"
MRS. WILTON. "Crossing the line is no longer a novelty to such
experienced voyagers as we are, and I think Dora may carry us on to
our next station without further remark."
DORA. "The Gulf of Guinea."
MR. WILTON. "Plenty of sea-room _there_, Dora; but I hope we are to
keep along the coast, for with the exception of Fernando Po and St.
Thomas's, I know of no place where I should feel disposed to go
ashore."
MRS. WILTON. "We are on a coasting expedition, although, for the
_furtherance of science_, we occasionally sail out of the direct
track; and as, in this instance, the mention of your inclination to
visit these two islands implies some knowledge of their situation,
we expect you will furnish the meeting with the requisite
information."
MR. WILTON. "Your mamma is very sharp upon me, George. Take warning
by my case, and do not interfere with the pilot."
GEORGE. "Ha, capital! Now, papa, Ferdinand Po!"
MR. WILTON. "Our sojourn there will be very brief; not because the
island is deficient in fertility, but simply because the society of
the natives would be intolerable to civilized noses. They are the
filthiest people in the whole world. Words cannot convey an idea of
their disgusting nature. They have long hair matted together with
red clay and palm oil. This composition has a most outrageous smell,
and with it they smear their faces and bodies. They are, generally
speaking, a stout, athletic, well made race of people, and
particularly harmless in their dispositions, though from their
appearance you would not imagine that to be the case, as each
individual is always armed with a spear about eight feet in length,
made of hard wood, and barbed at each end; which, added to their
fierce color and smell, would daunt the courage of a more
enlightened savage.
Pages:
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339