Chapter VII (3)

GRANDY. "There is a thriving missionary establishment at Liberia, which I hope will before long exert its benign influence over the Bowchee people, who are located some few miles distant. They are a miserable race, entirely devoid of feeling; the gentle appeals of nature are unknown to them; parental tenderness dwells not in their bosoms, for they will sell their children as slaves to the greatest strangers in the world, with no more remorse of conscience than if they had been common articles of merchandise. I will tell you a story of a Bowchee mother:--'A travelling slave-dealer passing through the place had purchased several of their children of both sexes, from the inhabitants, and amongst others an old woman had an only daughter, whom she parted with for a necklace of beads. The unhappy girl, who was about thirteen or fourteen years of age, on being dragged away from the threshold of her parent's hut, clung distractedly around the knees of her unfeeling mother, and looking up wistfully in her face burst into a flood of tears, exclaiming with passionate vehemence:--"O mother! do not sell me; what will become of me? what will become of yourself in your old age if you send me from you? who will fetch you corn and milk? who will pity you when you die? Have I been unkind to you? O mother! do not sell your only daughter. I will take you in my arms when you are feeble and carry you under the shade of trees. I will repay the kindness you showed me in my infant years. When you are weary, I will fan you to sleep; and whilst you are sleeping, I will drive away flies from you. I will attend on you when you are in pain; and when you die, I will shed rivers of sorrow over your grave. O mother! dear mother! do not push me away from you; do not sell your only daughter to be the slave of a stranger!" Her tears were useless--her remonstrances vain. The unnatural parent, shaking the beads in the face of her only child, thrust her from her embraces; and the slave-dealer drove the agonized girl from the place of her nativity.'"

EMMA. "Oh! how very shocking! Poor girl! how dreadful to have such cruel, relentless parents. Oh dear! I hope the work of the missionaries will be blessed, and that God will soften the hard hearts of those savage and mercenary people."

CHARLES. "Between Liberia and Sierra Leone are Sherboro' Bay and Yawry Bay. Sierra Leone, or 'Mountains of the Lioness,' is so unhealthy that we should not live long if we went there."

MRS. WILTON. "You are right, Charles. It was established as a colony in 1787, for the express purpose of laboring to civilize the Africans. All the cargoes of the recaptured slavers are taken there, and every comfort and convenience afforded to the unfortunate negroes. But it is so extremely unhealthy that Europeans can scarcely carry out their plans, and death mows them down in the midst of their usefulness."

CHARLES. "Then I may conclude that all members are desirous of proceeding. Between Sierra Leone and Cape Verd the bays are immaterial; but from Cape Verd, sailing north, we pass four tolerable-sized indentations--Tindal, Greyhound, Cintra, and Garnet Bays. Then a brisk wind will speedily waft us to the point from whence we started, viz. the Straits of Gibraltar."

MR. WILTON. "We have nearly come to a conclusion then, and without any of the misfortunes incidental to travellers. We have gone over the vast extent of waters which encompass our globe, and been for some months engaged in examining the wonders of the ocean, without meeting any of the monsters of the deep, such as krakens, sea-serpents, &c.; nevertheless, I am not so skeptical as to disbelieve all I have not the opportunity of viewing with my own bodily eyes. I do think that the sea contains monsters such as Mrs. Howitt describes:--

'Things all misshapen, slimy, cold,
Writhing, and strong, and thin,'

which it would be dangerous to observe too near; and I shall feel we have gained an advantage by these little meetings if they lead you young folks to reflect on the probabilities of different travellers' assertions, before you either receive or reject them."

MRS. WILTON. "We have sailed all round the coast of Africa, but would there be any danger in going to the lakes of Africa?"

MR. WILTON. "None that I am aware of; and as there are only three of any magnitude there, we shall not be long on the excursion. I will visit two myself, and report discoveries.

"Lake Ludea is in Tunis, and is scarcely worth the expense of a journey thither. Lake Maravi is in the south, near Mozambique, and is rather larger, but not an agreeable situation. Mr. Stanley, will you be good enough to conduct the ladies to the banks of Lake Tchad?"

MR. STANLEY. "I should be sorry to take the ladies to such a country; but I will venture alone and, like you, collect the necessary information, if that will suit the purpose?"

EMMA. "Oh! yes, sir, that will do quite as well."

MR. STANLEY. "Lake Tchad is the largest inland sea in Africa, its circumference about 300 miles, its situation in the country of Bornou. It contains sweet, fresh, and still water; is surrounded by many lakes, both fresh and salt; and has several rivers running into it, although it has no outlet, which is the cause of its occasionally overflowing the surrounding country. Bornou is not a pleasant place, it swarms with innumerable creeping horrors, and savage animals; the latter often enter the villages, and carry off the unfortunate slaves while at work. Simplicity, good-nature, and ugliness are the peculiar characteristics of the people; and although the men are not warriors, nor the women favored by nature, they are certainly a kind, inoffensive race. Angornou is the largest and most populous town of Bornou; it is situated a few miles from Lake Tchad, and contains 30,000 inhabitants. Major Denham gives a very good account of an interview with the Sultan of Bornou. He writes:--'The Sultan received us in an open space in front of the royal residence: we were kept at a considerable distance, while his people approached to within about 100 yards, passing first on horseback; and after dismounting and prostrating themselves before him, they took their places on the ground in front, but with their backs to the royal person, which is the custom of the country. The Sultan was seated in a sort of cage, of cane or wood, near the door of his garden, on a seat which, at the distance, appeared to be covered with silk or satin, and through the railing looked upon the assembly before him, who formed a semicircle in front of him. Nothing could be more absurd and grotesque than the figures who formed this court. Large stomachs and large heads are indispensable for those who serve the court of Bornou, and those who unfortunately possess not the former by nature, make up the deficiency with wadding. A little to our left, or nearly in front of the Sultan, was an extempore declaimer, shouting forth praises of his master, with his pedigree; and near him one who bore the long wooden "frum-frum," on which he ever and anon blew a blast, loud and unmusical,' The major says, the appearance of these courtiers was ridiculous in the extreme, squatting down in their places, or tottering under the weight and magnitude of their turbans and their stomachs, while their thin legs, that appeared underneath, but ill accorded with the bulk of the other parts. I see George laughing at the picture I have drawn of these curious little men, but you would not dare to laugh in the presence of the mighty Sultan of Bornou; he would immediately exclaim, 'Off with his head!' if you so far outraged the rules of Bornouan etiquette. I will now give you a description of a wedding in this African country, and we will then bid the people a long farewell. The bridegroom's friends, to the number of 200 or 300, sally forth, dressed in their best clothes, to meet the bride. Behold her! mounted on a bullock whose back is covered with blue and white cloths. She is followed by four female slaves, laden with straw baskets, wooden bowls, and earthen pots; after them appear two other bullocks carrying the remainder of the _fair_ bride's dowry. She is attended by her mother, and five or six young ladies, who act as bridesmaids. According to their mode of salutation, we must gallop up to them repeatedly. See! the ladies cover their faces, and scream their thanks; and as it is extremely indelicate to gaze upon the bride, we must cast our eyes on the ground, wheel our horses round, and gallop back again. You will ask, 'Is that all; and where is the bridegroom?' Ah! poor fellow! he has been parading the streets all the day, with a crowd after him, dressed in all the finery he could buy or borrow, while the people blew horns, beat drums, and cried, 'May you live forever!' 'God prosper you!' 'Gray hairs to you!' There is no further ceremony. The bride is handed over to her husband in the evening by her mother, and henceforth they are man and wife."

GEORGE. "Oh! what very odd things are done in strange lands! I am so sorry our examinations are over, and I wish we could begin them all again. What religion are the people of Bornou?"

MR. STANLEY. "They are Mohammedans; and very superstitious, trusting greatly to their medicine men."

GRANDY. "I have really enjoyed these meetings as much as the young folks, for I think there is no study more delightful, nor more useful, than that which makes us acquainted with the world and its inhabitants. As our business has been mostly on the waters, I consider that we ought not to close the subject without calling to mind the period when 'the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth,' and 'all that was in the dry land died.' Beware, my dear children, that you forget not the awful catastrophe from which the family of faithful Noah alone escaped; nor that the cause of it was the iniquity of men!"

GEORGE. "I never see a rainbow, but I think of the Deluge, because you taught me the texts concerning God's covenant, dear Grandy, and the promise that the earth should no more be destroyed by a flood: but I have often wondered what could be the size of the ark to contain so many living creatures."

MR. WILTON. "I believe I can inform you somewhat on that head. A scriptural cubit measures twenty-one inches, and it has been calculated according to the dimensions given in the 6th chapter of Genesis, that the ark must have been of the enormous burden of 19,530 tons!"

CHARLES. "Enormous! why our first-rate men-of-war are scarcely 3000 tons, and yet how large they look. How long was it in building?"

MRS. WILTON. "Many authors agree in stating it to have been one hundred and twenty years in building."

MR. STANLEY. "There is now no alternative--our discussion _must_ come to an end. The last voyage has been highly interesting, although, perhaps, not in the most delightful portion of the globe; but I cannot help expressing a sincere wish, that your _real_ voyage to the West Indies may afford you as much enjoyment and edification; and its termination be as happy and well-ordered, as this _imaginary_ voyage, which has not only proved us all tolerable sailors and respectable navigators, but also testified that the good ship 'Research' has truly merited her name, and earned many laurels for herself and owners."

Mr. Stanley then presented George with a beautiful telescope, as a reward for his perseverance in the acquirement of geographical knowledge. He charged him to make a profitable use of it, for the benefit of the captain on their voyage to Jamaica; and, added he, as he placed the valuable gift in the hands of the delighted boy: "Keep a sharp look-out, George; and mind that you are the first to shout a sail! a sail! Then you will see how the faces of the weather-beaten sailors will brighten as they run to _have a look at her_. Then will the captain call for his speaking trumpet, and some such questions as these will be put to the _stranger._ Where are you bound? Where do you come from? Are you all hearty on board? The boatswain will then hang out the black board, with the latitude and longitude marked on it; the stranger will do the same. If they agree, all well and good, they each sail on their separate courses, wishing for fair winds and a prosperous voyage; such as I sincerely hope may fall to the share of the members of our little Society."

We must now leave our young friends, as we cannot accompany them across the Atlantic for want of a vessel. The "Research" having behaved so well in their late expeditions, she is still to be honored with their company; and being a merchant ship, she cannot accommodate many passengers.

Should my readers be anxious to hear of the safe arrival of their young friends in the "Land of Springs," I must beg to refer them to Lloyd's for particulars of "Research," A. 1. 400 tons burden, Commander Frederic Hamilton.

THE END.

End of Project Gutenberg's The World of Waters, by Mrs. David Osborne