Soon after this I received a Letter from Captain _Dagge_, desiring I would let him know how Affairs flood at _Jaqueen_. Having informed him of all matters, he concluded, it would be for our Owner’s Interest if he stayed at _Whidaw_, where he had great Success; for that People being in a starving Condition, and obliged to sell their Servants and Children for Money and Goods, to buy Food from their Neighbours of _Popoe_; his Ship was soon filled with _Negroes_, and he had the good fortune to sail from the Coast three days before me. Not long after the Arrival of Captain _Dagge_, I was taken ill of a Fever; my Surgeon, a very eminent Man for Trade as well as his Profession, died in a few days after my being taken ill; and the rainy Season coming on, my white People both on board and on Shore grew sickly; and to add to my Misfortunes, the King of _Dahomè_’s Traders began to grow troublesome and imposing. Indeed I had one Comfort in this Distress; namely, that tho’ I was two days together without a white Man in the Factory with me, (occasioned by the Sickness) yet I had nothing stole from me, which I believe was owing to the severe Charge given by the King to the Lord of _Jaqueen_ and his Brother, to take care of me and my Goods. But as to the King of _Dahomè_’s Traders, when I objected to them my Agreement with their Master, producing the Writing I had made in his Presence, and calling the Linguist to witness, that I was not to take any Slaves but such as I liked; yet it signified nothing: For tho’ the Interpreter was so honest as to own it, yet he was as imposing as any other, pretending the King’s Orders for what they did. Nay, I began at last not to think my self safe, one of the Traders being so insolent as to present his Fusil at me, for refusing to take his bad Slaves. For tho’ they came to trade, yet they were always armed with Sword and Dagger, and a Boy carried their Gun for them. These People were far different from the Traders we used to deal with at _Whidaw_: For these came always in a modest manner to deal with us, and tho’ sometimes I owed them Goods on my Notes for ten days together, because the badness of the Sea prevented our landing them; yet they shewed no Uneasiness about it: Whereas, on the contrary, these _Dahomè_ Traders would come ten times a day with their Notes; tho’ they were sensible the Sea was so great on the Shore, that we could land no Goods. And when I expostulated with them, about the needless trouble they gave me and themselves, in coming so often to me to read their Notes; it not being in my Power to pay them, ’till I could get goods landed; they angrily replied, “They did not like a bit of Paper for their Slaves, because the writing might vanish from it; or else the Notes might be lost, and then they should lose their Payment.” Upon that I used to shew them my Book, telling them their Notes were entered therein, and should they lose them by any Accident, yet I