ship was running to the west, with studding-sails
below and aloft.

"I told you so," said Bill to a remark of old Grim's. "There's the sun
shining out as bright as ever, and, through the mercy of Him who looks
after us poor sailors, not one of us has lost the number of his mess."

CHAPTER SEVEN.

A blue canopy, undimmed by a single cloud, was spread over the bright,
sparkling ocean, in the midst of which the graceful corvette, her
snow-white canvas tapering upwards, glided towards the coast of Jamaica.
Ahead was seen, rising out of the green plain, range above range of
lofty blue mountains, appearing above the stratum of clouds which rolled
along their precipitous sides, their steep cliffs descending abruptly to
the ocean, while thick forests covered the more gentle slopes of the
hills. In a short time, the white buildings of Port Royal were
distinguished at the end of a narrow sandy spit overgrown with
mangroves, well known as the Palisades. At the farther end of the spit
was seen the white walls of Fort Morant, with a steep hill rising above
it. Passing between the formidable ramparts of Fort Charles on one
side, thickly studded with heavy ordnance, and of Fort Augusta, with
Rock Fort above it, capable of sinking any fleet which might have
ventured to enter, the corvette ran on towards Kingston, where she
brought up at some distance from the town.

"Well, this is a beautiful country!" exclaimed Bill, as he surveyed the
scene in which he found himself. "It beats Portsmouth Harbour hollow--
that it does, I'm sure."

"Just wait a bit till we have had yellow Jack aboard!" growled out old
Grim. "Very fine to look at, maybe, but you will find it very different
when you know it as well as I do. Once I belonged to a ship out in
these parts, when we lost the better half of our ship's company before
we got home again."

"I hope we shall be more fortunate," said Bill. "But what do you mean
by yellow Jack?"

"The yellow fever, to be sure, boy. You will see a fellow one hour
rolling along with a quid in his mouth, as happy as a prince, and the
next down with the fever, and wriggling about with pain; and in the
morning when you ask after him, if he's on shore, you will hear he is
buried already; if he's at sea, the sailmaker will be busy sewing him up
in his hammock."

When Bill went to the cabin to attend to his duties, the officers were
all talking away of what they were going to do on shore. While dinner