12 THE AFRICAN TRADER.

sake of rapidly gaining wealth? I forgot at the
moment that people not only hazard their health
but their souls, for that object. Had I remembered
the fact, I should not have been surprised at what
the captain had said.

We had got out of sight of land, but the wind
was very light, and we made little progress. Ina
short time it fell calm altogether, and the vessel
lay like a log on the water. The heat, too, was
very great, and the captain appeared to suffer from
it. It was evident, indeed, that he was falling
rapidly back, and he had now no strength to come
on deck. Iwas much alarmed onhis account, for I
thought it too likely that, after apparently being so |
near recovery, he would die. I was anxious also
on our own account, for knowing so little as I
did about navigation, I could not tell how I should
take the vessel into port. I got out a chart and
studied it, and marked the spot where I believed
we then were. I then drew a line from it to Sierra
Leone, the place for which I intended to steer. It
lay about north-west of us, and I hoped that if I
could sight the land to the southward I might coast
along till I came to it, There were, however, I _
knew, strong currents running, which might take