He would have no Krumen;
so our seven fellows, who refused to take service in the Effuenta mine,
were paid off and shipped for 'we country.' The thirty hands ordered in
mid-January appeared in mid-March, and were made over to Mr. MacLennan. My
companion set out with faithful Joe, Mr. Dawson the stuffer, and his dog
Nero. I did not hear of him or from him till we met at Madeira.
My case was different. I could not recover strength like my companion, who
is young and who has more of vital force to expend. This consideration
made me fearful of spoiling his work: a sick traveller in the jungle is a
terrible encumbrance. I therefore proposed to run south and to revisit my
old quarters, 'F.Po' and the Oil Rivers, in the B. and A. s.s. _Loanda_
(Captain Brown), the same which would pick up my companion after his
return to Axim.
Life on the coast was not unpleasant, despite the equinoctial gales which
broke on March 19 and blew hard till March 25. I had plenty of occupation
in working up my notes, and I was lucky enough to meet all the managers of
the working mines who were passing through Axim. From Messieurs Crocker
(Wasa), MacLennan (Effuenta), Creswick (Gold Coast Company), and Bowden
(Takwa [Footnote: Alias the African Gold Coast Company, whose shareholders
are French and English.
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