size could get up it, though, perhaps, the
smallest of your vessels would be able to do so," he added.

Murray, of course, said that he should be happy to send the _Supplejack_
up, should her draft of water not be too great, and that he could
perfectly trust her commander, Lieutenant Rogers, to act with discretion
in the matter. Senhor Bernardo soon afterwards made his appearance. He
had not only come himself to make his complaint, but had brought his
wife with him, without whom, he observed, he never moved from home.

He was not a very favourable specimen of a British consul, and it was
difficult to say how he had attained the post. He was a short,
dark-skinned personage, with apparently a mixture of negro blood in his
veins. With considerable volubility, though in somewhat broken English,
he repeated all his complaints, and finished up, requesting that he
might be conveyed, with his wife, back to his home.

"But as we are not acquainted with the navigation, it would be
impossible for the brig to go up without a pilot," observed Murray.

"Oh! dat sir, I will provide," he answered. "I will obtain the services
of Anselmo; he knows ebery inch of de way up to Angostura, each sandbank
and ebery snag, I might almost say."

"You saw the brig-of-war in the harbour, do you think she will be able
to get up so far?" asked Murray.

"Oh yes, captain; your big ship even would get up as the waters are
rising at present, sure. She might, to be sure, stick coming down,
though," answered the consul.

"Thank you, I should prefer then not attempting to take her up," said
Murray, laughing.

"Well, Captain Murray, I will leave you to make arrangements with the
consul, and I conclude that Lieutenant Rogers will be ready to give this
gentleman and his wife a passage?" observed the governor.

"I can answer for that," answered Murray, as he took his leave,
accompanied by Senhor Guedes.

He returned to the quay.

"I conclude, Mr Consul, that you and your lady will be ready to go on
board the brig this evening, as she will sail tomorrow morning by
daylight," said Murray. "Where is Senhora Guedes residing?"

"She, my wife, is on board that schooner dere, the mail-packet, in which
we came from Angostura. I left her locked up in the cabin," answered
the consul.

"Locked up in the cabin!" exclaimed Murray, with no little surprise,
beginning to suspect that Rogers would have curious passengers on board
the _Supplejack_.

"Oh