ds. Anxious, as might
naturally be expected, as to the result, I kept in the vicinity to watch
the progress of events. There was another small vessel that lay across
the head of the same wharf, but her crew were all black; and, going on
board her just at dusk, I informed the skipper of my business,
intimating to him, at the same time, that it would be a dangerous thing
for him to betray me. He assured me that I need have no fears of
him--that the other men would soon leave the vessel, not to return again
till Monday, and that, for himself, he should go below and to sleep, so
as neither to hear nor to see anything.

Shortly after dark the expected passengers began to arrive, coming
stealthily across the fields, and gliding silently on board the vessel.
I observed a man near a neighboring brick-kiln, who seemed to be
watching them. I went towards him, and found him to be black. He told
me that he understood what was going on, but that I need have no
apprehension of him. Two white men, who walked along the road past the
vessel, and who presently returned back the same way, occasioned me some
alarm; but they seemed to have no suspicions of what was on foot, as I
saw no more of them. I went on board the vessel several times in the
course of the evening, and learned from English that the hold was fast
filling up. I had promised him, in consideration of the unusual nature
of the business we were engaged in, ten dollars as a gratuity, in
addition to his wages.

Something past ten o'clock, I went on board, and directed English to
cast off the fastenings and to get ready to make sail. Pretty soon
Sayres came on board. It was a dead calm, and we were obliged to get the
boat out to get the vessel's head round. After dropping down a half a
mile or so, we encountered the tide making up the river; and, as there
was still no wind, we were obliged to anchor. Here we lay in a dead calm
till about daylight. The wind then began to breeze up lightly from the
northward, when we got up the anchor and made sail. As the sun rose, we
passed Alexandria. I then went into the hold for the first time, and
there found my passengers pretty thickly stowed. I distributed bread
among them, and knocked down the bulkhead between the hold and the
cabin, in order that they might get into the cabin to cook. They
consisted of men and women, in pretty equal proportions, with a number
of boys and girls, and two small children. The wind kept increasing and
haul