man-of-war; and
yet, from the gestures of their crews, and the way they came on, such
appeared to be their intention. Possibly they had heard the firing,
and, taught to believe the _Sea-Hawk_ the most powerful ship afloat,
supposed that she had gained the victory. On discovering, however, that
she was anchored astern of us, they ceased paddling; then after a short
interval regaining courage, they again came on, shrieking and shouting
and beating their tom-toms louder than ever, to intimidate us before
they attempted to board.

"Fire a shot over their heads," said the commander. "It will show the
ignorant savages that we are not to be trifled with."

Scarcely had the gun been discharged, when the canoes were seen paddling
away as fast as their black crews could urge them on, each endeavouring
as soon as possible to get out of the range of our shot; and in a little
time they had disappeared behind the point which had before concealed
them from us.

We had still another task to perform--the capture or destruction of the
slave-schooner of which Dicky Popo had told us. As the navigation of
the river was intricate and dangerous above where we lay, the commander,
unwilling to risk the safety of the ship, resolved to send up the boats,
notwithstanding the assistance which the canoes might be expected to
afford her. Three were accordingly sent away under the command of Mr
Worthy, with whom I went; the pinnace having a six-pounder in the bows,
and the others being armed with swivels. We soon came in sight of the
canoes, with the schooner at anchor some distance beyond them. A shot
from our six-pounder quickly sent them paddling away up the stream.
Popo, who had been taken in our boat to point out where the battery had
been thrown up, directly afterwards exclaimed,--"Dere!--dere it is!"

Scarcely had he spoken, when a shot came whizzing over our heads. At
our lieutenant's orders, the boats' heads were immediately turned
towards the battery, when, our gun being fired at it, we rapidly pulled
on. We quickly reached the bank; and the lieutenant, whose example I
imitated, leaped on shore, calling to the small-arm men to follow him.
In a few seconds we were scrambling into the battery, the Spaniards and
blacks who had just before been in it making their escape helter-skelter
into the thick wood behind it. A few of the white men--who, to do them
credit, were the last to run--were shot or cut down, but the greater
number ma