so the
steward's pantry, lay beneath this. This was a most excellent
arrangement, for otherwise, the vessel being extraordinarily beamy and
very shallow, there would have been scarcely head-room enough abaft in
the ship's run for cabins; whereas the addition of the four-feet height
of poop afforded delightfully lofty and airy cabins for the size of the
vessel. I found, upon going below, that the chief and second mates'
staterooms were situated respectively on the starboard and port sides of
the ship, forward of the foot of the companion ladder, with the
steward's pantry between them, a window in each cabin, pierced through
the front of the poop, affording the occupant an excellent view of
whatever might be happening out on deck.

About three feet abaft the foot of the companion ladder a transverse
bulkhead extended for the entire width of the ship, and in the centre of
this bulkhead was a door which gave access to the cabin. Opening this
door and passing on, I found myself in the main cabin, which was an
exceedingly roomy and pleasant little apartment, of the full width of
the ship, well lighted by a large skylight in the deck above as well as
by half-a-dozen large circular ports in the sides. The furniture
consisted of a handsomely carved sideboard on one side of the door,
balanced by a well-stocked book-case on the other; there were cushioned
lockers running fore and aft along the sides of the ship, and a
beautifully polished mahogany table, draped with a handsome tablecloth,
occupied the centre of the cabin. In one part of the book-case I found
a massive inkstand well supplied with pens, and also an abundant supply
of stationery; I accordingly sat down and penned my report to Captain
Vavassour.

I had but just completed this document when Henderson came down to
acquaint me with the fact that all the prisoners who were in the least
likely to give trouble were securely lodged below; I, therefore, sealed
my report and, taking it on deck, handed it over to one of the two men
who were to take the boat back to the frigate, and dispatched them; and
a few minutes later--the _Europa_ having meanwhile shifted her berth and
hove-to again close to leeward of us--the boat passed under the
frigate's stern and disappeared from our view. Seeing the boat coming,
Mr Galway had manned the tackle-falls in readiness, and a minute later
she was run up to the davits, the boatswain's pipe shrilled out, the
mainyard was swung, and aw