do anything or go anywhere when, about three bells in the
afternoon watch, we arrived at a spot distant something like five miles
from the entrance to the lagoons, where we found a narrow but apparently
deep channel trending to the southward, and promising to give access to
the lagoons.

The schooner was at once hove to, and Courtenay, in the gig, with his
crew fully armed, went away to take soundings and to reconnoitre.
Twenty minutes later the boat returned with the gratifying intelligence
that the channel was scarcely a quarter of a mile in length; that it
communicated, as anticipated, with the lagoon, and that, too, so
advantageously that, with due caution and by taking advantage of the
cover afforded by a small island, it might be possible for the boats to
approach undetected so closely to our enemies as to take them in a great
measure by surprise. It was further discovered that there were three
feluccas--one large three-masted craft and two small one-masters,
surmised to be our recent acquaintances of the Cristo Cays--lying in the
anchorage, with springs on their cables and apparently all ready for
immediate action; but the schooner which we saw on our last visit was
now absent, and Merlani--presumably--with her. The channel upon which
we had so fortuitously chanced was found to be of ample depth throughout
almost its entire length to float the _Foam_; but, unhappily, there was
a sort of bar, with only four feet of water upon it, stretching entirely
across its inner extremity; and we should thus be compelled to make the
attack with the boats. This was peculiarly unfortunate, as it would
necessitate the division of our forces, a certain number of hands being
required to look after the schooner--and this we could ill afford to do
in view of the strength of those opposed to us. There was, however,
evidently no help for it; we therefore manned all three of the boats, a
six-pounder being placed in the bows of the long-boat, or launch as our
people had got into the way of calling her; and I decided, after
considerable reflection, to personally lead the attack, leaving the
schooner under weigh and with all her guns loaded with round and grape,
with six hands and the quarter-master on board to take care of her. I
was, heaven knows, wretchedly unfit for service of so arduous a
character as that involved in a boat attack; but the consciousness that
upon the result of this action depended the success or failure of the
m