10 



VOYAGE FROM ENGLAND 



idea of social happiness, of the comforts and elegancies produced by science 

 and civilized society, are, after a long and consequently tedious voyage, welcome 

 sights to the aquatic traveller, re-enlivening his spirits, and, in the anticipation of 

 the enjoyments of his proper element, land, are the beginnings of the compen- 

 sation it affords him for the privations he has been enduring at sea. A little 

 higher up, on the opposite side to the sugar-loaf, is the fort of Santa Cruz, M^here 

 ships for a few minutes bring to, and answer various questions. From hence a 

 signal is made, which is repeated from a hill close by the town, announcing to 

 what country the ship arrived belongs. The vessel then cast anchor off the 

 island of Fort Villegagnon, to which place she despatched a boat to bring on 

 board a serjeant and two soldiers, who remained as a guard, till nearly a day 

 was consumed before the captain of the port, a military officer, a doctor, &c. 

 had, one after the other, come off in boats, at their pleasure, to visit the ship, 

 creating an unnecessary and tedious delay. At last, the vessel moved on to the 

 vicinity of the Isle das Cobras, from whence, after a custom-house guard had 

 arrived, the soldiers conducted the Captain and myself to the palace and 

 other offices, where the ship's name, &c. were given in. On here taking leave 

 of the brig, I must do justice to my feelings by observing, that I received the 

 most friendly attention from the Captain, whose gentlemanly and well-regulated 

 conduct were highly honourable to him. 



On landing, the prepossession regarding this place gives way to an impression by 

 no means favourable, produced by narrow streets, crowded with negroes, whose 

 black faces and savage songs, which they howl out as an encouragement to each 

 other under the burdens and loads which they drag along, fill the mind of the 

 stranger, unaccustomed to such scenes, with dejection. The fairy visions in the 

 bay, too recent yet to have disappeared from the imagination, vanished at such 

 discordant sounds and uncouth appearances ; and suffering, rather than satis- 

 faction and enjoyment, appeared to be resident here. The discordant sounds 

 afforded, perhaps, some consolatory relief to the poor negroes, by dividing their 

 attention in some degree from their toil. They were an effort of nature, ever 

 fertile in resources under calamity, to drive away care ; but they were on that 

 account a proof of their misery. They thus imparted a trifling gratification to 

 the sable sufferers, but they penetrated mournfully to my heart, unused as I was 

 to such misery-elicited minstrelsy, for it was slavery under a temporary attempt 

 at disguise. " Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, slavery !" said I, with Sterne, 

 " still thou art a bitter draught ! and though thousands, in all ages, have been 

 " made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account." 



