n
cupidity of my warriors, kidnappers, and slave merchants.

Commerce is sometimes an adroit metaphysican--but a bad moralist!

CHAPTER LVIII.

It was my invariable custom whenever a vessel made her appearance in
the roadstead of New Sestros, to despatch my canoe with "Captain
Canot's compliments;" nor did I omit this graceful courtesy when his
Britannic Majesty's cruisers did me the honor of halting in my
neighborhood to watch or destroy my operations. At such times I
commonly increased the politeness by an offer of my services, and a
tender of provisions, or of any commodity the country could supply!

I remember an interesting rencounter of this sort with the officers of
the brig of war Bonito. My note was forwarded by a trusty Krooman,
even before her sails were furled, but the courteous offer was
respectfully declined "_for the present_." The captain availed
himself, however, of my messenger's return, to announce that the
"commodore in command of the African squadron had specially deputed
the Bonito _to blockade_ New Sestros, for which purpose she was
provisioned for _six months_, and ordered not to budge from her
anchorage till relieved by a cruiser!"

This formidable announcement was, of course, intended to strike me
with awe. The captain hoped in conclusion, that I would see the folly
of prosecuting my abominable traffic in the face of such a disastrous
_vis a vis_; nor could he refrain from intimating his surprise that a
man of my reputed character and ability, would consent to manacle and
starve the unfortunate negroes who were now suffering in my
_barracoons_.

I saw at once from this combined attack of fear and flattery, backed
by blockade, that his majesty's officer had either been grossly
misinformed, or believed that a scarcity of rice prevailed in my
establishment as well as elsewhere along the coast.

The suspicion of _starving blacks in chains_, was not only pathetic
but mortifying! It was part of the sentimental drapery of British
reports and despatches, to which I became accustomed in Africa. I did
not retort upon my dashing captain with a sneer at his ancestors who
had taught the traffic to Spaniards, yet I resolved not to let his
official communications reach the British admiralty with a fanciful
tale about _my_ barracoons and starvation. Accordingly, without more
ado, I sent a second _billet_ to the Bonito, desiring her captain or
any of her officers to visit New Sestros, and ascer