adfly_
laughed her to scorn, and, as we headed her, seemed impudently to kick
up her heels at her in contempt at her slow ways. We were not long in
coming up with the chase, nor in making out by the cut of her canvas,
her short yards, and heavy-looking hull, that she was no slaver. As
soon as we fired a gun, and hoisted our ensign and pennant, she hove-to,
and on sending a boat on board we found that she was the _Mary Jane_, of
Bristol, a steady-going old African trader. She had been carrying sail,
both because she was on her right course, and because she could not tell
but what the _Grampus_ might be a slaver or pirate, anxious to overhaul
her.

The master, who was a very civil old fellow, came on board, and gave us
some valuable suggestions. He had witnessed some of the horrors of the
middle passage, and was a strong advocate for the abolition of the
slave-trade.

"Africa will never improve while it exists, and it will exist as long as
people find it profitable, and the governments of the world either
encourage it or only take half measures to abolish it. I am sorry to
own, too, that people nearer home gain too much by it to withstand the
temptation of assisting those engaged in it, and I know for certain that
many English merchants have account-currents with slave-dealers, and
send their vessels out here full of goods expressly for them."

I afterwards found that what he said was perfectly true. After taking
some luncheon with us, he tumbled into his boat and stood on his course,
while we hauled our wind to return to the northward.

"We have not made our first prize yet, Rawson," said the captain, as I
took dinner with him in his cabin that day.

"No, sir; but I hope we soon shall," I replied. "Better luck next
time!"

As chance would have it, just after sunset we again fell in with the
_Grampus_, and passed close to her.

"You didn't find many woolly heads on board that 'ere craft, I
calculate?" said a voice from the main rigging, followed by a loud laugh
from several persons.

"No," I answered, indignantly, thinking of the conversation with the
master of the _Mary Jane_. "But there's a time coming when your people
will bitterly regret that woolly heads or slavery exists in your
country, and will wish that you long ago had done your best to abolish
it. Good night, gentlemen!"

There was no answer, and we rapidly flew by each other.

For two or three days we cruised about as unsuccessful as befo