and beggings for mercy of the prisoners--busy preparations
making on deck; and several men came down and handed up buckets of sand;
an iron grating was handed up. The countenances of the negroes who were
thus employed appeared inflamed, as if their wrath was excited; now and
then they laughed at each other, and looked more like demons than men.
That some dreadful punishment was about to be inflicted I was certain
and I remained crouched behind the foremast on the lower-deck.

At last the men were all on deck again, and I was left alone; and then I
heard more noise, begging for mercy, weeping and wailing, and
occasionally a few words from the mouth of the negro captain; then rose
shrieks and screams, and appeals to Heaven, and a strong smell, which I
could not comprehend, came down the hatchways.

The shrieks grew fainter, and at last ceased, and something was thrown
overboard. Then the same tragedy, whatever it was, was acted over
again--more attempts to obtain mercy--more shrieks--again the same
overpowering smell. What could it be? I would have given much to know,
but something told me that I must remain where I was. Ten times was
this repeated, and then, as evening came on, there was a bustle on deck,
and after a time the crew descended the hatchways.

I caught the eye of the American, with whom I was intimate, and as he
passed me, I beckoned to him. He came to me.

"What has been done?" said I in a whisper.

"Captain punish slave traders," replied he; "always punish them so."

"Why, what did he do to them?"

"Do?--roast 'em alive. Dis third slave vessel he take, and he always
serve 'em so. Serve 'em right; captain very savage; no go to him till
morrow morning--you keep close." So saying, the American negro left me.

As I afterwards found out, the long boat on the booms had been cleared
out, the sand laid at the bottom to prevent the fire from burning the
boat, the captain and crew of the slave vessel laid on one after the
other upon the iron grating, and burnt alive. This accounted for the
horrible smell that had come down the hatchways.

It may be considered strange that I really did not feel so much horror
as perhaps I ought to have done. Had this dreadful punishment been
inflicted upon any _other_ persons than slave dealers, and _by_ any
other parties than negroes, I should not have been able to look at the
captain without abhorrence expressed in my countenance; but I know well
the horrors of