op. "Hallo! who are all these?" he exclaimed, as he
saw seated round the sides some thirty sable damsels, bundled up in
silks and cottons, with a variety of ornaments on their curly heads,
most of them with children in their arms, or seated by their side,
little and big.

The skipper looked somewhat nonplussed; but presently, pointing out
three of the best-looking, he tried to make his visitor understand that
they were his wives.

"Oh! very well," said Adair, who comprehended his meaning; "but to whom
do all those others belong?"

To this the negoda, without replying directly, shouted to his Arab crew,
who came aft, each man taking the hands of a couple of negresses, and
declaring that they were his better halves. Thus all the people who had
hitherto been seen were accounted for, and the hold alone remained to be
examined. Above the cargo, which was stowed in no very regular fashion,
was a bamboo deck; but that of course would be necessary for the
numerous male and female passengers and their offspring, and was not
sufficient in itself to condemn the vessel. Still Adair was not
altogether satisfied.

On returning on deck, he determined to interrogate some of the silent
negro passengers, who did not look as if they were accustomed to the
fine clothes they wore. Without an interpreter, this was a difficult
undertaking. When he addressed the blacks, men or women, they put on
the most stolid looks, showing him that it would be vain to hope to get
any information out of them; but it was a wonder that such
stupid-looking people should have any desire to see the world, or could
be travelling either on business or pleasure. At last he had to give it
up, and to turn to the black sailors. Going forward, he addressed one
after the other; but as he spoke, their countenances also changed, and
they stood before him with downcast looks, pictures of stolidity.
Suddenly he at last bethought him of calling up Pango from the pinnace,
to try if he could elicit any information from his sable countrymen.
Pango, on being summoned, immediately sprang on board. No sooner had he
done so than his eye fell on one of the blacks, from whom Adair was
vainly endeavouring to extract information. The two negroes stared at
each other for an instant. "Ki!" exclaimed Pango. "Ki!" answered the
other, scanning Pango's nautical costume. "Ki!" cried Pango, in a
higher key; and then, both making a spring, they seized each other's
hands and beg