A Voyage Round the World, Vol. I (of ?) by James Holman

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When the Kroomen leave their own country for Sierra Leone, they do not
bring any thing with them, except their gregories (various charms),
some native medicines, consisting merely of a few herbs, and a little
box containing certificates of character from the different persons
with whom they have served. These certificates they prize highly, as
forming introductions to future employment; however, but very few of
them could be possessed of such testimonials if their masters were
better acquainted with their conduct. I have been informed by some
persons who have visited the Kroo country, that they have seen in the
huts of the natives, silver forks and spoons, knives and forks,
table-cloths, towels, &c. &c., things which they never bought, but
which they had, no doubt, stolen from their employers. The articles
that they generally purchase for themselves are shawls, handkerchiefs,
blue baft, and other cloths for wearing round their waist, fine beaver
hats, muskets, ammunition, knives, common spoons, and various fancy
articles for their women.

It was my intention to have visited their country, had not the Eden
proceeded so soon to Fernando Po, but as I was very anxious to be
present at the first operations in the formation of our establishment
on that island, I reluctantly abandoned my design. Any person would be
quite safe in the Kroo country, who would place himself under the
guidance of one of their respectable headmen, and Englishmen in
particular might visit the interior of their country under great
advantages, as the people are well acquainted with them in consequence
of the trade which is carried on in ivory, at their own towns on the
coast, as well as the intercourse which is constantly kept up with
Sierra Leone. There have occasionally been upwards of 2000 of these
people at one time in Freetown; but, shortly before our arrival, an
order in council was issued to restrict the resident Kroomen to 600,
for the purpose of throwing open the labour market to the free blacks,
as well as to prevent in some measure the drain of profit which the
Kroomen caused by their frequent immigration and departure.
Notwithstanding a great proportion of what they earned was expended on
articles of British manufacture, which they took away with them, still
a material injury was sustained by their constant robberies, which more
than counterbalanced the benefit of their expenditure. Independently of
this political motive for restricting their numbers, it was useful as a
measure of social protection. They resided by themselves in a suburb of
the town, apart from the rest of the inhabitants, and used to emerge at
night from their close retreats, and commit the most daring burglaries.
The stolen property was carefully secreted in their own quarter, where
they had a much better opportunity of concealing it than if they dwelt
promiscuously in the town at large. They frequently stole calves, pigs
and poultry, always adopting the precaution of immediately dressing
them, and burning the hides or feathers, as well as any of the offal,
that might probably lead to detection. In consequence of these
practices their moral character was very low at Freetown, but as they
were active, muscular, and intelligent, they obtained a decided
preference as servants and labourers. Some of them were also usually
employed as sailors in nearly all vessels that remain on the coast. One
very remarkable trait in these people is the bond of close union that
keeps them together, and preserves an interest in common throughout the
whole fraternity. If one of them should commit a crime, it is a very
rare occurrence to find another informing, or bearing witness against
him; and they carry this principle of combination so far, that they
will rather suffer for the offender than denounce him. If the
authorities attempt to elicit the facts by a course of examination,
they only obtain subterfuges and prevarications, and seek in vain by
threats or promises to shake the constancy of the witnesses. The
headmen manage their rogueries with so much ingenuity that charges can
very seldom be proved against them. They send out their apprentices,
under particular instructions, to commit robberies, and, like the
Spartan youths, they consider the most expert thief to be the cleverest
fellow: should any of these young men be caught, they are left to get
out of the scrape in the best manner they are able, for unless it be to
swear falsely to an alibi, or some other evasion of truth, their
masters never appear in the affair afterwards.

The native denomination of a Krooman is Kroo, and that of a Fishman
Krepo, and they have distinguishing marks for their respective
countries tattooed on their face.

From the difficulty which exists in ascertaining their own names, they
always add some English word as a personal designation. The selection
of the word is quite a matter of chance, and it is of no consequence
whether it belong to a person, place, or thing. For instance, if you
ask one of them what his name is, he will probably say, "My name is
Soda Water, Massa," another will tell you that his name is "Bottle
Rum," or "Bottle o' Beer," and others, "King Will, Jack Freeman, Tom
Freeman," &c. &c. Freeman being one of the most common and favourite
names amongst them.

_On Wednesday, October 10th_.--we were off Cape Palmas, bearing N.E.
twenty-one miles, where a number of canoes came alongside with a few
trifling articles for sale, but their object was evidently more to beg
than barter. The article chiefly in demand amongst them was tobacco. On
taking their leave, one of the men got into his canoe by leaping
overboard while the ship was going very fast, and the boat paddling
hard to keep up with her. He swam to the canoe, and rolled himself over
the gunwale in a horizontal position, the people in the boat leaning
over the opposite side to prevent it from upsetting. These men may
truly be called Fishmen, for they appear almost as independent in the
water as the fish who inhabit it; they think nothing of having their
canoes upset on the wide ocean, for they can easily recover its former
position, and get the water out of it when they resume their places. I
was informed they will also attack a shark in the water without
hesitation, and they are very expert in catching almost every
description of fish. The Kroomen stand no chance with them on the
water, and when they happen to encounter each other in their canoes,
the first thing the Fishmen try to do is to upset the Krooman's canoe,
after which they are quite at their mercy. They arc also much better
seamen, as well as boatmen, yet notwithstanding this difference of
character, they are in appearance the same people as the Kroomen, and a
stranger would not know the difference. Formerly the Fishmen were
without the distinguishing mark down the forehead, which is now
commonly adopted. Their country, as I have before remarked, is in the
vicinity of Cape Palmas, and their principal towns are Bafoo, Wapee,
Batoo, Little Cess, Grand Cess, Garaway, Cape Town, Cavally, Tabor, and
Bassa. They are much more numerous than the Kroomen, but neither
Kroomen nor Fishmen have a united government; for they have frequent
wars amongst themselves; Fishtown against Fishtown, and Krootown
against Krootown, but they both possess one great and generous
characteristic, that of never selling each other for slaves on any
pretence. This, in a country where the slave-trade is so universal, may
be noted as a very extraordinary and remarkable feature in their
character.

When any person dies in the Kroo, or Fish countries, unless the
deceased may have expressed a wish to the contrary, his friends apply
to the Fetish-men to know how he came by his death, when they
invariably fix on some obnoxious character, either man or woman, as
having been the cause. This person is then compelled to drink what they
call saucy-water, the infusion of the bark of a tree, well known for
its deleterious qualities. Of this preparation they are obliged to take
three heavy draughts of about a quart each. On the effect of this
depends the supposed guilt, or innocence of the accused. If it remains
on his stomach he is considered to be guilty of the alleged crime, and
he consequently dies; but, if evomition takes place no evil consequence
attends it, and he is declared to be innocent. Where it fails to
produce the latter effect, the people hunt him about the town as they
would a mad dog, until he is at the point of death, which generally
takes place a few hours after he has drank the prescribed potion.

_Saturday, 13th_.--At noon. Cape Three Points E. 1/2 N. 7 miles.

Five leagues to the westward of Cape Three Points, is Axim, where the
Dutch have a fort; and about one league further to the westward is the
mouth of the river Ancobra. Six leagues to the eastward of Cape Three
Points, is Dix Cove, where we had a fort occupied by a small detachment
of the Royal African Corps. At half past eight in the evening, we
anchored for the night in 15 fathoms water, for fear of running past
Cape Coast roads before daylight, the currents being very irregular;
and, early on the following morning, we proceeded on our voyage. At 9
o'clock we were abreast of the Dutch fortress of Elmina, which is 7
miles to the westward of Cape Coast Castle, off which place we came to
an anchor about 10 o'clock, in 9 fathoms water. We found the African
steam-boat, and the Diadem transport, waiting our arrival; there was
also an English merchant brig in the roads, but we heard nothing of our
schooner. At noon saluted his Honour the Lieut.-Governor, on his
leaving the ship, taking his secretary and myself with him in the
canoe, which was a fine boat, pulling 17 paddles: we were seated on
chairs, fixed to a platform in the forepart of the boat. The castle
saluted the Lieut.-Governor on landing, and the shore was lined with
natives to receive him. The surf not being very high, we were enabled
to land without a wetting, which is rarely the case. On entering the
castle, I was introduced to the officers of the garrison, and to Capt.
Hutchison, a merchant of this place, who is well-known for his eminent
services in this country. The first thing that brought him into
particular notice was being associated with Messrs. James and Bowdich,
in their mission to the King of Ashantee, in 1817. He was left at
Coomassie, the capital of that kingdom, as the accredited British
agent, after the departure of the mission, on their return to Cape
Coast. The King of Ashantee was pleased with his remaining, for it not
only shewed the confidence he had in him, but it was a proof of the
sincerity of our intentions, by thus leaving him as a pledge for the
fulfilment of our part of the treaty that had just been negotiated; and
the forfeiture of his life would, no doubt, have been the consequence,
if the King had even suspected any breach of faith on our part. In this
situation he remained several months, without the society of any white
man, among savages, who think no more of the life of a human being,
than a vicious boy does of a dog or cat. Some time after his return
from this mission, Capt. Hutchison was called upon to serve in a
military capacity against the very nation where all his efforts had
been directed to preserve a pacific disposition: and we here find him
no less distinguishing himself in the field of proud honour, with his
sword in his hand, than he had done in his diplomatic character; for,
notwithstanding he had an important command assigned to him, he was
personally engaged in almost every battle, in one of which (at Affatoo)
he was severely wounded in both arms, and before these wounds were
healed, he was called upon to take command of the centre hill on the
lines at Cape Coast, when it was attacked by the Ashantees, and all the
nations that the powerful king of that country was in alliance with.

I took a ride with Capt. Hutchison before dinner, in his carriage,
which was a gig, with a head to it, on four wheels, drawn by as many
men; but, if these fellows could have been placed behind us, as they
were in the canoe, it would have been desirable, for their muscular
exertions produced an effluvia, which was any thing but agreeable.
Objectionable, however, as this style of travelling may appear, it was
certainly better than being carried about in a sedan-chair, or a
palanquin, excepting for travelling at night, or any great distance.

My countrymen will, perhaps, think it very cruel to see men substituted
for horses, but when they are informed, that it is undertaken
voluntarily on their part, and even eagerly solicited by them, for the
reward attendant thereon, there will be no reason for complaint. As a
proof of their not feeling the employment derogatory, the following
observations will be sufficient to convince the most sceptical:--when a
gentleman, who has not a sufficient number of persons on his
establishment to employ in this way, wants to take an airing in his
carriage, he has only to mention it to his servants, and the house will
soon be surrounded with volunteers, soliciting to be selected for the
service. There are two reasons why the vehicles at Cape Coast are drawn
by men instead of horses, the principal one being that horses are very
dear, and do not live long in the climate; the second, that, even if
they had a sufficient supply of horses, they could not find a drive of
four miles in any one direction, without making a road expressly for
the occasion. The short one that they already have, requires constant
attention to keep it clear, the vegetation being remarkably rapid and
luxuriant.

Captain Hutchison obligingly invited me to take up my quarters with
him, but as Colonel Lumley also desired me to consider myself as his
guest during my stay at Cape Coast, I divided my time between the
Colonel and his officers at the Castle, and Captain Hutchison with the
principal merchants of the place. Dined with the Lieutenant-Governor at
the officers mess at the castle.

_Tuesday, 16th_.--Immediately after breakfast I accompanied the
Governor and Captain Ricketts to visit a native school, which is
composed of 100 boys, some of whom were very intelligent, and wrote and
read English remarkably well.

I was present to-day when the Governor gave audience to twenty Ashantee
chiefs, who were introduced by the King of the Fantees, or Cape Coast
nation, accompanied by a number of his carboceers, or great men, who
acted as interpreters to the Ashantees. These twenty chiefs were part
of a mission, composed of one hundred and twenty sent by the King of
Ashantee to the commandant at Cape Coast Castle, but as the
Lieutenant-Governor of Sierra Leone happened to be there at the time,
it was thought to be more complimentary that he should give them an
audience. They came rather as petitioners than as equals, their object
being to sue for a peace, offering to deposit a certain quantity of
gold in Cape Coast Castle, as a security for their strict observance of
the treaty. After the meeting, I had some conversation with the King of
the Fantees, and several of his carboceers, all of whom spoke English.

_Wednesday, 17th_.--I will just give an outline of my diurnal
occupations, which were pretty much the same during my short stay at
Cape Coast. My first visit every morning was to Captain Hutchison about
7 o'clock, when I was sure to find him at breakfast. I remained with
him about a couple of hours, which time was passed very agreeably in
conversation, excepting occasional interruptions by a visit from one of
the carboceers, who called on matters of business, or to get him to
settle some disputes among their people, for he had so much the
confidence of the natives, that both their great men and the common
people, preferred referring to him to settle their quarrels than to
their own authorities. At 9 o'clock I always repaired to the castle to
breakfast with the Governor, and Captain Ricketts, the commandant,
after which I used to pass my time among the different merchants, who
had all called on me on my first arrival, and given me a general
invitation to their houses. About noon I usually found a party
assembled at Captain Hutchison's to _relish_ with him, as it is
significantly called, which in fact was an early dinner, as was the
custom of the place. At 4 o'clock they took a ride in the manner before
described, or called on each other, and at 6 they took their tea with
meat, &c.

This evening I accompanied Colonel Lumley and the officers at the
castle, to the merchants club-room, where some played cards, while
others passed the time in conversation, billiards, &c. In the
intermediate hours during the day I called on various persons, and
visited different parts of the town, to glean what information I could.
The Horatio, schooner, tender to the Eden, arrived this evening.

_Thursday, Oct. 18th_.--Passed through the market this morning, which
is always held at an early hour, where the articles for sale consist
principally of fruits and vegetables. The sales here are conducted by
barter, the merchants generally exchanging tobacco and other goods for
the articles they want to purchase.

I visited to-day an English school for native girls (21 in number) the
expense of which is defrayed by the Government. These children were not
all black, for there were a few very pretty Mulattoes amongst them. A
custom that must appear strange and immoral to my own countrymen, but
which is not held so at Cape Coast, prevails, in reference to these
girls, when their education has been completed. Although none of them
are regularly affianced, some of them are taken from the school into
the household of resident English gentlemen, where they perform all the
domestic duties in an anomalous capacity, combining all the
responsibilities of the married state, without its legal bond. A
previous engagement, and clear understanding is entered into with the
parents of the girls, to the mutual satisfaction of all parties, and
their offspring is afterwards provided for according to circumstances.
These young women usually receive the elements of a good education, and
constitute the only female society which an Englishman can enjoy here,
as the climate is so debilitating to English ladies that they cannot
reside in the place for any length of time. This, indeed, is the only
excuse that can be offered for a custom, which it must be granted does
not admit of an apology beyond the mere necessity of the case. The
girls are excellent managers in domestic concerns, and good and careful
nurses, qualities that are exceedingly valuable in such a situation.

_Friday, 19th_.--Being on the point of taking leave of my friends at
Cape Coast, I cannot better occupy a few pages than with some general
retrospective observations.

Colonel Lumley, Lieutenant-Governor of Sierra Leone claims my first
attention. I had the good fortune to make his acquaintance at the seat
of government, and during the whole time I had the pleasure of knowing
him, I always found him to be actuated by a most zealous devotion to
the many important duties which his situation imposed upon him. Nor was
his high character as a public officer more praiseworthy, than his
estimable qualities us a man. I shall always look back with pride and
satisfaction to the period of our intimacy, which was clouded only with
the apprehensions I entertained of the fate that awaited him. Perhaps
the prophetic forebodings with which he was impressed might have led me
to such gloomy anticipations; for he often observed to me, he felt
convinced that if he should ever be attacked by the fever, it would
prove fatal, as it unfortunately did, not very long after I left the
colony: and I was informed he caught it from a young friend whom he was
kindly attending, and who fell a victim to the disease.

With Captain Ricketts, the commandant of the fortress, I also had the
pleasure of enjoying an intimate acquaintance. Captain Ricketts has
served many years on this coast, and was engaged with the Ashantees at
the battle of Essamacow, where Sir Charles McCarthy lost his life. On
that occasion he had a most miraculous escape, both in, and after the
battle, particularly on his return to the coast, where he was obliged
to follow the course of rivers, traverse the jungle and forests alone,
to evade the murderous Ashantees. He subsequently became commandant of
Cape Coast Castle, in which capacity he acquired so much influence with
the natives as to succeed in prevailing on them to build a
market-place, to lay out several new lines of streets, and otherwise
improve the town; but above all, to induce them, after a great deal of
persuasion, and perseverance, to take down all the houses adjoining,
and in the immediate vicinity of the castle walls, a measure which must
have greatly interfered with their religious prejudices, as they were
obliged to remove the remains of their relatives, who are always buried
under the apartments they inhabit, and to carry them to their new
habitations to be deposited in a similar manner. He had also succeeded
with the King and carboceers in getting them to cut away all the jungle
from the suburbs of the town, for three or four miles distant, and in
fact his influence was so great, and the positive utility of the works
he designed so obvious, that the natives of Cape Coast almost adored
him. The castle, which is a fine building, was kept in the best order
under the superintendence of this active and useful officer.

It is astonishing that the Portuguese, who have been so enterprising,
and expended so much money on their early discoveries in the erection
of fortresses, many of which may still be considered good modern
fortifications, should now allow most of their foreign possessions to
go to decay, and even to fall into ruins. Look at the once celebrated
city of Goa on the Malabar coast, dwindled into insignificance, and
proverbially called a city of priests and beggars. What is the cause of
this decadence? Is it a just visitation for the unjust means they
practised to acquire those possessions? All for the thirst of gold! Or
is it that the active spirit of the Portuguese ceases with the
acquisition of novelties, and that they are destitute of those
persevering qualities which improve and foster the possessions that are
originally obtained by enthusiasm and energy?

We had frequent heavy showers during our stay at Cape Coast, although
this was not the regular rainy season, for these showers were what are
called the after-rains, which last about a fortnight.

When the weather clears up after very heavy rains, many of the poor
people, principally old women and children, take up the mud from the
gutters, and wash it well in calabashes, when they generally find a few
grains of gold for their pains. This is also the case after a very
heavy surf has subsided which, during the violence of the storm,
generally throws up a great quantity of black mud on the shore.

There is a strange exhibition to be witnessed every morning on the
sea-shore, which, however, I shall forbear to describe.

There is a singular old man, upwards of 60 years of age, at Cape Coast
Castle, who is well known by the name of Dr. Saguah, and who acts in
the capacity of a native doctor. This person excites a great deal of
attention, not only by the peculiarity of his manners, but by the
circumstances through which he has reached a station of some
consideration. He was originally a slave to the African Company at Cape
Coast, and having been accidentally placed in the house of the medical
establishment, he learned to compound medicines. In the duties which he
performed in this capacity he rendered himself very useful, and
continued at the pestle and mortar until Sir Charles McCarthy's
arrival, when the African Company was dissolved, all their slaves
liberated, and the new charter proclaimed, (for Sierra Leone and Cape
Coast) on March 29, 1822. Having received his freedom, he now assumed a
position of some importance, and was retained on the medical
establishment as dispenser, with a small salary. His excellent conduct
and judgment in the discharge of his new office procured him the
general respect and confidence of Europeans, and his reputation, when I
was at Cape Coast, stood so high that he was frequently consulted on
the diseases of the climate in preference to medical gentlemen from
Europe. He is in the habit of making daily visits to all the European
residents, whether they require his services or not, and they generally
invite him to take some refreshment, handing him at the same time the
keys of their celeret or cupboard, that he may help himself to spirits,
or wine. He sometimes avails himself of their offer, chiefly for the
sake of gratifying his vanity, by shewing to the servants the
confidence that is reposed in him; for no other native, perhaps, except
himself, would be entrusted with the keys of any place where wine and
spirits are kept. Trade was very dull during my stay at Cape Coast, and
had been so for some time; the merchants, however, looked forward to
its revival, in consequence of the prospects of peace with the Ashantee
people, who were very desirous to terminate hostilities, for the sake
of being enabled to resume their commercial intercourse with the
English, and other Europeans on the coast. During the war it was
believed that they had accumulated a great quantity of gold and ivory,
which are the principal articles they barter for goods of European
manufacture, and for which they had no sale while hostilities lasted,
except in some few instances, where individuals risked the hazard of
embarking in smuggling transactions.

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