352 CURLEW BRIG-OF-WAR. 



quinine^ which I immediately did. He had lost 

 thirty men, fifteen very recently, and knew full 

 well the value of sulphate of quinine, a most im- 

 portant medicine on the coast. Most of his 

 slaves were natives of Eboe and Nuffie. The 

 brig was about one hundred and ninety tons, 

 built very sharp and long, with two long six- 

 pounders. The captain of this brig informed 

 me he had made nine trips to Brass River alone, 

 and this was his tenth, and that he had never 

 been taken ! He had been pursued twice by his 

 Majesty's cruisers, and was once nearly taken by 

 the Black Joke, the terror of the Spanish cap- 

 tains and supercargoes, but each time had made 

 his escape by his vessel's superior sailing qualities. 

 He was very nearly taken this time ; for the 

 Curlew's boats came in five days after he sailed. 



It was now nearly the middle of April, and we 

 had no accounts of the steamers. We were be- 

 coming heartily tired of our mode of life, having 

 been upwards of five months at our anchorage 

 without any intelligence of them ; and, as may 

 be supposed, time hung heavily on our hands. 



About the 10th of April, the Curlew brig-of- 

 war. Commander Trotter, was off* the bar. This 

 officer came on board the Columbine and kindly 



