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4 Mce imprisoned by th £ Spaniards , and once by the Portuguese during this short voyage . " An appearance of embarrassment and mystery , on the part of the 0 overnor and Mr . Moore , so incompatible with the simple integrity of plain dealing , induced rare , from the first , to suspect what woulq
happen . " The Governor had readily promised us a pilot , but said that he cfculd not procure one before the next morning , when I told him that We would then go away without one , as the people on board would be anxious for our safety t he refused to let us depart , the long boat was taken possession of > and we were lodged for the night fn an empty room adjoining the guard : in vain I urged that this conduct ot his was £ violation of the laws of hospitality as well as of nations , and that to
imprison the subjects of a power in amity with the Queen his mistress , was a measure unknown to civilized nations . He replied that though he had detained us we were npt prisoners , to which I answered that that was talking like a blockheacl . However , if we are to be detained , * said I , we look to you for the security of our boat and every thing which it contains , and we moreover expect of you two things . ' * What
are those ? ' said he . ' First , that you send us a good supper for we are hungry , and secondly , -that you send us beds for we are wenry and fatigued ;* these he readily promised , and he did not deceive us . The next morning a soldier came for the captain of the ship ( not Capt . £ . ) but none others were to attend him . This however was refused , and we declared that we would all go to the Governor , or none 5 then sal- * lying out together we were not opposed , and went in a body to a merchant ' s house where the Governor was attending the arrival of the
captain : here we had a violent altercation 5 he insisted that the captain of the Han key should go back to the ship , accompanied by a Portuguese officer to examine his papers , and learn the object of our destination ; to which I objected , as a measure which he had no authority to take ; that I had already voluntarily made him acquainted with our views and our motives ; that be could learn nothing more from our papers ; and that T would not from compulsion , if I were captain of the
ship , shew him one of them . * Then , Sir / said he , * if you were captain of the ship , I would put both your legs in irons ; ' to which I replied , that he certainly had the power , but that he dare not exercise it j that as to myself the expedition would go on just as well without 8 ie ; and that it was perfectly immaterial to me whether ! passed my time in the Brazils , which I had no objection to see , and whither I
supposed he might send me , or at Bulania : that he would not be able tp keep me there . much beyond a year , when a dreadful responsibility would await him . * ' How comes it , * says he , * that you / who are not the captain of the ship , talk so much , and give your opinion so freely while he is silent ? Who are you that yon assume so much ? ' ' I an tn part owner of that ship ' s cargo , and therefore authorized to advise the captain ; but I am not ^ a merchant ; I never was , and never shall be one . Although in this jacket and trowsers , I am a British naval officer , accustomed to respect , and not to be intimidated by your unwarrantable and unjustifiable conduct / It was at length determined that I should be detained as a hostage , and the boat sent back to the ship with a Portuguese officer to examine her papers , which "being complied with they were promised every assistance . *' * The permission of the examination of the papers by the
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£ ld African Memoranda .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1806, page 210, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1723/page/42/
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