Our Return upon the Gold Coast.
At our coming hither in October 1721, we understood every where that the Pyrates under the Command of Roberts, had been plundering the Ships down the whole Coast, but were then supposed gone off: the latest Account of any who had suffered, being in August last. We therefore, under no Apprehension of their Return, divided the Provisions had been sent hither from England to us, and leaving the Weymouth (the worst disabled Ship of the two) in Cape Corso Road, stretch’d away to Windward again, the Beginning of November, in order to mann, by the Purchase of Slaves, and impressing Sailors from the Merchant Vessels; the latter we had little Occasion of, their ill Treatment, and bad Diet (or a Pretence of it) making them all Volunteers that could be spared.
At Succonda we heel’d and scrubbed Ship, a Ledge of Rock shooting from the western Point nigh a League, making it a smoother Sea than any of the neighbouring Places; and this little Check given to the Water, we observed, made the Bay flow a foot or two higher than any part of the plain Coast.
At Dixcove, the Windermost of our Gold-Coast Factories, we heard by the Carlton, that the Soldiers who had come out under our Convoy for the African Company’s Service at Gambia, had unhappily mutiny’d with Captain Massey one of their Officers; disdaining the bad usage of the Merchants who had the Command and Victualling of them, they spiked up the Guns, and retir’d to the Ship which had brought them over, (the Bumper) and there by a joint Consent of George Lowther the second Mate, and some of the Sailors, proceeded to Sea; the Effect of which, see in the History of the Pyrates.
At Apollonia we found all our old Acquaintance were gone: The Queen that had two or three Months ago sent off a Dashee of four Accys, was lately, with her People, forced to move to Assinee.
There are a numerous People called Santies, or Assanties, extending a long way on the back of them, who derive a considerable Trade to the Coast, particularly at Anamaboo. This Nation, provoked by the frequent Depredations and Panyarrs of the Apollonians, had lately been down and drove them from their Habitations; tho’ themselves, unwilling to own the Roguery, say it has proceeded from the Instigation of Jan Conny their Neighbour and Competitor. At Assinee therefore, we found them preparing to revenge this Injury, buying up all our trading Arms at a good Price, and giving a Fowl for every Flint we could spare, (there being no such thing in the Country.) They are as fearless as any of the Colour, both in Trade and War, and promise themselves an Amendment of their Fortune, which, by accounts since, I hear they have accomplished against Conny.
At Cape Three Points we found our Water-Pond almost dried up, tho’ the Wind at S. E. had lately brought on two or three heavy Showers of Rain, and they failing, constant thick Fogs in the day, and what is very unusual at the distance we anchor, Dews in the night on board: The Current to Westward. In this Bay, two or three Evenings running, we saw a monstrous Fish heavily moving about the Ship, divided into eight or ten different Parts, each as large as a Thornback, sinking immediately at the throwing over a Hook; the Sailors call it a Devil-Fish. Fire-Flies also, (common to warm Latitudes,) flew about in the night; an Insect that makes the like light in the Air, as Glow-Worms on the Ground.
What I shall farther observe from this Cruise or the Circuit we have made, I never yet met either of those useful Animals, a Dog or a Horse, among the Natives; the latter, Bosman (who writes of Guinea) says, are numerous in-land; and of the other, their Bark turns to a Howl in three or four Broods, their Ears and Colour inclining to a Fox. Those I have seen, and not hitherto mentioned, are, among Quadrupeds, the Cat, Hare, Rat, Lizzard, Boar, Porcupine, Civet-Cat, Camelion, and Petto or Sluggard, from the Slowness of his March; he will grow lean in the time he takes to ascend a Tree, and never comes down till he has devoured all the Fruit. Birds, the Parrot, Paraquet, Pheasant, Partridge, Wild-Duck, Turtle-Dove, Snipe, Kite, and others. Fish, the Jack, Plaise, Sole, Bream, Thornback, Dab, Lobster, Crab, Shrimp, &c. Reptiles, the Toad, Scorpion, Centipes.