Old Calabar 
were brought in to the Consulate. They were 
so frightfully emaciated that one’s heart bled 
for them. The doctor attached to the station 
put one of them into his own bed, nursing his 
charge as though it were his own. Bless his 
kind Irish heart ! 
In these small rows, as indeed in most rows 
in this world, the women and children are the 
worst sufferers, and the old adage holds good— 
“the weak go to the wall.” 
When the troops had defeated Nana, and taken 
possession of the town, they destroyed hundreds 
of cases of trade gin, smashing the cases and 
bottles. This spirit was not all for home con- 
sumption, but was an article of commerce in the 
business carried on by the chief with the tribes 
of the interior. 
Most of the minor chiefs hereabouts wore’ 
large lumps of dark-coloured coral suspended 
on a string round their thick necks. They would 
pay fancy prices for unusual pieces. In the 
good old days when palm-oil fetched big money 
the natives made comparatively big fortunes, 
but now that the demand has decreased in 
consequence of cheaper forms of oil being used, 
the “ palmy ” days in that direction are over. 
After Nana’s trial we resumed our voyage to 
Old Calabar, which was the seat of government 
and the residence of the Consul-General. We 
took Nana and his small entourage along, he 
37 
