ng of innumerable turkeys, or as a
desperate effort to beat these creatures at their own game of noise.

On inquiry Mark found that fowls were sold at from fourpence to
eightpence a-piece; geese and turkeys from a shilling to eighteenpence.
Also that beef and vegetables were proportionally cheap.

"It seems to me," remarked Hockins, as they moved slowly along, enjoying
the fruit and the scene, "that this here island is a sort of paradise."

Before many minutes were over the seaman had reason to change his views
considerably on this point, for their guide led them to a spot where the
slave-market was held. The sights they witnessed there were such as
filled the hearts of the white men with deep sorrow and indignation,
while it drew tears from the eyes of the sympathetic negro. For the men
and women and children were no mere criminals who might in some sense be
deserving of their fate--though such there were also amongst them,--but
many of the men were guilty of political offences only, and not a few,
both of men and women, were martyrs, who, because they had left the
faith of their fathers and become followers of Jesus Christ, were sold
into temporary--in some cases perpetual--slavery, with their wives and
families.

At sight of these unfortunates Laihova was evidently much affected,
though he made strenuous efforts to conceal his feelings.

"You are grieved, I see," said Mark, in a tone of profound sympathy
which touched his guide's heart.

"Grieved! Yes--verily," said Laihova, whose broken English was much
interlarded with Scriptural words and expressions, "for does I not see
my friends there? But com. They must not know me. It is danger.
Com."

He led them quickly away from the slave-market, and as they walked along
he explained that some of the poor slaves whom they had just seen thus
publicly exposed for sale were among the nobles of the land--not only in
regard to human rank, but in right of that patent which man can neither
give nor take away,--an upright regenerated soul. He further explained,
as best he could, that slaves in his land were derived from three or
four different sources--namely, captives taken in war; persons condemned
to slavery for crime, for political offences, and for religious
opinions; people who had been sold for debt, and the descendants of all
of these.

They had gradually quitted the market while thus engaged in
conversation, and were ascending one of the steeper parts of t