. Russel, who
had had to abandon her on account of the calm and the close fire of
another battery.

"'Never mind,' said Mr. Parker, with a laugh, 'if we can't bring them
to Captain Duck the Spaniards won't get further use of them. I have set
fire to mine.'

"'And I to mine,' said Mr. Russel.

"So this was our first engagement, and little did I relish it. We got
back to the _Port-au-Prince_ at daylight, and just as we came alongside
we saw the first of the prizes blow up. Our first care was to lift the
mutilated but still breathing body of poor Turner carefully on deck.
Unable to utter more than a dreadful groaning sound, his eyes seemed
filled with a longing to speak to Captain Duck, who bent over him with a
pitying face.

"'Poor fellow,' said the captain to Mr. Russel, 'he wants to say
something and cannot.' Then bending over him again, he asked him if the
order he had on board in his (Captain Duck's) care was to be sent to
Bristol. A feeble nod of the head was his answer, and in a few minutes
he was gone. I was glad to learn afterwards that when he joined the
_Port-au-Prince_ he had an order on the owners of the _Vincent_ for
quite a large sum of money, and this he had given to Captain Duck,
telling him that he wished it to be sent to a young woman named Mary
Agnew, whose address in Bristol he wrote on the back and whom he had
hoped to marry when he returned from this last voyage. Our captain
afterwards sent the order home by the _Clinton_, South Seaman. (I
learned afterwards from Mr. Bent that the poor woman received it
safely.)

"On the following day we sailed into Conception Bay to give the
batteries a taste of our metal. We went close in and then hove in stays
and sent four or five shots right into the battery, but their guns were
too heavy for us to do more, and with two men wounded we stood out of
range again. After this we disguised the ship like an American, and went
boldly into Coquimbo Roads. Here we were boarded by a party of gaily
dressed gentlemen who came to trade with the supposed American. They
brought with them nearly $3,000, and were deeply mortified to learn that
the ship was an English privateer and they were our prisoners. One of
them, however--Don Mario--took the matter very jocosely, and ate and
drank and made merry, telling Mr. Mariner and Captain Duck that his
entertainment was well paid for. Later on in the day more merchants came
off, carrying much money, all of which they surrendered