Volume I Part 3 (1/2)
The chief port for this trade is Mogadore, from whence shi+ps not unfrequently sail direct to Liverpool
A singular circumstance was mentioned toto prove the existence of commercial intercourse between the various tribes in the interior, and the inhabitants of the coast at Mogadore on the north-west coast of Africa, and Mooods were recognized in the hands of the Moors at Mogadore which had been sold two years previously to the natives at Moreat extent of territory passed over within these dates, renders this fact so that we did not keep possession of Mombas, which would ere this have enabled us to penetrate into the interior of Africa: we abandoned it, at the very ti to find out the value of our manufactures, especially calicoes and cottons
From the best infor the natives, it seee lake exists in the interior, its banks thickly studded with buildings, and lying nearly due west from Mombas
It was Lieutenant Emery's intention to have visited this lake had he reer at Mombas; the Sultan's son was to have accoe of the country and its custo the natives, must have ensured him success It is to be feared, that so favourable an opportunity for clearing up the doubts and darkness which at present beset geographers in atteain present itself
SAIL FROM TENERIFE
Having conetic observations, and rated the chrono of the 23rd It should be noticed that the results obtained from our observations for the dip of the needle, differed very iven by former observers: the experiments made by Lieutenant Grey in different parts of the island, satisfied us that the variation could not be imputed to merely local causes
As in obedience to our instructions we had to examine and determine the hitherto doubtful position of certain rocks near the Equator, about the ed to take a course that carried us far to the eastward of the Cape de Verd Islands; for this reason we had the North-East trade wind very light; we finally lost it on the 30th, in latitude 13 degrees 0 rees 40 minutes West; it had been for the two previous days scarcely perceptible
The South-East trade reached us on the 8th of August, latitude 3 degrees 30 rees 40of the 10th we crossed the Equator in longitude 22 degrees 0 ers underwent the usual ceremonies in honour of old Father Neptune A close and careful search within the li the non-existence of the rocks therein alluded to: but before we presume to pass any censure upon those who preceded us in the honours of maritime discovery, and the labours of maritime survey, it will be proper to bear in es to which the earth's surface is subject, and that, though our knowledge is but limited of the phenoency, still, in the sudden upheaval and subsidence of Sabrina and Graham Islands, we have sufficient evidence of their vast disturbing power, to warrant the supposition that such ht have been the case with the rocks for which our search proved fruitless Nor are these the only causes thattestiers; the origin of whichthe sea, and causing the appearance of broken water--or to the floating carcass of a whale, by which I have myself been more than once deceived
ARRIVAL AT SAN SALVADOR
A succession of winds between South-South-East and South-East, with the aid of a strong westerly current, soon brought us near the Brazils Weof the 17th, about 15 miles to the north-east of Bahia, and in the afternoon anchored off the town of San Salvador
Though this was neither my first nor second visit to Bahia, I was still not indifferent to the nificent or rather luxuriant tropical scenery which it presents A bank of such verdure as these sun-lit climes alone supply, rose precipitously fro walls of houses and convents half hidden in woods of every tint of green; while here and there the lofty spires of some Christian temple pointed to a yet fairer world, invisible to lorious as is this lower earth, framed by Heaven's beneficence for man's enjoyment, still it is not that home to which the hand of revelation directs the aspirations of our frail humanity
STATE OF THE COUNTRY AT BAHIA
I had last seen Bahia in August, 1836, on the ho but a satisfactory condition; the white population divided a by one bloody and desperate blow to achieve their freedo period: a revolutionary movement was still conteh at the very period they thus judiciously selected for squabbling with one another, they were living in hourly expectation of a rising, en masse, of the blacks That such an insurrection must sooner or later take place--and take place with all thedelayed and coe--no unprejudiced observer can doubt
SLAVE TRADE
That selfish and short-sighted policy which is almost invariably allied with despotism, has led to such constant additions by importation to the number of the slave population, that it now exceeds the white in the ratio of ten to one, while individually the slaves are both physically and in natural capacity enerate hbourhood have a bad eminence in the annals of the Brazilian slave-trade Upwards of fifty, sooes, had been landed there since the Beagle's last visit: nor is the circumstance to be wondered at e bear in mind, that the price of a slave then varied fro in anization, and the rapidly aug slave population of Bahia, all tend to prove that the system of slavery which the Brazilians consider essential to the welfare of their country, operates directly against her real interests The wonderful resources of the Brazils will, however, never be fully developed until the Brazilians resolve to adopt the line of policy suggested in Captain Fitzroy's interesting ree an industrious native population on the one hand, and on the other to declare the slave-trade piratical, are the first necessary steps in thatempire may yet be preserved from premature decay
RESULTS OF SLAVERY
It would, however, be a vain iination, to suppose that this wiser and more humane determination will be spontaneously adopted by thosetraffic Indeed it appears from the best inforilance of our cruizers has comparatively put a stop to the trade on the west coast of Africa--where it has received a great discouragereatly extended on the east Could it but have been foreseen by our Government that their efforts upon the west coast, would in proportion as they were successful, only tend to drive the traders in human flesh to the eastward, it is probable that Mombas would have still been retained under our dominion; for such a possession would have enabled us to exercise an effectual control in that quarter: as it is, it gives additional reason to regret that the place was ever abandoned The horrors of the passage--horrors which no ihten, no pen adequately portray--are by this alteration in the chief seat of the accursed trade mented The poor victims of cruelty and fraud and avarice, in their most repulsive forh, in small vessels of 30 or 40 tons, and thus situated have to encounter the cold and store htful, but the smallness of the vessels employed decreases the risk of the speculators in human flesh, who consider theo out of every five embarked!
MORAL CONDITION OF THE NEGROES
In the oes of slaves are alhbourhood of Bahia: the thousand evils of the vile systearded footstep the fearful hour steals on, when a terrible reckoning of unrestrained revenge will repay all the accus of the past, and write in characters of blood an aarning for the future!
So far as we could learn, no attes of Christianity a those whom they deprive of temporal freedo otten as they relate to his first unalienable right of personal freedom, are not likely to be ree in the sublime sacrifice of atone and weary years, cheered by no other hope than the far distant and oft delusive expectation that a dearly purchased freedos any price can be too costly--will enable him to look once more upon the land of his nativity; and then close his eyes, surrounded by the loved fehom the ties of kindred endear even to his rude nature
It would swell this portion of the work to an unreasonable extent, to give any lengthened details of the working of a syste my readers no two opinions can exist Let it suffice to say, that the Europeans are generally better and less exactingthe latter it is a common practice to send soburdens, pulling in boats, or other laborious eht without the sum thus arbitrarily assessed as the value of their day's work, are severely flogged for their presu our brief stay at Bahia I paid a visit to the grave of poor young Musters, a little Middy in the Beagle during our last voyage, who died here on the 19th May, 1832, froht while away on an excursion up the river Macacu He was a son of Lord Byron's Mary, and a great favourite with all on board Poor boy! no stone n shore, but the long grass waves over his hurave, and the tall palhs above it As I paid his memory the tribute due to his many virtues and his early death, I breathed a prayer that the still and placid beauty of the spot where his mortal remains return to their kindred dust, may typify the tranquil happiness of that world of spirits hich his own is now united!
MR ”VERY WELL DICE”
On the afternoon of Friday the 25th, we left the , stood away to the southward and eastward I was much amused by a story of Grey's a day or two after we sailed: it see the shi+p of ”Very well, dice” (a corruption of ”very well, thus”) for a complimentary notice of the man at the heluished hione on deck to see ”Mr Very well Dice:” finding a different helmsman each time, completely confounded him; and when I explained the h at the mistake!
CHAPTER 13 FROM THE CAPE TO SWAN RIVER
A gale
Anchor in Simon's Bay
HMS Thalia
Captain Harris, and his Adventures in Southern Africa
Proceedings of the Land Party
Leave Simon's Bay
An overloaded shi+p