Feb. 25, 1856.] O'CONNOR. 43 



Kanabak holds a most desirable position, and is singularly fraught with 

 many natural advantages. On the north-east side is a spacious roadstead, 

 protected by the lofty headlands and bluffs of the island, and by the Isle del 

 Porco, with a firm, safe anchorage in 9 fathoms, within f of a mile of the 

 shore. The beach is so easy of access, and slopes so gently to the sea, that 

 puncheons of palm-oil or heavy articles might be rolled from the landing-place 

 into boats or flats for shipment. On the south-east side of the island is an 

 equally good harbour and the king's chief port ; from it the Orango channel, 

 14 miles in breadth, leads to the Atlantic : this is the course used by the 

 English and French men-of-war. Notwithstanding the ill-repute in which the 

 Kanabaks are universally held for their savage, ferocious habits, plundering 

 vessels trading to or wrecked on their islands, and massacring the crews, 

 tlieir indomitable hatred of white men, implacable resentment against their 

 enemies, transmitting family feuds from generation to generation, and wearing 

 the sandals of any relation killed in a quarrel on the anniversary of his murder 

 till his death is revenged, — notwithstanding all this, I would not hesitate to 

 reside among them. 



Captain Miller stated that he had visited the Bissagos Islands in 1850 re- 

 specting the dispute as to right of territory between the English and Portu- 

 guese. The colony which was planted in 1792-3 on the island of Bulama 

 comprised from two hundred and fifty to three hundred persons ; but more 

 than two-thirds of these were dead within a twelvemonth, owing to the im- 

 healthiness of the spot, and the rest went to Sierra Leone. He did not think 

 that such a large sum as 10,OOOZ. ought to have been spent on the expedition. 

 He believed that the Portuguese had a priority of claim rather than the British. 

 When he visited Bulama he found three Portuguese soldiers, who insisted 

 that the island belonged to Portugal. Some of Captain Miller's officers landed 

 there, and found that these soldiers had cultivated various vegetables : the 

 soil was very good ; fowls were abundant ; there was abundance of fish, and 

 plenty of tobacco. From October to February the climate of the islands is as 

 healthy as that of any part of the world ; but after that it was as sickly as any 

 part could possibly be. No attempt had been made since 1793 to colonise 

 Bulama. The slave-trade had formed the chief support of the island. The 

 islands are subject to the Governor of Cape de Verde. Another great obstacle 

 in the way of colonising these islands, in addition to that of the climate, is the 

 difficulty of navigation among them. It is very difficult to obtain a pilot, and 

 no merchantman is sufficiently manned to be able to thread the intricacies of 

 the passage. The conduct of the natives on the occasion of his visit was cer- 

 tainly fierce and warlike. 



Captain FitzRoy referred to ' The Life of Captain Philip Beaver, R.N.,' 

 by Admiral Smyth, in which his attempt to colonise Bulama is described at 

 full length. He had no doubt that 10,000?. were expended in the attempt. 



A Visitor paid a personal tribute to the memory of Philip Beaver, saying 

 that there never was a more persevering man in the British service. He 

 was not a man likely to abandon any enterprise he undertook. Only a very 

 few survived him. 



4. Second Despatch from Governor O'Connor, dated October 26, 

 1855, reporting his Visit to the Casamance River. 



Communicated by the Colonial Office. 



I entered the mouth of the Casamance river on the morning of the 21st 

 instant — a most difficult and dangerous undertaking for vessels of any 



F 



