The hours passed pleasurably. The beautiful neatness and order
prevailing on board a man of war were specially delightful to Frank
after the rough life he had so long led, and the silence and discipline
of the men presented an equally strong contrast to the incessant
chattering and noise kept up by the niggers.

The next morning the ship was off Accra. Here the scenery had entirely
changed. The hills had receded, and a wide and slightly undulating plain
extended to their feet, some twelve miles back. The captain was going to
land, as he had some despatches for the colony, and he invited Frank to
accompany him. They did not, as Frank expected, land in a man of war's
boat, but in a surf boat, which, upon their hoisting a signal, came out
to them. These surf boats are large and very wide and flat. They are
paddled by ten or twelve negroes, who sit upon the gunwale. These men
work vigorously, and the boats travel at a considerable pace. Each boat
has a stroke peculiar to itself. Some paddle hard for six strokes and
then easy for an equal number. Some will take two or three hard and then
one easy. The steersman stands in the stern and steers with an oar. He
or one of the crew keeps up a monotonous song, to which the crew reply
in chorus, always in time with their paddling.

The surf is heavy at Accra and Frank held his breath, as, after waiting
for a favorable moment, the steersman gave the sign and the boat darted
in at lightning speed on the top of a great wave, and ran up on the
beach in the midst of a whirl of white foam.

While the captain went up to Government House, Frank, accompanied by one
of the young officers who had also come ashore, took a stroll through
the town. The first thing that struck him was the extraordinary number
of pigs. These animals pervaded the whole place. They fed in threes and
fours in the middle of the streets. They lay everywhere in the road,
across the doors, and against the walls. They quarreled energetically
inside lanes and courtyards, and when worsted in their disputes galloped
away grunting, careless whom they might upset. The principal street of
Accra was an amusing sight. Some effort had been made to keep it free
of the filth and rubbish which everywhere else abounded. Both sides were
lined by salesmen and women sitting on little mats upon the low wooden
stools used as seats in Africa. The goods were contained in wooden
trays. Here were dozens of women offering beads for sale of