ad weather, until my capture, which was
as follows:--

Monday, December 17th, 1821, commenced with fine breezes from the
eastward. At daybreak saw some of the islands northward of Cape Cruz,
called Keys--stood along northwest; every thing now seemed favorable for
a happy termination of our voyage. At 3 o'clock, P.M., saw a sail coming
round one of the Keys, into a channel called Boca de Cavolone by the
chart, nearly in latitude 20 deg. 55' north, longitude 79 deg. 55' west,
she made directly for us with all sails set, sweeps on both sides (the wind
being light) and was soon near enough for us to discover about forty men
on her deck, armed with muskets, blunderbusses, cutlasses, long knives,
dirks, &c., two carronades, one a twelve, the other a six pounder; she
was a schooner, wearing the Patriot flag (blue, white and blue) of the
Republic of Mexico. I thought it not prudent to resist them, should they
be pirates, with a crew of seven men, and only five muskets; accordingly
ordered the arms and ammunition to be immediately stowed away in as
secret a place as possible, and suffer her to speak us, hoping and
believing that a republican flag indicated both honor and friendship
from those who wore it, and which we might expect even from Spaniards.
But how great was my astonishment, when the schooner having approached
very near us, hailed in English, and ordered me to heave my boat out
immediately and come on board of her with my papers.--Accordingly my
boat was hove out, but filled before I could get into her.--I was then
ordered to tack ship and lay by for the pirates' boat to board me; which
was done by Bolidar, their first lieutenant, with six or eight Spaniards
armed with as many of the before mentioned weapons as they could well
sling about their bodies. They drove me into the boat, and two of them
rowed me to their privateer (as they called their vessel), where I shook
hands with their commander, Captain Jonnia, a Spaniard, who before
looking at my papers, ordered Bolidar, his lieutenant, to follow the
Mexican in, back of the Key they had left, which was done. At 6 o'clock,
P.M., the Exertion was anchored in eleven feet water, near this vessel,
and an island, which they called Twelve League Key (called by the chart
Key Largo), about thirty or thirty-five leagues from Trinidad. After
this strange conduct they began examining my papers by a Scotchman who
went by the name of Nickola, their sailing master.--He spoke good
E