vannah, waiting for slaves. Captain Smith and I
accompanied Captain Cumings on shore to pay a visit to Duke Ephraim,
with whom Capt. Cumings was a great favourite, which proved a fortunate
circumstance for us. The schooner having last visited the place as a man
of war, she was received with suspicion, and it was extremely difficult
to convince the Duke and his people, that there was not a _ruse de
guerre_ intended by her reappearance as a mere trader.

_Tuesday, 11_.--A fine but very hot day. Paid a visit to the Duke after
breakfast, and in the afternoon went three miles down the river to visit
the Lady Combermere on her way up the river. In the evening we paid
another visit to the Duke, at which period, every day, he holds a sort
of levee for supercargoes, and Captains of vessels, to talk over "news."
Upon these occasions he discovers an acute knowledge of his own
interest. Remained on shore, and passed the night in the Duke's English
house, where his visitors always sleep, but none of his family, except a
few domestics in charge of it. This evening a tornado came on with heavy
rain.

_Wednesday, 12_.--A schooner, that had secreted herself further up the
river; dropped down and anchored off the town last night, after it
became dark, intending to take in her cargo of slaves during the night.
She completed her object before daylight, when she got under weigh, and
sailed down the river, without shewing any colours.

This day was the Calabar Sunday, but it was not kept as the usual
holiday, in consequence of the recent death of the Duke's favourite
brother. The funeral ceremony is horrible, but I feel bound to describe
it for the sake of shewing the extraordinary superstition and bigotry
that still exists among a people, who have not only been visited, but
regularly traded with, by European nations, for nearly two centuries. I
shall introduce this individual case by premising that human sacrifices
are lavishly made, not only in honour of the blood royal, but in a more
or less degree upon the death of _great_ (or I should more properly say
_rich_) men; for riches constitute greatness here, even in a higher
ratio than they do in more civilized countries; the riches of these
parts consisting in the possession of slaves.

At the funeral obsequies of the Duke's brother, six human victims were
destined to the sacrifice; namely, three men and three women, who,
however, were, with a strange mixture of mercy and cruelty, rendere