Nothing of particular interest struck me in Ahguay, the slave-trade being the principal traffic. Palm-oil and a little ivory are purchased by Mr. Hutton, the only European factor in the place. The character of the natives is depraved in the extreme. As in all other slave-dealing settlements, they are aided by each other in every sort of villany, murder not excepted. The example set them by the Spaniards and Portuguese is certainly bad. These are very numerous here. Besides those actually slave-merchants, a great number of slave crews are landed here, amongst whom very frequently deadly encounters take place with the knife or pistol. Cotton is cultivated by the natives, spun, and woven into cloth. In spinning, the distaff is the only system or method known. They use a considerable quantity of lime on their fingers when spinning, to prevent the perspiration staining the thread. Indigo also grows here, as well as in all the neighbourhood, and is manufactured rudely by the natives. The leaves are pounded or beaten on a stone, until they become one mass. They are afterwards made up into round balls, about the size of a cricket-ball. They are then exposed in the market for sale. There are two small markets daily in Ahguay, which are tolerably well supplied with articles of consumption. Brazilian tobacco is sold in the market,--no doubt taken in exchange for slaves; yams, manioc root, plantain and banana, pine-apples, cashew nuts, ginger and pepper; ground nuts and cotton are also sold in the market, as also country pots of very fair workmanship, grass bags, and mats of various kinds and of mixed colours, some displaying considerable taste and skill. The bush-rat is also dried, and sold in the market. The slaves are let out, like horses, to work; those selected for exportation work in irons. The irons are worn round the neck, the length of chain between each slave being about a yard and a half; but I have never seen any of them perform half what in England would be considered a day’s work for a boy of fourteen years of age. The habits of all being naturally indolent, they never expect half a day’s work from their slaves.