d obtain. I regretted that a
temporary indisposition prevented me from going, occasioned by a large
boil in a highly irritable state, which is very common on this coast.

_Tuesday, 15_.--Mr. Mercer, midshipman of the Eden, who had sailed from
hence in the Victoria, returned to-day in charge of the Elizabeth
schooner under French colours, with upwards of 100 slaves on board. He
had taken possession of her from the Eden's pinnace, while Lieutenant
Robinson in the Victoria, went in chase of a suspicious vessel in
another direction.

The Elizabeth was said to be from Guadaloupe, but from the testimony of
her crew, and other circumstances, it appeared, that she had only got
her French captain and papers from thence, and that she had sailed from
St. Thomas's, under Spanish colours, where she engaged a part of her
crew; the rest, with her Spanish captain, having previously joined her
at Porto Rico. The Spaniard, who acted as captain in the outward bound
voyage, remained at Old Calabar, to go back in another vessel, while he
sent the Frenchman, with false papers, for the voyage home, knowing that
the Eden's tender and boat were on the look-out for him at the mouth of
the river.

_Wednesday, 16_.--Captain Owen employed himself in the examination of
the papers and crew of the schooner brought in by Mr. Mercer. A short
time before midnight, there was an alarm that a man had fallen
overboard: every exertion was made to pick him up, without success. On
inquiry, the unfortunate person proved to be Mr. Morrison, who had left
England as schoolmaster of the Eden, and who, after the death of Mr.
Abbott, was appointed acting store-keeper to the settlement. For want of
lodging on shore, he used to come on board every night to sleep. Upon
this occasion, he had laid down in the hammock netting on the gangway, a
favourite place with the young gentlemen, as most of the ship's company,
as well as the Kroomen, and black labourers, slept on the deck. It is
supposed, that on awaking, he intended going below, but being drowsy, he
mistook the outside for the inside rail, and fell into the water. He
struggled a very short time before he sunk, and it was therefore
thought, that he must have struck himself against a gun, or the side of
the vessel, in his fall.

_Thursday, 17_.--We this day hove the Horatio down alongside the Eden to
a pinnace filled with iron ballast: the pinnace sunk during the night in
a squall, in consequence of her iron ballast