ROUGH PASSAGE TO THE "FROLIC." 431 



good sense, tact, and command of the language of the 

 tribes through which we passed, I believe we should 

 scarcely have succeeded in reaching the coast. I naturally 

 felt grateful to him; and as his chief wished all my com- 

 panions to go to England with me, and would probably be 

 disappointed if none went, I thought it would be beneficial 

 for him to see the effects of civilization and report them to 

 his countrymen. I wished also to make some return for his 

 very important services. Others had petitioned to, come, 

 but I explained the danger of a change of climate and food, 

 and with difficulty restrained them. The only one who 

 now remained begged so hard to come on board ship that I 

 greatly regretted that the expense prevented my acceding 

 to his wish to visit England. I said to him, "You will die 

 if you go to such a cold country as mine." "That is 

 nothing," he reiterated; "let me die at your feet." 



When we parted from our friends at Kilimane, the sea 

 on the bar was frightful even to the seamen. This was the 

 first time Sekwebu had seen the sea. Captain Peyton had 

 sent two boats in case of accident. The waves were so high 

 that, when the cutter was in one trough and we in the 

 pinnace in another, her mast was hid. We then mounted 

 to the crest of the wave, rushed down the slope, and 

 struck the water again with a blow which felt as if she 

 had struck the bottom. Boats must be singularly well con- 

 structed to be able to stand these shocks. Three breakers 

 swept over us. The men lift up their oars, and a wave 

 comes sweeping over all, giving the impression that the 

 boat is going down; but she only goes beneath the top of 

 the wave, comes out on the other side, and swings down 

 the slope, and a man bales out the water with a bucket. 

 Poor Sekwebu looked at me when these terrible seas broke 

 over, and said, " Is this the way you go ? Is this the way 

 you go?" I smiled and said, "Yes; don't you see it is?" 

 and tried to encourage him. He was well acquainted with 

 canoes, but never had seen aught like this. When we 

 reached the ship, — a fine, large brig of sixteen guns and a 



