Chap. XXXII. HOUGH PASSAGE TO THE « FROLIC." 427 



brig " Frolic " arrived off Kilimane. As the village is twelve 

 miles from the bar, and the weather was rough, she was at 

 anchor ten days before we knew of her presence, about seven 

 miles from the entrance to the port. The Admiral at the 

 Cape kindly sent an offer of a passage to the Mauritius, which 

 I thankfully accepted. Sekwebu and one attendant alone 

 remained with me now. The latter begged so hard to come 

 on board ship, that I greatly regretted my inability to bring 

 him to England. I said to him, "You will die if you go to 

 such a cold country as mine." " That is nothing," he re- 

 joined ; "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. The waves were so 

 high that, when the cutter was in one trough, and the pinnace 

 in another (for Captain Peyton had sent two boats in case of 

 accident), even the mast of the one could not be seen from the 

 other. Three breakers swept over us, giving the impression 

 that the boat was going down. Poor Sekwebu, who had never 

 before seen the sea, 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 crew 

 of one hundred and thirty — she was rolling so that we could 

 see a part of her bottom. It was quite impossible for lands- 

 men to catch the ropes and climb up, so a chair was sent 

 down, and we were hoisted in as ladies usually are. As soon 

 as I reached the deck I received so hearty an English welcome 

 from Captain Peyton and all on board, that I at once felt myself 

 at home. 



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

 Mauritius on the 12th of August, 1856. Sekwebu was pick- 

 ing up English, and becoming a favourite with both men and 

 officers. He seemed a little bewildered by the novelty of 

 everything on board a man-of-war; and he remarked to me 

 several times, " What a strange country this is ! — all water 

 together." When we reached the Mauritius a steamer came 

 out to tow us into the harbour. The constant strain on his 

 untutored mind seemed now to reach a climax, for d uring the 



