"We are the boats of the slaver _Dolores_, captured by the British sloop-of-war _Shark_, and subsequently attacked and destroyed by a pirate," replied I.  "We have been in the boats nearly thirty hours, and several of our people are wounded.  We hoped to make our way to Sierra Leone, but narrowly escaped being swamped in a gale last night.  I presume you will have no objection to receive us?"