essel as the chase, which was now nearly four miles ahead of us. But
it was not until we had been in direct pursuit of her for a full hour
that I was able to assure myself that we were undoubtedly gaining on
her.

Yes, we were gaining on her, but it was _so_ slowly that it was not
until sunrise next morning that we were within gun-shot of her; and now,
in response to our first shot, she let fly her royal and topgallant
halliards, flowed her jib-sheet, and backed her main-yard to allow us to
come up with her.

As, still carrying on, we rapidly approached the handsome craft, I was
busily engaged, with the aid of my glass, in discovering, one after the
other, the various points of resemblance between her and the vessels
that had been described to us, and I could have kicked myself with
vexation when, in answer to the hoisting of our ensign, we saw the Stars
and Stripes of the United States flutter out over her taffrail and go
soaring aloft to her gaff-end. And almost at the same instant, she now
being out of the dazzle of the sun, I was able to read, legibly
inscribed on her stern, the words "Virginia. New Orleans!" With the
usual perverse luck that had attended the efforts of the British, we had
dropped upon the wrong ship of the pair; the _Virginia_ was American,
and we had no power to interfere with her. Nevertheless, having gone so
far in the matter as to bring her to, I was determined to board her and
get a sight of her papers; a Spanish vessel might hoist American colours
if she happened to find herself in a tight corner and believed that she
might thereby escape. While, as for the name--ah! that certainly was a
difficulty not to be easily got over; a ship could scarcely change the
name painted on her stern as easily as a chameleon changes his colour,
without affording some indication that the change had been made. Still,
the slavers were up to all sorts of extraordinary dodges, and--well, I
would at least inspect the _Virginia's_ papers, and satisfy myself that
they were in order.

CHAPTER TEN.

THE VIRGINIA OF NEW ORLEANS.

Having arrived within pistol-shot of the chase, we hove-to to windward
of her, lowered a boat, and I proceeded to board her. As we swept round
under her stern, in order to reach her lee gangway, I took a good look
at the name on her counter. Yes; there was nothing of pretence or fraud
about it, so far as I could see; the words were not only painted upon
the wood, but were actu