that he intended I should go, allowed me to stow myself away in
the bow before he saw me, the darkness favouring my design. The boats
shoved off, and away we pulled, with muffled oars, towards the shore.

We landed just outside the town, among wild rocks. No lights were
moving about the place, only here and there a few glimmering from the
windows. Lieutenant Pyke drew up his marines; the other officers
arranged their men in a compact body, I following the rear.

Daylight broke. When all was ready, the first mate ordered us to
advance, and, stepping lightly over the ground, we made a rush into the
town. There were no gates to stop us and no sentinels on the watch. A
sort of town-hall and a church were first entered, and everything they
contained, images, silver candlesticks, crucifixes, incense-pans,
chalices, and several bags of money, with some silver-mounted guns and
pistols, were taken possession of before the inhabitants were awake. We
then attacked a large house in which lights were still burning, and
where it was supposed the commandant of the place resided. The door
yielded to the blows of the marines' muskets, and rushing into a
good-sized hall, we saw seated at the end of a long table a thin, tall
hidalgo, and on either side of him a fat priest, with two or three other
personages. The table was covered with rich plate and numerous flagons
and wine-flasks. The party gazed at us with open mouths and staring
eyes, but were far too tipsy to utter anything beyond a few expressions
of surprise and dismay.

The commandant, rising, tried to draw his sword, but could not find the
hilt, and tumbled back into his big armchair; while the fat friars,
whose first impulse had been to make their escape, rolled over on the
ground, upsetting the hidalgo's chair in their struggles, when all three
began kicking and striking out, believing each other to be foes. The
rest of the party at once yielded themselves as prisoners. Our men,
bursting into loud fits of laughter, let the trio fight on for some
time, till our commander, fearing, should we delay longer, that the
inhabitants would make their escape, or perhaps assemble and attack us,
ordered them to be lifted up and carried off, with their arms bound
behind them. It was no easy matter to do this, for the friars were so
heavy that it required three stout men to each to set them on their
legs.

While a party was left to guard them, the rest proceeded to break into