290 TECHNICAL TERMS. 



The owner of the slave was his own counsel, 

 and from his description there never had been, 

 nor would be such another. The defendant re- 

 plied in an animated strain, and after listening 

 for two hours we decided in favour of the 

 plaintiff, reducing his demand, however, consi- 

 derably. The English language, every person 

 knows, is capable of an infinite variety of dia- 

 lects ; but no amateur, however well acquainted 

 with the King's English as spoken by the Lan- 

 cashire, Somersetshire, or Yorkshire peasantry, — 

 or, what is much worse, with its clippings and 

 curtailings by the cockneys, — can imagine the 

 variety it is capable of, without visiting the coast 

 of Africa. In Bonny, everything is " a good 

 or bad palaver ;" in another place it is " a good 

 or bad go ;" and in Cameroons, everything is 

 " a good or bad bob." Our " bob," unlike most 

 " bobs," was highly satisfactory ; and we had all 

 the gratification of preventing a feud between 

 parties that, like Peter's, might have cost the life 

 and freedom of many. 



In the morning. Prince William and two of his 

 wives came on board, as Colonel Nicolls had in- 

 vited them to pay him a visit. The youngest was 

 the favourite, as she was the last, I presume ; but 



