did not, I must confess,
appear to me to be very creditable to our character, and must have made
us look very foolish. After having chased the slavers so far up the
river, we ought to have brought the matter to an issue, particularly as
we had the eyes of all the country upon us, and were regarded with great
anxiety by the people of Old Calabar town, as well as by the crews of
the British merchant-vessels in the river. The affair gave the slavers
an opportunity of exulting over our failure, and their own good fortune;
which, I think, was to be regretted. On going down the river, a large
canoe came alongside with one of the great men of the country on board,
named Eyo Eyo, a brother to King Eyo; when he asked for a present, and
something to drink, the customary demand of the natives. We presented
him with a few leaves of tobacco, which appeared to amuse him
exceedingly: he held them up with a contemptuous sneer, and asked if
that was a present? This man was as shrewd a fellow as any we met with,
in Old Calabar, and had long been accustomed to trade, and receive
presents, from captains of slavers, and palm-oil vessels.

At nine, we arrived off Robin's Town, where a canoe met us, with a note
from Captain Cumings, of the Kent, informing us, that a Frenchman had
entered his palm-oil house, and deliberately shot his second mate
through the body.

There are two grand festivals here, which take place every eighth day in
succession. Old Calabar day, which was yesterday; and Duke's day, which
happens to-day. The succession of these festivals is curious enough;
that which takes place on Thursday in this week, will be on Friday in
the next week; and the one on Friday this week, will be on Saturday in
the following week, and so on.

_Saturday, 26_.--We got under weigh, and dropped down with the ebb tide,
abreast of Duke's Town, a distance of three miles, where we anchored. We
had not been long here before the Duke, attended by a number of his
black gentlemen, and followed by Captain Cumings, of the Kent, came on
board to have a grand palaver with Lieutenant Badgeley, concerning the
attempted assassination of Captain Cumings' mate, on the preceding day.
The Frenchman's name was Ferrard, and this monster was no less than the
Captain of a slave-vessel. The cause of this palaver, was an imperative
demand, on the part of Captain Cumings, that the Duke should deliver the
Frenchman into our hands, in order that he should be given up to