ving passed it, we travelled through woods for two or
three miles, when we embarked in a canoe for the Cape. Gladly did I
return to my vessel. The king, not unmindful of his promise to make me
some remuneration for my detention, sold me some thirty or forty pounds
of shell, which he owed to an English trader.

[Illustration: Mosquito King and Captain Dunham taking an airing.]

There was at the time two English trading vessels lying in the harbor. I
had one passenger on board, belonging to Corn Island. One day the
English captains, my passengers, and myself, being overtaken by a rain
storm on shore, took shelter under an old woman's roof, where she was
engaged in frying fish for her dinner. Her house was built like many
houses in that country, simply of a thatched roof, supported by
crotches, having no sides. As we were assembled here, the notion got
into our heads to try the old lady's temper and placing ourselves at
the four corners of her domicile, clapped our shoulders under the
roof and bore it off, leaving the poor old woman frying her fish in the
rain, which soon put out her fire, while we received a volley of curses
for our sport. We, however, returned it to its proper place, breaking
the poor old creature's crockery in so doing, which was all she
possessed. We invited her on board our vessels the next day, telling her
we would make good her loss; nor were we unmindful of our promise when
she made her appearance. We supplied her with plates, cups, saucers,
knives, forks, &c. so that her house was better furnished with these
articles than any in the town. We also threw in a bottle of rum to make
the affair perfectly satisfactory to her.

After remaining at the Cape a few days, where I purchased some shell, a
considerable quantity of India rubber, gum copal, deer and tiger-skins,
and deer-horns, paying for them in goods, we proceeded to Sandy Bay,
where, after bartering four or five days for such articles as we got at
the Cape, we next sailed for Great River, continuing our bartering for
the same articles, and then started for Corn Island, intending to take
in provision there, it being decidedly the best place for that purpose
in the country. From thence we sailed for the Lagoon, where having
landed such goods as were needed to keep a good assortment in our store,
we proceeded along the coast, touching at Bluefields, Martina,
Buckatora, and some other small ports, and then returned to Corn
Island. Here I met the