I flog them, and it is a remedy which I have never known to fail."

'October 29.-To-day we came to an anchor off the mouth of the river Gallinas, near where John Newton had formerly had his factory, a very pleasant river, full of small islands not more than a hundred yards in diameter. The traders, of whom there are four or five, have each his own island, where he lives quite separate from the other traders and from the natives.

'November 3.-While at Cape Mesurado, I went over one day to a town about six miles off, where a King Peter lived. He knew my brother very well. The Chiefs were all assembled in a very neat Palaver house in their best clothes, seated on clean mats, except King Peter, who was elevated on a chair, and had altogether a very majestic air. A jar of wine I carried with me gave me a right to make a long speech respecting the Sierra Leone Company, with which King Peter was so pleased that he agreed to send a son of his with me for education. In my way back I met with a very large alligator, which I was in the act of shooting, when stopped by my guide, who told me that was King Peter's Devil.

'November 10.-We reached the Turtle Islands on the 6th, where we were very successful in catching fish during a calm. The next evening we got home, when I found Clarke so ill as to afford little room to expect any amendment. He had moved out to Mr. Gray's villa, where I visited him as soon as I could. He was very low-spirited, and seemed very uneasy in the prospect of his dissolution. I endeavoured to comfort him and to raise his spirits, and proposed to him taking a passage to the West Indies, and thence to England, as the only resource now left, and as such he eagerly embraced it. I immediately arranged to send him along with my brother to Cape Mesurado, where a vessel was about to sail for Barbados.

'November 24.-Two days ago I set sail in the Prosperity on business. To-day I visited in the barge Fantimanee's town, where Mr. Grieg the Missionary resides, and by setting off from Freeport at two in the morning I got there about eight. Mr. Grieg is quite reconciled to his present state of seclusion. The people seem to like him, and to listen to him, for he talks the language very intelligibly. After arranging several matters with Grieg respecting his Mission, I left about noon, and reached a trader's of the name of Pendleton in time to fulfil an engagement to dine with him. The benefit I should have derived from this refreshment was quite lost from perceiving, in the number of attendant wives, a girl on whose education I myself had bestowed much pains, and who had promised better things. I attacked Pendleton, as soon as I had a fit opportunity, on his

way of life. He pretended to acknowledge the truth and propriety of all I said to him, but added, “As for Jane, she is better with me than with most, for I give her leave to read her Bible every day." I was more successful in making an impression on poor Jane, with whom I contrived to have a few minutes' talk. She shed tears very abundantly, expressed her dislike of her situation, into which she had been forced by her mistress, and sighed for Sierra Leone again.

'On the other side of the river where a trader named Holman lived, I found two girls who had also been with me at Sierra Leone, and whom I was highly pleased to find on the whole improving. Holman, who is their stepfather, paid them, I found, great attention, and instructed them daily in reading. I was very agreeably surprised to see them both come in in the evening, and, kneeling down, say the prayer they had been accustomed to use at Sierra Leone, after which Holman catechised them, receiving very distinct answers, and gave them both a blessing. There appeared something very hopeful in all this; and yet Holman is a Slave-trader and dissolute in his manners. Nor was what I saw done merely on account of my being present, but I found it was the uniform practice. I staid at Holman's till past midnight, when, the tide answering, I set off for Freeport, and arrived there before daylight.

'November 26.-I set off for the Rio Nunez, visiting in my way a branch of the Rio Pongo where I had never yet been, and paying my respects to the traders who live there. At one of these factories I saw the very man who had been employed by Ormond, of famous memory, to drown his unsaleable slaves; and thus obtained the most unquestionable proof, from a quarter not likely to be partial to us, of the truth of that part of our report which had been most strenuously disputed by Slave-traders.

"November 27.-Cooper accompanied me to the Rio Nunez. Just as we had cleared the Rio Pongo bar and had got out into the open sea, we descried three sail in the offing, but fortunately were not near enough to be spoken to by them. We afterwards found them to be a squadron of French privateers cruising under Renaud, which visited the Isles de Los and captured there two Danish Guineamen.

'December 7.-Just as we had got over the bar, we met the Dawes coming in from Sierra Leone. She had had a narrow escape from the French, having been within half a gunshot of them, and escaping by dint of superior sailing into one of the adjacent rivers, where she lay till news were brought of the coast being clear. My letters acquainted me with my brother having gone off in the ship Maria for the West Indies, but that poor Clarke, to whom the captain would on no consideration give a passage,

had returned to Freetown in a state of great weakness and mental derangement, and in a few days had breathed his last. The people, who while he lived had neglected and vilified him, were very forward in showing their respect for his memory; and the Methodists particularly set apart a day for pronouncing his eulogy, and mourning his loss. In their orations they extolled him to the very skies, saying they had now lost their father, their best friend. What a strange jumble of inconsistencies is man!

'My fears of the French being at an end I returned to Freeport, to settle some affairs which my hurry had made me postpone.

'December 8.-Having settled my business at the factory and taken my leave of the chief, to whom we are indebted for the quiet and security in which Cooper lives among so many inimical traders, I again directed my course homeward, being the more anxious to shorten my absence as I felt symptoms of approaching illness.

'December 10.-I called at the Isles de Los, when Mr. Powell informed me that Renaud knew of my being out, and expressed a strong desire to see me, not to plunder me, but to convince me, as he said, of his remembrance of our ancient friendship and mutual good offices. I, however, was quite satisfied to want this additional proof of his regard.

'I had, as I feared, a smart attack of fever, which incommoded me the more, on account of a heavy rain which fell during the night, and which penetrated my bed and bedding, so that I could not enjoy the rest which at such a time is so much wanted.

'December 11.-Freetown being in sight in the morning I got into the barge, and was soon pulled ashore. Considering the danger to health from travelling in this country, and the inconveniences and evils of many kinds which are likely to result from the absence of the head of a family, my late excursions seem to require some apology. It was an object to see with my own eyes the place which I might recommend for the establishment desired; besides all which, I was very desirous of leaving my coadjutors as much as I could to themselves while I was yet near them, and at hand to help them.

'In going to the northward, besides those motives which were common to both excursions, I had a further view of examining into the state of Freeport Factory; of personally recommending Grieg the Missionary to the friendship and protection of Fantimanee and the neighbouring chiefs; of preparing the minds of the chiefs for the expected abolition; of doing away the unfavourable impressions which, from the present scarcity of European goods, the Slave-traders tried to give them of us as

the cause of that scarcity; of marking the effect which the expectation of the abolition produced on the minds of the traders themselves. I further wished to induce the native chiefs to a willingness to send their own children to Freetown, or to England, for education as they grew up. In all these objects I pretty well succeeded.

Sunday, December, 23.—Mr. Brunton, whom I have prevailed on to officiate as Chaplain, preached to-day. There came letters from Mr. Garvin to several of the Methodist preachers. They were dated from Virginia, where he endeavours to procure a livelihood by teaching a school. He strongly exhorted those to whom he wrote to value the very superior blessings they enjoy at Sierra Leone to what any blacks in America have, which marks in him an improved spirit.

'January 8, 1799.—A vessel arrived from Tobago by which I learned the death of Commodore Cornwallis on his way hence to the West Indies. How vain are any schemes of happiness which man can form! He was to have been married on getting to England.

'February 4.-For some months past we had been kept on the alert by frequent reports of the designs of the natives against the Settlement. The bare possibility of danger arising from these rumours rendered the same precautions necessary which a time of real and known danger would have required. No doubt existed as to the point to which their attack, if made, would be directed, namely, Thornton Hill. A strict guard was therefore kept there, and I myself had placed within my reach as I lay in bed, arms, from which I could have fired upwards of a hundred and fifty buckshot in half a minute. Under my window I had a carriage gun ready primed, wherewith to make an alarm signal, and a light burning constantly in my room with a match beside it. I took all these precautions, more because I thought it my duty to do so, than because I entertained any serious fears of a hostile visit. On the contrary, I laboured to discourage any such disquieting reports, and to persuade the Settlers to a disbelief of them. At length it was confidently told us that all the other causes of discontent which the natives had against us had been blown into a flame by the news of the expected abolition, and the absolute dearth of European goods both at the Settlement and everywhere else on the coast, which Slave-traders took pains to convince them were owing to us; and that all the Chiefs had combined their strength for our extirpation. I saw no greater reason for believing this report than any of the former; and to satisfy my own mind, as well as to cultivate a good understanding with those Chiefs, and to cure the fears of the Settlers, 1

I

resolved on paying them a visit. I found them wherever I went extremely friendly, and dreaming of nothing less than of war. I laboured to confirm them in their peaceful and friendly intentions; and I hope did not labour in vain. This excursion occupied the whole week. I spent a little time with Tilley1 at Bance Island both in going and returning. He pretends to have no fear that the partial abolition will take place. He cannot speak of the measure with patience, and lays the whole blame of the Bill to my account, which I told him greatly honoured me; and labours so to represent it, saying my reports and unfair statements have been the means. called for proof. He mentioned the remarks respecting the Mandingo country in the first report to be altogether the reverse of fact, to which Richards, who had lived there three years, assented. But they were not a little surprised when I proved to them that Richards himself had been my author. However, I expressed my readiness to alter anything which better information might show to be wrong. I urged him strongly to point out any other inaccuracies in my report, but he replied that he did not recollect that there were any others; than which, considering all things, a stronger testimony could not be given of its authenticity.

'I found them all a good deal hurt at the mention in the last report, which I have not yet seen, of Captain Walker's having murdered a seaman at Bance Island; and they insinuated that the relation was a breach of private confidence. "What!" I replied, "the disclosure of murder!" They were silent.

I

Sunday, February 10.-The Ellis, Captain Soutar, arrived from Liverpool, bringing a few newspapers, but no letters. found from Captain Soutar that my letter to Governor Rickets, about the free French blacks he had on board, was effectual for preventing their being sold, as was Soutar's intention. They were all sent to the Admiral at Martinique.'

Seeing no prospect whatever of a direct passage to England, Macaulay had just come to the resolution of going home by the West Indies, when, on the very day that he was about to make the necessary arrangements, a sloop-of-war, the Fairy, with two other vessels, came to an anchor at the Settlement. With the captain of one of these, the brig Mary, he agreed for the freight of the ship to London on the Company's account, and for his own and the native children's passage. On the 4th of April 1799 he set sail from Sierra Leone under the convoy of the Fairy, and reached Plymouth after a passage of forty-eight days.

1 Mr. Tilley had arrived from England on the 26th of January.