I well remember an
exquisite scene between Captain - - and King Koffee of the Kru Coast
when the subject of engaging boys was being shouted over one voyage
out.
The Captain at that time thought I was a W.W.T.A.A. and
ostentatiously wanted Koffee to let him pay off the boys he was
engaging to work the ship in money, and not in gin and gunpowder.
King Koffee's face was a study. If Captain - -, whom he knew of
old, had stood on his head and turned bright blue all over with
yellow spots, before his eyes, it would not have been anything like
such a shock to his Majesty. "What for good him ting, Cappy?" he
said, interrogation and astonishment ringing in every word. "What
for good him ting for We country, Cappy? I suppose you gib gin,
tobacco, gun he be fit for trade, but money - " Here his Majesty's
feelings flew ahead of the Royal command of language, great as that
was, and he expectorated with profound feeling and expression.
Captain - -'s expressive countenance was the battle ground of
despair and grief at being thus forced to have anything to do with a
traffic unpopular in missionary circles. He however controlled his
feelings sufficiently to carefully arrange the due amount of each
article to be paid, and the affair was settled.
The somewhat cumbrous wage the Kruboy gets at the end of his term of
service, minus those things he has had on account and plus those
things he has "found," is certainly a source of great worry to our
friend.
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