that Robinson Crusoe sailed for Africa to
procure slaves for his plantation and that of his friend, so fiction
relates.

At Bahia we met many friends and gentle folk. Not the least interesting
at this port are the negro lasses of fine physique seen at the markets
and in the streets, with burdens on their heads of baskets of fruit, or
jars of water, which they balance with ease and grace, as they go
sweeping by with that stately mien which the dusky maiden can call her
own.

CHAPTER XIII

At Bahia--Meditations on the discoverers--The Caribbees.

At Bahia we refitted, with many necessary provisions, and repaired the
keel, which we found, upon hauling out, had been damaged by the
encounter with the whale at Frio. An iron shoe was now added for the
benefit of all marine monsters wishing to scratch their backs on our
canoe.

Among the many friends whom we met at Bahia were Capt. Boyd and his
family of the bark _H. W. Palmer_. We shall meet the _Palmer_ and the
Boyds again on the voyage. They were old traders to South America and
had many friends at this port who combined to make our visit a pleasant
one. And their little son Rupert was greatly taken with the
"_Rib_erdade," as he called her, coming often to see us. And the
officials of the port taking great interest in our voyage, came often on
board. No one could have treated us more kindly than they.

The venerable _Administradore_ himself gave us special welcome to the
port and a kind word upon our departure, accompanied by a present for my
wife in the shape of a rare white flower, which we cherished greatly as
coming from a true gentleman.

Some strong abolitionists at the port would have us dine in an epicurean
way in commemoration of the name given our canoe, which was adopted
because of her having been put afloat on the thirteenth day of May, the
day on which every human being in Brazil could say, "I have no master
but one." I declined the banquet tendered us, having work on hand,
fortifying the canoe against the ravaging worms of the seas we were yet
to sail through, bearing in mind the straits of my great predecessor
from this as well as other causes on his voyage over the Caribbean Seas.
I was bound to be strengthened against the enemy.

The gout, it will be remembered, seized upon the good Columbus while his
ship had worms, when both ship and admiral lay stranded among menacing
savages; surrounded, too, by a lawless, threatening band of his