oubt of it, Captain Toplift; I think you are sincere. Suppose you
put into one of the inlets of Jamaica, they won't know where we are;
let us take a boat on shore and leave her. I will provide for you, and
you shall gain your living in an honest way."

"God bless you, Sir," said he; "I will try what I can do. We must talk
the matter over, for they may suspect something, and then it would be
all over with us."

We continued to run down till we were in the latitude of the Virgin
Isles, and then we altered her course for Jamaica. The first and
second mates generally received information of Captain Toplift as to
his movements and intentions, which they communicated to the crew. If
the crew disapproved of them, they said so, and they were considered
to have some voice in the matter.

Now, although no navigators, these men knew enough of a chart and a
course to find that there must be some reason for its being altered as
it was, instead of running down by the Spanish Main, and they inquired
why the cruise was altered.

Captain Toplift replied that he had taken my advice, and that I had
assured him that at the back of the island of Jamaica we should
certainly fall in with some rich Spanish vessels, if we lay there
quiet in some nook or another for a short time, as this was their time
for coming up from the south to the Havannah, where they rendezvoused
for a convoy.

This reply appeared very satisfactory to the crew, for they were all
cheerful and obedient, and we ran down to Jamaica, and when we were
close in shore, we shortened sail and hove to. We remained three or
four days in the offing, that we might not cause any suspicion by our
leaving too soon. Captain Toplift then told the mates that I proposed
anchoring in some secret bay or inlet, as we were certain to see the
Spanish ships if we could send any one ashore on the hills to look out
for them. This was agreed to, and we made sail and ran along the
coast, looking out for some convenient anchorage.

As we were so doing, a vessel hove in sight, and we immediately made
all sail in chase. As she did not attempt to avoid us, we hauled off
as she came near, to see what she might be. She then hoisted a yellow
flag at her peak (for she was an hermaphrodite brig); this puzzled us
not a little, and we edged down towards her, for she was very
rakish-looking, except in her sails.

As we neared, finding I suppose that we did not answer her signals,
and we were not the vess