liked, but that he for one preserved
his go-ashore traps for the Spanish main, where the tie of a sailor's
neckerchief might make some difference; but as for a parcel of
unbreeched heathen, he wouldn't go to the bottom of his chest for any
of them, and was half disposed to appear among them in buff himself. The
men laughed at what they thought was one of his strange conceits, and so
we escaped suspicion.

It may appear singular that we should have been thus on our guard with
our own shipmates; but there were some among us who, had they possessed
the least inkling of our project, would, for a paltry hope of reward,
have immediately communicated it to the captain.

As soon as two bells were struck, the word was passed for the
liberty-men to get into the boat. I lingered behind in the forecastle a
moment to take a parting glance at its familiar features, and just as
I was about to ascend to the deck my eye happened to light on the
bread-barge and beef-kid, which contained the remnants of our last hasty
meal. Although I had never before thought of providing anything in the
way of food for our expedition, as I fully relied upon the fruits of the
island to sustain us wherever we might wander, yet I could not resist
the inclination I felt to provide luncheon from the relics before me.
Accordingly I took a double handful of those small, broken, flinty bits
of biscuit which generally go by the name of 'midshipmen's nuts', and
thrust them into the bosom of my frock in which same simple receptacle I
had previously stowed away several pounds of tobacco and a few yards of
cotton cloth--articles with which I intended to purchase the good-will
of the natives, as soon as we should appear among them after the
departure of our vessel.

This last addition to my stock caused a considerable protuberance in
front, which I abated in a measure by shaking the bits of bread around
my waist, and distributing the plugs of tobacco among the folds of the
garment.

Hardly had I completed these arrangements when my name was sung out by a
dozen voices, and I sprung upon the deck, where I found all the party in
the boat, and impatient to shove off. I dropped over the side and seated
myself with the rest of the watch in the stern sheets, while the poor
larboarders shipped their oars, and commenced pulling us ashore.

This happened to be the rainy season at the islands, and the heavens
had nearly the whole morning betokened one of those heavy showers