eat them. On we
sail--oh, how hot--more, more die--many days no more--float on water
like one log--den you come--white man, Spaniard, say you kill us--ah,
no, no--you very good--we very happy--yes, massa, Peter Pongo very happy
now." Such was Peter's brief account of himself. You will not consider
it too much of a rigmarole. I was, I know, much interested when he told
it me, and I had some little difficulty in making out what he meant.
Soon after this we entered the magnificent harbour of Rio de Janeiro,
which looks like a lake surrounded by lofty hills, the curious
sugar-loaf rising above all. I have heard it said that it would contain
all the ships in the world; but, large as it is, I have an idea that
they would be very close packed if they were all brought together there.
The city is large, built on level ground, or rather on a swamp, with
mountains covered with trees rising directly behind it. There are
numerous churches and fine palaces, and many large public buildings, but
the white inhabitants are very brown and dirty, and the black, who seem
to be very numerous, wear a remarkably small amount of clothing. Though
the greater number are slaves, they are very merry slaves, and it was
amusing to see one party meet another. They would stop, pull off their
straw hats, make a series of mock polite bows, and some remarks which
were sure to produce roars of laughter; how they would twist and turn
about, and at last lean against each other's backs, that they might more
at their ease indulge in fresh cachinnations. I have never seen any but
blacks twist themselves into such curious attitudes. I cannot give a
more lucid account of this imperial city, because I was so very little
on shore. We had a great deal of work in getting the schooner refitted.
All the poor blacks were taken on board the frigate, for we could not
trust them on shore lest the Brazilians might have spirited them away,
while the schooner was thoroughly cleansed and fumigated. We then took
in an ample supply of water and provisions, and prepared to recross the
Atlantic. The Brazilians could not understand why we took so much
trouble about a few miserable blacks, and thought that we should have
done much more wisely had we sold them to them at half-price. Mr
Talbot had still charge of the prize, and having Sommers as his
lieutenant, with Dickey Snookes and me, he was ordered to carry her back
to Sierra Leone. We flattered ourselves that both