kon with in the first place; and, after talking the matter quietly
over in the cabin, it was ultimately decided that, as soon as it was
dark enough to conceal our movements, the canvas should be taken off the
schooner, and she should be allowed to drive, under bare poles, along
the coast back to the eastward until once more abreast of the harbour
entrance, when the anchor was to be let go. Then a sharp look-out was
to be kept for the barque, and if there were no signs of her making an
attempt to slip out to sea again before two o'clock in the morning, the
boats were to be lowered, and the skipper and I, with all the hands that
could be spared, were to pull in, surprise the batteries, spike the
guns, and then dash aboard the barque and bring her out.

The night happened to be dark, with an overcast sky and a thick drizzle
of rain; it was therefore excellently adapted for our purpose, and
having arrived within about a mile and a half of the land, the first
part of our programme was carried out by furling everything and allowing
the schooner to drive up the coast until a deeper blackness in the
shadow that indicated the land revealed that we were off the harbour's
mouth. Here the anchor was let go; and as every precaution had been
taken to prevent any light from showing on board the schooner, we had
good reason for hoping that our presence in that particular spot was
unsuspected. An anchor watch was set, with instructions to keep a sharp
look-out and at once report to the skipper anything of an unusual or
suspicious character, when all hands turned in for the purpose of
securing as much rest as possible prior to the execution of the
important task that we had set ourselves.

Nothing having occurred during the earlier part of the night, all hands
were called at four bells in the middle watch, a cup of hot coffee and a
biscuit was served out to each man, and then those who were to go away
in the boats were told off and armed; after which the skipper made a
short speech, explaining the nature of the service upon which we were
about to engage, and how it was proposed to execute it, after which the
boats were got into the water, and we pulled away with muffled oars for
the shore.

It had been arranged that the skipper should tackle the battery on the
eastern side of the harbour mouth, while I was to deal with the one on
the western headland; and as it was deemed possible that, despite all
our efforts to mislead those on sh