th much joy
the five men who had been taken when the unfortunate master lost his life,
my own boat's crew, and seven other seamen. This addition was cheering.
Five hours later we were shaking hands with some of our mess and
shipmates, who appeared delighted to see us. The ship being close in with
the shore, we soon reached her, and received a hearty welcome from all on
board. I acquainted the captain with every circumstance respecting our
capture, and with the great kindness and liberality of the Governor and
American Consul, and that I had pledged my word of honour as an officer
that an equal number of officers and men should be exchanged for us. "For
your satisfaction, and I hope for his," replied the captain, "a cartel is
on her passage with a superior Spanish officer and twenty men, for
immediately our liberal-minded commander-in-chief, Lord H. Seymour, heard,
by an American vessel, of our misfortunes, he ordered the cartel to be got
ready, and desired me to proceed, before we had half refitted, to St. Jago
to reclaim you, having written a handsome letter to acknowledge the humane
manner in which the Governor treated the English prisoners"--which letter
was given to the Spanish officer to present to him on his arrival. "Now,"
continued the captain, "have you heard anything of the _Fancy_? I am
afraid she is lost, with all on board her. The morning after you went
away," resumed he, "we saw a vessel in the offing much resembling her. I
stood towards her, and found she was an American. The sea-breeze became so
strong that I could not fetch sufficiently to windward, and that accounts
for your not seeing us. I was truly unfortunate, and the cruise was
disastrous beyond credibility. You a prisoner, with a midshipman and nine
seamen, the master and three men killed, and five others taken, and the
second lieutenant, a midshipman and sixteen of the best seamen most likely
drowned--for I think beyond a doubt she has upset." This conjecture was a
few days after unhappily confirmed by a Bermudian sloop, which informed us
that she had passed a small vessel, as we described her, bottom up near
the Island of Inagua. This intelligence threw a gloom over the whole of
us. "This is too tender a subject," said I, "to have any more tenders."
"No," replied the captain; "all these unhappy circumstances combined are
most deplorable. I do not think I will ever send the boats away again."
"Not till the next time," thinks I to myself. We repaire