THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 229 



CAPTURE OF A SLAVER. 



Ox the 10th of May a sail was reported by the sentries. The 

 slave-traders did not know that Baker had established a station, 

 but supposed he had gone back to Khartoum. He was anxious 

 to know if the governor of Fashoda would have the audacity to 

 send any slaves down the Nile after his experience and orders to 

 assist in suppressing the slave trade. He therefore sent a boat 

 out to hail the strange craft, which being brought to was boarded 

 and examined. The captain declared he had nothing on board 

 but corn and ivory, but his protestations and avowals did not 

 allay Baker's suspicions. The boat appeared to be suspiciously 

 full of corn to be homeward bound, while about the closely- 

 boarded forecastle there was a smelt indicative of unwashed 

 negroes. Col. Abd-el-Kader drew a steel ramrod from a soldier's 

 rifle, and probed sharply through the corn. A smothered cry 

 from beneath, and a wriggling among the corn, was succeeded by 

 a woolly head, as the strong Abd-el-Kader, having thrust his 

 long arm into the grain, dragged forth by the wrist a negro 

 woman. The corn was at once removed; the planks which 

 boarded up the forecastle and the stern were broken down ; and 

 there was a mass of humanity exposed boys, girls, and women 

 closely packed like herrings in a barrel, who, under the fear of 

 threats, had remained perfectly silent until thus discovered. The 

 sail attached to the mainyard of the vessel appeared full and 

 heavy in the lower part ; this was examined, and, upon unpack- 

 ing, it yielded a young woman, who had thus been sewn up to 

 avoid discovery. 



Baker at once ordered the vessel to be unloaded. He found 

 one hundred and fifty slaves stowed away in a most inconceivably 

 small area. The stench was horrible when they began to move. 

 Many were in irons ; these were quickly released by the black- 

 smiths, to the astonishment of the captives, who did not appear 

 to understand the proceedings. 



Baker ordered the vakeel and the reis, or captain, of the vessel 

 to be put in irons. The slaves began to comprehend that their 

 captors were now captives. They began to speak, and many 



