und ourselves surrounded with
breakers. Fortunately for us a Portuguese schooner was outside of us,
and we hoisted out our boat and went on board her and received from
her commander and officers directions for clearing ourselves from
these dangerous breakers. We were then about sixty miles below Cape
St. Roque. The captain of the Portuguese vessel kindly informed us
where to get water, in a bay then before us. We had English colours
flying, and all this time passed for a British vessel.

In a few hours we cast anchor in the bay, when our Captain went on
shore and when he had discovered the watering place he returned on
board, and sent his water casks to be filled; but the inhabitants
collected around our men, and shewed, by their gestures and grimaces,
a disposition to drive us away. It is probable that they only wanted
to make us pay for the water; for it is the way of all the inhabitants
of the sea shores every where to profit by the distresses of those who
are cast upon them. But pretending not to understand them, we got what
water was necessary.

The next day a Portuguese ship of war came into the bay, on which we
thought it prudent to haul off, as we thought it not so easy to
impose on a public ship as on a private one, with our English colours
and uniform. In beating up to Pernambuco, we spoke with vessels every
day, but they were all Portuguese. When near to St. Salvadore, we were
in great danger of being captured by a British frigate, which we
mistook for a large merchantman, until she came within half musket
shot of us; but, luckily for us, it died away calm, when we out with
our oars, which seamen call _sweeps_, and in spite of their round and
grape shot, we got clear of her without any serious injury.

We would remark here, that sailors have a dialect of their own, and a
phraseology by themselves. Instead of right side, and left side, they
say _starboard_ and _larboard_. To tie a rope fast, is to _belay_ it.
To lower down a sail, or to pull down a colour, is to _dowse_ it; and
so of many other things. These peculiar phrases have been adopted from
the Dutch, and from the Danes: nations from whom the English learnt
navigation. We may occasionally use some of these terms, when it
cannot well be avoided.

Our captain was not an American, neither was he an Englishman. He was
a little bit of a man, of a swarthy complexion, and did not weigh
perhaps more than an hundred pounds by the scale. During the firing,
o