d about two bells in the first watch that night we found
ourselves within the influence of the land breeze which was blowing off
the island. Half an hour later saw us off the mouth of the bay of Fort
Royal, and as the night was dark I came to the conclusion that it might
be worth my while to stand inshore a little closer, upon the chance of
being able to pick up some information. Accordingly, we worked in
against the land breeze, and had arrived within half a mile of Pigeon
Island, when we encountered a small trading felucca coming out. We
allowed her to get to seaward of us, when we bore up in chase, and a few
minutes later we were alongside the craft, and had secured quiet
possession of her. The felucca carried five hands, whom I caused to be
transferred to the schooner; and my first business was to get the master
of the craft down into the cabin, where I informed him that all I wanted
from him was some information, and that if he would answer my questions
truly, I would at once release him and return his vessel to him; but if
I found that he was attempting to deceive me, I would burn his felucca,
and retain him and his crew as prisoners. The man was eager in his
protestations that he would tell me everything that I wanted to know,
and begged me not to destroy his vessel, as she represented his entire
possessions, and was his sole means of earning a livelihood; a piece of
information that led me to hope he would not attempt to deceive me; so I
went to work to question him forthwith, jotting his answers down upon a
piece of paper.

The information I obtained from the fellow was important enough to have
justified me in running a far greater risk than I had actually incurred
to procure it, and was to the effect that the combined fleets had been
off the island that very day, with some forty prizes, comprising the
Antigua convoy, in company; that it had captured Diamond Rock; and that,
in consequence of certain information supposed to have been received
from a schooner that had that day arrived from Europe, it had made all
sail to the eastward. As to the character of the information, however,
that had caused so powerful a force to take so unexpected a step, the
man professed to know nothing. Having obtained this information from
him, I sent the skipper on deck and had him conveyed forward, where he
was placed in charge of two men, while I had his crew down into the
cabin, one by one, and questioned them. Their answe