He Was A Fine Powerful Man, Upwards Of Six Feet
High, And Not Only Active, But Extremely Determined.
He was generally
called "the Englishman" by his brother officers, as a bitter compliment
reflecting on his debased taste for Christian society.
This officer was
not the man to neglect a search because the agent of Kutchuk Ali
protested his innocence, and exhibited the apparently naked character of
his vessel. She appeared suspiciously full of corn for a boat homeward
bound. There was an awkward smell about the closely-boarded forecastle
which resembled that of unwashed negroes. Abd-el-Kader drew a steel
ramrod from a soldier's rifle, and probed sharply through the corn.
A smothered cry from beneath, and a wriggling among the corn, was
succeeded by a woolly head, as the strong Abd-el-Kader, having thrust
his long arm into the grain, dragged forth by the wrist a negro woman.
The corn was at once removed; the planks which boarded up the forecastle
and the stern were broken down, and there was a mass of humanity
exposed, boys, girls, and women, closely packed like herrings in a
barrel; who under the fear of threats had remained perfectly silent
until thus discovered. The sail attached to the mainyard of the vessel
appeared full and heavy in the lower part; this was examined, and upon
unpacking, it yielded a young woman who had thus been sewn up to avoid
discovery.
The case was immediately reported to me. I at once ordered the vessel
to be unloaded.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 114 of 782
Words from 29963 to 30217
of 207249
