used without going near Lekki. Therefore, enslaved people were carried with impunity between Lagos and the Niger delta. ${ }^{13}$  
Given the high level of insecurity on the route, it is unclear why Osifekunde travelled alone and under darkness, resulting in his seizure by Ijo pirates around 5 a.m. Did he not expect the pirates to be active during that time of day? Perhaps he trusted his familiarity with the terrain and was not expecting the pirates to be active in broad daylight. Whatever his thoughts, it is important to note that slave traders in the Bight of Benin often transported their victims before dawn (analogous to marching offenders blindfolded) to disorient and prevent them from understanding their environment and possible escape routes. Whatever the case, after his seizure Osifekunde was taken to Warri. After four days in captivity he was sold to a slaver who brought him to Brazil, the biggest market for enslaved people from the Bight of Benin after 1800. ${ }^{14}$  
Nothing is known about Osifekunde's experience during the middle passage and he offered little about his bondage in Brazil. However, if is true that he left Makun in June 1820 and embarked a Portuguese slaver days later, he could have entered Brazil and specifically Bahia, the usual destination for many enslaved Yoruba. The Slave Voyages: Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database shows that antislavery patrol operations shortened ship loading, reducing the average voyage completion time to around three months. Voyages were shorter for high-speed vessels and ships trading in regions with extensive slaving fields. An effective local trade organization was an added factor, such that prior to the arrival of a ship, traders would have assembled captives at safe locations. As soon as the vessels docked, captives boarded and the ships departed immediately. ${ }^{15}$