cheer of `Coopity! coopity! coopity!' as he rushed out of the court." I
had not seen McAllister laugh since we had lost the prize. He now gave
way to a hearty peal, exclaiming, "Ha! ha! ha! I'll make the French
lieutenant sing out `Coopity! coopity! coopity!' before the world is
many years older."

I need not describe all that occurred in the boat. We made fair way
while the wind continued fair, and the weather favourable, but Jamaica
still seemed a long distance off. It is a large island however, so that
there was not much chance of our missing it. Four days had passed since
we left the Audacieuse, when about midnight the wind suddenly shifted to
the northward, and, what was worse, it came on to blow very hard. We
closely reefed our sail, and hove-to, but the seas constantly broke over
us, and we were obliged to keep two hands baling, or we should have been
swamped. It was bad enough as it was, but it might come on worse, and
then, would the boat swim? That was a question. That was a dreary
night. The rain came down too--as it knows well how to do in the
tropics. We had no want of water, but we unwisely neglected to fill our
casks. Expecting to make a quick run, we had not stinted ourselves in
the use of water. Of course the boat all this time was drifting to
leeward, and we were losing all the distance we had made good during the
last day or so; if the gale continued we should lose still more. At
last daylight came, but the wind blew as hard as ever--half a gale at
all events. Two whole days more it blew. At last it ceased, but it
left us a hundred miles nearly further from our destination than when it
commenced. This was bad enough, but though there was little of it
remaining, that little was in our teeth. We however hauled our wind,
and tried to beat up. When the sea went down we got the oars out, and,
lowering the sails, pulled head to wind. It was greatly trying to the
men, to know that after toiling away for hours, the entire distance
gained might be lost in a quarter of the time. Still, as British seamen
always do, they persevered. McAllister and I took our turn at the oars
with the rest. For several days we laboured thus. The prospect of a
quick run to Jamaica was over. Our provisions were running short--our
water was almost expended. Hunger and thirst began to stare us in the
face--things apt not only to stare people out of countenance, but out of
their good looks. We at once went