hought all was over, and
expected to be knocked on the head and thrown overboard. I fought as
long as I could, but my foot slipped, and some of the blacks throwing
themselves on me, I lost my senses, and when I recovered I found myself
bound hand and foot. The young passenger was in the same condition; so
was another man. The rest, I feared, had lost their lives. The blacks
now swarmed round the brig in their canoes and rafts, and commenced
taking everything out of her, and stripping her of her rigging and
sails. They were all as busy as ants, and this, I believe, prevented
them from paying much attention to us. Perhaps our lives might
otherwise have been sacrificed, but the occupation gave time for their
anger to cool, and the wealth of various sorts they found on board put
them in the highest good humour.

"In the course of the day we three prisoners were carried on shore. We
could hear nothing of our shipmates, and had too much reason to fear
that they all had been murdered. I do not mean to say that they did not
deserve their fate. They were concerned in a plot to reduce those very
people who had killed them to a condition, in many instances, worse than
death, and thus they brought their fate upon themselves. When we were
landed a little farinha was given us, and we were ordered to march
forward, followed by a dozen guards or more. We travelled on all day,
and at night slept in a native hut, with three or four negroes guarding
us.

"The country was generally very fine, with grassy plains, and forests,
and hills, and valleys, and numerous streams. We had only a little more
farinha given us, and dirty water; indeed, it was very evident that the
blacks were treating us as we should have treated them if they had been
made slaves of.

"I will not further describe our journey except to say that it was most
miserable. If we did not go fast enough the blacks pricked us on with
their spears or beat us with sticks, and all the time gave us only just
enough food to support life. At last we arrived at a village where we
were handed over to three of the principal people of the place; and
signs were made to us that we were now slaves, and must work to support
ourselves, as well as to obey our masters. I set to work to learn the
language of the people, and soon was able to talk to them. I resolved
to make myself as happy as I could, and never grumbled or looked angry.
My master, however, was a great tyrant, and