lly accomplished after several
exceedingly close shaves of the rocks that border the passage on either
hand. Half an hour of this work sufficed to take us clear, when we
emerged into another funnel-shaped channel leading into the open water
of the Bahama Channel. It was close upon eight bells of the afternoon
watch when we finally went out clear of everything, by which time we
were all quite ready for the appetising meal that Mammy, arrogating to
herself the duties of cook, had prepared for us in the ship's galley.

Under our short canvas it took us the best part of three days to beat up
to Cape Maysi, the easternmost extremity of Cuba, which we safely
weathered about four bells in the forenoon watch on the third morning
after our escape. Then, the weather being fine, with the wind well over
our port quarter for the run through the Windward Channel across to
Morant Point, we ventured to get a little more canvas on the craft,
setting both topsails, which quickened up our speed to close on seven
knots. The weather continuing fine all through that day and the
succeeding night, we sighted the broken water on the Formigas Bank the
next morning at breakfast-time, and passed it a quarter of an hour
later. At noon of that same day we sighted Morant Point, the
easternmost extremity of the island of Jamaica, and rounded it two hours
later. A pilot boarded us about six bells, off Yallahs Point, and
finally we entered Port Royal harbour, and let go our anchor, on the
very last of the sea breeze, just as the bell of the flagship was
striking four in the first dog watch.

Now that we had actually arrived I could see that Fonseca and, still
more, Jose felt a considerable amount of anxiety as to what was likely
to befall them in consequence of their connection with so notorious and
formidable a pirate as Ricardo, but I was able pretty well to reassure
the surgeon, at least, for he had told me his story, and I believed it
would not be very difficult for him to satisfy the authorities that he
had been compelled to join the pirates, and had never been permitted the
least chance to effect his escape on those rare occasions when the
_Barracouta_ had been obliged to call at an ordinary port. Further,
there was the fact, to which of course I could bear personal testimony,
that he had warned Lotta and myself of the fate designed for us by
Dominique and the rest, after the death of Ricardo, and had most loyally
aided us to effect our es