I
N THE I740S while the ship on which he was trav~ling was at
anchor off the mouth of the Gambia River, William Smith went
ashore to instruct one of the ship's mates in the use of surveying instruments.
On a stretch of beach near a small town, Smith had beg~n to
demonstrate how one could measure distances with his theodolite and
hodometer when he noticed a sizable band of armed Africans gathering
nearby. Troubled by their hostile gestures, Smith questioned the ship's
slave, who had come along to help him operate the instruments, as to
why they were so vexed by activities that Smith regarded as entirely
peaceful and nonthreatening. The slave explained that the "foolish natives"
were alarmed by Smith's strange devices, which they believed he
would use to bewitch them. The Africans had driven' off their cattle,
sent the women and children from the town to hide in a nearby forest,
and marched out to confront the dangerous strangers who had appeared
so suddenly in their midst. Concluding that attempts to reason with
"ignorant savages" would be futile, and observing that the Africans
were afraid to approach the surveying party, Smith continued with his
instruction-though he cautioned the mate to keep his blunderbuss
ready. As the slave measured the distance along the beach v/ith the
hodometer, the frightened warriors tried to stop him by running in his
path-but they were careful not to touch the wheel. The slave amused
himselfby trying to run into them. Smith and his companions found the
Africans' fear of the wheel and their scrambling to avoid it a source of
merriment which they wished the "other gentlemen" on board had been
present to enjoy. But when Smith stopped to rest in the shade and sent
the mate and slave off to make punch, the townsmen grew more and
more threatening. Alone and surrounded by the angry and well-armed
warriors, Smith began to fear that he might be attacked. Just as it
occurred to him that he could be "cruelly torn asunder," the mate returned,
and together they chased away the band of warriors by making
threatening gestures and discharging the weapons that the terrified Africans
had left behind on the beach. The mate pleaded to be allowed to
pursue them, but Smith insisted on returning to the safety of the ship.