My _barracoons_ and trading establishments were now totally destroyed,
and I was once more afloat in the world. It immediately occurred to me
that no opportunity would, perhaps, be more favorable to carry out my
original designs upon Cape Mount, and when I sounded Seagram on the
subject, he was not only willing to carry me there in his cruiser, but
desired to witness my treaty with the prince for a cession of
territory.
Our adieus to New Sestros were not very painful, and on the evening of
the same day the Termagant hove to off the bold and beautiful hills of
Cape Mount. As the breeze and sun sank together, leaving a brilliant
sky in the west, we descried from deck a couple of tall, raking masts
relieved like cobwebs against the azure. From aloft, still more of the
craft was visible, and from our lieutenant's report after a glance
through his glass, there could be no doubt that the stranger was a
slaver.
Light as was the breeze, not a moment elapsed before the cruiser's jib
was turned towards her natural enemy. For a while an ebb from the
river and the faint night wind off shore, forced us seaward, yet at
daylight we had gained so little on the chase, that she was still full
seven miles distant.
They who are familiar with naval life will appreciate the annoying
suspense on the Termagant when dawn revealed the calm sea, quiet sky,
and tempting but unapproachable prize. The well-known _pluck_ of our
British tars was fired by the alluring vision, and nothing was heard
about decks but prayers for a puff and whistling for a breeze.
Meanwhile, Seagram, the surgeon, and purser were huddled together on
the quarter, cursing a calm which deprived them of prize-money if not
of promotion. Our master's mate and passed midshipman were absent in
some of the brig's boats cruising off Gallinas or watching the
roadstead of New Sestros.
The trance continued till after breakfast, when our officers'
impatience could no longer withstand the bait, and, though short of
efficient boats, the yawl and lieutenant's gig were manned for a
hazardous enterprise. The former was crammed with six sailors, two
marines, and a supernumerary mate; while the gig, a mere fancy craft,
was packed with five seamen and four marines under Seagram himself.
Just as this flotilla shoved off, a rough boatswain begged leave to
fit out my nutshell of a native canoe; and embarking with a couple of
Kroomen, he squatted amidships, armed with a musket and cutlass!
This expedition exhausted our stock of _nautical_ men so completely,
that as Seagram crossed the gangway he commended the purser and
surgeon to _my care, and left Her Majesty's brig in charge of the
reformed slaver_!
No sooner did the chase perceive our manoeuvre, than, running in her
sweeps, she hoisted a Spanish flag and fired a warning cartridge. A
faint hurrah answered the challenge, while our argonauts kept on their
way, till, from deck, they became lost below the horizon. Presently,
however, the boom of another gun, followed by repeated discharges,
rolled through the quiet air from the Spaniard, and the look-out aloft
reported our boats in retreat. Just at this moment, a light breeze
gave headway to the Termagant, so that I was enabled to steer towards
the prize, but before I could overhaul our warriors, the enemy had
received the freshening gale, and, under every stitch of canvas, stood
rapidly to sea.
When Seagram regained his deck, he was bleeding profusely from a wound
in the head received from a handspike while attempting to board.
Besides this, two men were missing, while three had been seriously
wounded by a shot that sunk the yawl. My gallant boatswain, however,
returned unharmed, and, if I may believe the commander of the
"Serea,"--whom I encountered some time after,--this daring sailor did
more execution with his musket than all the marines put together. The
_Kroo_ canoe dashed alongside with the velocity of her class, and, as
a petty officer on the Spaniard bent over to sink the skiff with a
ponderous top-block, our boatswain cleft his skull with a musket ball,
and brought home the block as a trophy! In fact, Seagram confessed
that the Spaniard behaved magnanimously; for the moment our yawl was
sunk, Olivares cut adrift his boat, and bade the struggling swimmers
return in it to their vessel.
I have described this little affray not so much for its interest, but
because it illustrates the vicissitudes of coast-life and the rapidity
of their occurrence. Here was I, on the deck of a British man-of-war,
in charge of her manoeuvres while in chase of a Spaniard, who, for
aught I knew, might have been consigned to me for slaves! I gave my
word to Seagram as he embarked, to manage his ship, and had I attained
a position that would have enabled me to sink the "Serea," I would not
have shrunk from my duty. Yet it afforded me infinite satisfaction to
see the chase escape, for my heart smote me at taking arms against men
who had probably broken bread at my board.