ROUGH PASSAGE TO THE "FROLIC." 727 



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 sin- 

 gularly well constructed 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 six- 

 teen guns and a crew of one hundred and thirty — she was rolling 

 so that we could see a part of her bottom. It was quite impos- 

 sible for landsmen to catch the ropes and climb up, so a chair 

 was sent down, and we were hoisted in as ladies usually are, and 

 received so hearty an English welcome from Captain Peyton and 

 all on board that I felt myself at once at home in every thing 

 except my own mother tongue. I seemed to know the lan- 

 guage perfectly, but the words I wanted would not come at my 

 call. When I left England I had no intention of returning, and 

 directed my attention earnestly to the languages of Africa, paying 

 none to English composition. With the exception of a short 

 interval in Angola, I had been three and a half years without 

 speaking English, and this, with thirteen years of previous par- 

 tial disuse of my native tongue, made me feel sadly at a loss on 

 board the "Frolic." 



We left Kilimane on the 12th of July, and reached the Mauritius 

 on the 12th of August, 1856. Sekwebu was picking up English, 

 and becoming a favorite with both men and officers. He seemed a 

 little bewildered, every thing on board a man-of-war being so new 

 and strange; but he remarked to me several times, "Your coun- 

 trymen are very agreeable," and, "What a strange country this is 



