ly pay him through the consignee of the ship. Captain Gale's
intention was, I learned, to run down to the mouth of the harbour, and
to anchor if necessary. We got a cable ranged accordingly, with an
anchor ready to let go. The brig quickly felt the force of the wind,
and, happily canting the right way, and her sails filling, away she
flew, heeling over to the gale towards the open sea. The captain, or
one of the mates, or Peter, had been constantly sailing about the
harbour, as if to amuse themselves, or to catch fish, but in reality to
sound the depth of the water, and to make themselves thoroughly
acquainted with the harbour. We thus required no pilot to carry us out.

As we rounded the point I have described, the mouth of the river lay
before us--a long line of surf, with heavy breakers rolling and roaring
in from the sea, apparently barring our exit. Outside of it was the
corvette, close-hauled with three reefs in her topsail, standing
off-shore, and, as far as we could see, uninjured. But the pirate brig,
where was she?

A dark mass of rocks lay at the northern part of the entrance to the
harbour. Over them the sea broke furiously; and amid the masses of foam
which flew high into the air was the black hull of a vessel, with
shattered masts and spars heaving up amid the breakers; while from the
centre of it, as if striving with the waves which should most speedily
destroy it, bright flames were bursting forth and raging furiously. As
we gazed with horror at the dreadful spectacle, feeling our compassion
excited rather for our hapless countryman, whom we believed to be on
board, than for the ruthless wretches who formed her crew, there was a
loud explosion, and fragments of wreck, and what had once been human
beings, were thrown up into the air; and by the time they had again
fallen into the foaming water, no portion of the rover remained to show
where she just had been.

We were now about a quarter of a mile from the bar, and not a moment was
to be lost in deciding what was to be done, whether we were to bring-up
or to attempt to cross. In the line of breakers which rolled over the
bar, a spot was observed where the water was smoother, and which the
captain knew to be the deepest channel.

"We may run out there without fear, light as we are; and if we remain,
these Mohammedan fanatics will certainly revenge themselves on us for
the destruction of their friends," he observed to Mr Carr, who agreed
with