late in the day, and they heard that the accommodation in the fort was
limited, they accepted the captain's pressing invitation to remain with
their friends on board till next morning. A more sumptuous repast than
I had yet seen was prepared. The captain produced his best wine in
abundance. The steward and I had to wait at table. The captain, when
giving me my orders, spoke in a far more conciliatory tone than he had
ever done before. "I suppose he wishes to make amends to me for his
past conduct, and to show my friends that he has no ill-will towards
me," I thought. The wine flowed freely, and hilarity and good-humour
prevailed for some time, till a remark was made by one of the officers
of the ship which offended a gentleman from the shore. His Highland
blood being up he hove a glass of wine in the face of the mate, telling
him that the bottle should follow if he didn't apologise. This the mate
did, in a somewhat humble fashion, at the request of the captain, and
order was restored. The wine continued to flow freely; songs were sung
and speeches made, and every one appeared to be talking at once at the
top of their voices. The captain at last ordered me to go on deck with
a message to the second mate, who was the officer of the watch, and to
come back and let him know how the ship was riding. He said this in a
loud voice so that every one might hear.

I could not find the mate aft, so, supposing that he had gone forward to
examine the cable, I was making my way in that direction when suddenly I
found myself seized. A cloth was shoved into my mouth, and another
bound over my eyes, so that I was unable to see or cry out, and I was
carried down the main hatchway in the strong arms of a man whose voice I
had been unable to recognise, though I fancied that he was either
Growles or the boatswain. In vain I struggled to get free. On
reaching, as I supposed, the spar-deck, another man bound my arms and my
legs, and I was then carried still farther down into the hold, when I
was shoved into some place or other, a door was shut and locked on me,
and I found myself alone. I was very nearly suffocated with the cloth
in my mouth, but I managed after much exertion to work it out. Having
done this, I was inclined to shout; but I feared that if I did so old
Growles would return and put it back, and perhaps ill-treat me into the
bargain. I therefore thought it wiser to remain silent, and to try and
get the handkerchi