"Go below," he said, "and look at yourself in the glass, and tell me if you consider you look like an officer."

CHAPTER XIV.

SIERRA LEONE

Can the Ethiopian change his skin?

Jeremiah.

THE Briseis sailed from Madeira the next day, and picking up a fine breeze outside, bowled along at the rate of ten knots an hour. By sunset, Madeira was nothing but a blue spot on the horizon. The following day Teneriffe was sighted in the distance and passed, and in three more days they crossed the Tropic of Cancer. This was a more remarkable event, as they had now entered within the limits of the West African Station, and had right of search over foreign vessels for slaves.

A prize bag was started by every one in the ship contributing a day's pay as a reward to the lucky individual who first sighted a prize; and this induced men to go to the mast-head at odd times to have a look round, in addition to the ordinary masthead man.

Soon they reached the region of light winds and calms, when a sea voyage becomes so monotonous; but Captain Boyle had no intention of letting the time hang heavy on their hands. Each morning at gun drill, and each evening at drill aloft, kept the minds and bodies of the ship's company exercised and healthy, and, before the ship arrived at Sierra Leone, she was in first-rate order for a newly-commissioned ship.

One day they sighted a barque flying a signal of

distress. As soon as the Briseis neared her the barque lowered a boat, which pulled alongside. The crew were a hungry-looking lot of men, with drawn, careworn faces.

The mate came on board and stated that the barque had been more or less becalmed for six weeks at the mercy of the currents, and, in all that time she had not changed her position forty miles. They had nearly run out of provisions and were very short of water.

They were supplied with what necessaries they required, and, just as they were leaving the ship, the doctor, who was a kind-hearted old fellow, offered them a small bag of onions. It was curious to watch the expression on the men's faces as the bag was lowered into the boat. They shoved off from the Briseis, and gave way for half-a-dozen strokes, then, simultaneously, they all laid their oars in, as if the same thought was passing through each individual's mind, and, without saying a word, they cut open the bag, and each man commenced eating a raw onion. So great was their craving for the succulent vegetable that they had quite lost control over themselves.

After two days' more steaming the Briseis had arrived at her destination.

Sierra Leone has a strange history.

Towards the end of the eighteenth century, when there was a certain reaction in England against slavery, some four hundred negroes, who were loafing about the streets of London, were sent out to colonise a small tract of country-twenty square miles-which the Government had purchased in the neighbourhood of Sierra Leone. There were also sent out with them about eighty white people, mostly females, all of disreputable character, whom the good citizens of London thought they would be better without.

Any one versed in the early history of colonies could, without much difficulty, have prophesied the future of these people. Too indolent to work, too careless to take any precautions against the climate,

enervated by excesses, profligate by nature, sickness overtook and nearly exterminated them. An African chief took advantage of their misfortunes, plundered the settlement, and drove the inhabitants out, they taking refuge in a neighbouring island.

After the American war of independence a great many free negroes emigrated to Nova Scotia, but, finding that place uncongenial, were glad to accept the offer of a free passage to Sierra Leone, under the protection of the Sierra Leone Company.

No sooner had prosperity dawned upon the colony than the town was plundered and destroyed by a French squadron; after that, Government took the place under its jurisdiction.

In 1802 the natives again attacked the place; but since then, at first slowly, but afterwards with rapid strides, civilisation has progressed and the population has increased very fast, as the slaves taken on the coast were in many cases sent to Sierra Leone and given their freedom.

The soil is fertile, the surrounding country prosperous, and, as the harbour is a good one, Sierra Leone is becoming an important place.

Missionaries of every religion and every sect abound; and there are as many chapels and churches as grog shops. It is doubtful if they do much good.

A nigger is a very easy convert to any kind of religion. His mind is virgin soil; he has no scruples to be overcome, no faith to shake, no caste to lose. He is by nature absurdly superstitious and given to idolatry. He has no belief in a future state, no yearning for a higher life; his great wish is to be left alone; but then he believes in evil spirits, witchcraft, and Obeah; and Obeah is a gentleman who must be appeased by fetishes, or he will play them mischief.

When a negro is told that Obeah is the devil, who may be easily overcome by following certain rules in life, by prayer, and believing all that the missionary tells him, he is delighted to try the new remedy, and,

as far as outward show goes, a more zealous convert does not exist, but in his heart of hearts he never gets over his dread of Obeah; and old niggers, who have professed Christianity for half-a-century, have been known, when dying, to have a stuffed alligator, or some other fetish, smuggled into their cabin, and stowed away under the bed, to propitiate or frighten away the evil spirit.

A West African negro in his natural state is not half a bad fellow; but education spoils him, and a more objectionable upstart does not exist than a Sierra Leone gentleman, who dresses like an European, and looks like a baboon.

To the right of Freetown-which is Sierra Leone proper is situated Krootown, where all the Kroomen. live with their families. They do not mix with Sierra Leone men, for whom they have a supreme contempt, a feeling which is reciprocated; for Krooboys are not educated. They come from a country further south, and are much employed on board ships on the West Coast, they being able to stand exposure to the sun and climate, and possessing marvellous powers of endurance, and are also quiet, industrious, inoffensive, and very good boatmen.

As soon as the Briseis anchored, the master of the depôt ship came on board to pay his respects to the Captain, bringing with him a bag of letters; but, as the mail steamer left England only a few days after the Briseis, the correspondence was not likely to be very exciting, probably consisting of a few duns sent as a forlorn hope, though, perhaps, like nuggets of gold in the refuse of a river, there might be found occasionally, billets-donx containing sweet words of adieu from a relenting sweetheart, softened at the last moment by the thought of parting. Such letters do more harm than good, and should be put down by Act of Parliament. More vows are made in the forty-eight hours preceding a separation than in six good months of ordinary acquaintanceship, and they

never come to anything in the long run, though they may cause a certain amount of sorrow and unpleasantness.

Captain Boyle was not one of those men who always make an unnecessary mystery of the ship's movements, to the great discomfort and annoyance of every one on board; and having heard the news he came on deck, and said, in a voice sufficiently loud to be overheard by the bystanders:

"Mr. Woodruff, our orders are to proceed to the Bights of Benin. I shall not leave for some days, so there will be time to set up the rigging, and do any refitting you require."

Very good, sir," replied the first lieutenant. "Quartermaster, tell the boatswain I want him ;" and while he was giving his orders to Mr. Pike, Dayrell, who was midshipman of the watch, slipped down below, and announced the news to the gun-room officers, with the additional piece of information supplied from his own fertile imagination, that the Captain had orders to look out for a large slaver which was known to be fitting out for the Bights.

This caused great excitement, each individual fancying himself the happy possessor of a heap of prize-money, and suggesting how it should be spent.

Whilst still in discussion as to their future prospects Otter appeared at the door, accompanied by a Buck nigger.

The latter was a Sierra Leone exquisite of the first water, attired in a suit of white flannel trimmed with pale blue-such as might be worn by cricketers -a straw hat with pale blue ribbon, and patent-leather boots; he had an eye-glass stuck in his eye, through which he could see nothing, a massive gold watchchain hung from the breast pocket of his coat, and in his hand, whose fat fingers were covered with rings, he carried a lady's umbrella.

"'Oward, may I hintroduce you to Mr. Spratt?” said Otter smiling.