We invade not the feelings of that moment: language has nothing to do with them. The Being who formed the heart of man, can alone judge of its emotions.
The maternal affection was not, however, long absorbed in the conjugal; and the half frantic Imihie recollected, that Samboe was not enfolded with her in the arms of Tumiáh. She loosened herself with difficulty from his embrace, to restore her child to his wonted protection within her own; but, at the moment she arose for the purpose, a tumultuous cry resounded through the ship, of “fire! fire! Loosen the slaves! loosen the slaves!” The fire, however, spread with such violence, bursting from the spirit-room, that the sailors, apprehending that it was impossible to extinguish it before it would reach a large quantity of gunpowder on board, concluded it necessary to precipitate themselves into the sea, as offering the only chance of saving their lives.
However, they did first endeavour to [[89]]loose the chains by which the slaves were fastened to the deck; but in the confusion the key could not be found, and they had but just time to loosen one of the fastenings, by wrenching the staple, before the vehemence of the fire so increased, that they simultaneously jumped overboard; when immediately, the fire having gained the powder, the vessel blew up, with every slave that was confined by the unloosened chain, and such others as had not possessed the power to follow the example of the sailors.
We hardly know whether to style it fortunate, that any circumstance should save these victims of avarice from a watery grave, after escaping that which, to the sense, seems more terrible. Providence, however, ordained that there should be some vessels in sight; which, putting out their boats, took up about two hundred and fifty of the poor souls that remained alive; but the most of them being those who had been fastened together with shackles, had, from the violence of the shock, and the confinement of the irons, experienced dreadful fractures of [[90]]the limbs; which, inflamed by the struggles they had instinctively made, the heat, and the agitated state of the blood, quickly mortified, and ere they were scarcely sensible of their increase of calamity, released them, for ever, from all fear of it more. Among the number who thus yielded up his manly spirit, was Tumiáh, rejoicing in the belief that his Imihie and Samboe were also removed to a land of spirits—a land where no man-stealer can enter, no treachery gain access, no violence invade. He might have adopted the words of the poet:
“Now, Christian, glut thy ravish’d eyes;
I reach the joyful hour:
Let, let the scorching flames arise,
And these poor limbs devour.
“O Death, how welcome to th’ opprest!
Thy kind embrace I crave;