ST. MARY'S SHOAL 171 



Madagascar). A ship having on board seven hun 

 dred poor slaves, in making her way from Nos 

 Beh to the southward, got upon this shoal. It 

 was happily in the day time, and although the 

 vessel was wrecked, they had time to release the 

 poor blacks, and with their help to catch a supply 

 of provisions and water from the various articles 

 which floated ashore from the wreck. They built 

 themselves rude huts upon the highest part of the 

 bank, and here remained, waiting for a passing 

 vessel. ^ 



"Day after day, however, passed away and no 

 succoring ship hove in sight; and they saw with 

 dismay their supply of provisions, and particu- 

 larly their water, getting low. In this emergency, 

 a new thought entered the minds of the whites. 

 On the adjoining coast of Madagascar, at a dis- 

 tance of about seventy-five or one hundred miles, 

 is located the French settlement and fort of St. 

 Mary's. They could make, a small raft Of the por- 

 tions of their ship which had drifted ashore, and 

 with this steer to the mainland, taking advantage 

 of a favorable breeze. 



"To procure the assent and aid of their black 

 victims to this plan, they promised them most 

 solemnly to send a vessel to their help immedi- 

 ately on their arrival in St. Mary's. But, scoun- 

 drels as they were, the thought had already 

 struck them that by informing the French author- 

 ities of the presence, upon the shoals, of these 

 slaves, they would get themselves into trouble 



