CHAPTER XII. 



SIERRA LEONE AND CAPE PALMAS. 



" A universe of death, 

 Where all life dies, death lives ; and Nature breeds 

 Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things 

 Abominable, unutterable, and worse 

 Than fables yet have feign'd or fear conceived." 



Milton. 



Sierra Leone. — A thief punished. — Negro character. — Fi'ee Town. 

 — Evil influences. — Black juries and Coast law. — An honour 

 declined. — Cape Palmas. — My boat's crew. — Kroo Man. — A 

 Negro senator. — An American mission.— Negro honour. — A 

 Tornado. — Deserted forts. 



January 11. — At 3*30 p.m. we sighted high 

 land, and at about five came to anchor in Sierra 

 Leone Roadstead. The steamer was immediately 

 surrounded by boats of all kinds, and the occupants, 

 both male and female, seemed to vie with each 

 other as to who could utter the most foul abuse and 

 swear the hardest. Captain Wyld took the pre- 

 caution of posting a couple of sentries at the 



