asked.

"We must place all hands on short allowance, and we may fall in with
some vessel which may supply us; or showers may come, and we may collect
enough for our more pressing wants," he replied. "We must keep the poor
negroes on deck as much as possible--with fresh air they may exist with
less water."

Waller had speedily won the confidence and affection of the negroes, by
his kindness and considerate conduct. At first, when we had taken
possession of the vessel, they looked upon us as enemies, for the
Spaniards had told them that we should cook and eat them; but Waller,
who could speak a few words of their language, soon tranquillised their
fears on that account. He then got upon deck the sick, and those whose
limbs were chafed or bruised, and gave them medicines, and dressed their
wounds with his own hands. He told them that they should be set free to
go where they wished, and should, if possible, be enabled to return to
their own country. Few, however, had any hope of being enabled to do
the latter, for they had mostly all been taken in war, or kidnapped from
districts away from the coast, the wars being undertaken by the chiefs
nearer the sea for the express purpose of making prisoners to sell into
slavery. Two or three of those who had been kidnapped had already been
at Sierra Leone, or other British settlements, and as they understood a
good deal of English, we were able to communicate pretty freely with
them. We found them, poor children of Ham, very intelligent fellows,
and as capable of receiving instruction as the people of any other race
I have ever met. Waller's good example was followed by the crew, and at
last each man vied in showing kindness to the poor wretches, so that
they learned to look on us truly as their friends and protectors. We
did but our duty. They were our fellow-creatures, and we were soon to
be fellows in suffering. At first I own it was very trying, and more
than once, as I was dressing their wounds, I turned sick; but I
recollected that they were fellow-beings, with human feelings, and souls
to be saved, like ours, and I returned to my duty with renewed strength
to perform it. At length we found that we could, with perfect safety,
allow all the blacks to come on deck as they liked. Whenever Waller
appeared, they shouted after him--"How do, Masser Waller? Bless 'um,
Masser Waller!" And some would come and kneel down, and put his hand on
their heads, with a look of aff