e before
there was time to drop an anchor. For an instant her sails fluttered.
He began to dance about and wring his hands, looking at the captain's
belt as if he expected every moment to see the pistol sticking in it
pointed at his head; but happily for him the sails again filled, and the
breeze increasing, the ship, after pitching three or four times, glided
on into smooth water. We were now free of all danger for the present.
There was nothing very attractive in the appearance of the river. As
far as the eye could reach, we could distinguish only mangrove bushes
rising apparently out of the water itself. Except a hut or two at the
inner end of the sandy point I have described, not a human habitation
was to be perceived, and scarcely a canoe dotted the broad expanse of
the river as we glided up it, stemming the current with the strong
sea-breeze which had now set in. As we got higher up, an occasional
opening in the mangrove bushes showed us a more attractive looking
country, with cocoa-nut, fig, and other trees, and native huts nestled
beneath them; but it was not until we had got about twenty miles from
the mouth of the river that any sign of a numerous population appeared.
At length we prepared to come to an anchor off a village from which a
wooden stage projected into the river. Beyond it were several long
sheds of considerable extent, which were ere long discovered to be
barracoons or sheds for the reception of slaves brought down from the
interior to be embarked. The anchor was dropped, the sails were furled.
What now was to be our fate? The captain had interfered so little with
us, that we hoped he would allow us to go on shore, and that we might be
able from thence to make our way down the river, and get on board a
lawful trader or man-of-war. I proposed to Harry that I should at once
ask him. Just as I was about to do so, I heard him order the wounded
men to be brought up and placed in a boat alongside. I thought that now
was a good opportunity, "I am afraid, sir, that these men are scarcely
in a fit state to be removed; unless they have some one to look after
them, they are very likely to lose their lives."

"You may accompany them," he said, "but remember that you do not go
beyond the village, or you will stand a chance of being knocked on the
head. The blacks are not very fond of strange white men hereabouts."

Of course Harry and I did not consider ourselves bound to follow his
directions in