, we threw ourselves upon their deck, and were soon slashing
away with our cutlasses. But few of them stopped to meet us, so
completely did we surprise them, but leaped below faster than they had
come up. The officers for a few seconds held out, but they were quickly
disarmed and placed under a couple of sentries in the after part of the
poop. Three or four hands only had been left on board the schooner, and
the lieutenant at once ordered her to lead the way down the harbour,
while the corvette's cable was cut and the topsails loosed. We had made
such quick work of it, that the soldiers in the fort didn't discover
what had happened until the corvette was under way, with her topsails
and courses set, following the schooner. They then began to open a hot
fire on us and the schooner, but the breeze freshening, we made such
good way, that they could not get a proper range; their shot, however,
came pretty thickly on board, passing through the sails, cutting away a
rope now and then, and several times hulling us, but not a man was hurt.
As soon as we could get some powder and shot from below, we fired in
return, though there was but little use in doing that, you may be sure.
We gave three hearty cheers when we at last got clear of the harbour,
and sailed away with our prize for Jamaica, accompanied by our frigate.
Our lieutenant and all engaged gained great credit for the way the
enterprise had been accomplished.

"Had I been a wise man, I should have stuck to the navy; but soon after
this, I had the misfortune to belong to a ship commanded by a very
different sort of officer to any I had before served under. If ever
there was a hell afloat she was one. Well-nigh a quarter of the crew at
a time were on the black list. Not a day passed that one or more were
not flogged. At last, two other men and I, when off the coast of
America, leaped into a boat alongside and made for the shore. If we had
been caught, we should have been well-nigh flayed alive. So we took
good care to keep in hiding till the ship had sailed. I afterwards
shipped on board an American merchantman, but I would not join Uncle
Sam's navy on any account. I can't say that I found myself in a perfect
paradise, and I was not sorry, after two or three years, to get on board
an English merchant vessel. I became mate of her, and in one way or
another saved money enough to buy my cottage here, with a boat and nets,
and to settle down with my wife and famil