. As they got alongside I discovered the reason why their
effects did not sink--some were casks of palm oil, which naturally
floated, while the elephants' tusks and other pieces of ivory, were
fastened to large floats of cork-wood, and several of the men had small
light wooden boxes, which contained gold-dust, secured to their waists.
Though these were of a weight sufficient greatly to incumber, if not to
sink, an ordinary swimmer, so expert were, they in the water that they
appeared in no way to be inconvenienced. Several of them recognised
Captain Willis, who had frequently before been off the coast, and having
been fairly dealt with by him, and aware that he knew the price they
would be ready to take, gave him very little trouble. Some, however,
tried to outwit him, but he was very firm with them, and let them
understand that he was indifferent to trading except on equitable terms.
Altogether he was well satisfied with the result of his first day's
business.

We stood off the coast before the sea breeze died away, and returned
again on the following morning. This sort of work we continued for
several days. It was, however, a very tedious mode of proceeding. At
length we found that the amount of produce, brought off from day to day,
rapidly diminishing, while the natives began to demand higher prices
than at first. We accordingly stood down the coast towards another
native town, with the inhabitants of which we began to trade in the same
way as before.

From the time we first came into these latitudes we kept a bright
look-out night and day. I asked old Radforth what was the use of doing
this when we were engaged in a lawful commerce, which must of necessity
prove an advantage to the negroes. "Why, you see, Harry, there are
other gentry visit this coast with a very different object in view," he
answered. "For the Spaniards and Portuguese, especially, come here to
carry off the unfortunate inhabitants as slaves, and sometimes the
villainous crews of their craft, if in want of provisions and water,
will help themselves, without ceremony, from any merchantman they may
fall in with. And should she have a rich cargo on board, they have been
known, I have heard say, to make her people walk the plank, and sink or
burn her, so that no one may know anything about the matter. Now our
skipper has no fancy to be caught in that fashion, and if we were to
sight a suspicious looking sail, as the `Chieftain' has got a fa