ch the Mozambique Channel is peculiarly liable,
when at early dawn a vessel was made out right ahead, with her masts
gone, and her bulwarks rising but a little way above the water. Had it
been dark we should have run directly over her. We soon caught her up,
and found her to be an Arab dhow, just like the one Bigg had described,
and full of slaves. Poor wretches!--those who had still strength to
make a noise were howling fearfully, expecting every instant to go to
the bottom. Never shall I forget the horrible scene she presented.
More than half the blacks had died from fright, or starvation and fever,
or had been drowned; but the Arab crew had been so occupied in pumping,
and in trying in other ways to keep their vessel afloat, that they had
been unable to spare time even to throw the dead overboard, and there
lay their festering remains--decomposition having already commenced--
still chained to the living. The _Star_ was hove to; and Mr Henley,
who could speak a little Arabic, went in the boats to assist in rescuing
the crew and their wretched cargo. He had to tell the Arabs that we
would not receive one of them on board if they did not work away to the
last to keep the dhow afloat, or they would have deserted their posts,
and allowed the poor blacks to sink. We meantime set to work with
hammers and chisels, and liberated the negroes as rapidly as we could;
but it was with the greatest difficulty that any one of us could stay
below, so terrible was the odour from the dead bodies. To such a state
had they been reduced that many died while we were attempting to
liberate them, and others as they were being carried on board the
_Star_, while several breathed their last as food was being put into
their mouths. Scarcely had we got the slaves out of the vessel than
down she went, carrying most of the Arab crew with her, and several were
drowned before we could rescue them. The reis or Arab captain of the
dhow told Mr Henley that he had engaged to land the negroes on a small
island to the north of Madagascar, whence they would be taken off by a
French vessel, and carried to the French island of Reunion. The plan of
proceeding was this:--On board the French vessel was a government agent,
and also an interpreter who could speak to the blacks. These wretches
went on shore with a strong guard. Then the poor blacks were collected
without a particle of food or shelter, and with every prospect of dying
of starvation. They