he Seychelles Islands. He sailed
with the monsoon, but had to steam back against it. During this period
another vessel, similarly freighted, had to run to discharge at Aden.
The seas were thus comparatively clear of cruisers. The Arabs seized
their opportunity, and a stream of dhows and larger vessels swept out
from the various creeks and ports all along the East African coast,
filled to overflowing with slaves.

Among these were the four large dhows of our friend Yoosoof. Having, as
we have seen, made a slight sacrifice of damaged and unsaleable goods
and chattels, in order to clear the way, he proceeded north, touching at
various ports where he filled up his living cargo, and finally got clear
off, not with goods damaged beyond repair, but with thousands of the
sons and daughters of Africa in their youthful prime.

In the interior each man cost him about four yards of cotton cloth,
worth a few pence; each woman three yards, and each child two yards, and
of course in cases where he stole them, they cost him nothing. On the
coast these would sell at from 8 pounds to 12 pounds each, and in Arabia
at from 20 pounds to 40 pounds.

We mention this to show what strong inducement there was for Yoosoof to
run a good deal of risk in carrying on this profitable and accursed
traffic.

But you must not fancy, good reader, that what we have described is
given as a specimen of the _extent_ to which the slave-trade on that
coast is carried. It is but as a specimen of the _manner_ thereof. It
is certainly within the mark to say that at least thirty thousand
natives are annually carried away as slaves from the east coast of
Africa.

Sir Bartle Frere, in addressing a meeting of the chief native
inhabitants of Bombay in April 1873, said,--"Let me assure you, in
conclusion, that what you have heard of the horrors of the slave-trade
is in no way exaggerated. We have seen so much of the horrors which
were going on that we can have no doubt that what you read in books,
which are so often spoken of as containing exaggerations, is exaggerated
in no respect. The evil is much greater than anything you can conceive.
Among the poorer class of Africans there is nothing like security from
fathers and mothers being put to death in order that their children may
be captured;"--and, referring to the _east coast alone_, he says
that--"thirty thousand, or more, human beings, are exported every year
from Africa."

Dr Livingstone tells us t