low, who were
wounded, or expected to be killed by other shots. I had been allowed to
remain on deck, for the Arabs in their flight did not think about the
slaves. I saw some of the dhows lower their sails, when boats from the
big ship took possession of them. Our dhow sailing faster than the
others soon got ahead, and I saw our Arab masters rejoicing that they
should escape; but the wind was increasing; every instant it grew
stronger and stronger. The large sail was lowered, and a small one
hoisted, but we dashed over the fast rising sea at greater speed than
ever, soon losing sight of the big ship, which, after securing the
prizes she had taken, pursued some other dhows, who were endeavouring to
make their escape in different directions to that we were steering. The
storm, however, increased. The Arabs now began to look alarmed. In
vain they tried to stop the hole which the shot had made in the vessel's
side; finding this difficult, owing to the crowd of slaves below, they
began to throw those in their way overboard. Some were dead, others
wounded, but many were uninjured. They shrieked out for mercy, but the
Arabs heeded them not.'

"`I had kept in the fore part of the vessel, hidden behind a coil of
rope, fully expecting that they would soon seize me. After labouring
away for some time and finding the water come in as fast as ever, they
began to lower a boat and canoe, for the purpose of getting into them,
and trying to save their lives, intending to leave me and my companions
to our fate. The sea was foaming and roaring around us. It seemed that
at any moment the dhow would sink. The sail was now lowered, and the
boat and canoe were got into the water. The cry arose that the dhow was
sinking, and the Arabs leapt into them in such haste that the boat was
upset, and all in her were speedily overwhelmed. The canoe, after being
tossed about on the tops of the waves for a few minutes, was also turned
over, and all in her shared the fate of their companions. She was not
far off at the time. I thought that I might reach her, but I remembered
my fellow-slaves. I found a knife which one of the Arabs had left on
the deck, and was endeavouring to release some of the men, who might be
able to swim with me to the canoe, when I felt that the dhow was going
down. I sprang overboard, and with a few strokes gained the canoe,
being almost thrown on to her by the seas, when I felt that she was
being drawn under the