We anchored before Sesthos, or Sesthio, May 10th, a Place where most of our windward Slave-ships stop to buy Rice, exchanged at about 2s. per Quintal. The River is about half the breadth of the Thames; a narrow Entrance only for Boats on the starboard Side, between two Rocks, which, on great Swells and Winds, make the shooting of it dangerous; the rest of the breadth being choaked with Sands.
The Town is large, and built after a different Model from those we have left; they run them up (square or round) four Foot from the Earth; at that height, is the first and chief Room, to sit, talk, or sleep in, lined with matted Rinds of Trees, supported with Stockades, and in the middle of it, a Fire-place for Charcoal, that serves a double Purpose; driving off Insects and Vermine, and drying their Rice and Indian Corn. Of the upper Loft they make a Store-house, that runs up pyramidal 30 foot; making the Town at distance, appear like a number of Spires, each standing singly.
This, and every Town hereabouts, had a Palaaver-Room, a publick Place of meeting for the People to council, and transact the Business of the Society: They are large, and built something like our Lodges for Carts, open, 4 foot from the Ground; then a Stage to sit, rafted and well covered against Rain and Sun-shine. Here they meet without distinction; King and Subject, smoaking from Morning to Night. At this Place, it is common to bring your Traffick; brass Pans, pewter Basins, Powder, Shot, old Chests, &c. and exchange for Rice, Goats and Fowls. Two or three Pipes, a Charge of Powder, or such a Trifle, buys a Fowl. A 2 pound Basin buys a Goat; and I purchased two for an old Chest, with a Lock to it. Such a piece of Mechanism I found a Rarity, and brought all the Country down to admire. A Watch still encreased their Wonder; and making Paper speak (as they call it) is a Miracle.
They bring their written Certificates hinted above, and when you tell them the Contents, or they are made Messengers of Notes between English Ships, they express the utmost Surprize at such sort of Knowledge and Intercourse; it infinitely exceeds their Understanding, and impresses a superior and advantageous Idea of the Europeans.
The King who commands here has the Name of Pedro; he lives about five Miles up the River, a Sample of Negro Majesty.
As there is a Dashee expected before Ships can wood and water here; it was thought expedient to send the Royal Perquisite up by Embassy (a Lieutenant and Purser) who being in all respects equal to the Trust, were dismissed with proper Instructions, and being arrived at the King’s Town, they were ushered or thrust in by some of the Courtiers into the common Palaaver-Room (to wait the King’s dressing, and coming from his Palace) his publick Audience being ever in the Presence of the People. After waiting an hour, King Pedro came attended by a hundred naked Nobles, all smoaking, and a Horn blowing before them. The King’s Dress was very antick: He had a dirty, red Bays Gown on, chequer’d with patch-work of other Colours, like a Jack pudding, and a Fellow to bear the Train, which was a narrow Slip of Culgee tacked to the bottom of the Gown. He had an old black full-bottom’d Wig, uncombed; an old Hat not half big enough, and so set considerably behind the Fore-top, that made his meagre Face like a Scare-crow; coarse Shoes and Stockings, unbuckled and unty’d, and a brass Chain of 20lib. at least about his Neck.
To this Figure of a Man, our modern Embassadors in their Holiday Suits, fell on their Knees, and might have continued there till this time, for what Pedro cared: He was something surprized indeed, but took it for the Fashion of their Country, and so kept making instant Motions for the Dashee. This brought them from their Knees, as the proper Attitude for presenting it; consisting in a trading Gun, two pieces of salt Ship-beef, a Cheese, a Bottle of Brandy, a Dozen of Pipes, and two Dozen of Congees. But Pedro, who understood the Present better than the Bows, did not seem pleased when he saw it; not for any defect in the Magnificence, but they were such things as he had not present Occasion for; asking some of their Clothes and to take those back again, particularly their Breeches, sullied a little with kneeling in the Spittle: But on a Palaaver with his Ministers, the Present was accepted, and the Officers dismissed back with a Glass of Palm-Wine and Attee, ho, (the common way of Salutation with Thumbs and Fingers mixed, and snapping off.)
To smooth the King into a good Opinion of our Generosity, we made it up to his Son, Tom Freeman; who, to shew his good-nature, came on board uninvited, bringing his Flagelet, and obliging us with some wild Notes. Him we dress’d with an edg’d Hat, a Wig, and a Sword, and gave a Patent upon a large Sheet of Parchment, creating him Duke of Sesthos, affixing all our Hands, and the Impress of a Butter mark on Putty.
This was taken so kindly by the Father, that he sent us a couple of Goats in return, and his younger Son Josee for further Marks of our Favour; whom we dignified also, on a small Consideration, with the Title of Prince of Baxos. Several indeed had been titled, but none so eminently, as by Patent, before; which procured us the entire good-will of the King; suffering us at any time to hawl our Searn in the River, where we catched good store of Mullets, Soles, Bump noses, and Rock-fish; and to go up to their Villages unmolested.
In one of these Towns, some others of us paid a Visit to his Majesty, whom we found at a Palace built as humble as a Hog-sty; the entrance was narrow like a Port-hole, leading into what we may call his Court-Yard, a slovenly little Spot, and two or three Hutts in it, which I found to be the Apartment of his Women. From this we popped through another short Portico, and discovered him on the left hand, upon a place without his House, raised like a Taylor’s Shop-board, and smoaking with two or three old Women, (the favourite Diversion of both Sexes.) His Dress and Figure, with the novelty of ours, created mutual Smiles which held a few Minutes, and then we took leave with the Attee, ho.
From his Town we went to two others still farther up the River; at one of them was a bright yellow-colour’d Man, and being curious to know his Original, were informed (if we interpret their Signs and Language right) that he came from a good distance in the Country, where were more. Captain Bullfinch Lamb, and others, have since told me, they had seen several; Mr. Thompson, that he saw one at Angola, and another at Madagascar; a great Rarity, and as perplexing to account for, as the black Colour.
Exomphalos’s are very common among the Negroes here. I saw also one squint-ey’d; another without a Nose; and another with a Hair Lip; Blemishes rare among them. Circumcision is used pretty much; not as a religious Symbol, but at the Humour of the Parent, who had found a Conveniency in it.
The Diet is Rice, Potatoes, Yacoes or Indian Corn, Parsly, and other Vegetables; the Cultivation of which, and their domestick Affairs, are all imposed on the Women.
In general may be observed, they are exceeding cowardly, like other Countries undisciplined; a whole Town running away from a Boat with white Men. Thievish on their own Dunghills; none of them seeming to have any Notion of it as a Crime, and quarrel only about a Share of what is stole. So lazy, that Scores of them will attend our Searn for a Bisket, or the Distribution of such small Fish as are thrown by; for tho’ their Waters afford great Plenty, they want the Means or Inclination to catch them; chusing rather to loiter and jump about the Sands, or play at round Holes, than endeavour to get Food for themselves.