had them dropped astern, when sail was made and we stood down
toward the settlement, with our ensign flying at the gaff-end. As we
drew near I was able to make out that here too our presence was
productive of a tremendous amount of excitement; and presently fire was
opened upon us from a battery of six nine-pounders that had been
constructed on the rising ground immediately to the rear of the wharf,
while the black flag was boldly run up on a flagstaff close at hand. It
did not suit my purpose, however, to engage in a running fight; I
therefore bore down upon the brig--discharging our port broadside at the
battery when we were within pistol-shot of it--and, running alongside,
grapnelled her. This done, every man Jack of us swarmed ashore, Lindsay
holding the wharf with a dozen of our lads, while Christie and I, with
the remainder of the crew, made a rush for the battery and took it. Ten
minutes sufficed us to spike the guns and blow up the magazine, which
done, we found ourselves masters of the whole place, the inhabitants
having taken to flight the moment that this third battery fell into our
hands.

We now proceeded to make a leisurely inspection of the place, with the
result that we discovered it to be quite a miniature dockyard, with
storehouses, mast-houses, rigging and sail-lofts all complete; in fact,
there was every possible convenience for repairing and refitting a ship.
Nor was this all; there was also a large magazine full of ammunition,
quite an armoury of muskets, pistols, and cutlasses, and several
dismounted guns, ranging from six-pounders to thirty-two pound
carronades; while the storehouses were well stocked with provisions and
stores of every possible description. One large building immediately
facing the wharf was apparently used as a receptacle for plunder, for we
found several bales of stuff that had evidently formed part of a cargo,
or cargoes, but there was surprisingly little of it, which was accounted
for, later on, by the discovery that the brig was full of plunder to the
hatches. In addition to the buildings which were in use as stores,
there were two most comfortably fitted up as barracks, while at the back
of the settlement and well up the side of the hill stood a little group
of seven handsome timber dwelling-houses, each standing in its own
garden and nestling among the lofty trees that clothed the hillside.

Having secured complete possession of the place, my first care was to
have