al inconvenience of associating with bad company. As soon as I
awoke I went on deck, for Hawk no longer placed any restriction on my
movements. I fully expected to see the brig-of-war in chase of us. I
own I felt somewhat relieved when, on looking round, not a sail of any
description was to be seen, and the schooner was still bowling along
with a brisk breeze on a westerly course.

Towards evening we sighted land, towards which our course was altered.
We ran on, and by marks, which I could not distinguish, steered between
coral banks, till on a sudden I found that we were entering a lagoon,
with trees towering on either side high above our top mast heads. The
wind dropped completely as we got within the passage, and the boats were
sent ahead to tow. Hawk ordered me into one of them, and I saw no
reason to disobey; indeed, I felt that it would be very foolish not to
do my best to please him in matters unconnected with piracy.

The sky was clear overhead, and the stars shone down and were reflected,
as in a mirror, on the otherwise ink-black water of the lagoon. As we
pulled ahead, we appeared to be passing through a narrow canal, with
lofty impenetrable walls on either side, while in the centre rose before
our eyes the phantom-like outline of the schooner, her topmast heads and
rigging alone being seen against the sky above the dark shadows of the
trees. The splash of our oars was the only sound which broke the dead
silence which reigned in this sequestered spot; while the only light,
except from the glittering stars above us, was from the phosphorescent
flashes as the blades entered the water, and the golden drops again fell
into their parent element. On looking on that gloomy surface, it seemed
as improbable that anything so bright should come from it as that sparks
of real fire should be emitted from the hard flint-stone. Mat Hagan, an
Irishman, who pulled the bow oar in my boat, declared that our oars were
throwing up to the sky again the reflection of the stars, which had no
business to be there at all.

We pulled on for about half-an-hour, and then a sort of bay or bight
appearing on one side, we brought the vessel into it, and moored her
stem and stern fast to the trees. There she lay so completely
concealed, that any one passing up the canal could not by any
possibility have seen her, even in broad daylight.

Here we lay for several days, repairing damages and refitting the ship.
Where we were I coul