s in the slave-trade, and would not
be sorry to find that we had run a cargo, and would reward them all
liberally. That this would be an excuse to leave the river immediately,
whereas otherwise they would have to wait till you recovered or died,
and by that time they might half of them be dead themselves. Do you
understand me, Sir?"

"Yes, perfectly. Go on, Ingram."

"Well, Sir, the men did not perceive what he was about, and replied that
so long as they left the river they did not care how soon, and that it
was better that we should take a cargo of slaves at all events, for
Olivarez was in command now, and they should do as he ordered them. I
made no reply, indeed Olivarez never put the question to me. Well, Sir,
the ivory was soon exchanged for slaves, who are now on board, and it is
the slaves whom you have smelt and complained of. We received on board
140, and provisions sufficient with what we had, and, having taken in
all the water we could, below and on deck, we made sail out of the
river, and have since steered for the Brazils."

"But Olivarez has taken a most unwarrantable responsibility," said I;
"and one that he shall answer for."

"Stop, Sir," replied Ingram, "you have only heard the first part of the
story. When we had been three days at sea, Olivarez, who had been
talking to the men, one by one and apart, called them together, and
said, it was an opportunity not to be lost, that they had possession of
the vessel, and the owner would never have a clue to where she had gone,
and that now was the time to take possession of her for themselves, and
employ her in the slave-trade on their own account. That, sailing so
fast, nothing could overhaul her or board her, and, therefore, they were
free from danger. He then proposed that he should command and navigate,
and receive one-half of the profits, and that the other half should be
divided among the crew--the expense of the provisions, etcetera, being
paid out of it previous to their sharing and making a calculation; he
showed them that every voyage would be worth about 100 pounds a man
after all expenses were paid. The crew consented at once to the terms--
all but me; and when he asked me, my answer was, that I would consent to
nothing while you were yet alive. I said that, because I was afraid
that they would murder me, or throw me overboard."

"Go on, Ingram; go on, and let me hear it all at once."

"`Then you will soon be freed from your diffic