14G PALMS 



appearance at Bonny, Benin, or Old and New Calabar, belongs 

 to that great port. 



Several Liverpool houses have eight or ten ships regularly- 

 trading with Bonny, and, by this constant intercourse, are able 

 to provide such of their vessels as are busy loading with fresh 

 provisions or fresh hands, to replace the losses caused by the 

 destructive climate — an advantage which, of course, does not 

 belong to those firms which carry on the trade on a less exten- 

 sive scale. 



The stay of a ship at Bonny depends in a great measure on 

 the activity of the captain, the assortment of goods, the number 

 of vessels that may be in port at the same time, the size of the 

 ship, and the arrival of supplies from the interior ; on an average, 

 however, a vessel of 400 tons requires about four months for 

 the completion of its cargo of 800 or 850 puncheons. On 

 account of the murderous insalubrity of the climate, the crews 

 are more numerous than is ordinarily the case in trading vessels; 

 the pay is also considerably higher, as of course no sailor would 

 think of confronting the Bight of Benin without an adequate 

 reward. For the same reason each larger ship is provided with 

 a surgeon, whose salary is increased at each repetition of the 

 voyage. On their first trip, these disciples of the healing 

 art confine themselves to their medical duties ; on the second, 

 as they are now supposed to be acquainted with the manner in 

 which the trade is carried on, they act as supercargoes ; on the 

 third, they command the vessel, and receive their percentage of 

 the profits, while a sailing master, or an upper steersman, placed 

 under their orders, conducts the manoeuvres of the ship. Thus, 

 on the coast of Guinea, many captains are found that were 

 originally the votaries of Esculapius, but now render a more 

 profitable homage to Mercury. 



With the exception of glass beads from Grermany, and corals 

 from France, all the other articles in request at Bonny are the 

 produce of English manufactories. 



As soon as a ship has anchored, it is immediately visited by 

 a number of canoes, but trading is not allowed to begin before 

 certain duties have been paid to the king. The first care is to 

 purchase mats for roofing the deck against the sun and the 

 tropical showers ; and, this having been accomplished, not only 

 the negro traders, but also their chief attendants, are presented 



