Captain Canot | Page 5

advance, on a lofty table land, by Ahmah-de-Bellah--Psalm of joy song by the Fullahs for our safety--We reach TIMBO before day--A house has been specially built and furnished for me--Minute care for my taste and comforts--Ahmah-de-Bellah a trump--A fancy dressing-gown and ruffled shirt--I bathe, dress, and am presented to the ALI-MAMI--His inquisitive but cordial reception and recommendation--Portrait of a Fullah king--A breakfast with his wife--My formal reception by the Chiefs of Timbo and SULIMANI-ALI--The ceremonial--Ahmah's speech as to my purposes--Promise of hospitality--My gifts--I design purchasing slaves--scrutiny of the presents--Cantharides--ABDULMOMEN-ALI, a prince and book-man--His edifying discourse on Islamism--My submission 167
CHAP. XXIV.--Site of Timbo and the surrounding country--A ride with the princes--A modest custom of the Fullahs in passing streams--Visit to villages--The inhabitants fly, fearing we are on a slave scout--Appearance of the cultivated lands, gardens, near Findo and Furo--Every body shuns me--A walk through Timbo--A secret expedition--I watch the girls and matrons as they go to the stream to draw water--Their figures, limbs, dress--A splendid headdress--The people of Timbo, their character, occupation, industry, reading--I announce my approaching departure--Slave forays to supply me--A capture of forty-five by Sulimani-Ali--The personal dread of me increases--Abdulmomen and Ahmah-de-Bellah continue their slave hunts by day, and their pious discourses on Islamism by night--I depart--The farewell gifts--two pretty damsels 176
CHAP. XXV.--My home journey--We reach home with a caravan near a thousand strong--Kambia in order--Mami-de-Yong and my clerk--The story and fate of the Ali-Mami's daughter BEELJIE 183
CHAP. XXVI.--Arrival of a French slaver, LA PEROUSE, Captain Brul?t--Ormond and I breakfast on board--Its sequel--We are made prisoners and put in irons--Short mode of collecting an old debt on the coast of Africa--The Frenchman gets possession of our slaves--Arrival of a Spanish slaver 190
CHAP. XXVII.--Ormond communicates with the Spaniard, and arranges for our rescue--LA ESPERANZA--Brul?t gives in--How we fine him two hundred and fifty doubloons for the expense of his suit, and teach him the danger of playing tricks upon African factors 196
CHAP. XXVIII.--CAPT. ESCUDERO of the Esperanza dies--I resolve to take his place in command and visit Cuba--Arrival of a Danish slaver--Quarrel and battle between the crews of my Spaniard and the Dane--The Dane attempts to punish me through the duplicity of Ormond--I bribe a servant and discover the trick--My conversation with Ormond--We agree to circumvent the enemy--How I get a cargo without cash 200
CHAP. XXIX.--Off to sea--A calm--A British man-of-war--Boat attack--Reinforcement--A battle--A catastrophe--A prisoner 206
CHAP. XXX.--I am sent on board the corvette--My reception--A dangerous predicament--The Captain and surgeon make me comfortable for the night--Extraordinary conveniences for escape, of which I take the liberty to avail myself 214
CHAP. XXXI.--I drift away in a boat with my servant--Our adventures till we land in the ISLES DE LOSS--My illness and recovery--I return to the Rio Pongo--I am received on board a French slaver--Invitation to dinner--Monkey soup and its consequences 218
CHAP. XXXII.--My greeting in KAMBIA--The FELIZ from Matanzas--Negotiations for her cargo--Ormond attempts to poison me--Ormond's suicide--His burial according to African customs 222
CHAP. XXXIII.--A visit to the MATACAN river in quest of slaves--My reception by the king--His appearance--Scramble for my gifts--How slaves are sometimes trapped on a hasty hunt--I visit the MATACAN WIZARD; his cave, leopard, blind boy--Deceptions and jugglery--Fetiches--A scale of African intellect 227
CHAP. XXXIV.--What became of the Esperanza's officers and crew--The destruction of my factory at Kambia by fire--I lose all but my slaves--the incendiary detected--Who instigated the deed--Ormond's relatives--DEATH OF ESTHER--I go to sea in a schooner from Sierra Leone--How I acquire a cargo of slaves in the Rio Nunez without money 233
CHAP. XXXV.--I escape capture--Symptoms of mutiny and detection of the plot--How we put it down 240
CHAP. XXXVI.--A "white squall"--I land my cargo near St. Jago de Cuba--Trip to Havana on horseback--My consignees and their prompt arrangements--success of my voyage--Interference of the French Consul--I am nearly arrested--How things were managed, of old, in Cuba 244
CHAP. XXXVII.--A long holiday--I am wrecked on a key--My rescue by salvors--New Providence--I ship on the SAN PABLO, from St. Thomas's, as sailing master--Her captain and his arrangements--Encounter a transport--Benefit of the small-pox--Mozambique Channel--Take cargo near QUILLIMANE--How we managed to get slaves--Illness of our captain--The small-pox breaks out on our brig--Its fatality 248
CHAP. XXXVIII.--Our captain longs for calomel, and how I get it from a Scotchman--Our captain's last will and testament--We are chased by a British cruiser--How we out-manoevred and crippled her--Death of our captain--Cargo landed and the San Pablo burnt 255
CHAP. XXXIX.--My returns from the voyage $12,000, and how I apply them--A custom-house encounter which loses me LA CONCHITA and my money--I get command of a slaver for AYUDAH--LA ESTRELLA--I consign her to the notorious DA SOUZA or CHA-CHA--His history and mode of life in Africa--His gambling houses and women--I keep aloof from his temptations, and contrive to get my cargo in two months 260
CHAP. XL.--All Africans believe in divinities or powers of various degree,