in raising money by means of a bottomry bond, and with this he
provisioned the brig for six months, intending to take out letters of
marque, and endeavour to make good his losses--a resolution in which he
was cordially seconded by Bowen.

But, though all this gave him plenty of occupation, he had not forgotten
his old crew, and he found--or rather took--time, not only to prepare a
complete list of the names and a full description of all those who were
still--so far as he knew--in a state of slavery, but also to put it into
the hands of the proper authorities, with such an urgent representation
of their probable sufferings, that the matter was at once taken up; and
he had the satisfaction of knowing, before he sailed, that negotiations
were already in progress for their discovery and deliverance.

Considerable difficulty was experienced in obtaining a crew for the
brig, good men being scarce; but at last this was overcome, and on a
bright September morning the anchor was hove up, and the _Virginie_
started upon her cruise. The shoals outside the harbour were cleared in
due time, the brig working like a top, and sailing like a witch, to the
unbounded delight of all hands; and then George hauled sharp up on the
port tack, his intention being to cruise for a few days in the Windward
and Caycos Passages before shaping a course for home.

For the first five days of their cruise they were singularly unlucky,
seeing nothing but a man-o'-war schooner, which, on speaking, they found
had been equally as unfortunate as themselves.

On the morning of the sixth day, however, being then in the
neighbourhood of the Hogsties, the lookout aloft reported at daybreak a
couple of sail dead to windward, hove-to close together. On the usual
inquiries being made, the lookout further reported that one of the
strangers was a barque; the rig of the other, which happened to be lying
end-on, he could not clearly make out, but, from her size, he judged her
to be a ship. Mr Bowen, whose watch it was, at once went below and
informed George of this circumstance, and then, leaving him to don the
most indispensable portions of his attire, returned to the deck, and
proceeded thence aloft to have a look at the strangers for himself.

By the time that he had seen all that it was then possible to see, and
had descended again to the deck, George was awaiting him there.

"Well, Bowen, what do you make of them?" was Leicester's first inquiry.

"Well,