rope till they
could catch hold of his jacket, then up they pulled him, though the
sails flapping about very nearly tore him out of their hands. They held
him on to the yard for a minute till he could recover himself, and then
he scrambled in on to the top. There was a general shout fore and aft
when he was safe. Another man went to the weather earing, and three
reefs were taken in the topsails. I heard the first lieutenant observe
to Uncle Tom that he was very glad to get the ship snug at last; but I
cannot say that I thought her snug, or anything snug about her, for
there we were among clouds of sleet and spray, tumbling and rolling
about in that undignified way in which I had not thought it possible so
fine a frigate could have been tumbled and rolled about. It brought
down the ship a peg or two in my estimation, and took the shine out of
many of us, let me tell you. That fellow Snookes was continually
offering me a lump of fat bacon, and at dinner he contrived to slip all
the most greasy bits into my plate. I held out manfully, and tried to
look very heroic, or, at all events, indifferent; but, oh Harry, I did
feel very wretched, and began to reflect that I might possibly have been
rather happier on shore. I suspect that the way my lips curled, and the
yellow look of my eyes, betrayed me. The gale lasted for three days. I
was very glad when it was over; so you understand it is not all sunshine
at sea.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER 3.

THE SLAVER.

It was reported that we were to touch at one or two places on the coast
of Africa, and then to stand across to the Brazils. The first land we
made was that near Sierra Leone. I always thought that negroes lived in
thatched huts, and wore bits of white cloth round their loins. We
brought up before Free Town, the capital of the colony, when what was my
surprise to see really a very handsome place, containing between fifteen
and twenty thousand inhabitants, the greater number black or brown men,
and as well-dressed and comfortable-looking as any white people could
be. What is more, they have schools and colleges where they are
capitally taught, and all the little black children go to school; so
that the truth is, that they are far better educated than are the
children of the working classes in many parts of England, and are all
just as good Christians as we are. Sommers told me all this, and a
great deal more. I haven't spoken about him before. He's a mate--such