position on the chart.  But as soon as she was close to us, instead of passing under our stern, as we expected, she rounded-to, and laid us by the board.  Taken by surprise, and having no arms, we were beaten down below, and in a few minutes the vessel remained in the possession of our assailants.  They held a short consultation, and then, opening the hatches, a boatswain pulled out his whistle, and in a tremendous voice roared out, “All hands ahoy!” which was followed by his crying out, “Tumble up there, tumble up!” As we understood this to be a signal for our appearance on deck, we obeyed the summons.  When we all came up, we found out that if we had had any idea that they were enemies, we might have beaten them off, as they were only fifteen in number, while we mustered sixteen.  But it was too late:  we were unarmed, and they had each of them a cutlass, with two pistols stuck in their girdles.  As soon as we were all on deck, they bound our arms behind us with ropes, and ranged us in a line.  Having inquired of each of us our respective ranks and professions, they held a short consultation, and the boatswain addressing me said—­“Thank heaven, you scoundrel, that you were brought up as a barber, for it has saved your life!”

He then cut loose the cords which bound me, and I remained at liberty.  “Now then, my lads!” continued the boatswain, “come, every man his bird!” and, so saying, he seized upon the captain of the vessel, and leading him to the gangway, passed his sword through his body, and tossed him into the sea.

In the same manner each of the murderous villains led forward the man he had selected, and putting an end to his life, either by the sword or pistol, launched the corpse into the waves.

My blood curdled as I beheld the scene, but I said nothing.  I considered myself too fortunate to escape with life.  When it was all over, the boatswain roared out, “That job’s done!  Now, Mr Barber, swab up all this here blood, and be d——­d to you! and recollect that you are one of us.”  I obeyed in fear and silence, and then returned to my former station near the taffrail.

The people who had captured us, as I afterwards found out, were part of the crew of an English Guineaman, who had murdered the master and mate, and had taken possession of the vessel.  As our brig was a much finer craft in every respect, they determined upon retaining her, and scuttling their own.  Before night, they had made all their arrangements, and were standing to the westward with a fine breeze.

But exactly as the bell struck eight for midnight, a tremendous voice was heard at the hatchway, if possible, more than a hundred times louder than the boatswain’s, roaring out “All hands ahoy!”

The concussion of the air was so great, that the ship trembled, as if she had been struck with a thunderbolt; and as soon as the motion had subsided, the water was heard to rush into every part of the hold.  Every body ran on deck astonished with the sound, expecting the vessel immediately to go down, and looking at each other with horror as they stood trembling in their shirts.  The water continued to rush into the vessel, until it reached the orlop beams; then, as suddenly, it stopped.