as the
sailors expressed themselves, she sent a boat on board of the brig,
and we found her to be the Black Joke, tender to the British
commodore's ship. The Landers reported themselves to the lieutenant
commanding her, under the hope of her taking them on board of his
vessel and landing them at Accra, from whence they thought it would
be easy to find their way by one of his majesty's ships to Ascension
or St. Helena, from either of which places an opportunity would offer
for them to get home without delay. The orders, however, of the
lieutenant were to run down the coast as far as the Congo, and he
recommended them to go to Fernando Po, where they would find every
assistance, and a vessel about to sail soon for England. Having
obtained from them the intelligence that the Spanish slaver was lying
in the Nun River ready to sail, he immediately altered his course for
that river, for the purpose of capturing her. Captain Lake agreed to
land them in his boat at Fernando Po, as he passed the island on his
way to the River Camaroons, and they again made sail to the westward.

They were two days in making their passage to Fernando Po, and on the
morning of December 1st, to their great satisfaction, they discovered
the island. They were glad to get out of the Thomas, for the
unfeeling commander, notwithstanding that Lander's men had rendered
him every service in getting his brig out of the river, and had done
every thing required of them, afterwards employed every means he
could think of to annoy them, and to make them uncomfortable, while
they were with him. At night, while the people were sleeping, he
would make his men draw water, and throw it over them, for mere
amusement. There are many commanders as bad as he is on the coast,
who seem to vie with each other in acts of cruelty and oppression.
The captain of the palm oil brig Elizabeth, now in the Calebar River,
actually whitewashed his crew from head to foot, while they were sick
with fever, and unable to protect themselves; his cook suffered so
much in the operation, that the lime totally deprived him of the
sight of one of his eyes, and rendered the other of little service to
him.

In the afternoon they were happily landed at Clarence Cove, in the
island of Fernando Po, where they were most kindly received by Mr.
Becroft, the acting superintendent. This worthy gentleman readily
supplied them with changes of linen, and every thing they stood in
need of, besides doing