the greater number of whom had been taken on board
in Moelfra Bay, numbered about seventy men and boys, and were shipped
for a feigned voyage, the Confederate captain trusting to the English
love of adventure, to induce them to re-ship when the true destination
of the vessel came to be declared.

Bidding adieu to the Irish coast she now shaped her course for Terceira,
one of the Western Islands, where she was to meet her consort, and
receive on board the guns and other warlike stores, she had been
restrained by respect for English law, from shipping in Liverpool.
Throughout this run, which occupied nine days, the wind still continued
blowing a strong gale from the southward and westward, with a heavy sea
running, through which "No. 290" dashed along sometimes at a speed of
upwards of thirteen knots an hour. It was not, however, without a
certain amount of risk that this pace was maintained. Amongst other less
serious damages the bow port was stove in by a heavy sea, and altogether
the vessel showed manifest symptoms of the speed at which she had been
driven. But accidents of this kind were of minor importance compared
with the supreme value of time. Once fairly off, and the news of the
escape must spread rapidly through the kingdom. The first whisper of it
would bring the enemy's ships in pursuit, and a single hour's delay in
reaching her destination and placing herself in a condition for
self-defence, might bring one of them alongside, and the career of the
new cruiser be cut short before it had fairly begun. So "No. 290"
"crashed on" at top speed, and on the 10th of August "Land, ho!" was
called from the foremasthead, and she brought up at Porto Praya in
Terceira.

During this trying voyage the new vessel had given full promise of those
splendid qualities as a sea-boat, on which depended so much of the
extraordinary success of her after career. She was, of course, by no
means in the best trim for sailing, whilst everything about her being
bran new was in the worst possible condition, short of being quite worn
out, in which to enter on so severe a trial. She came through it however
most triumphantly, exhibiting a speed and ease of motion rarely to be
found in combination. All hands arrived at Terceira in the best spirits,
and highly delighted with their new ship.

The bay of Porto Praya, in which "No. 290" was anchored is of no very
great extent, but presents excellent holding ground for vessels, and is
sheltered f