194 NARRATIVE. 



black man's schooner, in which we were accommodated far beyond 

 our expectations, as it had been fitted up for the short voyages of 

 the EngUsh Officers on that station, and was as airy as so small a 

 vessel could well be. Wlien it became dark, however, our 

 troubles began again, for we were actually covered with cock- 

 roaches, spiders, and mice. The mice ate our clothes as well as 

 our provisions, and the cock-roaches poured upon us from every 

 crevice, and settled in such numbers vipon my baby, that I was 

 obhged to sit up almost the whole of each night to brush them 

 off; and to add to these disagreeables, the partition from the hold 

 fell down, and the cargo of salt came pouring upon us with such 

 a rushing noise, that as it was too dark to convince my eye-sight, 

 I magnified it into the sea, and gave myself up as lost. 



The owner of the vessel had been a slave, and having afterwards 

 procured his freedom, became Captain's steward in a man-of-war. 

 Having served in tliis capacity some time, at a convenient 

 opportunity he ran away, and finding excellent friends among 

 those who labour for Africa, was enabled to return to the Gambia, 

 where he married, and has since become a respectable trader. 

 But his conduct to us (in exacting enormous passage-money, and 

 taking advantage of our disagreeable situation) evinced a want of 

 principle that disappointed us ; and, added to two or three other 

 instances which have come within my knowledge, tended to 

 confirm what must give every friend of Africa some pain to admit, 

 (and indeed, will scarcely be admitted by those who have never 

 visited these people) that the best educated, the most respectable 

 of the present generation of African blacks, appear to have an 

 inherent want of honour and rectitude, which only waits the 

 opportunity to be called forth e. This man's livelihood almost 



8 This remark must only be understood as applying to examples hitherto known, 

 where the mistake has been on our own side. There is no instance as yet (save one 

 which I shall mention presently) of any African having been taken from the country 



