I had scarcely returned with the addition of these witnesses to my list, when I found it necessary to go out again upon the same errand.  This second journey arose in part from the following circumstances.  There was a matter in dispute relative to the mode of obtaining slaves in the rivers of Calabar and Bonny.  It was usual, when the slave-ships lay there, for a number of canoes to go into the inland country.  These went in a fleet.  There might be from thirty to forty armed natives in each of them.  Every canoe also had a four- or a six-pounder (cannon) fastened to her bow.  Equipped in this manner they departed; and they were usually absent from eight to fourteen days.  It was said that they went to fairs, which were held on the banks of these rivers, and at which there was a regular show of slaves.  On their return they usually brought down from eight hundred to a thousand of these for the ships.  These lay at the bottom of the canoes; their arms and legs having been first bound by the ropes of the country.  Now the question was, how the people, thus going up these rivers, obtained their slaves?

It was certainly a very suspicious circumstance, that such a number of persons should go out upon these occasions; and that they should be armed in such a manner.  We presumed therefore, that, though they might buy many of the slaves, whom they brought down, at the fairs, which have been mentioned, they obtained others by violence, as opportunity offered.  This inference we pressed upon our opponents; and called upon them to show what circumstances made such warlike preparations necessary on these excursions.  To this they replied readily.  The people in the canoes, said they, pass through the territories of different petty princes; to each of whom, on entering his territory, they pay a tribute or toll.  This tribute has been long fixed; but attempts frequently have been made to raise it.  They who follow the trade cannot afford to submit to these unreasonable demands; and therefore they arm themselves in case of any determination on the part of these petty princes to enforce them.

This answer we never judged to be satisfactory.  We tried therefore to throw light upon the subject, by inquiring if the natives, who went up on these expeditions, usually took with them as many goods, as would amount to the number of the slaves they were accustomed to bring back with them.  But we could get no direct answer, from any actual knowledge, to this question.  All had seen the canoes go out and return; but no one had seen them loaded, or had been on board them.  It appeared, however, from circumstantial evidence, that, though the natives on these occasions might take some articles of trade with them, it was impossible from appearances, that they could take them in the proportion mentioned.  We maintained then our inference as before; but it was still uniformly denied.