had seen you five minutes before you would never have taken me. Now I am
ruined.' I consoled him as well as I could and treated him well, as he
really seemed half a gentleman, if not entirely one. I found about six
hundred slaves, men and women and children, on board this vessel, who as
they had made a very rapid and prosperous voyage, were in a somewhat
better state than those on board the last capture. Still goodness knows
their state was disgusting enough. Ophthalmia had got a terrible hold of
the poor wretches. In many of the cases the patient was stone blind. I
caught this painful disease myself, and for several days couldn't see a
yard.

Shortly after, having despatched our prize into Rio in charge of a
brother midshipman, we were joined by another man-of-war cruiser, which
had been sent to assist us in our work. As the officer in command of
this vessel was of senior rank to my commander, he naturally took upon
himself to organise another boat expedition, placing one of his own
officers in command. With this expedition I was allowed to go, taking
with me my old boats and their crews, with orders to place myself under
the direction of Lieutenant A.C., the officer chosen by the senior in
command.

So we started with five boats provisioned and otherwise prepared for a
cruise of twenty days. The lieutenant in charge did not think it wise to
land, as a bad feeling towards us was known to exist among the
inhabitants, who were all more or less slave-dealers, or interested in
the success of the slave-vessels, so we had to live in our boats. Rather
hard lines, sleeping on the boat's thwarts, &c. Still we had that 'balm
of Gilead,' hope, to keep us alive, and our good spirits. Many a longing
eye did I cast to the shore, where, in spite of the bloodhounds, I
should like to have stretched my cramped limbs. Ten or twelve days