the articles on board, with instructions to whom they
were to be consigned on our arrival. The captain of course consented.
We bade the governor farewell about half an hour before dark, and
returned on board. After I had been a few minutes on deck, I sent for
the second mate, and told him as a secret what the governor had
proposed to do, and that he would be required to land after dark for
the goods, telling him that there was a very large quantity of
gold-dust, and that he must be very careful. I knew that this
intelligence would please him, as it would add to their plunder when
they seized the vessel; and I told him that as we sailed at daylight,
he must lose no time, but be on board again as soon as he could, that
we might hoist in the long-boat. About eight o'clock in the evening,
the boat, with him and the eight men, went on shore. The governor had
promised to detain them, and ply them with liquor, till we had time to
get safe off. As soon as they were out of sight and hearing, we
prepared every thing for getting under weigh. The captain had gone to
his cabin, but was not in bed. I went down to him, and told him I
should remain up till the boat returned, and see that all was right;
and that in the mean time I would get every thing ready for weighing
the next morning, and that he might just as well go to bed now, and I
would call him to relieve me at daylight. To this arrangement he
consented; and in half an hour I perceived that his candle was out,
and that he had retired. Being now so dark that we could not perceive
the slaver, which lay about three cables' length from us, it was
fairly to be argued that she could not see us; I therefore went
forward and slipped the cable without noise, and sent men up aloft to
loose the sails. There was a light breeze, sufficient to carry us
about two knots through the water, and we knew that it would rather
increase than diminish. In half an hour, weak-handed as we were, we
were under sail, every thing being done without a word being spoken,
and with the utmost precaution. You may imagine how rejoiced we all
were when we found that we had manoeuvred so well; notwithstanding, we
kept a sharp look-out, to see if the slaver had perceived our motions,
and had followed us; and the fear of such being the case kept us under
alarm till near daylight, when the breeze blew strong, and we felt
that we had nothing more to dread. As the day broke, we found that we
were four or five leagues f