not listen to the proposal for a moment. However, we
totally destroyed their small dock-yard, burned three fine schooners on
the stocks, demolished the fort that had been so pernicious to Captain
Reud, and which commanded the town; and then, the officers, and small
parties of the ship's company were permitted to go on shore, and to live
at free quarters upon the inhabitants. Strict orders were given to
respect life and limb, and the honour of the ladies; and these orders
were generally well enforced. It was certainly a pleasant thing to go
on shore and walk into any house that pleased you, call for what you
wanted, be very protecting, and after having eaten and drunk to satiety,
to depart without having to cast up the items of a bill.

These brigands were treated much too leniently, for I verily believe,
that, for a vast number of years, all the male population were born,
bred, lived, and had died pirates. They were of all nations of the
earth; and, I must say, that this blending of the various races had
produced a very handsome set of men, and very beautiful women. There
were many English females among them, who had been captured in our
merchant vessels, and had been forced into marriages with their lawless
captors. They were, for the most part, like the Sabine women,
reconciled to their lot and loath to leave their lords, their mansions,
and their children. The governor of the place, a French colonel, was
captured as he endeavoured to make his escape in one of the schooner
privateers. We had him on board of our ship for some time, and he
confessed that the place flourished only by means of what he was pleased
to designate as free trading.

The prizes, deeply laden, left the port one after the other, and then
the men-of-war brigs, afterwards, the sloop of war, and at length our
consort, the frigate. We now lay alone in these quiet waters, and there
we remained for nearly three months. All this time our captain could
hardly be said to be living. No one was allowed to come aft beyond the
mizzen-mast. We always spoke with hushed voices, and walked about
stealthily upon tip-toe. The bells ceased to be struck, and every
precaution was taken to preserve the most profound silence. But our
amusements on shore were more than commensurate for our restraints on
board. Most of the officers and men took unto themselves wives, _pro
hac vice_--chalked, or rather painted their names upon the doors of
their mansions, an