404 JOURNEY TO THE COAST. Chap. XIX. 



made me feel well rewarded for all the care I had taken 

 of my loyal Commi boys. With the exception of 

 the little outburst at Niembouai of Mouitchi and Ra- 

 pelina — whom we must excuse as having been slaves 

 all their lives and knowing no better, indeed they 

 were afterwards ashamed of their misconduct — I am 

 proud and grateful to think of the fidelity, honesty, 

 steadiness, and pluck disjolayed throughout the journey, 

 by these sharers of my labours. I need scarcely say 

 that I felt also proud and glad that I was able to 

 bring back all my men, with the exception of Retonda, 

 who died of disease, safe and sound to their families 

 and friends. They had shown so much confidence 

 in me, in volunteering to accompany me on the expe- 

 dition, which they were told would be likely to occupy 

 two or three years, that it w^as a source of joride to 

 me to be able to show the Commi people that their 

 confidence had not been misplaced. 



The v^essel at the mouth of the river was the 

 Maranee, Captain Pitts, and was loading for London. 

 I had lost nearly all my property in the disastrous 

 flight from Asharigo-land, and the house and store 

 which I had built at " Plateau " I had made a present 

 of to the American missionaries of the Gaboon, who 

 wished to establish there a native Christian teacher. 

 I had, therefore, neither money nor property ; but 

 Captain Pitts kindly consented to take me as passen- 

 ger. We set sail six days after my arrival. 



And thus I quitted tlrj slioren of Western Equa- 

 torial Africa with the blessings and good wishes of 



