varnished boat and oars thus disfigured.

After about three hours on shore, the dinghy returned loaded with
fruit and vegetables, which Pedro had purchased, and a native mast
and sail. The former was at once cut so as to step in the gig. The
sail was hoisted, and was then taken in hand by one of the crew,
who was a fair sailmaker, to be altered so as to stand flatter.
Half an hour later the new pilot and four powerful negroes came
alongside in a shore boat.

It was now late in the afternoon, so the start was postponed until
the next morning. A few other arrangements were made as to
signalling, and it was settled that if Frank showed a red light, a
rocket should be sent up from the yacht, to show that the signal
had been observed, and that they were getting up sail. They were to
keep their lights up, so that Frank could make them out as they
came up, and put off to meet them.

George Lechmere saw to the preparations for victualling the gig.
Two large hampers of fresh provisions were placed on board, and two
four-and-a-half gallon kegs of water. A bundle of rugs was placed
in the stern sheets, and the boat's flagstaff was fixed in its
place in the stern. The yard of the sail was at night to be lashed
from the mast to the staff at a height of four feet above the
gunwale, and across this the sail was to be thrown to act as a
tent. A kettle, frying pan, plates, knives and forks were put in
forward, and a box of signal lights under the seat aft. Canisters
of tea, sugar, coffee, and all necessaries had been stowed away in
the hamper, together with a plentiful supply of tobacco; and a bag
of twenty-eight pounds of flour, wrapped up in tarpaulin, was
placed under one of the thwarts.

As soon as it was daylight, anchor was got up, and when the yacht
had sailed for seven or eight miles to the west, the gig was
lowered, and the four black boatmen took their places in her. Frank
took the rudder lines, and Dominique sat near him. The sail was
then hoisted, and as the wind was light, the boatmen got out their
oars and shot ahead of the Osprey, directing their course obliquely
towards the shore.

It was not necessary to land at the coast villages here, as it was
morally certain that the Phantom had not touched anywhere within
twenty or thirty miles of San Domingo, and she would hardly have
entered any of the narrow rivers at night. Nevertheless, they did
not pass any of these without rowing up them. When some native huts
were