The Negroes are, most of them, thro’ the care of their patroons, Christians, at least nominal, but excepting to some few, they adhere still to many silly pagan customs in their mournings and rejoicings, and in some measure, powerful majority has introduced them with the vulgar of the mulatto and Portuguese race.
If a person die in that colour, the relations and friends of him meet at the house, where the corpse is laid out decently on the ground and covered (all except the face) with a sheet; they sit round it, crying and howling dreadfully, not unlike what our countrymen are said to do in Ireland: this mourning lasts for eight days and nights, but not equally intense, for as the friends, who compose the chorus, go out and in, are weary, and unequally affected, the tone lessens daily, and the intervals of grief are longer.
In rejoicings and festivals they are equally ridiculous; these are commonly made on some friend’s escape from shipwreck, or other danger: they meet in a large room of the house, with a strum-strum, to which one of the company, perhaps, sings woefully; the rest standing round the room close to the petitions, take it in their turns (one or two at a time) to step round, called dancing, the whole clapping their hands continually, and hooping out every minute Abeo, which signify no more, than, how do you. And this foolish mirth will continue three or four days together at a house, and perhaps twelve or sixteen hours at a time.
The Portuguese, though eminently abstemious and temperate in all other things, are unbounded in their lusts; and perhaps they substitute the former in room of a surgeon, as a counterpoison to the mischiefs of a promiscuous salacity: they have most of them venereal taints, and with age become meager and hectic: I saw two instances here of venereal ulcers that had cancerated to the bowels, spectacles that would have effectually persuaded men (I think) how salutary the restriction of laws are.
Annobón is the last, and of the least consequence of the three islands; there are plenty of fruits and provisions, exchanged to ships for old clothes and trifles of any sort; they have a governor nominated from São Tomé, and two or three priests, neither of which are minded, everyone living at discretion, and fill’d with ignorance and lust.
To return to Davis, the next day after he left Anomabu, early in the morning, the man at the masthead espied a sail. It must be observed, they keep a good lookout; for, according to their articles, he who first espies a sail, if she proves a prize, is entitled to the best pair of pistols on board, over and above his dividend, in which they take a singular pride; and a pair of pistols has sometimes been sold for thirty pounds, from one to another.
Immediately they gave chase, and soon came up with her; the ship proved to be a Hollander, and being betwixt Davis and the shore, she made all the sail she could, intending to run aground; Davis guessed her design, and putting out all his small sails, came up with her before she could effect it, and fired a broadside, upon which she immediately struck, and called for quarter. It was granted, for according to Davis’ articles, it was agreed, that quarter should be given whenever it was called for, upon pain of death. This ship proved a very rich prize, having the Governor of Acra on board, with all his effects, going to Holland; there was in money to the value of 15,000 £ sterling, besides other valuable merchandises, all which they brought on board of themselves.
Upon this new success, they restored Captain Hall and Captain Plumb, before mentioned, their ships again, but strengthened their company with thirty-five hands, all white men, taken out of these two and the Morrice sloop; they also restored the Dutch their ship, after having plunder’d her, as is mentioned.
Before they got to the island of Prince’s, one of their ships, viz. that call’d the King James, sprung a leak; Davis order’d all hands out of her, on board his own ship, with everything else of use, and left her at an anchor at high Cameroon. As soon as he came in sight of the island, he hoisted English colours; the Portuguese observing a large ship sailing towards them, sent out a little sloop to examine what she might be; this sloop hailing of Davis, he told them he was an English man-of-war, in quest of pirates, and that he had received intelligence there were some upon that coast; upon this they received him as a welcome guest, and piloted him into the harbour. He saluted the fort, which they answered, and he came to an anchor just under their guns, and hoisted out the pinnace, man-of-war fashion, ordering nine hands and a coxswain in it, to row him ashore.
The Portuguese, to do him the greater honour, sent down a file of musketeers to receive him, and conduct him to the Governor. The Governor not in the least suspecting what he was, received him very civilly, promising to supply him with whatever the island afforded; Davis thanked him, telling him, the King of England
