e renegade, chinking the sequins in his hand.
"_Au revoir_, as we say in France"--and the renegade quitted the divan.

"Allah--what a talent!" muttered the vizier to himself, as the renegade
disappeared.

Chapter XII

On the ensuing day, after the usual business of the divan had been gone
through, the renegade was called in, and taking his seat, commenced the
narrative of his sixth voyage.

SIXTH VOYAGE OF HUCKABACK.

May it please your highness.

It was my intention to have remained quietly on shore, after so many
hairbreadth escapes and singular adventures; but I found France so
changed, that I was disgusted with my own country. Every thing was
upside down--the nobles, the wealthy, the talented, either were
murdered, or living in abject poverty in other countries, while the
lower classes had usurped their place, and governed the land. But what
decided me once more to go to sea, was that the continual demands for
fresh levies to recruit the republican armies, convinced me that I had
no chance of long remaining in quiet. Of two evils I preferred what I
considered to be the least, and rather than die in a ditch on shore, I
preferred the dangers which might be incurred afloat. I bought a large
ship, and fitted her for a voyage of speculation to Lima in South
America. As the English cruisers covered the seas, and I was resolved
that I would not be taken by a vessel of small force, I shipped with me
a complement of forty men, and had twelve guns mounted on her decks. We
escaped through the gut of Gibraltar, and steered our course for Cape
Horn, the southernmost point of America. Nothing worth narrating
occurred until we made the land, when a strong adverse gale came on,
which, after attempting in vain to beat against it, blew away most of
our sails and finally obliged us to bear up, and run away to the
southward and eastward.

From the working and straining of the vessel, the decks had become so
leaky, that the water ran through every part of the ship. Our provisions
(particularly our bread) being spoiled, and obliged to be thrown
overboard, we were necessitated to be put upon short allowance. As we
had no hopes of being able to support ourselves upon what was left until
our arrival at Lima, I determined to run for the nearest island, where I
might obtain a fresh supply, and then renew our attempt to beat round
the Cape. I was in some doubts where to proceed, but after running
eastward for a fortnight,