At the time of my visit, the Gaboon River had four English
traders; viz.

1. Messrs. Laughland and Co., provision-merchants, Fernando Po
and Glasgow. Their resident agent was Mr. Kirkwood.

2. Messrs. Hatton and Cookson, general merchants, Liverpool.
Their chief agent, Mr. R.B.N. Walker, who had known the river for
eleven years (1865), had left a few days before my arrival; his
successor, Mr. R.B. Knight, had also sailed for Cape Palmas, to
engage Kru-men, and Mr. Hogg had been left in charge.

3. Messrs. Wookey and Dyer, general merchants, Liverpool. Agents,
Messrs. Gordon and Bryant.

4. Messrs. Bruford and Townsend, of Bristol. Agent, Captain
Townsend.

The resident agents for the Hamburg houses were Messrs. Henert
and Bremer.

The English traders in the Gaboon are nominally protected by the
Consulate of Sao Paulo de Loanda, but the distance appears too
great for consul or cruizer. They are naturally anxious for some
support, and they agitate for an unpaid Consular Agent: at
present they have, in African parlance, no "back." A Kruman,
offended by a ration of plantains, when he prefers rice, runs to
the Plateau, and lays some fictitious complaint before the
Commandant. Monsieur summons the merchant, condemns him to pay a