on the outside of the vessel

Scarcely had his anchor brought up than he was hailed from the shore by a rough-looking man, who appeared to be chief in the manouvre, and who proved to be no less a personage than a Mr. S--k, a wealthy planter. "Don't take that man on board of your vessel, at the peril of your life, captain. He's an abolitionist," said he, accompanying his imperative command with a very Southern rotation of oaths. The man paddled his canoe on the outside of the vessel, and begged the captain "for God's sake to take him on board and protect him; that an excitement had been gotten up against him very unjustly, and he would explain the circumstances if he would allow him to come on board." "Come on board," said the captain. "Let you be abolitionist or what you will, humanity will not let me see you driven out to sea in that manner; you would be swamped before you crossed the bar." He came on board, trembling and wet, the little boy handing up a couple of carpet-bags, and following him. No sooner had he done so, than three or four balls whizzed past the captain's head, causing him to retreat to the cabin. A few minutes intervened, and he returned to the deck. "Lower your boat and come on shore immediately," they cried out. The captain, not at all daunted, lowered his boat and went on shore. "Now, gentlemen, what do you want with me?" said he, when S--k stepped forward, and the following dialogue ensued:-- "Who owns that vessel, and what right have you to harbor a d--d abolitionist?" "I don't know who owns the vessel; I know that I sail her, and the laws of God and man demand that I shall not pass a man in distress, especially upon the water. He protests that he is not, and never was an abolitionist; offers to prove it if you will hear him, and only asks that you allow him to take away his property," rejoined the captain. "What! then you are an abolitionist yourself?" "No, sir. I'm a Southern-born man, raised in Charleston, where my father was raised before me." "So much, so good; but just turn that d--d scoundrel ashore as quick as seventy, or we'll tie your vessel up and report you to the Executive Committee, and stop your getting on more freight on the Edisto."