g down. They were
accordingly made to lie close to each other, when sails were covered
over them and screens were hung round, while the awning was stretched
over the top of all. Sleep was out of the question, even for the weary
seamen; the groans and cries were most heartrending. The doctor and his
assistant were up all night attending to the poor captives. At Majunga
calico was purchased to clothe them. In the morning they went through
the same cleansing process as the night before, when the warm sun, and
decks washed down, made things look more cheerful. The dhow having been
burnt, the _Vulture_ stood away for the Seychelles. Cold nights told
upon the exhausted frames of the poor captives, fifteen of whom passed
away in spite of every care before the ship had completed half her
voyage to the Seychelles. Happily the weather remained remarkably fine.
Altogether seventeen deaths occurred among the slaves during the twelve
days they were on board before the ship reached her destination. Six of
these were children. The two women most despaired of were landed in a
much improved state.

Frequently the slaving-dhows captured are in a far more horrible state
than in the instance above given. The Arabs have been known to murder
and throw into the sea every slave on board, in the hopes of preserving
their vessel when they have seen no chance of escape. Very often half
the slaves die on the voyage between the coast of Africa and the Persian
Gulf. Probably, for every slave captured ten human lives have been
lost, either in the attack on their native villages or on the journey to
the coast, or by the attempts made to land them through the surf when
chased by men-of-war, or by starvation and sickness on board. Still, as
long as the Arabs have any hopes of making the voyage profitable, they
will pursue the traffic, and the only way to put a stop to the horrible
system is by making the chances of capture so great that they will be
compelled to abandon it in despair. This can most effectually be done
by keeping a large squadron of fast steamers, well supplied with boats,
under zealous and active officers, with orders to board and thoroughly
examine every dhow they can fall in with, and not to allow one to pass
which has the slightest indication of being destined for the
slave-trade.

British ships of war, mostly steamers, now traverse the whole of the
Pacific, one of the chief services in which they are engaged being th