r that it
was almost impossible to catch one word that was said, and they
clustered round our breakfast table without any ceremony, which was not
very pleasant, in consequence of the variety of odours they carried
with them, from the delightful one of fruits and flowers, to the
broadly contrasted smells which I suppose were peculiar to their
colour.

In the course of the forenoon Colonel Denham, Mr. Kenneth Macauley, and
many other gentlemen, came on board to wait on Captain Owen, and the
officers. We found that Colonel Lumley, the Commandant of the troops,
had assumed the reins of government on the decease of Sir Neil
Campbell, (August 14th) with the title of Lieutenant Governor. We
learnt that the place was still very sickly, but the rainy season was
drawing to a close, and sickness diminishing.

_Tuesday, 4th_.--The two previous days had for a wonder been fine, but
the usual weather for the season returned to-day, namely, frequent and
heavy showers, with a bright sun at intervals. Took a ride on horseback
with Mr. Campbell before dinner, and afterwards dined with that
gentleman, in company with Dr. Burn.

Mr. Campbell had two leopards, which he purchased with the intention of
sending to England, secured in one of the out-buildings in his yard.
They were brought from the Rio Pongas, about 80 miles to the northward
of Sierra Leone, and were taken, near that river in the following
manner:--Some black fellows having discovered a leopard's den, about a
dozen of them, armed with muskets, placed themselves to watch the
departure of the dam in quest of prey. When they went to examine it
they found two young ones, not larger than good sized cats, which they
immediately bagged, and conveyed to the town. They were soon followed
by the dam, but she would not venture to attack so great a number of
persons; she continued, however, to hover about the town for several
weeks, before she despaired of recovering her young.

_Wednesday, 5th_.--Continued heavy rain in the morning, and showery
throughout the day. We hired 30 Africans, called Kroomen,[10] who are
always ready to serve as seamen on board of a man of war, or any other
vessel, so long as they continue on that coast. They are usually
entered as supernumeraries on the ship's books for provisions and
wages, in the same manner as British seamen. They are employed on any
service which would expose Europeans too much to the climate, such as
wooding, watering, pulling in boats,