he gunboats had been brought alongside, a second
felucca-rigged boat, pulling eighteen oars, was seen coming off.
Several officers were also aboard her. As she came alongside, they were
received with the same politeness as the others had been. The principal
officer informed us that he was Captain of the port. He requested to
know for what reason the boats were detained, saying that if they were
not immediately restored the authorities would consider the two frigates
as enemies, and not only decline giving them any assistance, but direct
the squadron to come out of harbour and drive them off.

"Tell him what we know about the squadron," said Captain Cobb to our
pilot.

"Why, my friend," observed Mr Noalles, "you must be aware that you have
the larger portion of your squadron without their masts, and that even
the others will not be able to follow us for a fortnight at least. We
know perfectly well what we are about; in fact, it must be confessed
that we are Englishmen!"

The start given by the Captain of the port was even more violent than
that of his predecessors. What, had he actually run his head into the
lion's den, after so many of his companions had been already caught?
However, on being conducted into the cabin, he was received with shouts
of laughter from his countrymen, who by this time were feeling the
effects of the generous wine they had imbibed. The Spaniards were,
however, able to punish us slightly in return by the information they
gave, that of the two merchant vessels we had come to cut out, one was
aground, and the other had landed her cargo in consequence of the
appearance of a suspicious looking ship of war, which we afterwards
ascertained was one of our cruisers, whose melancholy fate I shall some
day have to relate.

By this time we had fully two hundred prisoners on board, and a happier
set of prisoners it would have been difficult to find, for not only had
the officers' hearts been made merry, but the seamen had as much grog on
board as they could well carry. There could be little doubt that by
this time the people on shore must have been fully certain of our real
characters. Their suspicions must have been confirmed when they saw a
breeze spring up, and that we did not proceed into the roads as they had
supposed we should do. Our Captains, who were as generous and liberal
as brave, now told the Spanish officers that they should be at liberty
to return on shore, offering to present th