AMERICAN BRIGANTINE LOUISA BEATON SUSPECTED—CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE COMMANDER OF THE SOUTHERN DIVISION OF THE BRITISH SQUADRON—BOAT CRUISING—CURRENTS—ROLLERS ON THE COAST—TRADE-WINDS—CLIMATE—PRINCE’S ISLANDS—MADAME FEREIRA.
On the 13th of April, the American brigantine Louisa Beaton, which a few days previously had been boarded, examined, and proven to be a legal trader, ran out of Ambriz under American colors. One or two of the officers who had been on shore, on their return in the evening, reported that it was rumored that the Louisa Beaton had shipped and escaped with a cargo of slaves.
That vessel had then made a good offing, and was out of sight. Acting under the impression of the report thus conveyed, an armed boat, in charge of the second lieutenant and junior passed midshipman, was dispatched on each beam, and with the Perry stood out to sea, in the hope of overhauling the chase. At daylight, being out of sight of the land, and no sail visible, the boats were picked up, and the vessel stood in towards Ambriz.
During the succeeding day, on joining company with the Cyclops, the second lieutenant was sent with a message to her commander, requesting that he might remain on board, and that the Cyclops would steam out to sea, on a southwest course, with a view of overhauling the Louisa Beaton, and ascertaining if there was any foundation for this charge against her.
The proposition was readily complied with; and after running forty miles off the land, and no sail being seen, the steamer rejoined the Perry.
A letter from the commanding officer of the British division was received, dated April 15th, containing information to the following effect: that he had the pleasure of receiving the intelligence, which the commander of the Perry had kindly sent him by the lieutenant, informing him that a report had been circulated, that the American brigantine Louisa Beaton, which vessel was lying at Ambriz, in company with the British and American cruisers, on the 7th instant, had shipped a cargo of negroes. He had observed the Louisa Beaton weigh from Ambriz on the evening of the 12th instant, and pass close to the stern of the Perry, with her colors flying; and at sunset she was observed by him, close in with the land. He also sighted her next morning, and continued to see her until the evening, apparently working in-shore to the southward.
As the wind had been exceedingly light all night, he thought it possible that the steamer might overtake her, and accordingly proposed to the lieutenant of the Perry to accompany him, and watch the proceedings of the vessel, in case they should discover her. The lieutenant having acceded to this proposal, he steamed to the westward for nearly forty miles, but saw nothing of her; and was of opinion, that the report affecting the character of the Louisa Beaton was not then correct, and that when intelligence next arrived from Loanda, she would be found to have reached that place.
But he believed it very probable that she had been disposed of by sale, in consequence of the slave-dealers not having been successful, as they had effected the embarkation of only two cargoes of negroes that year (1850), and therefore all the vessels that could be procured, no matter at what expense, would be eagerly sought after. But, as he had heard that there was no water at Ambriz, he had supposed it possible that arrangements were making for the Louisa Beaton’s cargo to be discharged at Loanda; whence, after having procured the necessary articles and fitments required, she would probably return to Ambriz for the negroes. He remarked that this would be no new occurrence, as many American vessels had been disposed of in a similar manner, and escaped with cargoes of Africans, since he had been stationed on the coast.
Had no American man-of-war been present on the 12th instant, when the Louisa Beaton left Ambriz, he should have considered it his duty (from there having been observed, whilst in company with her on the 7th instant, a large quantity of plank, sufficient for a slave-deck, on her upper deck, together with water-casks, which would have created suspicion) to have visited her, and satisfied himself that her nationality had not been changed, by sale, at Ambriz; not taking it for granted, that the flag displayed by any vessel is a sufficient evidence of her nationality.
He added, that as it was probable that he might not meet the John Adams previous to the Perry’s leaving the coast for Porto Praya, the commander of the Perry would oblige him, by forwarding a copy of that letter to his senior officer, for the information of the commander-in-chief of the American squadron, as it would be his duty to lay it before the British commander-in-chief, in the sincere hope that some arrangement would be made by those officers to put a stop to that nefarious system on the southwest coast of Africa.
A boat had been dispatched from the Perry to Loanda, which found the Louisa Beaton, still offering no cause of suspicion, lying in that port.
On the 17th of April, the commander of the Perry informed the British commanding officer that he had received and forwarded the above letter, agreeably to his request; intimating at the same time that he had boarded the Louisa Beaton at sea, several days before her arrival, and found her to be a legal American trader—a character which she sustained while at anchor with the several men-of-war at Ambriz; and that he had no reason, after an absence of three days, to suppose that she could, in the mean time, have fitted for a slave cargo; and therefore did not consider it to be his duty again to board her; that he was happy to inform him that the report of the Louisa Beaton’s having taken slaves at Ambriz, was untrue; and that she was then at St. Paul de Loanda.
In relation to the British commander “not taking it for granted, that the flag displayed by any vessel is a sufficient evidence of her nationality,” the commander of the Perry remarked that the flag which a vessel wears is primâ facie, although it is not conclusive proof of nationality. It is a mere emblem, which loses its true character when it is worn by those who have no right to it. On the other hand, those who lawfully display the flag of the United States, will have all the protection which it supplies. Therefore, when a foreign cruiser boards a vessel under this flag, she will do it upon her own responsibility.
On the 19th of April, the British commander acknowledged the receipt of the communication of the 17th instant, in reply to his of the 15th, in which he expressed himself glad to learn that the report of the Louisa Beaton’s having shipped a cargo of slaves at Ambriz, was incorrect; but as vessels were disposed to change their nationality, and escape with slaves, “in so very short a period of time as a few hours,” he would respectfully suggest the necessity of keeping a strict watch over the movements of the Louisa Beaton, should she appear again on that part of the coast.
Two armed boats were at this time frequently dispatched from the Perry a long distance in chase of vessels, when the winds were too light to enable her to overhaul them.
On one occasion, these boats had been in chase of a vessel for ten hours, and encountered, a few minutes before overhauling her, a violent squall of wind and rain. When the squall had passed over, after night-fall, the strange vessel was, for a moment, descried within long-gun shot of the Perry. A thirty-two pound shot was thrown astern of her, and, quite suddenly, the fog again enveloped her, and she became invisible.
On the return of the boats which had succeeded in boarding the chase, the commander regretted to learn that the strange vessel was a Portuguese man-of-war. In the year following, when falling in with her at Benguela, he availed himself of an early opportunity to apologize for having fired, as this had been done under the impression that the vessel was a merchantman; and for the purpose of bringing her to, in order to ascertain her character.
The John Adams, after a short stay at Loanda, again appeared off Ambriz, and resumed her cruising. The Perry’s provisions had now become nearly exhausted; and she was ordered by the John Adams to proceed to the north coast with dispatches to the commodore.
The land along the southern African coast, from lat. 7° south, extending to Benguela, and even to the Cape of Good Hope, is more elevated than the coast to the northward towards the equator. Long ranges of high bluff may be seen, extending, in some cases, from twenty to thirty miles. A short distance to leeward, or north, of Ambriz, is a remarkable range of hills, with heavy blocks of granite around them, resembling, at a distance, a small village. The “granite pillar,” which shoots up in the air, towering above the surrounding blocks like a church-spire, is a good landmark to the cruisers off Ambriz. They often find themselves at daylight, after beating, during the night, to the southward, drifted down abreast of it by the northerly current.
The natives along this coast, unlike those of northern Guinea, who are bold, energetic and effective, comparatively, when muscular force is required, are marked by very opposite traits; softness, pliancy and flexibility, distinguish their moral and mental character. They are mostly below the middle stature, living in villages, in rude, rush-thatched huts; subsisting principally upon fish, and the plantain, which is the African bread-fruit tree.
These people present some of the lowest forms of humanity.
The temperature of both the air and water within southern intertropical Africa, averages, during the months of August and September, 72°, and off Benguela, on one occasion, early in July, the air temperature was as low as 60°, while in the month of February, the thermometer seldom reaches a higher point than 82°.
It is known that the southeast trade-winds prevail in the Atlantic ocean, between the African and American continents, south of the equator to the tropic of Capricorn, and the northeast trade to the southward of the tropic of Cancer. It is of course generally understood, that the sun heats the equatorial regions to a higher temperature than is found anywhere else, and that the air over these regions is consequently expanded and rendered lighter than that which envelops the regions at a distance. This causes the whole mantle of air round the earth, for a short distance near the equator, to be displaced and thrown upwards (like the draft of a chimney), by the cooler and heavier air rushing in, in steadfast and continuous streams, from the north and south. The earth’s revolution carries every thing on its surface somewhat against these air-currents in their progress, so that they appear to sweep aslant along the earth and sea, coming from northeast and southeast. In consequence of the greater amount of heated land being in the northern hemisphere, its peculiar wind, or the northeast trade, is narrower; while the other, the southeast trade, blowing from the greater expanse of the Southern Ocean, is broader. The latter, therefore, sometimes extends considerably beyond, or north of the equinoctial line. Thus the winds over all the Gulf of Guinea are generally from the south.
The coast of Africa, both north and south of the equator, greatly modifies the force and direction of the winds. On the southern coast the wind blows lightly, in a sea-breeze from the southwest. But at the distance of one hundred miles from the land, it begins gradually to veer round, as it connects itself with the S. E. trades. A line drawn on the chart, from the southern tropic, in 5° east to the lat. of 5° south, may be regarded as the eastern boundary of the southeast trade-winds. Hence a vessel, as in the case of the Perry, on her first passage to the southern coast, when in 10° south and 20° west, on going about and standing for the African coast by the wind, although she at first will not be able to head higher than N. E., will gradually come up to the eastward as the wind veers to the southward; until it gradually hauls as far as S. W., and even W. S. W.—enabling her to fetch Benguela in 12° 34´ south lat., although on going about she headed no higher than Prince’s Island in 1° 20´ north lat.
On the entire intertropical coast of Africa, it may be said that there are but two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season.
On the southern coast, the rainy season commences in November, and continues until April, although the rains are neither as frequent nor as heavy as on the northern coast, where they commence in May and continue through the month of November.
The months of March and April are the most unhealthy seasons on the southern coast, arising probably from the exhalations of the earth, which are not dispelled by the light sea-breezes prevailing at this period.
The climate of the south coast, especially from 6° south towards the Cape of Good Hope, is more healthy than on the north coast. As evidence of this, Europeans are found in comparatively great numbers in Loanda and Benguela, in the enjoyment of tolerable health.
There is a northerly current running along the southern coast of Africa, at the average rate of one mile per hour, until it is met by the Congo River, in 6° south; where the impetuous stream of that great river breaks up this northerly current and forms one, of two miles per hour, in the direction of N. W., until it meets with the equatorial current in 2° or 3° south. The Congo will be more particularly noticed in speaking of the third southern cruise of the Perry.
The rollers on the coast are very heavy. And the breaking of the tremendous surf along the shore can often be heard at night, the distance of twenty miles from the land, reminding one of the sound of Niagara, in the vicinity of that mighty cataract.
But having in this part of the work (compilation of the correspondence) to treat more of ships, sailors and letters, than of the climate, the shore, and its inhabitants, it is time to recur to the Perry,—now squared away before the wind, with studding-sails set below and aloft, bound to Porto Praya, via Prince’s Island and Monrovia, in search of the commander-in-chief of the squadron.
There are so many graphic descriptions before the public, in sea novels and naval journals, of life in a man-of-war, that it may well suffice here to remark—that a small vessel, uncomfortable quarters, salt provisions, myriads of cockroaches, an occasional tornado and deluge of rain, were ills that naval life duly encountered during the five days’ passage to Prince’s Island.
On the 27th of April the Perry arrived, and to the great gratification of officers and men, the broad pendant of the commodore was descried at the main of the U. S. sloop-of-war “Portsmouth.”
The U. S. brig “Bainbridge” was also at anchor in West Bay.
Prince’s Island is ten miles in length from north to south, and five miles in breadth. In places, it is considerably elevated, presenting, in its grotesque shafts and projecting figures curiously formed, an exceedingly picturesque appearance.
The natives are mostly black, and slaves; although a few colored people are seen of a mixed race—Portuguese and African.
The island is well wooded, and the soil rich; and if cultivated properly, would yield abundantly. Farina is extensively manufactured.
Madame Fereira, a Portuguese lady, long resident on the island, has no little repute for her hospitality to African cruisers. Her taste in living here as she does, is no more singular than that of the late clever, eccentric and distinguished Lady Hester Stanhope, who established herself near Sidon. Madame Fereira, it is said, on a late visit to Europe, with abundant means for enjoyment in a civilized state of society, was ill at ease until the time arrived for her return to this barbarian isle. She is ever ready, at a reasonable price, to furnish the cruisers with wood, fresh provisions and vegetables; and is never indisposed to take a hand at whist, or entertain foreigners in any other way, agreeable to their fancy.
Vessels frequently touch at Prince’s Island for the purpose of obtaining fresh water, which, running down from the mountains in copious streams, is of a far better quality than can be procured on the coast.
On the arrival of the Perry, in a letter dated the 27th of April, the commander announced to the commodore the fulfilment of his instructions. The cruise had been extended to one hundred and seven days, of which eighty had been spent at sea, and the remainder at anchor, at different points of the coast.
The reply of the commodore contained his full approbation of the course pursued, stating in addition, that it was a matter of great importance to keep one of the squadron upon the southern coast; and not having provisions sufficient to enable him to proceed thither, and as the John Adams, having nearly expended her stock, would soon be compelled to return to Porto Praya, he therefore directed the commander of the Perry to make requisitions upon the flag-ship for as full a supply of provisions as could conveniently be stowed, and prepare again for immediate service on the southern coast.