d a sea which swept our deck, taking the
cook and caboose, which was well served down to ring-bolts, drove into
the deck, but they were drawn out by the violence of the waves. Our
boat, oars, and other articles on deck were all swept overboard. By
means of some spare running gear the cook was hauled on board. The next
day the sea moderated, when we opened the hatches and got out a new
caboose. On my departure from Corn Island I had taken an order from an
English trader to bring out two patent American cabooses for him, which
I then had on board. We rigged our new caboose and proceeded on our
voyage, meeting with no further disasters worthy of notice. On our
arrival at Old Providence I found a small fleet of vessels there, called
patriots, (another name for pirates,) who had taken possession of the
island, and had hoisted the Columbian flag. On my entering the harbor
they laid an embargo on my vessel for a few days. The expedition was
commanded by a man who called himself Aurey, assisted by another, styled
Admiral Bogar, and the third went by the title of Commodore Parker.
Their squadron consisted of two small gun brigs, and two or three
privateer schooners. Their land force amounted to two or three hundred
men: they had what they called an English camp, a French camp, and an
American camp. They had hanged one American, and severely flogged
another for some crime, giving him one hundred lashes under the gallows.
They pretended to hold some commission under General Bolivar. I demanded
a return of my vessel, which they reluctantly granted me, and I sailed
for the Island of St. Andreas, where I found another squadron of vessels
from England, consisting of a twenty-gun brig, commanded by Captain
Hudson, with three transport ships, having about five hundred officers
and soldiers on board, bound to Porto Bello, all under the command of
Sir Gregor McGregor. On my arrival I was visited by an old English
officer, named Rafter, who was apparently a gentleman, he acted as
commander in the absence of Sir Gregor McGregor, who had not arrived at
that time; he wanted to purchase a pipe of gin from me for the use of
the troops, and give me a bill on London in payment. The next day Sir
Gregor arrived from St. Domingo, in company with an old Spanish
gentleman, named Lopes, from whom he had borrowed about twelve thousand
dollars, and promised to make him governor of the first city he should
capture.

The next day Commodore Hudson came on b