Chapter XII: Appendix: I

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MR. GRAZILHIER’S DESCRIPTION OF THE AMBOZES COUNTRY.

[Extracted from Barbot, A.D. 1678-1706.]

The territory of Ambozes, which I said before is situated between Rio del Rey and Rio Camarones, is very remarkable for the immense height of the mountains it has near the seashore, which the Spaniards call Alta- Tierra de Ambozi, and reckon them as high as the Peak of Teneriffe. The coast runs from Rio del Rey to south-east; the little river Camarones Pequeno[116] lies about five leagues from Rio del Rey; from it to Cape Camarones, the northern point of Rio Camarones Grande, the coast is low and woody—much more than it is from Little Camarones to Rio del Rey. This Little Camarones River is properly a branch of Great Camarones River,[117] and divides itself coming out from the latter into three branches, all three running through the lands of the Ambozes, into the Great Æthiopick Ocean; the principal of which, being the third river south-east of Rio del Rey, is called Old Camarones by the English. This third branch divides itself again into two other branches at a distance from each other, running to S.E. and S.S.E. into the Great Camaroon River; and thus with the ocean form three islands in the territory of the Ambozes, wherein are the highest mountains, which extend near to the north point or head of Great Camarones; and at west and south-west of Old Camarones River are three round islands off at sea, two or three leagues[118] from the main, as lofty and high land as the opposite Ambozes hills. These islands are called by the Portuguese Ilhas Ambozes; the channel betwixt them and the main is seven fathoms deep, though from some distance off at sea they seem to touch the opposite continent, which is properly the effect of the immense altitude of the hills on either side of the channel; so that the biggest first-rate may sail through it with safety, the tide there running as the wind sets. The most northern island of the three lies four leagues from the Pescaria or fishery of Rio del Rey, and the most southern of them five leagues to the north of Cape Camarones, being the highest land of them all, and the largest; the other, which is the smallest, lies betwixt the two former. Though these little islands look but like large lofty rocks at a distance, yet they swarm with people,[119] and are so fertile—especially in palm-wine and oil—that the soil produces enough to subsist the inhabitants. It is surprising to find there such abundance of palm- trees, when there is not one to be seen on the opposite continent.[120] The sea about the islands abounds in many sorts of good fish, which is of great advantage to the islanders. The road for trading-ships is east of the most southern island. The inhabitants, for the most part, understand Portuguese pretty well, but are the worst Blacks of all Guinea.[121] They form a sort of commonwealth of the three islands, making continual descents with their canoes on the territory of Ambozes on the main, and get from thence in their incursions a vast quantity of provisions, and have no other commerce with those people. The territory of Ambozes comprehends several villages on the west of Cape Camarones, amongst which are those of Cesgis, Bodi, and Bodiwa, where there is a little trade for slaves and for accory.[122] The Hollanders trade there most of all Europeans, and export slaves for the same sorts of goods they use to import at Rio del Rey. The Blacks there have the same names for numbers as those of Camarones—one is ‘mo;’ two, ‘ba;’ three, ‘melella;’ four, ‘meley;’ and five, ‘matau,’ &c.[123]

The country of Ambozes is very fertile in all the sorts of plants and fruits of Guinea, except palm-trees, of which not one is to be seen, as I have already hinted; and to supply the defect of palm-wine they make a liquor for their usual drink of a certain root called Gajanlas, boiled in water, which is not disagreeable, and is, besides, a remedy for the cholic. They have great stores of poultry and other eatable animals, for which reason many European ships take provisions and refreshments there.[124]

[Footnote 116: Now called the Bimbia River.—R. B.]

[Footnote 117: I doubt this, and believe them to have an independent origin.—R. B.s]

[Footnote 118: Read miles.—R. B.]

[Footnote 119: Now reduced to some 3000 souls.—R. B.]

[Footnote 120: All this is changed. There are more palm-trees on the continent than on the islands.—R. B.]

[Footnote 121: The same was said by Bosman of the poor timid Bubes of Fernando Po, and with equal justice.—R. B.]

[Footnote 122: Aggri or Popo beads?—R. B.]

[Footnote 123: In the Isubu or Camarones dialect one is eoko or yoko; five, bitanu, subject to an alliterative concord.—R. B.]

[Footnote 124: All this is also changed.—R. B.]