THE KROOMEN. 261 



came aft upon the poop, where 1 was lying upon 

 the skylight, propped up with pillows. Hector, 

 Harvey, and Sarsfield, being the only men able 

 to stand, were beside me well armed, and the 

 two field-pieces loaded with grape were pointed 

 forward. They were going to speak, when I 

 ordered them all off the poop except " After 

 Dinner," the second headman, threatening to fire 

 upon them if they did not obey. After a moment's 

 hesitation, they went off; and I acquainted Mr. 

 " After Dinner" with the reason why I had put his 

 chief in irons, and told him he was to take charge 

 of the Kroomen from that time. I then called 

 the other men, and informed them that Tom 

 Kay was no longer headman, and that " After 

 Dinner" was to be considered as such. They 

 obeyed quietly, but the peculiar character of the 

 people now evinced itself. I had disgraced their 

 headman, and was obeyed from fear and with 

 reluctance ever afterwards. While he remained 

 in irons, their attention to him was beyond any- 

 thing I could have imagined. They gave him 

 the tit-bits of their mess, and made up, out of 

 their own, his allowance of grog, which was 

 stopped. Though disgraced, he was their head- 

 man still, and was treated by them amongst 



