hey would
credit his assertions. The ship's barge had now been brought in and
anchored just outside the rollers, while the cutter was backed in under
the slaver's counter. Three of the slaves at a time were then allowed
to come up, and were lowered into the boat, from which the whale-boat
took them through the surf to the barge, and that when full ultimately
carried them to the corvette. The process was of necessity slow, the
toil was excessive, and the danger very great; but the British seamen
did not shrink from it. Orlo had from the first, while acting as
interpreter, been scanning the countenances of all he met, making
inquiries of those who could understand his language (for all could not
do so) if they could give him any information about his beloved Era.
Again and again he went below, but the darkness prevented him from
distinguishing any one, and the shrieks, groans, and cries from making
his voice heard, or from hearing what any one might have said.

Night closed on the hitherto unremitting labours of the gallant crew.
They had thus saved two hundred poor wretches, but upwards of two
hundred remained on board when darkness made it impossible to remove
them. Still, could they be left to perish, which they probably would if
left alone? The slaver's crew might return, and either attempt to land
them, to keep them in captivity, or burn the ship, to prevent them from
falling into the hands of the British. The risk of remaining was very
great, but several officers volunteered. Orlo's friend, Lieutenant --,
claimed the privilege, and Orlo begged that he might remain with him.
The last performance of the boats was to bring off some rice which had
been found in the captured schooner, and cooked, thoughtfully, by the
captain's orders, in his coppers, in readiness for the liberated
negroes. Plenty of men were ready to remain with Lieutenant --.
Without this supply of food, few, probably, of the slaves on board would
have survived the night; even as it was, many of those who were rescued
died on their passage to the corvette, or on her decks. Lieutenant
-- and his brave companions had truly a night of trial. The wind
increased, the surf roared louder and louder as it broke around them,
the ship rolled and struck more and more violently, till it seemed
impossible that she could hold together, while all this time the unhappy
captives below were shrieking and crying out most piteously for help.
Poor creatures! they