326 



AFFECTING SCENE. 



[1829. 



was oozing in streams from their nipples, mingled with their own 

 blood. 



On learning these facts, indignation enabled me to suppress those 

 softer feelings which were before nearly choking me ; while the hard- 

 ened barbarians around me wore sardonic smiles upon their faces. 

 The captains of two vessels were present, and several officers. For 

 the moment, I impiously wished to be armed with the lightnings of 

 heaven, to punish the guilty, and terminate the sufferings of their victims 

 on the spot. As this was not practicable, however, I gave vent to my 

 feelings in a torrent of invective, pouring upon them volleys of vitupera- 

 tion. I cannot recollect what I said ; but for some time I gave them 

 broadside after broadside, without receiving a single shot in return. 

 They received my fire in silent astonishment, suffering me to rake them 

 fore and aft, until my magazine became exhausted, and I paused for 

 lack of ammunition. 



In the mean time, the two especial objects of my compassion were 

 released from their sufferings by death ; and just as the visiting captain 

 had commenced some observation in excuse or palliation of their con- 

 duct, our attention was arrested by another object. One of the male 

 captives, a well-made, good-looking man, of about twenty-five years of 

 age, had contrived, all manacled as he was, to scale the bulkhead, from 

 the top of which, being unable to use his arms, he fell into the females* 

 apartment, where his head struck a ring-bolt with such force as to 

 fracture his scull. It was the husband of the youngest of the two women 

 who had just breathed their last. For a few moments he lay sense- 

 less from the effects of the blow ; but soon came to himself sufficiently 

 to understand what was said to him. In the next moment he recog- 

 nised the dead body of his wife, which he franticly strove to clasp in 

 his manacled arms ; and, with a yell of despair, endeavoured to awaken 

 her with his caresses from the sleep of death,while the wound in his head 

 was pouring forth a torrent of blood on the inanimate object of his 

 piteous lamentations. 



The captain of the brig now spoke, and ordered one of the officers 

 to tear the poor fellow from the corpse of his wife, and to stow him on 

 the other side of the deck. He raised his mute-imploring eye to me, 

 in which I read a speedy termination of his miseries,, and an ardent 

 desire to expire on the bosom of his wife. The officer advanced to 

 seize him ; but this was too much for me to witness. I sprang before 

 the dying man, drew my dirk, and ordered the officer to desist on the 

 peril of instant death. 



" Hold !" I exclaimed, " you shall not molest him. Back ! back ! 

 on your life ! No man shall touch him, unless he cut his way through 

 my body. You have butchered the wife of his bosom ; he is now 

 dying from the effects of your savage barbarity ; and they shall not be 

 separated, until his spirit is reunited to hers, in that blessed world 

 where fiends of hell like you can never come. Back ! or your blood 

 shall mingle with the negroe's !" 



The officer recoiled a few paces, while the others stood gazing at 

 me and each other in mute amazement. I stood fixed in my purpose, 

 however ; and not one of the conscience-struck, guilt-appalled, cowardly 



