rrived at Liverpool without any further adventure worth recording,
and I immediately called upon the owner with the papers intrusted to me.
I gave him all the information he required, and he asked me whether I
should like to return to privateering, or to go as mate of a vessel
bound to the coast of Africa. I inquired what her destination was to
be, and, as I found that she was to go to Senegal for ivory, wax,
gold-dust, and other articles, in exchange for English prints and
cutlery, I consented. I mention this, as, had she been employed in the
slave-trade, as were most of the vessels from Liverpool to the Coast, I
would not have joined her. A few days afterwards I went on board of the
Dalrymple, Captain Jones, as mate; we had a very quick passage to
Senegal, and brought our vessel to an anchor off the bar.

CHAPTER FIVE.

IN CROSSING THE BAR AT SENEGAL THE BOAT IS UPSET BY A TORNADO--WE ESCAPE
BEING DEVOURED BY SHARKS ONLY TO BE CAPTURED BY THE NATIVES--ARE TAKEN
INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE COUNTRY, AND BROUGHT BEFORE THE NEGRO KING,
FROM WHOSE WRATH WE ARE SAVED BY THE INTERCESSION OF HIS FEMALE
ATTENDANTS.

A day or two after we had arrived, the master of another vessel that was
at anchor near to us came on board and borrowed our long-boat and some
hands that he might go in it to Senegal. The captain, who was an old
friend of the party who made the request, agreed to lend it to him, and
as accidents are very frequent with boats crossing the bar, on account
of the heavy breakers, the best swimmers were selected for the purpose,
and the charge of the boat was given to me. We set off, five men rowing
and I at the helm. When we approached the bar, a tornado, which had
been for some time threatening, came upon us. The impetuosity of these
blasts is to be matched in no part of the world, and as it came at once
in its full force, we endeavoured, by putting the boat before it, to
escape its fury. This compelled us to run to the southward along the
coast. We managed to keep the boat up for a long while, and hoped to
have weathered it, when, being on the bar, and in broken water, a large
wave curled over us, filled the boat, and it went down in an instant.

Our only chance now was to reach the shore by swimming, but it was at a
distance, with broken water the whole way; and our great terror was from
the sharks, which abound on the coast and are extremely ravenous--nor
were we without reason for our alarm. Scarcely