happen to either of these men, the activities of the brotherhood would
be seriously crippled, while a fatality that swept the whole of them
away might well mean the utter ruin of all their hopes. I did not learn
this quite at once, for it seemed to be the one item of information upon
which Fernandez desired me to remain ignorant; but, mingling freely with
everybody, as I was permitted to do, it was impossible for them to
prevent the secret from ultimately leaking out, and I had not been in
the settlement more than three days before I became acquainted with it,
and with a good many other things as well.

For instance, I learned that of the three navigators which the community
boasted, two--namely, Garcia and another--were on board the _Tiburon_,
while the third was in command of a most respectable-looking brig,
which, provided with a complete set of false papers, was engaged in
conveying to various ports such portions of the cargoes of plundered
ships as were not needed by the pirates themselves, disposing of the
same for cash, and procuring with that cash such commodities as were
required from time to time. The felucca that lay at anchor in the bay
had also been similarly employed; but she was now idle, the man who had
commanded her being with Garcia in the _Tiburon_, in place of an officer
who had been killed in the action with the _Wasp_.

At the time of my arrival this extraordinary pirate settlement, or
community, consisted of some forty seamen of various nationalities--
except Englishmen--who had thrown in their lot with Garcia, Fernandez,
and the rest; and about a hundred others who, although not seamen, were
most useful for the performance of such strictly shore duty as the
erection of houses, the loading and discharging of the trading brig, the
storage of the various commodities needed by the community, the working
up of rough spars into spare masts, yards, booms, etcetera, for the brig
and schooner, the making of spare sails for the same, and, in short, the
execution of all those multitudinous kinds of work that are essential to
the comfort of man in his civilised condition. And exceedingly
comfortable the rascals made themselves, for the houses were well-built,
and in many cases beautifully furnished; also they enjoyed many
luxuries, procured either from the cargoes of plundered ships, or
purchased out of the proceeds of the sale of such plunder as they did
not require for their own use.

It was not long