all on board
hoped that she would make a good offing. Had they possessed sweeps,
with the help of the transient breeze, they might have got to a safe
distance from the land. As to anchoring, that was out of the question.
Even had there been bottom to be found with such an inset, their cable
would not have held them for an instant. When the schooner got near
enough to the shore, they saw that the natives were still watching them
eagerly, and no sooner did the breeze return, than preparations were
made to launch several of their canoes. From the gestures of the
blacks, Murray and Adair agreed that their intentions did not appear to
be friendly, and therefore it would be wise to avoid them altogether if
they could, and at all events to be prepared to receive them warmly,
should they overtake the schooner. Her progress was very slow, and
there appeared too great a prospect of their doing this. Every
preparation was therefore made for such a contingency. The wind was
light, but it appeared to be increasing, and by degrees it was evident
that the little craft was forging ahead more and more rapidly through
the smooth shining ocean. The negroes on shore must have seen that
their chance of overtaking her was every moment lessening, and they were
observed to make several strenuous efforts to launch their canoes
through the surf. The first two were capsized and sent back on the
beach, which the people in her (or rather out of her) very easily
regained, as if perfectly accustomed to that mode of proceeding. Again,
however, the canoes were righted and launched, and this time four gained
the open sea. The fifth was driven back, and probably received some
damage, for she was not again launched. Four large canoes full of
strong active negroes, completely armed according to their own fashion,
were antagonists not to be despised; still it was evident that they had
not firearms, or that if they had, they must have been rendered
completely useless from the thorough drenching they must have got.
Night was drawing on. The wind in a few minutes drew more round to the
eastward, and gave signs of once more dropping. Of course every inch of
canvas the little _Venus_ could carry was set on her, so that unless the
breeze, increased it was impossible to make her go faster than she was
doing through the water. As yet she was keeping well ahead of the
canoes. The two midshipmen anxiously watched the proceedings of the
latter. The bl