who were all more or less slave-dealers, or interested in
the success of the slave-vessels, so we had to live in our boats. Rather
hard lines, sleeping on the boat's thwarts, &c. Still we had that 'balm
of Gilead,' hope, to keep us alive, and our good spirits. Many a longing
eye did I cast to the shore, where, in spite of the bloodhounds, I
should like to have stretched my cramped limbs. Ten or twelve days
passed in dodging about, doing nothing but keeping a good look-out, and
we almost began to despair, when one fine morning we saw a large brig,
evidently a slaver, running in towards the shore with a fresh breeze.
Our boats were painted like fishing boats, and our men disguised as
fishermen, as usual; so, apparently occupied with our pretended
business, we gradually approached the slave-vessel. My orders were
strictly to follow the movements or action of my superior. Then I
witnessed a gallant act, such as I have not seen surpassed during forty
years of active service that I have gone through since that time.
Lieutenant A.C., who was in the leading boat, a large twelve-oared
cutter, edged pretty near to the advancing vessel, and when quite close
under her bows one man seemed to me to spring like a chamois on board. I
saw the boat from which the man jumped make an ineffectual attempt to
get alongside the vessel, that was going at the rate of six miles an
hour, and then drop astern. I heard a pistol shot, and suddenly the
vessel was thrown up in the wind with all her sails aback, thus entirely
stopping her way (sailors will understand this). Not knowing precisely
what had happened, we pulled like maniacs alongside of the slaver. To do
this was, now that the vessel's way was stopped, comparatively easy. We
dashed on board, and after a slight resistance on the part of the
slaver's crew, in which two or three more men, myself among the number,
were wounded, we took possession of the brig. There we found our
lieutenant standing calmly at the helm, which was a long wooden tiller.
He it was who had jumped on board alone, shot the man at the helm, put
the said helm down with his leg, while in his hand he held his other
pistol, with which he threatened to shoot any one who dared to touch
him.

I fancy that his cool pluck had caused a panic among the undisciplined
crew, a panic that our rapid approach tended much to increase. What
astonished me was that nobody on board thought of shooting him before he
got to the helm, in which