6 
Le Plateau, 
English craft may carry their colours as far up 
stream as Coniquet Island; beyond this point 
they must either hoist a French ensign, or sail 
without bunting—should the commodore permit. 
Otherwise they will be detained by the commander 
of the hulk “l’Oise,” stationed at Anenge-nenge, 
some thirty-eight to forty miles above Le Plateau. 
Lately a Captain Gordon, employed by Mr. 
Francis Wookey of Taunton, was ordered to pull 
down his flag : those who know the “mariner of 
England ” will appreciate his feelings on the occa¬ 
sion. Small vessels belonging to foreigners, and 
employed in cabotage, must not sail with their 
own papers, and even a change of name is effected 
under difficulties. About a week before my arrival 
a certain pan-Teutonic Hamburgher, Herr B-, 
amused himself, after a copious breakfast, with 
hoisting and saluting the Union Jack, in honour of 
a distinguished guest, Major L-. A report 
was at once spread that the tricolor had been 
hauled down “with extreme indignity;” and the 
Commodore took the trouble to reprimand the 
white, and to imprison “ Tom Case,” the black in 
whose town the outrage had been allowed. 
This by way of parenthesis. My next step was 
to request the pleasure of a visit from Messrs. 
Hogg and Kirkwood, who were in charge of the 
English factories at Glass Town and Olomi; they 
came down stream at once, and kindly acted as 
