248 RAVAGES OF THE FELATAHS. 



that had not escaped, answered by the loud wail- 

 ings and lamentations of their friends and rela- 

 tions, (encamped on the opposite bank of the 

 river,) at seeing them carried off into slavery and 

 their habitations destroyed, produced a scene 

 which, though common enough in the country, 

 had seldom, if ever, before been witnessed by 

 European eyes, and showed to me in a more 

 striking light than I had hitherto beheld it, the 

 horrors attendant upon slavery. 



I had brought down the Alburkah from her 

 anchorage at the confluence at the first notice of 

 the approach of the Felatahs near my own vessel, 

 having no one on board her that I could trust to, 

 and not being aware of the intentions of the Fe- 

 latahs towards us. The towns continued burning 

 several days ; but the invaders evidently did not 

 wish to venture beyond our vessels, as none of the 

 towns were fired below us. As I was exceedingly 

 anxious to open a communication with them, and 

 the natives having reported that they were en- 

 camped near Stirling, at the confluence of the 

 rivers, I sent up Harvey with a boat's crew, with 

 orders to land unarmed, and endeavour, if possi- 

 ble, to communicate with them, giving him at 

 the same .time a number of presents and several 



