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TWO VOYAGES to SIERRA LEONE During the Years 1791—2—3, In a Series of Letters, By ANNA MARIA FALCONBRIDGE To which is added A LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR To Henry Thornton, Esq. M.P. And Chairman of the Court of Directors of the SIERRA LEONE COMPANY If I can hold a torch to others, ‘Tis all I want——. The Second Edition Printed for the Author, and sold by different booksellers throughout the Kingdom. 1794 PREFACE The Authoress will not imitate a threadbare
prevailing custom, viz. assure the Public the following letters were written without any design or intention
of sending them into the world; on the contrary, she candidly confesses having some idea of the kind when
writing them, though her mind was not fully made up on the business until towards the beginning
of April,—nay, for some time before then (from a consciousness of the inability of her pen) she had
actually relinquished all thoughts of publishing them, which determination she certainly would have adhered
to, if her will had not been overruled by the importunities of her friends. In her first Voyage, she has given her reasons for
going to occurrences she met with and (from occular observations) the manners, customs, &c. of
the people inhabiting those places she visited,— she has also
made an humble attempt to delineate their situations and qualities, with a superficial History, of the certainly would have enlarged upon during her second
Voyage, had not Lieutenant Matthews, previous to her returning to that being the case, it would not only have been
superfluous, but discovering more vanity than she could wish the World to suppose her possessed of,
had she offered to tread in a path already travelled over by such an ingenious and masterly pen, to which she
begs to refer the inquisitive reader. This consideration and this alone, induced the
Authoress to confine the letters of her last Voyage principally to the transactions and progress of a
Colony, whose success or downfall she is persuaded the Inhabitants, at least the thinking part, of
almost every civilized Country, must feel more or less interested about, and she is sorely afflicted to
warn the reader of an unpromising account which could not be otherwise, unless she had done violence to
veracity;—she is well aware Truth is often unwelcome, and foresees many facts produced to the
World in the course of those letters will not be acceptable to the ears of numbers;—therefore, in
vindication of herself, she refers the Public to the whole Court of Directors of the Sierra Leone
Company, and hopes, if it be in their power, either severally or collectively, to contradict one tittle she has advanced, they will do so in the most
candid manner;—for the Authoress is open to conviction, and
if convicted on this, occasion, she will, with all due deference, kiss the rod of correction. LETTER I. My dear Friend, The time draws nigh when I must bid adieu to my native
land, perhaps for ever! The thoughts of it damps my spirits more than you can imagine, but I am
resolved to summon all the fortitude I can, being conscious of meriting the reproaches of my friends
and relations, for having hastily married as I did contrary to their wishes, and am determined rather
than be an incumbrance on them, to accompany my husband even to the wilds of preference to any possible comfort I could receive from them. Mr. Falconbridge is employed by the St. George's Bay
Company to carry out some relief for a number of unfortunate people, both blacks and whites, whom
Government sent to the river years since, and who in consequence of having had
some dispute with the natives, are scattered through the country, and are just now as I have been told, in
the most deplorable condition. He (Mr. Falconbridge) is likewise to make some
arrangements for collecting those poor creatures again, and forming a settlement which the company
have in contemplation to establish, not only to serve them, but to be generally useful to the natives. Mr. Falconbridge, his brother Mr. W. Falconbridge
and myself, are to embark on board the Duke of Buccleugh, Captain McLean, a ship belonging to Messrs. John
and Alexander Anderson, of Philpot Lane; these gentlemen I understand, have a
considerable factory at a place called distance up the river The company have either
sent, or are to send out a small cutter called the Lapwing, to. meet Mr. F——, on the coast, she carries the stores for relieving the
people, &c. This is all the information I can give you at
present, respecting my intended voyage, but as it is an unusual enterprize for an
English woman, to visit the coast of myself with possessing your friendship, you will no
doubt like to hear from me, and I therefore intend giving you a full and circumstantial -account of every
thing that does not escape my notice, 'till I return to this bless'd land, if it
pleases him who determines all things, that should be the case again. I have this instant learnt that we set off to-morrow
for sail; should we put into any port in the channel, I
may probably write you if I am able, but must now bid you adieu. LETTER II. My dear Friend, CONTRARY winds prevented us from proceeding directly
out of the Channel, and made it necessary to put into this place. We have been here two days,
but I am told there is an appearance of the wind changing, and that it is probable we shall make the
attempt to get away some time this day; therefore I think it best not to defer performing my promise of
writing to you, least we sail, and I am disappointed. We embarked at seemed in dreadful confusion; but this I understand
is commonly the case on board ships when on the eve of sailing: besides the captain had several friends
who came from You may guess that my mind, in spite of all the
resolution a young girl is capable of mustering, could not be undisturbed; but I would not give way to any
melancholy reflections, and endeavoured to smother them as often as they intruded; although I
must confess they sometimes caught me off my guard, and my heart for the moment was ready to
burst with the thoughts of what I had to encounter, which was pictured to me by almost every one in the worst
of colours. However I went to bed, and being much fatigued, was
in hopes every care would be buried for the night in delightful sleep; but in this I was
disappointed, for although my eyes were closed as soon as I got my head on the pillow, yet it was not of long
continuance. I had slept perhaps two hours, when the shocking
cries of murder awoke me: I did not at the instant recollect where I was, but the first thoughts which
occurred upon remembering myself on ship-board were, that a gang of pirates had attacked the ship, and
would put us all to death. All the cabin was by this time alarmed; .the cries
of murder still continuing while the captain and others were loudly calling for lights; and so great
was the confusion, that it was a long while before any could be procured: at length the light came, when I
found myself some what collected, and had courage enough to ask what was the matter. My fears were removed, by being informed it was a
Mr. B, a passenger, whose intellects were a little deranged: he continued his disagreeable hideous
cries the whole night, and prevented every one from sleeping; for my part I scarcely closed my eyes again. At breakfast Mr. B— apologized, by telling us that
his wife had murdered his only child, for which reason he had left her. "And," said he,
"the horrid act! has made such an impression on my mind, that I frequently think I see her all besmeared with blood,
with a dagger in her hand, determined to take away my life also: it preys upon my spirits, for I want
strength of mind to conquer the weakness."1 Mr. Alexander Anderson came on board, and dined: he
politely enquired if I was comfortable; assured 1 I am inclined to think this was only the
imagination of a frantic brain, for we were not able to learn any thing more of the story. me, that every thing had been put on board to render
us as much so as possible. In the evening he returned to town, and we got under
weigh. Nothing occurred on our passage here except such
frequent returns of Mr. B's delirium, as has induced Captain Mc Lean to put him on shore, from the
opinion of his being an unfit subject to go to the coast of I did not experience any of those fears peculiar to my
sex upon the water; and the only inconvenience I found was a little sea sickness, which I had a right to
expect, for you know this is my first voyage. There is one circumstance, which I forbode will make the remainder of our voyage unpleasant. The gentlemen whom Mr. Falconbridge is employed by
are for abolishing the slave trade: the owners of this vessel are of that trade, and consequently
the Captain and Mr. Falconbridge mast he very opposite in their sentiments. They are always arguing, and both are warm in their
tempers, which makes me uneasy, and induces me to form the conjectures I do; but perhaps that may not
be the case. I have not been on shore at few people have a wish to see it a second time. The only thing that has attracted my notice in the harbour, is the fleet with the convicts for which are wind bound, as well as ourselves. The destiny of such numbers of my fellow creatures
has made what I expect to encounter, set lighter upon my mind than it ever did before; nay, nothing
could have operated a reconciliation so effectually; for as the human heart is more susceptible of
distress conveyed by the eye, than when represented by language however ingenuously pictured with misery,
so the sight of those unfortunate beings, and the thoughts of what they are to endure, have worked
more forcibly on my feelings than all the accounts I ever read or heard of wretchedness before. I must close this which is the last, in all
probability, you will receive from me, 'till my arrival in when, if an opportunity offers, I shall make a point of
writing to you. Pray do not let distance or absence blot out the
recollection of her, Who is truly your's. LETTER III. My dear Friend, We sailed the very day I wrote you from eighteen days from thence to this place. The novelty of a ship ploughing
the trackless ocean, in a few days became quite familiar to me; there was such a sameness in every thing (for some birds
were all we saw the whole way) that I found the voyage tiresome, notwithstanding the shortness of it. You will readily believe my heart was gladdened at
the sight of the mountains of was the land we first made. Those mountains appear to rise gradually from the
sea to a stupendous height, richly wooded and beautifully ornamented by the hand of nature, with a variety of
delightful prospects. I was vastly pleased while sailing up the river, for
the rapidity of the ship through the water afforded a course of new scenery almost every moment, till we
cast anchor here: Now and then I saw the glimpse of a native town, but from the distance and new
objects hastily catching my eye, was not able to form a judgment or idea of any of them; but this will be no
loss, as I may have frequent opportunities of visiting some of them hereafter. As soon as our anchor was dropped, Captain McLean
saluted being returned I enquired the cause, and was told
that the last time the Duke of Buccleugh came out, she, as is customary, saluted, and on the fort
returning the compliment, a wad was drove by the force of the sea breeze upon the roof of one of the houses
(which was then of thatch) set fire to the building, and consumed not only the house but goods to a large amount. When the ceremony of saluting was over, Captain
McLean and Mr. W. Falconbridge went on shore; but it being late in the evening, I continued on board
'till next day. Here we met the Lapwing cutter. She sailed some time
before us from two or three weeks. The master of her, and several of the people to
whose assistance Mr. Faleonbridge is come, and who had taken refuge here, came to visit us. They represented their sufferings to have been very
great; that they had been treacherously dealt with by one King Jemmy, who had
drove them away from the ground they occupied, burnt their houses, and otherwise devested them of
every comfort and necessary of life; they also threw out some reflections against the Agent of this island; said he had sold
several of their fellow sufferers to a Frenchman, who had taken them to the Mr. Falconbridge, however, was not the least
inclined to give entire confidence to what they told us; but prudently suspended his opinion until he had made
further enquiries. Those visitors being gone, we retired to bed—I
cannot say to rest; the heat was so excessive that I scarcely slept at all. The following day we received a polite invitation to
dine on shore, which I did not object to, although harassed for want of sleep the night before. At dinner the conversation turned upon the slave
trade: Mr. Falconbridge, zealous for the cause in which he is engaged, strenuously opposed every
argument his opponents advanced in favour of the abominable trade: the glass went briskly round, and
the gentlemen growing warm, I retired immediately as the cloath was removed. The people on the island crowded to see me; they
gazed with apparent astonishment—I suppose at my dress, for white women could not be a novelty to
them, as there were several among the unhappy people sent out here by government, one of whom is now upon
the island. Seeing so many of my own sex, though of different
complexions from myself, attired in their native garbs, was a scene equally new to me, and my delicacy, I
confess, was not a little hurt at times. Many among them appeared of superior rank, at least
I concluded so from the preferable way in which they were clad; nor was I wrong in my conjecture,
for upon enquiring who they were, was informed one was the woman, or mistress of Mr. ——, another of
Mr. B——, and so on: I then understood that every gentleman on the island had his lady. While 1 was thus entertaining myself with my new
acquaintances, two or three of the gentlemen left their wine and joined me; among them was Mr. B——,
the agent, he in a very friendly manner begged I would take a bed on shore. I thanked him, and said, if agreeable to Mr.
Falconbridge, I would have no objection: however, Falconbridge objected, and gave me for reason that
he had been unhandsomely treated, and was determined to go on board the Lapwing, for he would
not subject himself to any obligation to men possessing such diabolical sentiments. It was not proper for me to contradict him at this
moment, as the heat of argument and the influence of an over portion of wine had quickened and
disconcerted his temper; I therefore submitted without making any objection to come on board this tub of a
vessel, which in point of size and cleanliness, comes nigher a hog-trough than
any thing else you can imagine. Though I resolved to remonstrate the first
seasonable opportunity, and to point out the likelihood of endangering my health, should he persist to keep me in so
confined a place. This remonstrance I made the next morning, after
passing a night of torment, but to no purpose; the only consolation I got was,—as soon as the settlers
could be collected, he would have a house built on shore, where they were to be fixed. I honestly own my original resolutions of firmness
was now warped at what I foresaw I was doomed to suffer, by being imprisoned, for God knows how long,
in a place so disgusting as this was, in my opinion, at that time. Conceive yourself pent up in a floating cage,
without room either to walk about, stand erect, or even to lay at length; exposed to the inclemency of the
weather, having your eyes and ears momently
offended by acts of indecency, and language too horrible to
relate—add to this a complication of filth, the stench from which was continually assailing your nose, and
then you will have a faint notion of the Lapwing Cutter. However, upon collecting myself, and recollecting
there was no remedy but to make the best of my situation, I begged the master (who slept upon deck
in consequence of my coming on board) to have the cabin thoroughly cleaned and washed with
vinegar; intreated Falconbridge to let me go on
shore while it was doing, and hinted at the indecencies I
saw and heard, and was promised they would be prevented in future. With these assurances I went on shore, not a little
elated at the reprieve I was to enjoy for a few hours. The gentlemen received me with every mark of
attention and civility; indeed, I must be wanting in sensibility, if my heart did not warm with gratitude
to Messrs. Ballingall and Tilly,
for their kindnesses to me: the latter gentleman I am informed will
succeed to the agency of the island; he is a genteel young man, and I am told, very deservedly, a favourite with his employers. Mr. Falconbridge this day sent a message to Elliotte Griffiths, the secretary of Naimbana,
who is the King of Sierra Leone, acquainting him with the
purport of his mission, and begging to know when he may be honored with an audience of his Majesty. In the evening he received an answer, of which the
following is a copy: KING Naimbana's
compliments to Mr. Falconbridge, and will be glad to see him to-morrow. (Signed) A. E. Griffiths, Sec. Such an immediate answer from a King, I considered a
favorable omen, and a mark of condescension in his Majesty, but the result you shall hear by and
by; in the mean while, I must tell you what passed the remainder of the day at this factory. We sat down to dinner with the same party as the
first day, consisting of about fifteen in number; this necessary ceremony ended, and towards the cool of
the afternoon, I proposed walking for a while: Mr. Tilly and a Mr. Barber offered to accompany and show me
the island, which not being objected to, we set out. Adam's Town was the first place they took me to; it
is so called from a native of that name, who has the management of all the gramattos, or
free black servants., but under the control of the Agent. The whole town consists of a street with about
twenty-five houses on each side:— on the right of all is Adam's house. This building does not differ from the rest, except
in size, being much more spacious than any other, and being barracaded with
a mud wall;—all of them are composed of thatch, wood, and clay, something resembling our poor cottages, in many parts of I went into several of them—saw nothing that did not
discover the occupiers to be very clean and neat; in some was a block or two of wood, which served for
chairs,—a few wooden bowls or trenchers, and perhaps a pewter bason and an
iron pot, compleated the whole of their furniture. In every house I was accosted by whoever we found at
home, in the Timmany language Currea
Yaa, which signifies — How do you do, mother ? — the most respectful way they can address any person. Leaving the town, we proceeded first to the burying
ground for Europeans, and then to that for the blacks; — the only distinction between them was a
few orange trees, that shaded two gravestones at the former,—one in memory of a Mr. Knight, who had died
here after residing fifteen years as Agent;— the other on the supposed grave of a Captain Tittle, who was murdered by one Signior
Domingo, a native chief, for (as Domingo asserts) being the cause of
his son's death. The circumstance leading to the murder, and of the
murder itself, has been represented to me nearly in the following words: "One day while the son of Domingo was employed
by Captain Tittle, as a gramatto,
or pull-away boy,2 Tittle's hat by accident blew overboard, and he insisted
that the boy should jump into the water and swim after it, as the only means of saving his hat. "The boy obstinately refused, saying, he could
not swim, and he should either be drowned, or the sharks would catch him; upon which Tittle pushed him into the water, and the poor boy was
lost; but whether devoured by sharks, or suffocated by water, is
immaterial, he was never heard of, or seen after. "The father, though sorely grieved for his
son's death, was willing to consider it as accidental, and requested Tittle would
supply him with a small quantity of rum to make a cry or lamentation in their country custom. "The Captain, by promise, acquiesced to the
demand, and sent him a cask; but, instead of spirit, filled with emptyings from the tubs
of his slaves. "As soon as Domingo discovered this insult and
imposition, he informed Tittle he must either
submit to the decision of a Palaver, or he would put him to
death if ever an opportunity offered; but Tittle
laughed at these threats, and disregarded them, vauntingly threw himself into the way of Domingo—while
the trick played upon him, and the loss of his son were fresh
in his memory. "The African, however, instead of being daunted
at the sight of this headstrong man, soon convinced him he was serious: he had Tittle
seized, and after confining him some time in irons, without food, ordered him to be broken to death, which was
executed under the inspection of the injured father, and to the great joy and satisfaction of a multitude of
spectators." 2 African term for an
Oar-man. Not a sentence or hint of the affair is mentioned on
the tombstone; the reason assigned for the omission, was a wish to obliterate the melancholy
catastrophe, and a fear lest the record might be the means of kindling animosities at a future day. Now, although I cannot without horror contemplate on
the untimely end of this man, yet he assuredly in some degree merited it, if the account I have heard,
and just now related to you, be true, which I have no reason to question; for he who unprovoked can
wantonly rob a fellow creature of his life, deserves not life himself! From the catacombs which lay at the south east end,
we walked to the opposite point of the island, it is no great distance, for the whole island is very
little more than a fourth of a mile in length, and scarcely a mile and a half in circumference. Several rocks lay at a small distance from the shore
at this end; they are by the natives called the Devil's Rocks,— from a superstitious opinion, that
the old Gentleman resides either there or in the neighbourhood, Sammo, King of the Bulloms,
comes to this place once a year to make a sacrifice and peace-offering to his Infernal Majesty. From this King Messrs. Andersons hold all their
possessions here, and I understand they pay him an annual tribute—but to what amount I cannot say. The King comes in person to receive his dues, which
are paid him in his canoe, for he never ventures to put his foot on shore, as his Gree
Greemen or fortunetellers have persuaded him the
island will sink under him, if ever he lands. I am told at one time he suffered himself to be
dragged up to the Factory House in his boat, but no argument was strong enough to seduce him to
disembark, for he did not consider he incurred the penalty his prophets denounced while he continued in
his canoe; though he could not avoid shewing evident tokens of uneasiness; till he was safe afloat
again. We now returned to the Factory, or as it is
otherwise called Bance Island House. This building at a distance has a respectable and
formidable appearance; nor is it much less so upon a nearer investigation: I suppose it is about one
hundred feet in length, and thirty in breadth, and contains nine rooms, on one floor, under which are commodious
large cellars and store rooms; to the right is the kitchen, forge, &c. and to the left other
necessary buildings, all of country stone, and surrounded with a prodigious thick lofty wall. There was formerly a fortification in front of those
houses, which was destroyed by a French frigate during the last war; at present several pieces of
cannon are planted in the same place, but without embrasures or breast-work; behind the great house is
the slave yard, and houses for accommodating the slaves. Delicacy, perhaps, prevented the gentlemen from
taking me to see them; but the room where we dined looks directly into the yard. Involuntarily I strolled to one of the windows a
little before dinner, without the smallest suspicion of what I was to see ;— judge then what my astonishment
and feelings were, at the sight of between two and three hundred wretched victims, chained and parcelled out in circles, just satisfying the cravings of nature from a trough of rice placed in the centre of each
circle. Offended modesty rebuked me with a blush for not
hurrying my eyes from such disgusting scenes; but whether fascinated by female curiosity, or whatever
else, I could not withdraw myself for several minutes—while I remarked some whose hair was
withering with age, reluctantly tasting their food — and others thoughtless from youth, greedily
devouring all before them; be assured I avoided the prospects from this side of the house ever after. Having prolonged the time till nine at night, we
returned to our floating prison, and what with the assiduity of the master in removing many
inconveniencies, my mind being more at ease, want of rest for two nights, and somewhat fatigued with the
exercise of the day, 1 thank God, slept charmingly, and the next morning we set sail for Robana,
where we arrived about ten o'clock: I think it is called nine miles from We went on shore, and rather caught his Majesty by
surprise, for he was quite in dishabille; and at our approach retired in great haste. I observed a person pass me in a loose white frock
and trowsers, whom I would not have suspected for a King! if he had not been
pointed out to me. Mr. Elliotte and the Queen
met us; and after introducing her Majesty and himself, we were then conducted to her house. She behaved with much indifference,— told me, in
broken English, the King would come presently,— he was gone to pegininee
woman house to dress himself. After setting nigh half an hour, Naimbana
made his appearance, and received us with seeming good will: he was dressed in a purple embroidered coat,
white sattin waistcoat and breeches, thread stockings, and his left side emblazoned with a
flaming star; his legs to be sure were harliquined,
by a number of holes in the stockings, through which his black
skin appeared. Compliments ended, Mr. Falconbridge acquainted him
with his errand, by a repetition of what he wrote the day before: and complained much of King Jemmy's injustice, in driving the settlers away, and burning their town. The The King answered
through Elliotte, (for he speaks but little
English) that Jemmy was partly right—the people had brought it on themselves; they
had taken part with some Americans, with whom Jemmy had a dispute, and through that means drew the ill
will of this man upon them, who had behaved, considering their conduct, as well as they
merited; for he gave them three days notice before he burned their town, that they might remove
themselves and all their effects away; that he (Naimbana) could not prudently re-establish them, except by
consent of all the Chiefs—for which purpose he must call a court or palaver; but it would be seven or
eight days before they could be collected; however he would send a summons to the different parties
directly, and give Falconbridge timely advice when they were to meet. Falconbridge ---------------àGo To Two voyages to Sierra Leone, Part 2 |
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