From Thomas Waters Sr. to his wife Elizabeth Waters (November 2, 1824)

[Thomas Waters. R.M.. to his wife Elizabeth]

Addressed to Mrs. L. Waters, R.Marines, Musgrove Place, Woolwich, Kent.

No 6 H.M.S. Maidstone Sierra Leone 2nd Nov. 1824

My Dearest Love

I wrote you last from Sierra Leone. I was ashore there once, it is a straggling ill looking town and has very few tolerable buildings in it, that is to say, buildings that have a respectable appearance, there is a handsome Gothick church, building of stone the shell of it is up and roofed, the emanci- pated slaves are very numerous and are scattered about the country in patches or villages, their cottages are built of split sticks, the roof covered with long grass, and the walls of some with mud, most of the cottages have a small garden attached to them, containing indian corn, yams, popo apples, bannanas, plantains, a bush of bird pepper etc, the food which they chiefly subsist on, is boiled rice, mixed with palm oil- The Country is pretty, Pine apples, Oranges and limes grow wild it produces Coffee and rice, ducks, pigs, goats, bullocks, not many horses, milk is dear, less than a wine bottle full for a shilling and find your own bottle, cheese from 1/9 to 2/6 pr lb, indeed, living for a European is dear, unless he can live upon vegetable diet and drink nothing but water. The town, publishes a small weekly newspaper, it has a pretty considerable trade with severral tribes of Africans who come on foot, 3 or 4 hundred miles, their slaves bringing Ivory Gold-dust etc, and carrying back Arms, amunition, cutlery, beads, cotton goods etc. 2nd Sept. sailed on a cruise 21st arrived at St.Thomas’ [Sao Tome], 23rd sailed again, 25th fell in with H.M.Sloop Bann, and received from her 33 marines she had them from H.M.S. Frigate Thetis who brought them from Portsmouth for the Maidstone, 26th in Company with the Bann captured a Brazilian brig with 461 slaves on board. 1 Oct. anchored at Prince’s Island, it is an interesting looking Place but little indebted to Art, and it has a fine harbour, the town is a poor looking place and the Inhabitants are not rich, it has a Portuguese governor, money is of little value here, and at St Thomas! Old clothes is in greater request. 2nd Oct. Went on board the slaver, never saw any thing more distressing, men, women, and children hudled together as close as they could stow, almost suffocated in their own stench, quarreling among themselves for the water that was given them to drink, often spilling three parts of it, from a fear they should lose the whole, and the poor little innocent infants at their mother’s backs, most pittiable to behold. How it would have made your Heart ache, not to have been able to afford them the least assistance, they will be taken to Sierra Leone where I hope the vessel will be condemned and the slaves set free, they have but one meal a day, (at 11 Oclock) consisting of a little bit of beef boiled and some meal of Indian corn, or Gassada root mixed up raw with palm oil. Hindle is a sad drunk [this sentence has been crossed out. S.T.]

My Dearest Love, Col. Nicholls wishes you to send your letters to Mrs. Nicholls who will forward them to me through the Admiralty. Do not seal your letters with a button. We arrived at Ascension 21st Oct. We met with the most kind and liberal treatment from the Colonel and his Officers’. My messmates say it is the most hospitable place they ever were at. The Colonel and his Officers, and in fact everyone on the Island, were extremely happy & healthy, not one beings sick, we were delighted with the beautiful appearance of some part of the Island, there is vegetables of all kinds and some fruit, we dined with the Gov. on shore or he on board, every day for the 5 days we stopt at Ascension.

I remain my Charming Love your most affectionate

Tho^s. Waters