re. I did not know at the time why they took so
much precaution, but I afterwards learned that there were two parties in
the place--one headed by the chief who had come aboard, and who lived on
the coast, in favour of the slave-trade; the other, who owned the
country further inland, who had determined to put a stop to it, from
having discovered that it was doing them every possible harm. They had
also won over a good many of the coast natives to see things in the
light they did.

"I and about eight other men remained on board, so did our young
gentleman passenger. We waited for some two hours or more, wondering
why the captain and the rest were so long in returning, when at last the
boats appeared loaded to the gunnel with thirty blacks or more in them.
The poor wretches were chained two and two. They were quickly passed
below, and secured between decks, which had been fitted up for them.
Everything was done in a great hurry. I guessed that something was
wrong. `Now, my lads, we must be off again; no time to be lost,' sang
out the captain.

"Away they went, and three more of our people, so that there were still
fewer left on board. We waited and waited for their return, but still
they did not come. At last we heard some shots fired on shore, and we
began to think that something had happened. Still longer we waited, and
we grew very anxious, and one proposed one thing and one another. There
was only the second mate left on board of all the officers, and he did
not know what to do. We had given up all hopes of seeing them when the
splash of oars was heard, and we saw, as we thought, three or four boats
approaching. It was just before break of day, and it was very dark. It
was all right, we thought, and we were expecting to see our shipmates
come up the side, when, all of a sudden, I don't know how it was, there
were some fifty black fellows screeching and howling away on the deck.
Some of them attacked us; and while we were struggling with them, others
rushed below and liberated the slaves, and in less than a minute up they
all came pouring on deck, shouting and shrieking, and threatening
vengeance on us. Two or three of our fellows were killed. Still we
fought on, for we knew that we had no mercy to expect from them.

"When daylight broke, the young passenger and I, and two others, were
the only ones on their legs, and the two last were wounded and bleeding.
Seeing this, the blacks made a rush at us, I t