THE FRENCH CAPTAIN. 293 



was collecting a cargo of slaves for the Brazil 

 market, — or, in the parlance of the coast, buying 

 " ebony." The brig he had arrived in was an old 

 crazy hulk, and certainly had not any thing sus- 

 picious about her. As to Gaspar, he was a most 

 agreeable fellow, had served under Napoleon, was 

 a survivor of the Russian campaign, and made a 

 most entertaining and amusing companion. His 

 oflScers were Portuguese ; and a more unprepos- 

 sessing-looking set I have seldom seen, contrast- 

 ing strongly with the gentlemanly manner and 

 appearance of their commander. His ridicule of 

 British cruizers and his stories of his numerous 

 escapes from them were related with infinite 

 glee ; and if one could have forgotten the charac- 

 ter of the speaker and nature of his trade, he 

 would have tempted any man to make a voyage 

 with him. 



I witnessed a most barbarous dance here, in 

 honour of a chief who had died a few days before 

 my arrival ; at the end of which, several goats 

 were decapitated as offerings to his manes. All 

 the chief men of the place were assembled there, 

 except Duke Ephraim, who, I have no doubt, se- 

 cretly laughs at his subjects' folly. There is one 

 thing to be said in his favour, however : the 



