her to shore. The _Lark_ very soon after this began to drive,
when the other anchor was dropped under foot, while they veered away on
the larboard cable. She now held, but the breakers made a clean breach
over her decks, washing adrift the numerous casks, loose spars,
fowl-coops, and a variety of other things; and in addition, what was
worse than all, a large scuttle-butt of palm-oil. Meantime, to increase
the confusion and danger, the cutter and pinnace were striking the stern
and quarters of the vessel with great force, often coming as far forward
as the main-chains on both sides. The Spaniards had from the first been
very unruly, and they now gave symptoms of an intention of breaking into
open mutiny. In addition, therefore, to the variety of other duties the
British seamen were called on to perform, it became necessary for them
to keep their arms in readiness, to repel any sudden attack the fellows
might venture to make on them for the purpose of regaining the schooner.
The palm-oil, also, which is like very thick red mud, had coated the
whole deck from before the foremast nearly as far aft as the mainmast,
making it more slippery even than ice, so that no one could either stand
or walk on it. The water, also, had no effect on its greasy
composition, and as there were no ashes on board to strew over it, one
part of the deck became almost separated from the other. The Spaniards
were evidently watching their opportunity, and kept eyeing the British
seamen with no friendly intentions. They were four to one of them, and
though deprived of their muskets and cutlasses, they had still the long
knives in their belts, without which no Spaniard ever thinks his costume
complete. The wretches kept up such a hubbub, and did so much to impede
the work of the vessel, that some of them very nearly got shot, as a
hint to the rest of what they might expect if they proceeded to
extremities. The gallant young officer himself had little fear of what
they might venture to do, as, considering the dilemma the vessel was
placed in, surrounded by shoals, with heavy breakers close at hand, and
in thick darkness, they could scarcely hope to get out to sea and escape
that way, or, if they returned up the river, to avoid recapture should
they regain possession of the vessel. In obedience, however, to his
written instructions, he kept some of his people under arms to watch the
fellows. For full half an hour the little schooner lay in thi