tion of the yam and other vegetables is at a
distance in the woods.

Since Lander's first return to Fernando Po from the Calebar river, he
accompanied Mr. Becroft twice to Duke Town in the Portia. In this
interval the Carnarvon, an English vessel had arrived with government
stores from England for the establishment, and as she was going to
Rio Janeiro for a cargo to take back, and there seemed to be no
prospect at present of their getting away from Fernando Po by any
other means, the Landers requested Mr. Becroft to conclude an
agreement for their passage to that place, from whence they hoped to
be more successful in finding their way to England. About a week
previously, the brig Thomas, in which they came from the river Nun,
touched at the island on her way home from the Camaroons, her
commander, Lake, supposing that they would take a passage with him.
They had now been upon the island seven weeks, and they would have
preferred staying seven more, rather than put themselves into his
power again. They had experienced quite enough of his care and
kindness, and therefore declined his offer of taking them. After
waiting three days at the island, he sailed about six o'clock in the
afternoon, and had not got more than a mile from the anchorage, when
a large vessel with long, raking masts, suddenly appeared from behind
a part of the island, and was seen in pursuit of him. They observed
the vessel to fire several guns at him, which at length made him take
in all sail and wait. No doubt was entertained that this vessel was a
pirate, and their suspicions were confirmed the next day by seeing
the two vessels lying becalmed close to each other. There were no
signs of them on the following day, and they saw nothing more of the
Thomas. Nor, indeed, was this vessel ever heard of again, in fact,
the Landers considered it a most providential escape, that they did
not take their passage in her. No doubt rested on the minds of the
people of the settlement that the stranger vessel was a pirate, and
that when his people had murdered the crew of the Thomas, with their
captain, or had compelled them to walk the plank, as they usually do,
that they sunk her after taking everything out of her which they
wanted. "Walking the plank," is literally walking into the sea. A
plank is placed across the side of the ship, so that one end projects
some distance over it while the other remains inside. The person
condemned by these ruffians to this mode o