276 TRIP TO CALEBAR. 



been several months at Bonny. His surprise at 

 meeting me was equally great, as the general 

 opinion was that we were all dead on board the 

 Quorra : indeed the variety of reports in cir- 

 culation (some of them not the most flattering to 

 my vanity) at Fernando Po was quite ridicu- 

 lous ; and I found, as I suspect most people in the 

 same situation will find, that every reason except 

 the true one was assigned as the cause of the 

 failure of the expedition. 



By Mr. Jeffrey, who sailed the next morning, 

 I communicated to my friends in Liverpool my 

 arrival, and my intention to procure a charter 

 for the Columbine and bring her home myself, 

 if I did not succeed in finding a commander for 

 her, — informing them at the same time of the 

 complete failure of the expedition as a mercan- 

 tile speculation. 



Three days afterwards, I ran the Quorra 

 over to Calebar, accompanied by Colonel NicoUs, 

 who was desirous of a personal interview with 

 Duke Ephraim, on the subject of the slave- 

 trade. Calebar has been so long frequented 

 by British vessels, and so ably described by 

 Lieutenant Holman, that a description of it 



