As has already been related, one of the seamen on board the flag-ship
one night gave some account of the pirate's former doings, and the
discovery that the buried gear found at the Careenage--as Cavendish had
named the spot where the squadron refitted--was the property of the
pirate was proof positive that the scoundrel was still prowling
somewhere in those seas. Likewise, it will be remembered, every man in
the fleet had sworn to do his utmost to bring the villain to justice.
The anxiety, therefore, to catch him was such that officers, even, not
infrequently spent hours at the mast-heads in the hope of seeing his
topgallantsails showing above the horizon. Old Cary--the man who
claimed to possess some knowledge of Leirya--said that when he last
sailed in these seas the pirate was cruising in a schooner of unusual
length, and lying very low in the water, her hull painted black, with a
broad scarlet riband, in which her open gun-ports looked like a number
of gaping mouths, having been built very large to enable the broadside
guns to be trained almost fore and aft. The craft's masts were,
furthermore, said to be of great height, and might be recognised by
their remarkable and excessive rake aft; indeed--so asserted Cary--her
spars were of such extraordinary length, and the vessel herself lay so
very low in the water, that she had the appearance of being perilously
overmasted and topheavy. This appearance, however, Cary explained, was
altogether deceptive. The vessel sat low in the water indeed, but she
was not the shallow craft that she looked; there was more of her below
than above the surface, and she drew a great deal of water for a vessel
of her tonnage. This great draught of water enabled her to carry a
heavy load of ballast, tall masts, and a correspondingly heavy press of
sail; thus she was an enormously fast vessel, and had up till now easily
eluded capture, being able to run away from and out-weather many vessels
more powerful than herself.

In justice to the pirate, however, it must be admitted that he had
seldom been known to run away. His vessel was exceptionally heavily
armed, and, if his antagonist happened to be not very much more powerful
than himself, he invariably stayed and fought the action out, always
succeeding in beating off his opponent, while in many cases he had
captured her. The fate of the unfortunate crews that fell into his
hands was--if his own records were to be credited--not to b