682 ROUGH PASSAGE TO THE "FROLIC." Chap. XXXII. 



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 

 language 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 S23eaking English, and this, with thirteen years of pre- 

 vious partial disuse of my native tongue, made me feel sadly at 

 a loss on board the " Frolic." 



Wc 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 favourite with both men and officers. He seemed 

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

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

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

 all water together." He also said, that he now understood why I 

 used the sextant. When we reached the Mauritius a steamer 



