Part of the Acorn Archive

Hearts of Oak

 

 

Charles Lewis

Royal Navy [1891-1905]

 

West Africa Station 1900-1904

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Notes made for a Church Hall Talk 1940

 

This was written in a very different world from ours today.

 

He writes ……

“Just a few incidents in the life of an ordinary common and garden sailor.

 

We left Las Palmas and called at St Vincent, where we received orders to proceed at full speed to Bathurst and send our boats laden with armed men up the River Gambia, to quell a native uprising. I might mention in passing that all the time it was a common occurrence for the native tribes to make war on another tribe, our men would be landed to restore order. Well, we steamed as fast as we could for Bathurst; and on arrival we found a couple of our ships and a regiment of black soldiers in readiness, to proceed up the river. Gambia is one of our small colonies. The river Gambia divides it into two pieces, flowing up for several hundred miles between the two, into French territory, for Gambia itself is surrounded by French Possessions. With a little tact and forbearance the natives were pacified. We were more fortunate than one of our ships which was sent to Gambia to quell a native disturbance. About 1890, HMS RALEIGH’s boat crew went up the river Gambia, but the natives ambushed them, killed and ate the whole crew; Of course, this was before Rationing and the introduction of Coupons, otherwise they would have been Summoned.

 

But, to say a word in praise of Missionaries who often come in for plenty of unjustifiable criticism. Our crew and I stayed at Bathurst for a while. One Sunday morning our Captain asked for volunteers to land with him and attend church; I landed with him also a good few of the ship’s company. The church was built after the style of our English Churches. We were the only white people in the church on that morning, it was interesting to watch the black ladies enter and go into their seas; they were dressed, if anything overdressed in black, some in white silks and satins and they didn’t forget to rustle their dresses; they must have vied with each other as to who could make the most noise. I could get a good view of the congregation, as I had no “better half” nudging me and telling me not to gape about. A black Parson conducted the Service in a very able manner and preached an excellent sermon.

 

We were all pleased with our adventure and our Captain for the opportunity of going; I believe everyone else enjoyed it. Another day, several of us landed and sat under the window of the Village School, listening to the black boys and girls reciting their lessons in excellent English.  Both incidents speak well for the influence and work of the missionaries.

 

The chief export from Gambia seems to be ground (monkey) nuts, it seemed to me the chief occupation of the women was to sit in front of their huts and ask us for a “penny for monkey nuts”. The pier was stacked with sacks of monkey nuts waiting shipment to England. …..

 

What must have been in the thoughts of the negro watchman at the entrance of Sierra Leone when he saw the first steamer coming around the point – he dropped everything and ran as hard as he could back to the town to give the alarm. By the time the Captain of the steamer had landed to trade with them, there was not a soul to be seen. They had all fled into the bush. We had something of the same turn out further down the coast; our Captain thought he would give the inhabitants a treat by burning searchlights all night. But, o my, the Creepy Crawleys! I should think all the insects in West Africa paid us a visit.

Next morning the Commissioner came and told us we had cleared the village last night; everyone went as fast as their legs would carry into the bush. To make up for the scare we arranged and invited as many as cared to come aboard for a gramophone concert.

 

 

 

O wad some pow’r the giftie gie us

to see oursels as others see us!

It wad frae mony a blunder free us,

an’ foolish notion

What airs in dress an’ gait wad lea’e us

And ev’n devotion.    -   Rabbie Burns

 

 

 

 

 

Raymond Forward