cruisers, and
that, upon the first sight of a suspicious-looking sail in the offing,
her irons, her meal, and everything else that would incriminate her are
bundled ashore and hidden away safely among the bushes, while her water
would be started and pumped out of her long enough before a man-o'-war
could get alongside of her. What is that Spanish brig taking in?" he
continued, turning to little Pierrepoint, who, with the first
lieutenant, had visited her.

"Nothing," answered the lad. "She only arrived yesterday; and her hold
is half full of casks in which she is going to stow her palm-oil."

"Of course," remarked the master sarcastically, turning to me. "What
did I say to you this morning? Whenever a ship is found in an African
river with a lot of casks aboard, that ship is after palm-oil--at least,
so her skipper will tell ye. And that's where they get to wind'ard of
us; for unless they've something more incriminating--something pointing
more directly to an intention to traffic in slaves--than mere casks, we
daren't touch 'em. But, you mark me, that brig's here to take off a
cargo of blacks; and unless I'm greatly mistaken she'll have vanished
when we turn up here again to-morrow."

It was just six bells in the afternoon watch when two boats--one
containing fresh water in casks, and the other loaded to her gunwale
with fresh meat--mostly goat-mutton strongly impregnated with the
powerful musky odour of the animal--appeared paddling leisurely off to
the _Barracouta_ under the guidance of four powerful but phenomenally
lazy Krumen, who would probably have consumed the best part of
half-an-hour in the short passage from the wharf to the brig had not our
impatient first luff dispatched a boat to tow them alongside. The water
was pumped into the tanks, the provisions were passed up the side and
stowed away below in the coolest part of the ship; and no sooner were
the boats clear of the ship's side than the boatswain's whistle shrilled
along the deck, followed by the gruff bellow of "All hands unmoor ship!"
the messenger was passed, the anchor roused up to the bows, and in a few
minutes the _Barracouta_, under her two topsails, and wafted by a light
westerly zephyr, was moving slowly down the narrow channel toward the
estuary of the river.

So light was the draught of air that now impelled us, that, although
every cloth was quickly spread to woo it, the ship was a full hour and a
half reaching as far as Boolambe