ness of the night, and the uncertainty of our situation, made our destruction appear inevitable; and, without apprehending the misfortunes that might be fal us on shore, each one snatched whatever he could use, as a raft, to preserve him from the dangers of the sea. I intrusted myself to a plank, and the wind and waves impelling me towards the shore, which was not more than a quarter of a league distant, I was soon landed upon a rock. Here I sat like a person stupified, ruminating upon my unfortunate situation; but I was presently roused, from my reverie, by a party of the natives, who had seen the shipwreck, and had come down to the shore to plunder; for nations, civilized and uncivilized, agree but too well in this barbarous custom, of robbing those whom the sea has spared; as is too often the case on many parts of the British coast, particularly Cornwall. On lifting up my eyes, I perceived some of my comrades, amongst whom were the captain and Sancho, advancing with several Moors towards me: this was an inexpressible satisfaction: companions in affliction soften its bit

terness.

Our guards, for we were completely in their cus tody, made a large fire, and, as is common in a slavemarket, examined our persons with scrupulous exactness. The next sad scene was, a dispute between themselves, concerning the possession of their captives: they drew their sabres, and, in their eagerness to secure their claims, wounded several of the ship's crew: I then saw nothing before me but instant

death, supposing they were going to dispatch us: but Sancho quieted this apprehension, by explaining the real cause of their hostile behaviour. After a sharp conflict, between two of them, for the possession of my person, I was allotted to the same master as Sancho. No misfortune is so great, that it does not admit of mitigation: in the midst of my misery, it was a comfort to receive the sympathy of my faithful adherent. The Moor to whom we belonged conducted us to his hut, which was filled with his wives, children, and slaves: the women expressed a cruel joy, at the addition to their household, by dancing around us; and were eager to satisfy their curiosity, by a minute examination of my countenance, being the first white man they had ever seen: they plucked out the hairs of my head, and preserved them as a charm against misfortunes. When their curiosity was satisfied, their humanity prevailed; they offered me a bowl of milk, which was a great refreshment.

The night, however, I spent miserably, stretched on the sand, and exposed to the open air, and should have given myself up to despair, from the fear of passing the remainder of my life in slavery, had not Sancho suggested, that the hope of a large ransom might induce our master to carry us to the British consul, at Mogadore. The thought revived my drooping spirits, and I determined, by my docility, if possible, to win the favour of my owner, at the same time to take every opportunity of convincing him, that it was his interest to part with us.

The inhabitants of Africa are divided into three great classes: the Moors, who may be called the masters of the country, and chiefly people the great cities; the Arabs, who wander from place to place, without any settled habitation; and the Negroes; each of which are subdivided into innumerable tribes. The Moors are Mahometans, are bigoted to their own faith, and regard those of a different religion, Christians especially, with detestation and contempt. The negroes have a confused idea of religion, bordering on idolatry, and are, on that account, called Caffres, but have more moral virtues than the Moors, who are ferocious, cruel, and treacherous.

We had fallen into the hands of an Arab of the Monselemine nation: the horde was composed of fifty-two tents, sometimes pitched close together, at others divided, for the convenience of pasturage.These tents are made of a stout black stuff, woven with the hair of camels or goats. A few articles form the inventory of their furniture, which consists of straw ropes for their cattle, an earthen pot to warm their milk, or boil their meat, a ladle, a knife, a mat, a pike, and a great stone, which serves them, as a hammer, to drive in the pins of the tent.

For the first day or two, our master suffered us to rest, that we might recover the effects of our shipwreck during this opportunity for reflection, my spirits revived, and I reconciled myself to my situation, from a hope that I should find some means of escape; and that one object of my journey would be accom

plished, by making me acquainted with the manners of this people. My first employment was, to collect dry wood, for the use of the family, and a child was sent with me, to show me the proper kind to take, as, to my great mortification, Sancho was employed in watching the camels, in an opposite direction, doubtless, from a jealousy of our being together, and plotting to get away. I punctually performed my task; though, from want of use, I found it very fatiguing, and gave such satisfaction, that I was next put to the less laborious employment, of churning butter, which I effected, by shaking the milk in a goat's skin, hung on three sticks, till it was converted into butter. My daily tasks were changed according to the wants of my master: in many of them I was very awkward; but the reproof of an old Arab, on observing that I could not cook a piece of meat, taught me to acquire many useful arts. "Thou art young," said he," and yet art not capable of assisting in preparing the meat of which thou art to partake: such, perhaps, may be a custom in the land of infidels, but it is not so with us. Thanks to God, we are not like you white men, dependant on others, but eat and drink what we ourselves provide. This knowledge suits every condition. Thou oughtest to learn whatever the meanest Arab performs, that thou mayest be able to assist others in cases of necessity; otherwise, thou wilt be less esteemed than a mere woman; and many will think they may justly deprive

B. 5

thee of every thing in thy possession, as unworthy to possess any thing"

Some weeks elapsed without any material change of our condition, our tasks were varied and often laborious, and my health suffered from long fasting, as I passed the whole day without food, except truffles, which are plentiful here, and such other wild roots as necessity taught me to collect: at night my principai regale was camel's milk, with occasionally the addition of a little meal. During this time we had not failed to impress on my master, that a large ransom would be given for me, as I was a person of cousequence in my own country. A hatee, or slave merchant, happening at this juncture to pass our village with a coffle of slaves, that he was conducting from the interior to Mogadore, a bargain for me was presently struck between him and my master, whom it was difficult to persuade to resign Sancho; but, upon my repeated assurance that the price of two slaves should be given for him, he was suffered to depart. Hope took again possession of my breast, I set off in good spirits, which was far from being the case with my miserable fellow travellers, who, forced from their connections, and full of confused apprehensions of their future fate, dragged on heavily, especially those that had been several years in irons, who, from the exertion of walking with loads upon their heels, were seized with cramp and violent pains in their legs. Upon gaining the firs. eminence, all the people of the coffie were ordered to sit down in one place, with their