es will take it up, as sure as there's
snakes in Virginny."

Notwithstanding this remonstrance, I took them on board to O'Brien, who
had a long conversation with the American in the cabin. When they
returned on deck, he was allowed to depart with his man, and we again
made sail. I had the first watch that night, and as we ran along the
coast, I perceived a vessel under the high land, in what the sailors
called the _doldrums_; this is, almost becalmed, or her sails flapping
about in every direction with the eddying winds. We steered for her,
and were very soon in the same situation, not more than a quarter of a
mile from her. The quarter-boat was lowered down, and I proceeded to
board her; but as she was large and rakish, O'Brien desired me to be
careful, and if there were the least show of resistance to return.

As I pulled up to her bows, they hailed me in French, and desired me to
keep off, or they would fire. This was quite sufficient; and, in
obedience to my orders, I returned to the brig and reported to O'Brien.
We lowered down all the quarter-boats, and towed round the brig's
broadside to her, and then gave her half-a-dozen carronades of round and
grape. Hearing great noise and confusion on board, after we had ceased
firing, O'Brien again sent me to know if they had surrendered. They
replied in the affirmative; and I boarded her. She proved to be the
_Commerce de Bordeaux_, with three hundred and thirty slaves on board,
out of five hundred embarked from the coast, bound to Martinique. The
crew were very sickly, and were most of them in their hammocks.
Latterly, they had been killing parrots to make soup for them; a few
that were left, of the grey species, spoke remarkably well. When they
left the coast, they had nearly one thousand parrots on board.

O'Brien perceiving that I had taken possession, sent another boat to
know what the vessel was. I desired the surgeon to be sent on board, as
some of the men, and many of the poor slaves, were wounded by our shot.
Of all the miserable objects, I know of none to be compared to the poor
devils of slaves on board of a slave-vessel; the state of suffocation
between decks--the dreadful stench arising from their filth, which is
hardly ever cleared away--the sick lying without help, and looked upon
by those who are stronger with the utmost indifference--men, women and
children, all huddled and crowded together in a state of nudity, worn to
skin and bone from sten