er, but that there appeared to be no white
settlement that they could discover." The mystery was, however,
cleared up on the following morning. A small boat, which could barely
hold eight people, was lowered from the stern, and hauled up
alongside. We were taken up, one by one, the scoundrel of a captain
having first stripped each of us to our trowsers, not even allowing us
a shirt. We were ordered to get into the boat. As soon as we were all
in, and our weight brought the boat down to her gunnel, two oars were
handed to us, and then the captain of the brig said,

"Now, you rascally pirates, I might have hanged you all, and I would
have done so, for I know you well. I recollect your faces when you
plundered the 'Eliza,' when I was off Porto Rico; but if I put you in
prison at James Town, I shall have to wait two or three months until
the court sits, and I cannot be detained for such scoundrels as you;
so now you may pull on shore, and get on how you can. Shove off,
directly, or I'll put a bullet through your brains."

"Hold fast," cried I, "and let him fire if he dares. You men belonging
to the _Transcendant_, I call you to witness this treatment. Your
captain has robbed us of a large sum of money, and now turns us
adrift, so as to compel us to land among savages, who may kill us
immediately. I appeal to you, will you permit this cruelty and
injustice? If you are English, I conceive you will not."

There was some talk and expostulation with the captain of the brig, in
consequence of what I said; but while it was going on, the captain's
son leaned over the side, and, with his knife, cut the painter, or
rope which held the boat, and as the tide was running on very strong,
in less than half a minute we were a long way astern of the brig, and
drifting fast up the river.

We got out our oars, and attempted to pull for the brig, for we knew
that the seamen were taking our parts; but it was in vain; the tide
ran several miles an hour, and in another minute or two, with all our
exertions, we were nearly a quarter of a mile astern of her, and the
boat was so loaded that we hardly dared move lest we should upset it.
We had, therefore, no option but to go on shore and take our chance;
but when the men were pulling round for the shore, on reflection I
thought that we had better not land so soon, as the sailors had told
us that they had seen the Indians in their canoes. I therefore
recommended that we should allow the boat to dr