Page:Travels in West Africa, Congo Français, Corisco and Cameroons (IA travelsinwestafr00kingrich).pdf/560

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The danger is your own boat, for it is not given to every man to do like my gigantic friend, Captain Heldt, and swim ashore and crawl up the beach, with three ribs broken, and his legs temporarily paralysed, by having a heavy surf-boat hurled by a wave on to his back, while engaged in an independent venture to reach the shore, after a catastrophe on the outer breakers. And let me add that when you are advised in a yell to jump into the surf by the black bo'sn of the windward coast, or the equally black Padrone of the S.W. Coast, do so "one time." Never mind those sharks, but mind and jump out on the windward side of the boat, the side that the surf is breaking against, the side that looks the worst, for by this means you may keep clear of the boat. I do not advise you to take a white man's advice as to jumping until you have gone through his genealogy and ascertained that beyond doubt he is a direct descendant of George Washington. There was a nice young doctor once on a S.W. Coast boat, who did not pursue this plan, and did not know that in this nineteenth century it is every man's duty to keep his powers of belief for religious purposes; so this doctor frittered his powers away on old coasters and sea-captains, most excellent people, but supremely human. I am one myself now, so I speak with authority; only the information we lavish on the new-comer is often too strong for him, and it was so in this doctor's case. They had told him about the surf; how you had to jump and swim the last breakers of it as soon as you heard the shout, and so on; so when going ashore at Batanga, the gallant boat-boys gave the rousing war-yell with which it is their custom to greet their enemy, "with that stern joy a warrior feels," over the side the doctor went like a shot, to the horror of the remorse-smitten sea-captain, who was in the boat. He got through all right, however. Now and again, I own, the new-comer scores. There was one who came out for the Government to Accra, where the surf is notorious. The boat got upset in the first line of breakers, and there was as bad a surf on that day as Accra ever rose. When he got ashore, the old coasters thought he would be impressed and terrified; but no. He just remarked it was lucky he had such a