e with seek some means of returning her to her owner with a
handsome sum of money as hire.

Having made up my mind so far, I took counsel with Giaccomo, who knew
the place well, and he immediately ran over a list of craft belonging to
the port, any one of which he thought would serve our purpose passably
well. In the midst of his statement, however, he suddenly interrupted
himself with many objurgations upon his own stupidity, to which he added
a statement that he had just that instant thought of a craft which would
suit us admirably, one, moreover, which we need not distress ourselves
about returning.

"That sounds rather promising," said I. "What is she, Giaccomo?"

"She is a pleasure-boat measuring about fifteen tons," replied the man;
"she is a very strange-looking craft, but she sails like the wind. She
is the property of one of the French officers, who built her for his own
amusement."

"Then," said I, "if she is likely to suit us, we will certainly make a
prize of her without compunction. Lead on, my man, and let us see if we
can find her."

We went on some distance further until we came to the waterside, not
meeting with a single soul on the way, and there we helped ourselves to
a rowing-boat and pulled out into the bay, where, according to
Giaccomo's account, we should find her if she then happened to be in
port.

We pulled through a large fleet of fishing-boats, coasting feluccas, and
other craft, mostly of a size ranging from two to fifty tons, and at
length, just as I was beginning to think our search would be in vain,
Giaccomo exclaimed,--

"There she is!"

I looked in the direction indicated, and saw a long low-hulled craft,
cutter-rigged, with what struck me as a set of spars altogether
disproportionate to her size.

"Oh!" I exclaimed in a tone of disappointment, "_she_ will never do.
Why, she would capsize with half a capful of wind."

"By no means, signor," replied the Corsican. "Though yew would never
believe it, to look at her, she carries her canvas better and longer
than any boat belonging to Ajaccio, and as for working to windward--she
is simply astounding."

"If that be so," said I, "let us paddle up alongside and take a look at
her."

We did so, and on a nearer inspection found her to be, according to the
then prevalent ideas concerning naval architecture, quite as
extraordinary as Giaccomo had described her to be. She was about five
times as long as she was wide, with a b