By Sheer Pluck: A Tale of the Ashanti War Read online

  CHAPTER VIII: TO THE DARK CONTINENT

  After spending two or three days going about London and enjoying himselfwith his friend Dick, Frank started for Deal, where he was pleased tofind his sister well and happy. He bade goodbye to her, to the doctor,and such of his schoolfellows as lived in Deal, to whom his start forCentral Africa was quite an event. Dr. Bateman handed over to him hiswatch and chain and his blowgun, which he had taken care of for him,also his skinning knives and instruments. The same evening he returnedto town, and spent the days very pleasantly until the afternoon camewhen he was to depart. Then he bade farewell to his kind friends SirJames and Lady Ruthven. Dick accompanied him in the cab to Eustonstation, where a minute or two later Mr. Goodenough arrived. The luggagewas placed in a carriage, and Frank stood chatting with Dick at thedoor, until the guard's cry, "Take your places!" caused him to jump intothe carriage. There was one more hearty handshake with his friend, andthen the train steamed out of the station.

  It was midnight when they arrived at Liverpool, and at once went to bedat the Station Hotel. On coming down in the morning Frank was astonishedat the huge heap of baggage piled up in the hall, but he was told thatthis was of daily occurrence, as six or eight large steamers wentout from Liverpool every week for America alone, and that the greatproportion of the passengers came down, as they had done, on theprevious night, and slept at the Station hotel. Their own share ofthe baggage was not large, consisting only of a portmanteau each, Mr.Goodenough having sent down all his boxes two days previously. Attwelve o'clock they went on board the Niger, bound for the west coastof Africa. This would carry them as far as Sierra Leone, whence Mr.Goodenough intended to take passage in a sailing ship to his startingpoint for the interior.

  Frank enjoyed the voyage out intensely, and three days after sailingthey had left winter behind; four days later they were lying in theharbor of Funchal.

  "What a glorious place that would be to ramble about!" he said to Mr.Goodenough.

  "Yes, indeed. It would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast thanbetween this mountainous island of Madeira and the country which we areabout to penetrate. This is one of the most delightful climates inthe world, the west coast of Africa one of the worst. Once well inthe interior, the swamp fevers, which are the curse of the shores,disappear, but African travelers are seldom long free from attacks offever of one kind or the other. However, quinine does wonders, and weshall be far in the interior before the bad season comes on."

  "You have been there before, you said, Mr. Goodenough?"

  "Yes, I have been there twice, and have made excursions for shortdistances from the coast. But this time we are going into a countrywhich may be said to be altogether unknown. One or two explorers havemade their way there, but these have done little towards examiningthe natural productions of the country, and have been rather led byinducements of sport than by those of research."

  "Did you have fever, sir?"

  "Two or three little attacks. A touch of African fever, during what iscalled the good season, is of little more importance than a feverishcold at home. It lasts two or three days, and then there is an endof it. In the bad season the attacks are extremely violent, sometimescarrying men off in a few hours. I consider, however, that dysentery isa more formidable enemy than fever. However, even that, when properlytreated, should be combated successfully."

  "Do you mean to hire the men to go with you at Sierra Leone?"

  "Certainly not, Frank. The negroes of Sierra Leone are the mostindolent, the most worthless, and the most insolent in all Africa. It isthe last place in the world at which to hire followers. We must get themat the Gaboon itself, and at each place we arrive at afterwards we takeon others, merely retaining one of the old lot to act as interpreter.The natives, although they may allow white men to pass safely, areexceedingly jealous of men of other tribes. I shall, however, take withme, if possible, a body of, say six Houssas, who are the best fightingnegroes on the coast. These I shall take as a bodyguard; the carriers weshall obtain from the different tribes we visit. The Kroomen, whom youwill see at Cape Palmas, are a magnificent set of men. They furnishsailors and boatmen to all the ships trading on these shores. They arestrong, willing, and faithful, but they do not like going up into theinterior. Now we will land here and get a few hours' run on shore. Thereare one or two peculiarities about Madeira which distinguish it fromother places. To begin with we will go for a ride in a bullock cartwithout wheels."

  "But surely it must jolt about terribly," Frank said.

  "Not at all. The roads are paved with round, knubbly stones, such asyou see sometimes in narrow lanes and courts in seaside places at home.These would not make smooth roads for wheeled vehicles; but here, as youwill see, the carts are placed on long runners like those of sledges.These are greased, and the driver always has a pound of candles or sohanging to the cart. When he thinks that the runners want greasing hetakes a candle, lays it down on the road in front of one of the runners,and lets this pass over it. This greases it sufficiently, and it glidesalong over the stones almost as smoothly as if passing over ice."

  Frank thoroughly enjoyed his run on shore, but was surprised at the airof listlessness which pervaded the inhabitants. Every one moved about inthe most dawdling fashion. The shopkeepers looked out from their doorsas if it were a matter of perfect indifference to them whether customerscalled or not. The few soldiers in Portuguese uniform looked as if theyhad never done a day's drill since they left home. Groups sat in chairsunder the trees and sipped cooling drinks or coffee. The very bullockswhich drew the gliding wagons seemed to move more slowly than bullocksin other places. Frank and his friend drove in a wagon to the monastery,high up on the mountain, and then took their places on a little handsledge, which was drawn by two men with ropes, who took them down thesharp descent at a run, dashing round corners at a pace which made Frankhold his breath. It took them but a quarter of an hour to regain thetown, while an hour and a half had been occupied in the journey out.

  "I shall buy a couple of hammocks here," Mr. Goodenough said. "They aremade of knotted string, and are lighter and more comfortable than thoseto be met with on the coast. I will get a couple of their cane chairs,too, they are very light and comfortable."

  In the afternoon they again embarked, and then steamed away for SierraLeone. After several days' passage, they arrived there at daylight, andFrank was soon on deck.

  "What a beautiful place!" he exclaimed. "It is not a bit what Iexpected."

  "No," Mr. Goodenough said; "no one looking at it could suppose thatbright pretty town had earned for itself the name of the white man'sgrave."

  Sierra Leone is built on a somewhat steep ascent about a mile up theriver. Freetown, as the capital is properly called, stands some fiftyfeet or so above the sea, and the barracks upon a green hill threehundred feet above it, a quarter of a mile back. The town, as seenfrom the sea, consists entirely of the houses of the merchants andshopkeepers, the government buildings, churches, and other public andEuropean buildings. The houses are all large and bright with yellowtinged whitewash, and the place is completely embowered in palms andother tropical trees. The native town lies hidden from sight among treeson low ground to the left of the town. Everywhere around the town thehills rise steep and high, wooded to the summit. Altogether there arefew more prettily situated towns than the capital of Sierra Leone.

  "It is wonderful," Mr. Goodenough said, "that generations andgenerations of Europeans have been content to live and die in thatwretchedly unhealthy place, when they might have established themselveson those lofty hills but a mile away. There they would be far above themalarious mists which rise from the low ground. The walk up and down totheir warehouses and offices here would be good for them, and thereis no reason why Sierra Leone should be an unhealthy residence.Unfortunately the European in Africa speedily loses his vigor andenterprise. When he first lands he exclaims, 'I certainly shall have abungalow built upon those hills;' but in a short time his energy leaveshim. He falls into the ways of the
place, drinks a great deal morespirits than is good for him, stops down near the water, and at the endof a year or so, if he lives so long, is obliged to go back to Europe torecruit.

  "Look at the boats coming out."

  A score of boats, each containing from ten to twelve men, approached theship. They remained at a short distance until the harbor master came onboard and pronounced the ship free from quarantine. Then the boats madea rush to the side, and with shouts, yells, and screams of laughterscrambled on board. Frank was at once astonished and amused at the noiseand confusion.

  "What on earth do they all want?" he asked Mr. Goodenough.

  "The great proportion of them don't want anything at all," Mr.Goodenough answered, "but have merely come off for amusement. Some ofthem come to be hired, some to carry luggage, others to tout for theboatmen below. Look at those respectable negresses coming up the gangwaynow. They are washerwomen, and will take our clothes ashore and bringthem on board again this afternoon before we start."

  "It seems running rather a risk," Frank said.

  "No, you will see they all have testimonials, and I believe it isperfectly safe to intrust things to them."

  Mr. Goodenough and Frank now prepared to go on shore, but this was noteasily accomplished, for there was a battle royal among the boatmenwhose craft thronged at the foot of the ladder. Each boat had about fourhands, three of whom remained on board her, while the fourth stoodupon the ladder and hauled at the painter to keep the boat to which hebelonged alongside. As out of the twenty boats lying there not morethan two could be at the foot of the ladder together, the conflict was adesperate one. All the boatmen shouted, "Here, sar. This good boat, sar.You come wid me, sar," at the top of their voices, while at the sametime they were hard at work pulling each other's boats back and pushingtheir own forward. So great was the struggle as Frank and Mr. Goodenoughapproached the gangway, so great the crowd upon the ladder, that oneside of the iron bar from which the ladder chains depend broke in two,causing the ladder to drop some inches and giving a ducking to thoseon the lower step, causing shouts of laughter and confusion. These roseinto perfect yells of amusement when one of the sailors suddenly loosedthe ladder rope, letting five or six of the negroes into the water up totheir necks. So intense was the appreciation by the sable mind of thisjoke that the boatmen rolled about with laughter, and even the victims,when they had once scrambled into their boats, yelled like peoplepossessed.

  "They are just like children," Mr. Goodenough said. "They are alwayseither laughing or quarreling. They are good natured and passionate,indolent, but will work hard for a time; clever up to a certain point,densely stupid beyond. The intelligence of an average negro is aboutequal to that of a European child of ten years old. A few, a very few,go beyond this, but these are exceptions, just as Shakespeare was anexception to the ordinary intellect of an Englishman. They are fluenttalkers, but their ideas are borrowed. They are absolutely withoutoriginality, absolutely without inventive power. Living among white men,their imitative faculties enable them to attain a considerable amountof civilization. Left alone to their own devices they retrograde into astate little above their native savagery."

  This was said as, after having fixed upon a boat and literally foughttheir way into it, they were rowed towards the shore. On landing Frankwas delighted with the greenness of everything. The trees were heavywith luxuriant foliage, the streets were green with grass as long andbright as that in a country lane in England. The hill on which thebarracks stand was as bright a green as you would see on English slopesafter a wet April, while down the streets clear streams were running.The town was alive with a chattering, laughing, good natured, excitablepopulation, all black, but with some slight variation in the dinginessof the hue.

  Never was there such a place for fun as Sierra Leone. Every one wasbrimful of it. Every one laughed when he or she spoke, and every onestanding near joined freely in the conversation and laughed too. Frankwas delighted with the display of fruit in the market, which is probablyunequaled in the world. Great piles there were of delicious big oranges,green but perfectly sweet, and of equally refreshing little green limes;pineapples and bananas, green, yellow, and red, guava, and custardapples, alligator pears, melons, and sour sops, and many other nativefruits.

  Mr. Goodenough purchased a large basket of fruit, which they took withthem on board the ship. The next morning they started down the coast.They passed Liberia, the republic formed of liberated slaves, and ofnegroes from America, and brought up a mile or two off Monrovia, itscapital. The next day they anchored off Cape Palmas, the headquarters ofthe Kroomen. A number of these men came off in their canoes, and causedgreat amusement to Frank and the other passengers by their fun anddexterity in the management of their little craft. These boatsare extremely light, being hollowed out until little thicker thanpasteboard, and even with two Kroomen paddling it is difficult for aEuropean to sit in them, so extremely crank are they. Light as they arethe Krooboy can stand up and dive from his boat without upsetting itif he take time; but in the hurry and excitement of diving for coppers,when half a dozen men would leap overboard together, the canoes werefrequently capsized. The divers, however, thought nothing of thesemishaps, righting the boats and getting in again without difficulty.Splendidly muscular fellows they were. Indeed, except among the Turkishhamals it is doubtful whether such powerful figures could be foundelsewhere.

  "They would be grand fellows to take with us, Mr. Goodenough," Franksaid.

  "Yes, if they were as plucky as they are strong, one could wish fornothing better; but they are notorious cowards, and no offer would temptthem to penetrate into such a country as that into which we are going."

  Stopping a few hours at Cape Coast Castle, Accra, and other ports theyat last arrived at Bonny.

  "It is not tempting in appearance," Frank said, "certainly."

  "No," Mr. Goodenough replied, "this is one of the most horriblyunhealthy spots in Africa. As you see, the white traders do not dare tolive on shore, but take up their residence in those old floating hulkswhich are thatched over, and serve as residences and storehouses. I havea letter from one of the African merchants in London, and we shall takeup our abode on board his hulk until we get one of the coasting steamersto carry us down. I hope it will not be many days."

  The very bulky luggage was soon transferred to the hulk, where Frankand Mr. Goodenough took up their residence. The agent in charge was veryglad to receive them, as any break in the terrible monotony of such alife is eagerly welcomed. He was a pale, unhealthy looking man, and hadjust recovered from an unusually bad attack of fever. Like most of thetraders on the coast he had an immense faith in the power of spirits.

  "It is the ruin of them," Mr. Goodenough said to Frank when they werealone. "Five out of six of the men here ruin their constitutions withspirits, and then fall an easy prey to the fever."

  "But you have brought spirits with you, Mr. Goodenough. I saw some ofthe cases were labeled Brandy.'"

  "Brandy is useful when taken as a medicine, and in moderation. A littlemixed with water at the end of a long day of exhausting work acts as arestorative, and frequently enables a worn out man to sleep. But I havebrought the brandy you see for the use of others rather than myself.One case is of the very best spirits for our own use. The rest iscommon stuff and is intended as presents. Our main drink will be tea andchocolate. These are invaluable for the traveler. I have, besides, largequantities of calico, brass stair rods, beads, and powder. These are themoney of Africa, and pass current everywhere. With these we shall payour carriers and boatmen, with these purchase the right of way throughthe various tribes we shall meet. Moreover it is almost necessary inAfrica to pass as traders. The people perfectly understand that whitemen come here to trade; but if we said that our object was to shootbirds and beasts, and to catch butterflies and insects, they would notbelieve us in the slightest degree, but would suspect us of all sorts ofhidden designs. Now we will go ashore and pay our respects to the king."

  "Do you mean to say that
there is a king in that wretched lookingvillage?" Frank asked in surprise.

  "Kings are as plentiful as peas in Africa," Mr. Goodenough said, "butyou will not see much royal state."

  Frank was disappointed indeed upon landing. Sierra Leone had given himan exalted idea of African civilization, but this was at once dispelledby the appearance of Bonny. The houses were constructed entirely ofblack mud, and the streets were narrow and filthy beyond description.The palace was composed of two or three hovels, surrounded by a mudwall. In one of these huts the king was seated. Mr. Goodenough and Frankwere introduced by the agent, who had gone ashore with them, and HisMajesty, who was an almost naked negro, at once invited them to joinhim in the meal of which he was partaking. As a matter of courtesythey consented, and plates were placed before them, heaped with a stewconsisting of meat, vegetables, and hot peppers. While the meal went onthe king asked Mr. Goodenough what he had come to the coast for, andwas disappointed to find that he was not going to set up as a trader atBonny, as it was the custom for each newcomer to make a handsome presentto him. When the meal was over they took their leave.

  "Do you know what you have been eating?" the agent asked Frank.

  "Not in the least," Frank said. "It was not bad; what was it?"

  "It was dog flesh," the agent answered.

  "Not really!" Frank exclaimed with an uncomfortable sensation ofsickness.

  "Yes, indeed," the agent replied. "Dog's meat is considered a luxury inBonny, and dogs are bred specially for the table."

  "You'll eat stranger things than that before you've done, Frank," Mr.Goodenough continued, "and will find them just as good, and in manycases better, than those to which you are accustomed. It is a strangething why in Europe certain animals should be considered fit to eatand certain animals altogether rejected, and this without the slightestreason. Horses and donkeys are as clean feeders as oxen and sheep. Dogs,cats, and rats are far cleaner than pigs and ducks. The flesh of theone set is every bit as good as that of the other, and yet the poorestpeasant would turn up his nose at them. Here sheep and oxen, horses anddonkeys, will not live, and the natives very wisely make the most of theanimals which can do so."

  Frank was soon tired of Bonny, and was glad to hear that they wouldstart the next day for Fernando Po in a little steamer called theRetriever. The island of Fernando Po is a very beautiful one, the peakrising ten thousand feet above the sea, and wooded to the very summit.Were the trees to some extent cleared away the island might be veryhealthy. As it is, it is little better than the mainland.

  There was not much to see in the town of Clarence, whose populationconsists entirely of traders from Sierra Leone, Kroomen, etc. Thenatives, whose tribal name is Adiza, live in little villages in theinterior. They are an extremely primitive people, and for the most partdispense altogether with clothing. The island belongs to Spain, and isused as a prison, the convicts being kept in guard ships in the harbor.After a stay of three days there Mr. Goodenough and Frank took passagein a sailing ship for the Gaboon.