Tuesday, 12.—­At five this morning, we came to an anchor.  The weather had been squally during the night, and at daylight the wind increased; the squalls becoming more frequent and heavy, with continued thunder and lightning; and so heavy a swell, that if we had not taken in the boat from the stern, she would have been washed away.  At daylight, we discovered that Tom Shot’s Point bore N.E. by N. six or seven miles.

Wednesday, 13.—­At daylight, saw a vessel at anchor, outside of us, which proved to be H.M.S.  North-Star, and immediately after, Lieut.  Mather came on board to examine us.  On that officer’s return, Lieutenant Badgeley and myself went on board the North-Star, to wait on Captain Arabin, who gave us a most friendly reception.  He pressed us to remain and dine, but Lieutenant Badgeley’s anxiety to return to Fernando Po, obliged us to decline an invitation which otherwise would have proved extremely agreeable, and as Captain Arabin had sent his boats up the river (under the command of his first lieutenant) in search of slavers, it superseded the necessity of our going; we therefore got under weigh, and sailed to rejoin Captain Owen.

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[34] “The river Nun, or First Brass River, is the main branch of the
Quorra, from whence you pass (in about two hours) through a creek, in an
easterly direction, into the Second Brass River, which is also a large
branch of the Quorra.”—­Lander, vol. iii. p. 224.  “Brass, properly
speaking, consists of two towns of nearly equal size, containing about a
thousand inhabitants, and built on the borders of a kind of basin, which
is formed by a number of rivulets, entering it from the Niger, through
forests of mangrove bushes.  One of them is under the domination of a
noted scoundrel called King Jacket, who has already been spoken of;
and the other is governed by a rival chief, named King Forday.  These
towns are situated directly opposite to each other, and within the
distance of eighty yards, and are built on a marshy ground, which
occasions the huts to be always wet.”—­Lander, vol. iii. p. 234.

[35] “A place, called Pilot’s Town by Europeans, from the number of pilots that reside in it, is situated nearly at the entrance of the First Brass River (which, we understand, is the Nun River of Europeans), and at the distance of sixty or seventy miles from hence.  This town acknowledges the authority of both kings, having been originally peopled by settlers from each of their towns.”—­Lander, vol. iii. p. 234.

CHAP.  XI.

Reverence for Beards—­Native Shields—­Petty Thefts—­Tornado Season—­ Author departs for Calabar—­Waterspout—­Palm-oil Vessels—­Visit to Duke Ephraim—­Escape of a Schooner with Slaves—­Calabar Sunday—­ Funeral of a Duke’s Brother—­Egbo Laws—­Egbo Assembly—­Extraordinary Mode of recovering Debts—­Superstition and Credulity—­Cruelty of the Calabar People to Slaves—­Royal Slave Dealer—­Royal Monopoly—­Manner of Trading with the Natives—­Want of Missionaries—­Capt.  Owen’s Arrival—­Visit Creek Town with King Eyo—­The Royal Establishment—­ Savage Festivities—­Calabar Cookery—­Old Calabar River