502 Wanderings in Eastern Africa, 
and I were bought by an Arab, who put us on board 
a vessel with the view of bringing us to Zanzibar. 
Our new master was accompanied by a young lad, 
his son. When fairly out to sea, the wind blowing 
briskly and the waves running high, the lad com- 
manded my father in a very unbecoming way to do 
something for him. My father said, *Why do you ask 
an old man to do this } You are but a child, and 
there is my boy at your service.' Thereupon the lad 
struck my father in the face, who in turn gave the 
former a push. The vessel lurching just as this hap- 
pened, and having no bulwarks, the boy unfortunately 
fell overboard and disappeared like a stone ; and, as 
we were flying at a high speed, it was impossible to 
rescue him. The father cursed and stormed dread- 
fully, and turning to the sailors, and pointing to my 
father, he shouted, * Seize that slave, and cut his 
throat instantly.* My father was bound to the side of 
the vessel, and then, while I gazed stupefied, they 
slaughtered him as they might have done a sheep, 
and pitched his body into the sea. I made a rush 
to follow him, but was seized and thrown like an 
empty bag into the hold, where I lay insensible till 
I was taken out of the vessel and put ashore at 
Zanzibar.'' 
Here is a case in which slavery was the cause of 
both a sad misfortune and a dreadful crime, and in 
which by a strange metamorphosis the misfortune 
would be made a crime, and the crime an act of 
justice. Wherever this story might be told among 
slave-holders, I will venture to state that not a single 
expression of commiseration would be excited for the 
ifnfortunate slave, while the greatest sympathy would 
