as well as in her companions. It was also a relief
to contemplate from their resting place, the peace
and harmony of the little party before them, so entirely
different from the boisterous one without; because
it gave them a comfortable sense of their own security,
which they should not certainly have entertained,
had they been left to their own reflections, and when,
after a good deal of turning and restlessness they
at length fell into a disagreeable and unrefreshing
dose, and were attacked by that hideous phantom, nightmare,
which was often the case; starting up in fright from
the assassin’s knife, which they could scarcely
persuade themselves to be unreal; it was pleasant to
fix their eyes upon their comical little visitor, with
her round shining face, and her jolly companions;
all apprehension of mischief immediately vanished,
and a truly pleasing effect was produced upon their
minds and spirits. The breaking up of the party
on the outside, was a signal for their friends also
to depart. When rising from her mat, the mistress,
after shaking hands, wished them good night in a thick
tremulous tone, and waddled out of their yard in a
direction, which Hogarth denominates the line of beauty,
she returned home to her husband, who was a valetudinarian.
Thus passed their evenings, and thus much of their
solitary Eboe friend.
In addition to the value of twenty slaves, which the
king of Eboe demanded from them, they now heard that
King Boy required the value of fifteen casks of palm
oil, which is equal to fifteen slaves, for himself,
and as payment for the trouble he and his people will
have in conducting them to the English vessel.
He said, that he must take three canoes and one hundred
and fifty people, and, therefore, it was impossible
that he could do with less. The chief then said,
that if they did not consent to give King Boy a book
for all this money, he should send them into the interior
of the country to be sold, and that they never should
see the sea again. It was now seen that they
had no alternative, and they considered it most prudent
to give him the bill, not intending, however, on their
arrival at the sea, to give him more than twenty common
trade guns, to pay this chief and all other expenses.
King Boy was to give Obie five pieces of cloth and
one gun as part payment; the remainder was to be paid
on his return, after having delivered them up to the
brig. The Landers and all their people were now
in high spirits, at the prospect of leaving this place
and obtaining their freedom, for they had so much faith
in the character of the English, that they entertained
not the slightest doubt that the captain of the brig
would most willingly pay the ransom money.
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