t out from behind a projecting point of
land, we saw a fine smart-looking schooner hauled close in to it and
hove down for repairs. We anchored about a quarter of a mile distant
from her, in four fathoms of water; and as Courtenay joined me he made
the gratifying announcement that he had never met with less than two and
a half fathoms of water in all the soundings he had taken.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

THE CONCONIL LAGOONS.

No sooner was our anchor down than the boat was launched over the side;
the felucca's hatches were whipped off, and Carera, diving below, drew
forth from some mysterious recess in the little cabin a stout canvas bag
containing the two hundred doubloons which he had brought with him for
the purpose of trading, whilst the crew, including Courtenay and myself,
who were appropriately rigged for the occasion, roused up out of the
hold sundry bales of canvas and clothing, coils of rope, casks of
provisions, and other etceteras which had been purchased on Giuseppe's
account and to his especial order, and for which he would pay in booty.
These articles were at once passed over the side into the boat, and as
soon as she was loaded with as much as she could safely carry, Carera
and a couple of his most trusted hands jumped into her and pulled
ashore. As Courtenay and I were strangers, whilst all the other hands
belonging to the felucca had frequently visited the place before and
were pretty well known to the whole gang, it was deemed advisable that
we should remain on board, so as to obviate as far as possible the
propounding of perhaps awkward questions as to who and what we were,
with the contingent probability of arousing suspicion in the minds of
the pirates. To this arrangement we had no objection whatever to make,
as Carera assured us there was nothing in the least likely to interest
us on shore--nothing whatever, in fact, that we could not just as well
see from the felucca's deck with the aid of a telescope. We therefore
remained on board, busying ourselves by putting our notes into shape
whilst everything was still fresh in our minds, and making as thorough
an examination of the island, with the various buildings upon it, as was
possible without running the risk of attracting attention. The latter
part of our task was an easy one, there being only four buildings
altogether on the island; the largest, a kind of general storehouse,
being built upon the beach just above high-water mark, so as to be