The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-05-24 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

A work has just issued from the press, entitled Service
Afloat, from which we take the following extract. It is
published by Bentley, London:—
"An Englishman cannot understand a tropical sun; the dog-
days of our temperate isle would be refreshing moments to the
toasting, stewing, enervating hours of an African purgatory ;
frequently no breath of air sweeps over the waters to cool your
parched skin, or else it comes like ' blasts from hell,' and you
inhale air that almost burns the lungs, so hot and arid is it.
With night come the tempting but too fatal dews, and a re-
freshing breeze :
The morrow comes, when they are not for thee
This river abounds with ground-sharks of a pro igi d' 'ous size ;
and, from the respect which is paid them by the natives, they
are quite domesticated. This, however much it may be ad-
"aired in some animals, is not at all a pleasing trait in the cha-
racter of a shark ; and the domestic monster of this species is
quite as disagreeable in his mode of mastication as his less po-
lished brother of the deep; but probably I shall be better un-
derstood by saying, that from having proper respect and
attention paid to them, they are quite fearless, and seem to eat
you under the impression that men were made for sharks. The
inhabitants of Bonny worship this very sagacious and agreeable
monster, which they call their jewjew, and seem to consider
that the nearest way to heaven is through the digestive organs
of a ground-shark. In consequence of this devotion paid to the
shark, it is considered a great crime to kill them; for they say,
' Who kill jewjew, him go dam ; but who jewjew eat, him go
cone artable : an odd idea of comfort; but chacun a son gout,
as our polite neighbours say. These animals appear so well
aware of their prerogative Of protection, that they commit the
most daring acts, and have been known to leap some feet out
of the water to get hold of men whilst working in the head of
the vessel, thinking, no doubt, that they were fit subjects to be
made comfortable,' as they had just undergone the pro-
cess of ablution. Falling Overboard is certain destruction,
as they keep a constant watch upon all vessels lying in the
harbour. The inhabitants hold a kind of festival three or four
times a-year, which they call the javjay.' It is conducted by
taking all their canoes into the middle of the river, when, after
numerous ceremonies and absurdities to invoke the patronage
and protection of their attentive listeners, they commence throw-
ing them. quantities of goats, fowls, goms, &c., until every
monster that happens to be in the neighbourhood appears satis-
fied ; on which they return to the shore with loud rejoicings.
In return for this kindness, the jewjew gives a protection purely
Irish; for the first native any one can get hold of, he prevents
any other from attacking, by eating him himself. Would that
this were the only rite they pay to these voracious monsters !
Humanity is not so much shocked by the almost self-sacrifice
of ignorance to superstition; but, when innocence becomes a
victim, compassion shudders at that which she cannot prevent.
Every year a guiltless child is doomed to expiate with its life
the follies and crimes of its destroyers. The poor babe is
named for this bloody. rite at its birth, from which time it is
called their jewjew, and allowed every indulgence that its in-
fant fancy can wish for, until it arrives at nine or ten years of
age, when its sanguinary deed must be fulfilled. The tears
and lamentations of the child avail not; its parents have
placed their feelings of nature on the altar of a mistaken devo-
tion; it is therefore left alone to plead with those that hope to
benefit by its destruction. The sharks collect, as if in expec-
tation of the dainty meal being prepared torthein.. The spot
chosen is a spit of sand, into which a stake is diyen at low-
water mark. The mother sees her innocent offspring bound to
this, and, as the tide advances, left alone. Various noises are
made to drown the cries of the terrified child. Its little hands
are seen imploring, and its lips calling for her aid; the water
soon reaches the stake, and the greedy monsters are seen by
the tender victim quickly approaching with the deepening tide.
Have we fellow-creatures like these ? Is there a mother that
can stand and see this unconcerned ? Can her heart be formed
like ours? Has not the withering bolt of heaven seared up their
feelings, and left them a debased and hardened
.imitation of
humanity ? I need but but briefly finish the horrible picture.
The shouting mob stand watching the stake until the advancing
tide has emboldened the sharks to approach their prey—then
their dreadful revelry begins. No tear is shed for the poor suf-
ferer, but the day is concluded with rejoicing and festivities. It
will he seen from this and the following fact, that these animals,
which in general are looked upon with a feeling of terror and dis-
gust, are here held in much estimation and importance. In their
punishments they ever make them their judges (more properly ex-
ecutioners) in case of any atrocity being committed. The person
upon whom suspicion falls is ordered by the King to swim across
the river, when, if innocent, he is to arrive safe upon the other
side; but, it' otherwise, these just judges are to have him for
breakfast. This trial takes place before his Majesty and an
immense concourse of spectators : the suspected person is
brought forth and forced into the river, when the poor devil
makes every exertion to reach the destined goal, but, strange
to say, the King has never yet left the beach without being
fully convinced of the truth of his suspicions, as no instance is
on record of the sharks ever allowing him to be in the wrong.
This is certainly very like hanging first and trying afterwards.
These people Have a great deal of trade and constant inter-
course with Europeans, yet we found them in many things as
debased as any savages upon the coast; and these broody cere-
monies, which they perform to the present day, corroborate this
statement. Another object of their devotion is the guana, a
species of lizard, which is one of the most privileged members
of society, and allowed to do whatever it pleases with impunity.
It is a most filthy and disgusting reptile, which, in this unac-
countable country, may be a reason for the attention which is
paid it. The length to which this is carried is beyond concep-
tion; and I have on several occasions seen it enter a house and
deliberately carry off fowls and ducks which were intended for
immediate consumption, and this without being molested in
any way by the proprietor, who, on the contrary, seemed to
consider himself honoured by the preference which this object
of his devotion had given him."