and the rest tumbled about outside, laughing and
shouting, and beating the water to frighten their prisoners. In spite
of them some fifty or more of the biggest fish, dreading the cauldron or
frying-pan, making a bold dash for liberty, fairly leaped over the net,
most of them, as they rose three or four feet out of the water, clearing
the heads of the negroes, while several sprang right into their faces,
capsizing one stout fellow, and making two or three others howl and
caper in a way which set the midshipmen roaring with laughter. They
had, notwithstanding this, a capital haul, consisting of baracoutas,
snappers, gold and silver fish, Spanish mackerel, king-fish, and others.
Tom and Gerald, in their eagerness, rushed into the water to catch hold
of some of their prey, when a monster gave a grab at Paddy's fingers,
which made him spring back with alarm. The blacks directly after hauled
out a shark big enough to have bitten off his arm, if not to have
swallowed him. The same afternoon the adventurers got back to their
drogher, the overseer having liberally supplied them with as much
venison and fish as they could possibly consume. The chart was got out,
and a consultation held as to the place they should next visit. Captain
Quasho was called in.

"Take my 'vice, gent'men; wind fair for Saba--cur'us place--den call at
Saint Kitts--fine oranges dere. See Mount Misery--big craig up to de
sky, ten tousand feet high," (Quasho was a little over the mark), "and
so on to Nevis--lubly isle, and we get back to English Harbour in good
time. Yes; I forgot dere one more isle we go see. Me got broder dere.
Only one buckra, massa, and him family berry glad see officers; plenty
fun, oh yes! Den we stop a day or two and catch fish. Plenty fine fish
in dees seas, massa. Great big baracouta and glouper--him fifty pound
weight; and mauget, and hedgehog, and jew-fish; him wonderful good to
eat, fit for de Queen of England," and Quasho smacked his lips. "Den
dere is de snapper and flatfork, and squerrel and parot-fish, wid just
all de colours like de bird; and de abacore, almost as big as de
glouper; and, let me see, de doctor--him got lance in de tail, and so
him called doctor, ho! ho! and den dere is de king-fish, and de wattee,
de kind, de comaree, de convalby, de old wife, de cobbler, de ten
pounder, de garr, bolalwe, reay, de shew, and me don't saby how many
more." Quasho here ceased enumerating for want of breath, declarin