vigilance, for the King kept the peace very strictly all the time I
was his neighbour, only making occasional excuses to extort a
present of rum, and when his drunken imagination elevated him
into a hero, he uttered the threats, which I believe, formed the
sole foundation for the fears of the Europeans. One dr two false
alarms, however, were given, and I was one night awakened by
the cry that he was coming, and after passing a few hours, not in
apprehension I must say, but in expectation of a bustle, it
dwindled to the alarming appearance of two fishing canoes With
lights in them, which were thought to approach too near to the
town. The second alarm was occasioned by the principal dike
giving way, and letting the water flow over the greater part of the
island: most of the inhabitants were ignorant of what had
happened, but on hearing the bugle sound for all the liberated
Africans, or King’s boys, to turn out, and seeing Captain Findlay,
attended by two other officers, gallopping at their head, toward a
distant part of the island, the commotion became general, and
most of the black people deserted their houses, snatching up their
valuables, and were met in all directions, squalling and crying,
and running they knew not whither. I suspect his African
Majesty has no objection to this terror, as he hopes by it to get
an additional share of rum and cloth, to bribe him to tranquillity.
CHAPTER III.
Bakkow.—Government-Hmise.—Town. —Watering Place. —Alcade.
— Vegetation.—Arabic. ' .
I MADE an excursion to Bakkow, or Cape St. Mary’s; the
extreme southern point of the main land at the river’s mouth, and
was very much struck with the healthiness and superiority of its
situation: a houge has been built therefor convalescent officers,
who seldom fail to regain their strength, after a short residence in
it. It is exposed to every sea breeze, and sheltered from the winds
which blow during the rains. It is of such considerable elevation,
even above the town, that all the water must run from it during
that season. The soil about it is composed of, what appeared to
me to be, red ochreous earth, and covered with a thin layer of sand,
probably drifted there by the wind, but it is better a little way
from the sea. The only objection is the distance from the
spring, which is perhaps a mile from the house; probably, this
might be remedied at a considerable expense, by boring a well;
but a couple of St. Jago asses could easily carry all the water
daily required by a large family.
For commercial purposes, this place would certainly not answer,
as there is too much difficulty in getting to i t ; and its immediate
neighbourhood would not afford a sufficient trade: added to this,
during a strong wind, or a high tide, the surf beats too violently