SLAVES. 101

At length when morning broke I went on deck
to breathe the air, which I hoped would be some-
what cooler than that of the calm. Through an
opening in the trees I saw several long low sheds
with cottages and huts scattered round them, while
a number of people were moving about. The door
in the end of one of the sheds was thrown open,
and there issued forth a long line of black figures,
walking two and two, and secured together by
iron shackles round their wrists.

They staggered along with unwilling steps,
looking round on the trees and distant blue hills,
which they were destined never again to see, and
even now it seemed to me that cotild they have
wrenched their hands from those iron bonds they
would have attempted to strike a blow for freedom,
and make their escape into the forest. On either
side of them, however, walked ruffianly looking
fellows, with pistols in their belts and heavy whips
in their hands, with which, if their captives at-
tempted to lag behind, they urged them on. One
or two were whites, but most of them were negroes,
and seemed to have no scruple in leading their
countrymen into captivity.

So long a line came forth that it seemed impos-