iced to
complete these preparations, when one end of a long fuse was buried in
one of the barrels of powder, the remainder of the fuse being carried as
far as it would go across the paved yard. The men then fell in and,
under my command, marched out of the yard and took the way along the
cliffs toward the boats, while Mr Adair and the gunner remained behind
to fire the fuse and ensure the destruction of the battery. We had been
gone about ten minutes, and had almost reached the spot where we were to
make our descent to the beach, when the earth shook and jarred violently
beneath our feet, a dull, heavy _boom_ burst upon the morning silence, a
fierce gust of wind suddenly swept over us, and, looking back, we saw an
enormous dim-coloured cloud, heavily charged with hurtling debris,
dismounted cannon, and masses of shattered brick-work, hovering over the
spot where the battery had been. Two minutes later the first luff and
the gunner, breathless and panting, came running up to us, and we all
plunged down the cliff-face together. The boat-keepers, seeing us
coming, headed the boats in toward the beach; and within another five
minutes we were once more afloat and pulling quietly alongshore toward
the mouth of the bay, intently watching, meanwhile, for some indication
of the whereabouts of the other division. We had not long to wait, for
we had scarcely pulled a quarter of a mile when the battery on the other
headland blew up; and presently the yawl and second cutter came into
view from behind the point, pulling hard for the mouth of the bay.

There was, of course, no possibility of further secrecy in regard to our
movements, for the blowing-up of the two batteries would sufficiently
advertise the presence of an enemy in the neighbourhood, while the fact
of having been chased by the frigate during the preceding night would
give the Indiaman's prize-crew a tolerably accurate idea of where we
came from, and what were our ultimate intentions. We, therefore, made
no pretence of concealing ourselves, but--a nice little westerly breeze
having sprung up with the rising of the sun--boldly laid in our oars,
stepped the boats' masts, and hoisted the sails, by doing which we
reckoned upon getting over the ground at greater speed while conserving
the strength of our contingent for the attack upon the Indiaman. The
master and his party were unable to follow our lead in this respect, for
the wind which was fair for us was dead in the