e the boats from all possible observation from the mainland. The
only question which now troubled us was whether the presence of the
boats in the river had already been observed. If the slavers had placed
absolute confidence in the success of their plan to draw us away from
the coast by means of the decoy schooner, they might not have troubled
to keep a look-out; but if they were as cautious as such gentry usually
are, and had left nothing to chance, it would be scarcely possible for
the approach of the boats to have passed undetected. This was the
question to which the captain was now going to seek an answer.

CHAPTER THREE.

AT THE CAMMA LAGOON.

Distant about a mile from our hiding-place, there was, according to the
captain's rough sketch map, a small peninsula enclosing a little bay, or
creek, at the inner extremity of which was situated King Olomba's town;
and it was here that we were led to believe we should find the slavers
busily engaged in shipping their human cargoes. And truly, as seen from
the boats, the ingenuity of man could scarcely have devised a more
perfect spot whereat to conduct the infamous traffic; for the
configuration of the land was such that boats, entering the river merely
on an exploring expedition, without having first obtained, like
ourselves, special information, would never have suspected the existence
of the creek, or of the town which lay concealed within it. Nor would
it have been possible to detect the presence of slave craft in the
creek; for the peninsula which masked it was thickly overgrown with
lofty trees which would effectually conceal all but the upper spars of a
ship, and these would doubtless be struck or housed while she was lying
in the creek.

The skipper having explained to the officers in command of the other
boats what he intended to do, and given them instructions how to act in
the event of certain contingencies arising, the gig's crew manned their
oars, and we pulled away in the direction of the peninsula, which we
reached in the course of a few minutes. Now our real troubles began,
for our object was not only to reach the peninsula but also to land upon
and walk across it until a spot could be found from which, unseen
ourselves, we could obtain a clear view of the creek and everything in
it, and upon approaching the shore of the peninsula we discovered that,
in common with as much of the river bank as we had yet seen, it
consisted, first of all, of a w