s well
searched as California is at this day, no doubt many beds of that
valuable ore might be found. I remained in Chagres eight or ten days,
selling goods from the vessel at retail at good prices. Having four
hogsheads of rum and brandy on board, which I found was a contraband
article in that government, I entered them at the custom house for
exportation, and afterwards sold them to an American captain, who agreed
to meet me a few miles at sea, out of the jurisdiction of that
government, where I delivered them and received my pay.

The river Chagres is navigable for small vessels about half a mile
inside of the bar, which has about eleven feet of water on it at full
tide. The town contains about fifty huts, called houses, built after the
model of the Indians. The inhabitants are called Samboes, being a
mixture of native Indian, Negro, and white blood. They are a very
indolent, harmless, and inoffensive race; and their customs and manners
are much like the native Indians.

I got under weigh and proceeded a few miles to sea, when I found the
vessel lacked ballast, so we ran into Porto Bello and purchased a few
tons of fustic, which put her in good sailing trim, when we shaped our
course back towards the Island of St. Andreas, where I took Mr. Henry T.
Smith, and his return cargo on board, consisting of four hundred pounds
of tortoise shell, and five or six thousand dollars in gold and silver,
which he had collected for the owners of the Allen. We soon got under
weigh and shaped our course for New-York.

As my little schooner was a fast sailor, pilot-boat model, I beat to the
windward, hoping to get sight of the Island of St. Domingo and sail
through the windward passage. After a few days we succeeded in obtaining
sight of that Island and sailed along under the lee of it; keeping a
bright look-out for suspicious looking vessels. Knowing that my vessel
had been taken from the pirates, I was fearful that some of the former
gang who once had possession of her might capture me, when I could not
expect anything but immediate death.

[Illustration: Schooner Renegade firing into the Schooner Allen.]

The morning after we got sight of the Island we discovered a suspicious
looking schooner laying at anchor near the land, about five miles to the
windward of us, who got under weigh in great haste. I soon perceived
with my spy glass that her deck was full of men. She bore down towards
us, we hauled close upon the wind, which br