so much of the
valued metal. But, when the engine was shown to
them, with all its polished bars, and massive parts, and
its uses partly explained through the interpreter, their
astonishment knew no bounds. Between surprise and
fear, they were half bewildered, and went away fully
convinced that if the iron machinery could move along
the iron ship through the ocean, it could also destroy
all the tribes of Africa with even greater facility.
Before the chief's departure, great care was taken to
explain to him the barbarous cruelties which had been
X committed upon the shipwrecked seamen, by some of
the tribes on the coast. He declared that he had never
heard of the occurrence, and affected to be very much
horrified at it . He was made to understand that he
A ROYAL PRESENT . 89
was to communicate to all the people of his tribe, as
well as to all others whom he might fall in with, that,
if ever any injury were done to any white men when
driven upon any part of the coast, an iron vessel, even X
more terrible than the one he was then in, would be
sent to punish the people.. On the contrary, if he con
ducted himself peaceably, and treated white men well
on all occasions, he would be considered the friend of
the English, and of all other white men. He was also
to make it publicly known, wherever he went, that
white men were always to be treated kindly when in
distress. This he promised to do, with every appear
ance of sincerity, and upon the whole showed more in
telligence than might have been expected.
In consideration of the king's promises, and in order
the more fully to gain his influence, a present was made
to him, the most valuable he could have received
namely, a musket and bayonet, with its accoutrements.
His surprise and delight were beyond all bounds ; he
almost seemed to get young again with pleasure, as he
grasped the precious weapon in his hands. On leaving
the vessel, he insisted on shaking bands with almost
every one on board.
On the following day, he returned again to the ship
in high glee, bringing with him his own spear and shield,
with other implements of war and of the chase . He
then laid them at the captain's feet, as the most valuable
presents he could offer to a “ faithful ally.”
90
DISTRESSED SEAMEN .
CHAPTER VI.
Story of distressed seamen on the Coast of Africa — American schooner
wrecked - Pestilence among the crew - Attempt to reach Delagoa Bay
by land - Joined by natives — Treachery - Quarrel - A white man
killed — Two savages killed — Cannibalism — Roasting the captain -
Horrible situation - Escape of the survivor -
- Hides himself in the
bush — Is discovered - Natives promise to eat him for supper — Give
him food to keep him alive, supposed to be human flesh Escapes by