After giving my canoemen subsistence, my promised servant presented himself, when, to my great surprise, I recognised in him a servant of Governor Hill’s at Cape Coast only a few months before. I was agreeably surprised at this, particularly as he could speak English. Poor fellow! he was also much pleased at the opportunity of representing his case to me, and the circumstances under which he was made a slave. It appeared that, after leaving the service of the Governor of Cape Coast, he ventured upon a journey along the coast as far as Little Elmina, a distance of at least two hundred miles. At the latter place he was requested by an Elmina soldier (if deserving such rank) to sell a piece of cloth for him. He states that, after selling the cloth, the soldier accused him of stealing the money. He was, in consequence, seized by the soldier, and sold to a slave-dealer at Popoe. Owing, however, to his being able to speak English, it was not deemed safe to ship him. He was consequently exchanged with the caboceer of Porto Sogoora for two younger slaves, the caboceer considering that he might make him useful as an English interpreter in the course of trade. It is very probable that the suspicions of the soldier were pretty correct, for I myself had previous ocular demonstration of his being a thief. Indeed, you will very seldom err far in suspecting most Africans to be rogues. March 7th.--At 6 A.M., I called, as is the custom, on the caboceer, who, upon the whole, behaved pretty well and kindly, although for pecuniary motives. He called the canoemen and my Cape Coast servant, and my two volunteers, giving them strict injunctions with regard to my safety. I had also a boy left with me by Mr. Hanson. My party altogether amounted to eight in number. We embarked in Mr. Hanson’s canoe, which was comfortably fitted up, and proceeded up the lagoon, which now becomes broad, forming a lake six miles in width and the same in length. On the right bank, and about five miles from Porto Sogoora, we landed, to visit a small kroom, on account of its market, in order to purchase some vegetables. This kroom is distant from the lake one mile, situated on a vast plain of excellent loamy soil. The inhabitants all turned out armed, but upon their finding my little party friendly, we were well received, and supplied with a calabash full of clean water. After purchasing some vegetables and shooting some wild pigeons, which are here in great numbers, we visited the market-place, although the weekly market was held on the following day. The market is held under the shade of a silk-cotton-tree, the branches of which extend much farther than any other tree I had ever seen, and are so close as entirely to shade those under it from the burning rays of the sun. This is not usual in the cotton-tree, although they are always, at their full growth, of a great height and the trunk large.