ached New Orleans midway between Mobile Bay
and the Mississippi River, entering Lake Borgne and anchoring there.

"A small American navy, composed of five gunboats, opposed their
progress, but was soon dispersed by their superior force of fifty
vessels, large and small. Then the British took full possession of the
lake, and landed troops upon a lonely island called the Isle des Pois
(or Pea Island).

"Some Spaniards, who had formerly lived in New Orleans, told Cochrane of
Bayou Bienvenu, at the northwestern extremity of Lake Borgne, by which
he could nearly reach the city, the bayou being navigable for large
barges to within a few miles of the Mississippi River.

"A party was sent to explore it, and found that by following it and a
canal they would reach a spot but half a mile from the river and nine
miles below the city.

"They hurried back to Cochrane with a report to that effect, and by the
23d of December half of the army had reached the spot.

"A few months before--September 1st--the British sloop of war _Sophia_,
commanded by Captain Lockyer, had sailed from Pensacola with despatches
for Jean Lafitte, inviting him and his band to enter the British
service."

"Lafitte! Who was he, Brother Levis?" queried Walter.

"A Frenchman," replied the captain, "who, with his elder brother,
Pierre, had come to New Orleans some six years before. They were
blacksmiths, and for a time worked at their trade; but afterward they
engaged in smuggling, and were leaders of a band of corsairs, seizing,
it was said, merchantmen of different nations, even some belonging to
the people of the United States, and for that they were outlawed, though
there was some doubt that they were really guilty. But they carried on a
contraband trade with some of the citizens of Louisiana, smuggling their
wares into New Orleans through Bayou Teche, or Bayou Lafourche and
Barataria Lake. That had brought them into trouble with the United
States authorities, and the British thought to get the help of the
buccaneers in their intended attack upon the city, where Pierre Lafitte
was at that time a prisoner.

"Captain Lockyer carried to Jean a letter from Colonel Nichols offering
him a captain's commission in the British Navy and $30,000, and to his
followers exemption from punishment for past deeds, indemnification for
any losses, and rewards in money and lands, if they would go into the
service of England's king.

"Lockyer also brought another paper,