Chapter 11
Chapter 5, Part A, of A Voyage Round the World, Volume 1, by James Holman. This sleeper box recording is in the public domain. Cape St. Anne, dangerous shoals. Old sailors, Liberia. Origin and history of the colony.
Failure at Sherbo Island. Experiment at Liberia. Difficulties encountered by the settlers. Differences with the natives. Final adjustment.
Improving state of the colony. Laws and morals. Remarks on colonization. Friday, October 5th, there was a moderate breeze from the westward. And fine weather.
At 8 o'clock, finding by our calculation that we had rounded the shoals of Cape St. Anne, we altered our course more towards the land, intending to run along the Gold Coast, within sight of the shore. These shoals are the most dangerous part of the west coast of Africa. And there is good reason to believe that many vessels have been wrecked on them, particularly in former times.
There is but little doubt that H.M. late ship Red Wing was lost here. For there has been no trace of her since the day she sailed from Sierra Leone. The afternoon of which was very squally. Accepting a small mass that was picked up on the coast to the northward with her name on it. And as she was bound from Sierra Leone to Akura, she had occasion to go round the shoals,
which commence about 30 miles from Cape Sierra Leone. But there is an additional cause for apprehending that such was her fate. For I was informed by an officer that he heard Captain Clavering say that he did not believe in the existence of these shoals. It is not improbable, therefore, that with an idea of shortening his passage,
he might have attempted to have gone nearer to them than prudence would justify. And thus, tempted the danger which he had held to be apocryphal. They might also have neglected to sound sufficiently often an error which I have frequently witnessed and which arises from a mistaken wish to save trouble and time. A poor excuse for risking the loss of lives and property.
I am sure this will not be the case with Captain Owen. For I believe he knows the ground underwater where his ship is in soundings. As well as that which he sees above it and among the jokes of the crew of his ship, there was one on his late surveying voyage uttered by an old sailor who said that as soon as he was paid off, he was set up a public house in wrapping with the sign of the bag and nippers.
Footnote. This is a small bag filled with air for the purpose of floating nippers that are attached to it through which the line passes being intended to fasten itself to the line on the surface of the water. The moment you check on it, perceiving the lead strike the bottom, by which means more correct soundings are obtained.
End footnote. And the words watch there watch written underneath. Not withstanding this poor fellow's joke, he entered a second time with Captain Owen on board the Eden for an equally hazardous voyage, which he did not survive.
I was near him in his last moments when the fatal signal of ebbing life, The rattles in the throat fell on the ear like the melancholy sound of the muffled drum in a dead march. Sunday, 7th. Light airs and variable with rain at times. Cape Mesurada in sight great part of the day.
Under the eastern side of this Cape is the American settlement of Liberia. The origin and progress of this colony present so many points of interest that I am deuce to lay before my readers a succinct account of its early history. I am chiefly indebted for the materials of this sketch to a pamphlet, which I procured in Sierra Leone published a short time before in Washington.
The first efforts of the American Colonization Society were directed to Sierra Leone in 1818 when two agents were sent there to purchase land for a new colony on their arrival at their destination. Two men of color, well acquainted with the coast, accompanied them on a voyage of exploration. Having examined all the places which appeared suitable for their purposes, they finally made arrangements for forming the new colony on Sherbo Island,
about 100 miles south of Sierra Leone. When one of the agents returned to America, the other having died on his passage. The Society now resolved to fit out an expedition immediately, in which they were greatly aided by the President, the object seeming to be well calculated to promote the political advantages of the United States.
The first colonists left America in February 1820. They consisted of two government agents, one from the Society and 88 persons of color. These immigrants were very unfortunate. They arrived just at the commencement of the rainy season, the dams of which were much increased by the unhealthiness of the low marshy ground of the Sherbo.
The result was that all agents and a great number of the colonists died. The remainder wisely abandoned a speculation so fruitful of risk. Those people remained at Sierra Leone until new agents were sent out, and another spot selected for colonization. The new scene of operations was Liberia.
The territory on which the first settlement of the colonists of Liberia was made, forms a tongue of land of 12 leagues extent, in no part more than a league in width, and in some parts contracted to half that distance. This peninsula is so connected with the mainland as to represent a scale beam, the narrow isthmus answering to the pivot.
Which isthmus is formed by an acute angle of the junk river on the eastern side, that falls into the sea at the southeast extremity of the peninsula and an acute angle of the Montserratto River on the western side, which falls into the sea at the northwest extremity. Thus the northeast side of the peninsula is washed by the above rivers
and the whole of the southwest side by the sea. The northwest termination of this linear track of the country is Cape Montserratto, which towards the extremity rises to a promontory sufficiently majestic to present a bold distinction from the uniform level of the coast. The town of Monriovia is situated on the inland side of the peninsula,
on the southwest bank of the river Montserratto, about two miles within the extremity of the Cape. The original settlement approached within 150 yards of the water and occupied the highest part of the spiral ridge, which traverses a large part of the peninsula and rises at this place to about 75 feet.
At the time this territory was purchased by the agents of the American Colonization Society, in December 1821, this tract of land was covered by a dense and lofty forest, entangled with vines, a very large description of parasitical plant, so called, and brushwood, which rendered it almost impervious to new settlers. Opposite the town are two small islands containing together less than three acres of ground.
The largest of these islands is nearly covered with houses built in the native style and occupied by a family of several hundred domestic slaves, formerly the property of an English factor, but now held in a state of qualified vassalage, common in Africa, by a black man. This little community lives so entirely within its own resources
that the individuals composing it are little known by their neighbors. Their utter indifference to whose politics, however, does not preserve them from their dislike and envy, which, without the protection of the American colony, would soon be converted into acts of oppression. There are four tribes in the neighborhood of this coast.
These, the Daze, who extend along the coast 25 miles to the northward of Montserrato, to the mouth of the Junk, about 36 miles to the southeastward. Next, towards the interior, the Cuis, a small and quiet people whose country lies to the east of Cape Montserrato. The Guraz, a more numerous and twirlsome race, occupying the country to the northward of the upper part of the St. Paul River.
And further into the interior, the Condos, whose warlike character renders them the terror of all their maritime neighbors. On the beach one mile to the north of the new settlement, there is a small hamlet belonging to the Crumen, a people entirely distinct in origin, language, and character from all their neighbors.
They originate from the populist tribe whose country is Setracru, near Cape Palmas, and are well known as the pilots and watermen of the country. The number of families belonging to this hamlet scarcely exceeds a dozen and may comprehend 50 individuals. The purchase of the Montserrato territory being affected, it was first occupied by such American immigrants as could be collected early in the following year,
at which time the indications of hostility exhibited by the day people demonstrated but too distinctly the insincerity of their engagements with the new settlers, the first division of whom, consisting chiefly of single men, were met with menaces and positively forbidden to land. This purpose they, however, affected upon the small island of Perseverance,
situated near the mouth of the Montserrato, where they were kindly received by Mr. S. Mill, an African by birth who was at that time occupant, and from whom the island had been purchased by Dr. Ayers on behalf of the society. After many ineffectual attempts to conciliate the friendship of the days,
the ferment of opposition seemed to have subsided, and Dr. Ayers received an invitation to meet the chiefs at a friendly conference in King Peter's town. This amiable appearance, however, proved to be a mere ruse de guerre, and the doctor found himself a prisoner in the hands of his faithless allies, nor could he obtain his freedom until he consented to receive back the remnant of the goods,
which had been advanced to the natives the preceding month in part payment for their lands, but in according to this enforced compliance to their wishes, he contrived eventually to elude their purpose of ejectment by pleading the impossibility of removing the immigrants until vessels could be procured for their use. The individuals at this time upon the land of Perseverance did not exceed 20 persons.
The only shelter for them and their store was that afforded by half a dozen diminutive native huts. The island itself was a mere artificial formation, which being always becalmed by the high land of the Cape was extremely unhealthy. It was also entirely destitute, both of fresh water and firewood, which circumstances added to the insubruity of the air,
and the closeness of the dwellings soon produced a sensible effect upon the health of the settlers. Happily at this critical juncture, a secret arrangement was concluded with King George, a monarch who claims the right of jurisdiction over the northern district of the peninsula, and by virtue of his authority, the settlers were permitted in consideration of certain presence, consisting of rum, trade cloth and tobacco,
to cross the river and commence clearing the forest for the site of their intended town. Being stimulated to exertion by the Union of Interest in self-preservation, their labors proceeded with surprising rapidity, and in a very few weeks presented the skeletons of 22 dwelling houses, ranged in an orderly manner to form the principal street of their town.
Unfortunately, at this period, so promising to their hopes and so honorable to their acidity, a circumstance occurred that interrupted their avocations in the most painful manner and plunged them into a disastrous war with the natives. A small vessel, the prize of an English cruiser bound to Sierra Leone, and having on board about 30 liberated Africans, put into the roads for water,
and had the misfortune to part her cable and run ashore below George's town, where she was in a few hours beaten to pieces by the heavy surf. She was immediately claimed by the natives on behalf of their king, whose alleged rights they came forward to maintain by the force of arms. In attempting to board, however, they were opposed and beaten back by the prize master and his crew.
The American settlers, perceiving the extreme danger of their English visitors, heathen to their relief, bringing with them a brass-field piece, which they turned against the assailants who, terrified by so unaccustomed a mode of warfare, hastily retreated towards their forest-bound hamlet, leaving the English officer, his crew, and the Africans at liberty. The damage on both sides was, however, considerable.
On that of the natives, it consisted of many wounded men and two killed. On that of the strangers, in the total loss of their vessel with most part of their stores and property. But on that of the settlers, the injury sustained was fatally severe. It consisted of the destruction by fire of their most valuable and requisite stores, amounting in actual worth to $3,000, a loss incalculably increased by their necessities.
The accident arose from some mismanagement of the fusie used for the cannon, a spark from which, communicating with the thatch of the public storehouse, so rapidly spread into a flame that it was only by the most daring courage that the powder, some casts of provisions, and a few other stores were rescued from the devastating element. The natives, meanwhile, exasperated at the interference of the settlers
and maddened by the sight of their wounded and dead brethren, were only restrained from taking summary vengeance by the dread of the artillery. Even this fear could not prevent their occasionally venturing near enough to fire upon the settlers and their new allies. These furtive and for the most part futile indications of malignity were, however, always easily repelled by a single shot from a four or six pounder,
which usually put the assailants for the time being to an immediate flight. But it was not to this mockery of warfare with King George's warriors that the annoyance of the settlers was limited. Many and various were the vexations to which the hostility of the days were subjected the unhappy adventurers in the mere act of obtaining water, for which purpose they had to pass through the enemy's town. Their obstacles were endless, while the demolition of their unfinished houses,
secretly accomplished by their persecutors and similar injuries constantly practiced, ultimately compelled them to discontinue their principal work. At length, the diligent hatred of their savage enemies resolved itself into a mode of attack which robbed the settlers of all present means of resistance. Watching their opportunity when the boats went up the river Montserratto,
in search of water, they sheltered themselves beneath the large trees and rocks which overhung the narrowest parts of the river, from whence they fired upon the boats at pleasure, alike without the possibility of receiving any injury, or of their victims avoiding the danger by a hasty retreat. In this adventure, one colonist and an English seaman lost their lives, and two other persons were slightly wounded.
The reoccurrence of such events did not fail to keep up a spirit of animosity between the Day tribe and the colonists, whose principal crime in the eyes of the natives was their aversion to the slave trade, an aversion which struck at the root of all the interests, fears, and prejudices of the days. Old King Peter, the vulnerable patriarch of the nation, and with whom the first treaty for the purchase of the ground had been negotiated,
was capitally arraigned and brought to trial on a charge of betraying the interests of his subjects by selling their country. The accusation was substantiated and it became doubtful whether the punishment of high treason would not be executed upon the monarch, whom they had been accustomed to venerate and to obey for more than thirty years. Under these circumstances, the settlers became seriously alarmed, respecting the nature of the intercourse which might become necessary to the policy of Basia,
the king of the larger island, and from whom they had received many proofs of friendship in secret supplies of fuel and water. But as his plantations with numerous detached bodies of his subjects were entirely exposed to the power of the days, it seemed absolutely requisite that his friendship with the tribe should not be affected by any further acts of kindness to a people so imical to their views. Hence the suspicions of the colonists became naturally excited against Basia. It appeared that the considerations which had been so painfully entertained on the part of the colonists operated no less powerfully upon the mind of the chief,
for he immediately summoned to his aid one of the most powerful and famous chiefs of the condos, by whose protection he had for many years been sustained in his dangerous contiguity to such quarrelsome neighbors. King Batswain, whose political influence over the maritime tribes of the country was nearly absolute, and whose name had long been the terror of his countrymen, replied to the request of his protege with that prompt alacrity which characterized all his actions,
almost immediately arriving in person, accompanied with an armed force sufficient to carry into effect any measure that might seem most desirable to their chief. He, with that apparent modesty in which extreme pride delights to dress itself, and which is but another way of exhibiting innate confidence, assured his allies that he came not to pronounce sentence between the coast natives and the strangers, but to do justice to all.
He next convoked the head chiefs of the neighborhood to a meeting with the American agents, who were but just returned to the settlement, having been absent during the last mentioned events, and principal settlers who on their part were required to set forth their grievances and the nature of their claims. These complained of the dishonesty of the days in withholding the possession of lands which they had sold, and of the hostile acts committed against the colonists by King George's people.
These charges were followed by the clamorous discussion on the part of the accused, which the haughty judge having heard, as long as his patient served, at length closed by abruptly rising with the remark that, as the days had sold their country and accepted a part payment for it, they must abide the consequences of their indiscretion,
and that their refusal of the bounds due to them could not annul nor affect the sale. Let the Americans, said he, have their lands immediately. Whoever is unsatisfied with my decision, let him say so. Then turning to the agents, I promise you, said he, protection. If these people give you further disturbance, send for me.
And I swear that if they oblige to me to come again to quiet them, I will do it effectually by taking their heads from their shoulders, as I did that of old King George on my last visit to settle their disputes. End of chapter 5, part A.
