far
as I could judge there was nothing to show that she was a slaver.

The officer who had spoken to me finding that I was a young gentleman,
politely invited me down into the cabin, telling Paul that he might go
forward among the men. Paul thanked him, and took advantage of the
permission granted him. The officers were going to breakfast, and I was
very thankful when they invited me to join them. Altogether they
treated me very civilly.

I found an opportunity of speaking to Paul during the day.

"Bad vessel this," he whispered. "Dey put you on shore soon Massa
Harry, and so no harm come to you, but I fear they make me slave, and I
no get back to see my moder. Still I pray God that He find a way for
escape."

I had too much reason soon afterwards to know that Paul was right in his
conjectures.

The next day we came in sight of a large vessel. Signals were
exchanged, and we hove-to near each other. The boats were then actively
engaged in bringing numerous articles on board the schooner--arms and
ammunition, and cutlery, and Manchester goods, and farinha (the meal on
which slaves on board ship are fed), and cases which I found contained
slave shackles. There was no secret indeed made about the matter.

The schooner having taken her cargo on board, the other vessel sailed
away while we stood towards the coast. The carpenters were busily
employed in fitting an additional deck in the hold, and Paul told me
that it was called the slave deck, and that the slaves we were to take
on board would be seated along it, packed close together side by side,
and that they would thus be kept during the whole run to the Brazils, or
wherever the schooner was bound with her hapless freight.

"You see what this vessel is," said the officer who had spoken to me in
English. "We have saved your life, and must exact a promise from you
not to appear as a witness against any one on board should you at any
future period be called on to do so. Let me advise you indeed not to
take notice of anything that occurs on board and it will be the better
for you. We do not wish to harm you, but there are those among us who
hold human life very cheap, and they are not likely to stand on ceremony
should you interfere with their proceedings."

I replied that I was very grateful to him and the other officers for
treating me kindly, and that I only desired to be put on board an
English trader, in which I could work a passage home, "and I hope,