small, showing no evidences of work, only
the cruel marks of shackles. These in some cases had worn deep furrows
on their wrists or ankles.

They were obedient to all orders as far as they understood them, and
would, I believe, have jumped overboard if told to do so. I forbade the
men to treat them harshly or cruelly. I had the sick separated from the
others, and allowed them to remain on deck all the time, and in this way
I partly gained their confidence. I was anxious to learn their story.
Fortunately one of the Kroomen found among the prisoners a native of
a tribe living near the coast, and with him as interpreter was able to
make himself understood. After a good deal of questioning I learned that
most of them were from a long distance in the interior, some having been
one and some two moons on the way, traveling partly by land and partly
by river until they reached the coast. They had been sold by their kings
or by their parents to the Arab trader for firearms or for rum. Once at
the depots near the coast, they were sold by the Arabs or other traders
to the slave captains for from twenty-five to fifty dollars a head.
In the Brazils or West Indies they were worth from two to five hundred
dollars. This wide margin, of course, attracted unscrupulous and greedy
adventurers, who if they succeeded in running a few cargoes would enrich
themselves.

Our daily routine was simple. At six in the morning the rope netting
over the main hatch which admitted light and air was taken off, and
twenty-five of each sex were brought up, and seated in two circles, one
on each side of the deck. A large pan of boiled paddy was then placed
in the centre by the cook and all went to work with their hands. A few
minutes sufficed to dispose of every grain; then one of the Kroomen gave
each of them a cup of water from a bucket. For half an hour after the
meal they had the liberty of the deck, except the poop, for exercise, to
wash and to sun themselves; for sunshine to a negro is meat and drink.
At the end of this time they were sent below and another fifty brought
up, and so on until all had been fed and watered. Paddy or rice was the
staple article of food. At dinner boiled yams were given with the
rice. Our passengers were quartered on a flying deck extending from the
foremast to a point twenty feet abaft the main hatch from which came
light and air. The height was about five feet; the men had one side and
the women the other. Of course ther