badoes and a dozen other people had escaped on shore. They had
sent for help, and a large vessel came for them the day after Daniel's
arrival. Of course he made a prize of it. Labat said prayers on board
for him before the engagement, and the vessel surrendered after the
first shot. The good humour of the party was not disturbed by this
incident. The pirates, their prisoners, and the ladies stayed together
for a fortnight at Aves, catching turtles and boucanning them,
picnicking, and enjoying themselves. Daniel treated the ladies with the
utmost politeness, carried them afterwards to St. Thomas's, dismissed
them unransomed, sold his prizes, and wound up the whole affair to the
satisfaction of every one. Labat relates all this with wonderful humour,
and tells, among other things, the following story of Daniel. On some
expedition, when he was not so fortunate as to have a priest on board,
he was in want of provisions. Being an outlaw he could not furnish
himself in an open port. One night he put into the harbour of a small
island, called Los Santos, not far from Dominica, where only a few
families resided. He sent a boat on shore in the darkness, took the
priest and two or three of the chief inhabitants out of their beds, and
carried them on board, where he held them as hostages, and then under
pretence of compulsion requisitioned the island to send him what he
wanted. The priest and his companions were treated meanwhile as guests
of distinction. No violence was necessary, for all parties understood
one another. While the stores were being collected, Daniel suggested
that there was a good opportunity for his crew to hear mass. The priest
of Los Santos agreed to say it for them. The sacred vessels &c. were
sent for from the church on shore. An awning was rigged over the
forecastle, and an altar set up under it. The men chanted the prayers.
The cannon answered the purpose of music. Broadsides were fired at the
first sentence, at the _Exaudiat_, at the _Elevation_, at the
_Benediction_, and a fifth at the prayer for the king. The service was
wound up by a _Vive le Roi_! A single small accident only had disturbed
the ceremony. One of the pirates, at the _Elevation_, being of a profane
mind, made an indecent gesture. Daniel rebuked him, and, as the offence
was repeated, drew a pistol and blew the man's brains out, saying he
would do the same to any one who was disrespectful to the Holy
Sacrament. The priest being a little startl