which I discovered that Cape Coast
Castle was our nearest port. But to reach it with the wind in the
quarter from which it was then blowing it would be necessary to put the
boats on a taut bowline, with the possibility that, even then, we might
fall to leeward of our port, whereas it was a fair wind for Sierra
Leone. I therefore arrived at the conclusion that, taking everything
into consideration, it would be my wisest plan to make for the latter
port, and I accordingly determined there and then the proper course to
be steered upon leaving the schooner.

The _Dolores_ had by this time settled _so_ deeply in the water that it
was necessary to complete our preparations for leaving her without
further delay. San Domingo had contrived to get together and bring on
deck a stock of provisions and fresh water that I considered would be
ample for all our needs, and Simpson had routed out and stowed in the
boats their masts, sails, oars, rowlocks, and, in short, everything
necessary for their navigation. It now remained, therefore, only to get
the craft themselves in the water, stow the provisions and our kits in
them, and be off as quickly as possible.

The boats of the _Dolores_ were three in number, namely, a longboat in
chocks on the main hatch, a jolly-boat stowed bottom-upward in the
longboat, and a very smart gig hung from davits over the stern. The
longboat was a very fine, roomy, and wholesome-looking boat, big enough
to accommodate all that were left of us, as well as our kits and a very
fair stock of provisions; but in order to afford a little more room and
comfort for the wounded men I decided to take the gig also, putting into
her a sufficient quantity of provisions and water to ballast her, and
placing Simpson in charge of her, with one of the unwounded and two of
the most slightly-wounded men as companions, leaving six of us to man
the longboat.

Simpson's estimate of the time at our disposal proved to be a very close
one, for the sun was within ten minutes of setting when, all our
preparations having been completed, I followed the rest of our little
party over the side, and, entering the longboat, gave the order to shove
off and steer north-west in company. There was at this time a very
pleasant little breeze blowing, of a strength just sufficient to permit
the boats to carry whole canvas comfortably; the water was smooth, and
the western sky was all ablaze with the red and golden glories of a
glowing tro