314 CAPT. TOWNSON AND KING BOY. 



King Boy came on board. He seated himself 

 next to me. Captain Townson being on my right, 

 and began to complain of having received only 

 three puncheons. Captain Townson said he had 

 given bars or goods to the amount of eight pun- 

 cheons. King Boy said, '' No, no, cappy ; you lie, 

 lie, lie !" Townson, who was but a little man, for- 

 got himself so far as to reach over me and strike 

 his sable majesty a violent blow on the face, so 

 as to cut the inner side of his lip ; and a scene en- 

 sued which reflected no honour on the character 

 of the commander of a British merchant-ship. 

 Boy was not a little sulky, and uncommunicative 

 for the remainder of his stay ; but he seems to 

 be an avaricious man, grasping at all he can get, 

 and yet without appearing satisfied. Mr. Lander 

 had made him several very valuable presents — 

 fifteen or sixteen guns, two barrels of gunpow- 

 der, fifteen soldiers' canteens, knives, spoons, and 

 soldiers' coats, with various other articles, with 

 which he was not contented. 



Captain Townson was in great want of provi-? 

 sions and men. Mr. Lander kindly ordered two 

 buckets of cocoa and coffee to be given him; 

 and two men who appeared unwilling to proceed 

 up the river, left the Quorra to join his ves- 



