ard,
out of danger.

The keys of all the cabins having been found, and the doors unlocked by
the steward, Maxwell's services were no longer required in the cuddy; as
therefore the brigantine had by this time reached the tolerably safe
distance of a mile from us, I sent him down into the run again to drive
the plugs well home and make them perfectly secure, and set to work with
the steward to release the remaining passengers from their exceedingly
uncomfortable condition. This was not a long task, and when it was
completed I found that we mustered nine gentlemen, of whom three were
wounded, eleven ladies, three children--two boys and a girl--seven
maids, and an Indian ayah or nurse. One family, consisting of a lady
and her daughter, were in a dreadful state of distress, the husband and
father--a Mr Richard Temple, resident magistrate of one of the
up-country districts--having been shot dead while gallantly fighting in
defence of the ship. The rest were in fairly good spirits, now that
they found that there was a hope of ultimate escape from the perils that
had so unexpectedly beset them; for I learned that although their
personal baggage had been rifled and all money and jewellery taken, they
had been spared any further outrage than that of being bound with
unnecessary and cruel rigour and confined to their cabins.

The poor souls had been without food or drink since tiffin. I thought
therefore that it would not be amiss to set them down to a good meal,
and with that object directed the steward to find his mates and also the
cook, if possible, it appearing that none of the individuals named had
been seen either during or since the attack, which gave rise to the
suspicion that they had contrived to conceal themselves somewhere about
the ship. This proved to be the case, the cook, with his mates, and the
three under-stewards being eventually discovered in a disused pig-sty
under the topgallant-forecastle, carefully concealed beneath a lot of
lumber that they had dragged over themselves. From this secluded
retreat they were speedily routed out, and, being solemnly assured that
all danger was now past, were at length prevailed upon to resume their
duty and to prepare a long-delayed dinner--or supper, as it might be
more appropriately called--for the cuddy occupants.

When at length the meal was served, I took the liberty of occupying the
poor murdered captain's seat at the table; and while we were eating and
drinkin