The Black Bar

Details: By George Manville Fenn

HMS Nautilus is on patrol off the west coast of Africa, intercepting the American slave ships that were trying at that time to purchase cargoes of slaves. Slavery had been abolished in British territories in 1772, many years before, and the British were actively policing African waters in the hope of deterring the Americans and the Portuguese from retaining the slave trade. Nautilus has two midshipmen aboard, and one of these, Mark Vandean, is the hero of the story.