RESCUE OF A FEMALE FROM DEATH. 349 



Anxious to know the cause for this flogging, I 

 approached the place from whence the cries pro- 

 ceeded, which was about twenty yards from the 

 water's edge, on the sand, and I there saw a 

 woman lying chained to a log of wood, with her 

 arms and legs pinioned, awaiting the period of 

 high-water, to be launched into the sea, there 

 to become the unhappy prey of voracious sharks. 

 On inquiring what the poor creature had done 

 to merit such a punishment, I found that she 

 was one of the wives of a chief who had died a 

 few days before, and the brother had selected 

 her to suffer for having wished his deceased bro- 

 ther's death ! I remonstrated with the brother 

 on the absurdity of the charge, and determined 

 to try to save the poor woman. I hastened to 

 Dido, the pilot, who also interceded ; but the 

 chief made the following reply : " White man's 

 fash, no be black man's fash ;" which being in- 

 terpreted, meant that they allowed us our cus- 

 toms, and we ought to allow them theirs. After 

 a palaver which lasted nearly three hours, owing 

 to the influence of Dido, who is a good man, the 

 chief agreed to liberate his sister-in-law, pro- 

 vided he might sell her to a slaver. We pro- 

 ceeded to the water's edge, which was now within 



