interpreter, who was pleading piteously to allow
them to have only some of the cargo, to jump at once if he did not
wish to lose his passage, and to be taken away with the steamer. He
quickly realized his true position, and sprang over the stern. It was
supposed that he was picked up by one of the craft. They then
commenced to fire wildly from the feluccas, but little harm was done,
and in a brief time the steamer had travelled far outside the range of
their guns, and was heading towards Cape St. Vincent, with the whole
of the contraband aboard of a value of something like L5000. The
question of how it was to be disposed of was a problem not easily
solved. The first thought was to take it to Lisbon. This idea having
broken down, the next thought was one of the Channel Islands (Jersey
or Guernsey). This also, for specific reasons, gave way. It was then
decided to take it to the port of discharge of the ordinary cargo; but
after calculating all the trouble, the payment of duty, time lost, and
possible legal technicalities, the captain resolved that the best and
cleanest way of disposing of it was to jettison the whole of it. This
decision brought him into sharp conflict with his chief officer, who
entirely disagreed with such a course.

"Is it for this," he said, "that we risked being shot and having the
steamer seized and confiscated? The tobacco belongs to us by right of
conquest, as well as by moral right, and it will be an abomination to
throw it overboard. Even if we make only a thousand pounds out of it,
it is always something; but to put it into the sea would be sinful
beyond description. I cannot bring myself to be a party to such a
thing."

The decision of the captain was irrevocable, in spite of the
persuasive eloquence of a deputation of the crew and engineers. So,
after passing the Burlings, orders were given to cut the bales, save
the packing, and shovel the tobacco overboard. This very nearly caused
open revolt, but the captain made a few tactful statements which had
good effect. He presented a case that could not be controverted, and
they yielded to the inevitable. The jettisoning commenced with bad
grace, and a continual growl was kept up until the captain himself was
overcome by the sight of the beautiful tobacco being thrown away. He
called a halt, after persuading himself that a new idea might be
presented to the mind as time went on, which would show how a profit
could be made without risking any vi