Our frigate sails very fast; there are few ships in the service sail
faster, and none in most respects to surpass her, or indeed, I really
believe, to equal her. I do not know what she cannot do. The boatswain
says, and I believe him, that she can do everything but talk. Still,
somehow or other, that piccarooning-looking schooner managed to keep
ahead of us, and after some time actually ran out of the range of our
shot. She was undoubtedly one of the fastest vessels of her class ever
built, or it would not have happened. The schooner made a number of
short tacks right away in the wind's eye. This would not have suited
us, as we took longer to go about, so we had to stretch away to the
eastward, while she, tacking once more, stood to the north-west.
Sometimes we appeared to be a long way apart, then about we would go and
be almost up with her again. What we had to fear was night coming on
before we could get up to her, when very probably she would contrive to
escape in the dark. Old Gregson watched her moodily. "Of course she
will escape," he observed. "She is probably full of slaves, and would
prove a rich prize to us. We are not likely to have any luck; no ship
has that I'm on board." It seemed probable that in this case, at all
events, he would be right. We were all so eager in watching the chase
that none of us felt inclined to go below. The pangs of hunger at
dinner-time, however, drove most of us there. We had not got half
through the meal before Dickey Snookes made his appearance with the
announcement that the schooner's maintopmast had been carried away, and
that we should be soon up to her. We all rushed on deck to find matters
very much as they were when we went below, and on our return to the
berth there was Master Dickey comfortably seated at table, helping
himself to the best bits of the boiled beef and duff, and laughing at
our simplicity, or, as he remarked, at our being so easily sold. He got
a cobbing by the by, as a wind-up to his amusement, after dinner was
over. It is an operation by no means over-pleasant to the person on
whom it is inflicted. The weapon employed is a handkerchief with a
corner knotted; or a stocking, with the end filled with socks, or
something to make a hard knot. The patient is laid across the
mess-table, and each member of the berth inflicts a blow on a part of
his body, over which his clothes are tightly drawn. As the day drew on,
the wind increased. Dickey Snookes having been properly cobbed, we all
hurried on deck. As we looked through our glasses, we saw that the
schooner was staggering along under as much canvas as she could carry;
while the frigate glided on with becoming dignity, we having decidedly
the advantage in a strong wind. I asked Sommers what he thought about
the matter. "We are coming up with her, lad, hand over hand, and if the
wind holds she will be under our guns before nightfall," he answered.
As you may suppose, I was highly delighted with the thoughts of this,
and hoped that I might be sent on board with the prize crew. Still the
schooner held on her course, and her determined attempts to escape
convinced us more and more that she had good reason for so doing. The
evening was now drawing on. We had gained on her very considerably, but
still she was sufficiently ahead, should the night prove dark, to escape
us. The very idea that she would do so was provoking. Some did not
seem to care so much about it as others. Dickey made a joke of the
matter, and said how foolish we should all look in the morning when the
schooner was nowhere; and Polly was provokingly indifferent. The sun
went down, and darkness came on, and very dark it was; and though I
looked and looked I could not see the chase, but there were many on
board who could, and we began firing away, the flashes of the guns
looking very bright through the darkness. At last I saw the schooner's
dark hull and masts, like a shadow against the sky, and there then was a
cry that her foretopmast was shot away, and our people gave a loud
cheer. Directly after this the first lieutenant shouted that she had
struck, and we ceased firing. Two boats were ordered away to take
possession. The second lieutenant went in one, and Sommers had command
of the other. I jumped into his boat, as if it were a matter of course;
and away we pulled toward the schooner. "I guess that you have pretty
considerably outmanoeuvred us, gentlemen, but still I don't know, by
what right you, or any other men alive, venture on board a free and
independent merchantman of the United States of America," said a man who
met us at the gangway. "You come on board at your peril!"
"We are well aware of that, friend," answered our lieutenant; "but we
must be satisfied that you are an American before we let you go."
Saying this, he led the way on board. By the light of the lanterns we
carried, we could see a very ill-looking crew scowling at us, and
evidently wishing to heave us overboard. It was lucky that we were all
well armed. I daresay that you will fancy I could not have done much,
but I could fire off a pistol at all events, which was as likely to kill
as that of a bigger fellow--that was one comfort. The man who had
hailed us, and pretended to be the captain, had said that the vessel was
American. Mr Talbot was only a short time in the cabin when he came
out again, and telling us that he had no doubt she was a Portuguese or
Brazilian, ordered the hatches, which were closed, to be lifted off.
This took us some little time to do. Never shall I forget the horrible
stench--the shrieks and cries and groans which ascended from the hold as
the hatches were got off. We lowered our lanterns and looked down.
There, arranged in rows along the deck, and chained two and two,
squatting on their hams, were several hundreds of blacks--men, women,
and children. I cannot describe the dreadful faces of despair and
horror and suffering which met our view as the light of our lanterns
fell on them, while they looked up with their white eyes and black
visages imploringly at us. I fancy that they thought we were going to
shoot them all; for the Portuguese crew had told them so, in the hopes,
should we free them, that they might set upon us and throw us overboard.
This amiable intention was frustrated, because Mr Talbot had been on
the coast of Africa and was well up to the tricks of the slavers. He
consequently would not allow any of the poor wretches to be liberated
till all necessary precautions had been taken to prevent them from doing
any harm. Our first care was to secure the slaver's crew. They seemed
as if inclined to make some resistance; but we pointed to the frigate,
which was close to us, and intimated that if they did not behave
themselves we should call her to our assistance; so, with no very good
grace, they consented to step into one of our boats to be carried on
board the Juno. I was very glad to get rid of them, for I could not
help feeling, as I walked about the deck, that any moment they might set
upon us and knock us on the head. As soon as they had gone, Mr Talbot
sent Sommers and me round the deck with water and farinha; that is the
food the blacks are fed on. We had four men with us carrying the
provisions. I could not have supposed that human beings, with flesh and
blood like ourselves, could have existed in such a horrible condition.
In the first place, there was barely four feet between the decks, and
that was very high for a slaver; many are only three feet. Even I had
to bend down to get along. Close as they could be packed, the poor
creatures sat on the bare, hard, dirty deck, without even room to
stretch their legs. I almost fainted, and even Sommers and the men had
great difficulty in getting along. Oh! how eagerly the poor creatures
drank the water when we put it to their mouths, though they did not seem
to care much about the food. Many could not even lift up their heads to
take the water. Several were dying; and as we put the tin cups to their
mouths, even while gazing at us, and, I am sure, feeling grateful, they
fell back and died. Many were already dead when we came to them, and
there they lay, chained to the living. Sometimes we found that a father
had died, leaving two or three small children; sometimes a mother had
sunk, leaving an infant still living. Several poor children had died,
and it was hard work, and cruel it seemed, to make the poor mothers give
up the bodies to be thrown overboard. We came to one black lad, who was
sitting by the side of a woman, whom we guessed must be his mother.
Sommers said that he thought she had not many minutes to live. The poor
fellow seemed so grateful when we gave her some water and food, which
revived her somewhat. I never saw a greater change in anybody's
countenance. He was at first the very picture of misery and despair.
Then he thought that she was going to recover. He looked up as if he
could almost have worshipped us, with a smile which, though his
countenance was black, was full of expression. We knocked off her
chains, and then those of the lad, and Sommers directed one of the men
to assist me in carrying her on deck. There were many in as deplorable
a condition as this poor woman, and I scarcely know why it was I felt so
anxious to assist her, except on account of her son; there was something
in his face which had so interested me. When we got her on deck, she
sat up but she could not reply to her son, who, with tears in his eyes,
spoke to her, imploring her, it seemed, to answer him. The surgeon and
assistant-surgeons had by this time come on board. I begged the first
to come and look at the poor woman before he went below. When I
returned, she had sunk back in her son's arms. Our kind doctor took her
hand--"It's all over with her; I can do nothing. The poor lad will find
it out," he observed, and then he had to hurry below. It was some time
before the poor lad could believe that his mother was dead, and then he
burst into such a fit of tears that I thought he would have died
himself. It convinced me that negroes have got hearts just like ours,
though Dickey Snookes always declares they have not, and that they once
had tails, which is all nonsense. We had now a strong body of seamen on
board, and they kept bringing up the negroes from below--men, women, and
children. Several were dead, and two or three had been dead for a
couple of days or more. One poor woman had kept the dead body of her
child, pretending that it was alive, nor bearing to part with it, till
she herself fell sick. At length it was taken from her, but she died as
soon as she was brought on deck. In spite of all the doctors could do,
many others died also. It was daylight before we got the slave hold in
anything like order. As soon as the sun rose, up went the glorious flag
of old England, and from that moment every negro on board was free. It
is a proud thing to feel that not for a moment can a man remain a slave
who rests under the shadow of that time-honoured banner. The instant
the slave, whatever his country, sets foot on British soil, he is free,
or placed under the protection of the British flag. It is a thing to be
proud of. Of that I am certain. Not for a long time, however, could we
persuade the poor slaves that we meant them well, and were doing all we
could for their benefit. When they once were convinced of this, they
gave us their unlimited confidence. We were then able to trust about a
third at a time on deck, to enable us to clean out the hold. It was not
so much that we had reason to be on our guard against what the negroes
could do to us, as to prevent them from injuring themselves. Mr Talbot
had ordered about fifty to be brought on deck soon after daylight. He
had their irons knocked off, and water and brushes were given them that
they might clean themselves. No sooner, however, did two of them find
themselves free, than, before anybody could prevent them, they leaped
overboard. One poor fellow sunk at once, and disappeared from our
sight; the other seemed to repent of the act, and swam to regain the
schooner. I, with others, instantly leaped into one of the boats
alongside to go and pick him up. Just as we were shoving off, I saw a
black triangular fin sticking up above the surface dart from under the
counter. We shouted and splashed the oars as we pulled with all our
might towards the poor fellow. There was a terrible shriek; he gave one
imploring gaze at us as he threw up his arms and sank from view. We
could see him going rapidly down, with a large dark object below him,
while a red circle came up and filled the eddy he had made. "Jack Shark
musters pretty thick about here," observed the coxswain; "he knows well
enough when he's likely to have a feast." It was very dreadful, but, do
you know, it is extraordinary how little one feels those sort of things
at the time. When I got on board I looked about for the poor lad whose
mother had died. I found him still sitting by her body. That had to be
taken from him, and then he was left alone. He seemed not to know or to
care for any of the other blacks, but when I spoke to him he knelt down
and kissed my hand, and said some words which I thought meant--"You'll
be kind to me and take care of me. I know you will. I'll trust to
you." I do not know whether this was really what he said or not, but,
at all events, I determined to do my best, and to be a friend to him.
Slavers, when captured, are usually sent into Sierra Leone to be
condemned, when the slaves are set free, and the vessels are sold. On
examining our prize, however, it was discovered that she had but a short
allowance of water and farinha, or provisions of any sort; and as the
wind was fair for Rio de Janeiro, and contrary for Sierra Leone, the
captain decided on carrying her to the former place, or to some other
port on the Brazilian coast, where she might obtain a sufficient supply
of necessaries, which we could not afford to give her from the frigate.
Sommers was appointed to command the prize, and I was not a little
gratified when he obtained leave to take me with him. My traps were
soon on board, and we then shaped a course for Rio de Janeiro.