d
company, the _Santa Clara_ steering northward close-hauled against the
trade wind, while the _Adventure_ bore up for Barbados, shaping a course
to pass round its southern extremity. Two hours later the English ship
was riding snugly at anchor in what is now known as Carlisle Bay, in
five fathoms of water, within four hundred feet of the beach, and the
same distance from the mouth of a small river, within which, as Bascomb
explained, lay the creek which he had fixed upon in his mind as a
suitable spot wherein to careen the ship.

CHAPTER THREE.

HOW THEY CAME TO BARBADOS; AND WHAT THEY DID THERE.

The rumbling of the great hempen cable out through the hawse-pipe served
as a signal to some dozen or more of poor scurvy-stricken wretches who
lay gasping in their hammocks in the stifling forecastle. They had
heard the cry of "Land ho!" some hours before, and had groaned with
bitter impatience when the subsequent sounds from the deck had made it
clear to them that a battle must be fought before they could feast their
eyes upon the sight of solid earth and green trees once more, and
satisfy their terrible craving for the luscious fruits which they had
been given to understand were to be obtained on the delectable island in
sight for the mere trouble of plucking. But now at last the time of
waiting was over; the sounds and shouts incidental to the taking in of
sail, and, still more, the splash of the anchor and the roar of the
cable as it rushed through the hawse-pipe told them that the ship had
arrived, and with one accord they rolled out of their hammocks--the less
heavily stricken helping their weaker fellow sufferers--and made their
way on deck, where the business of stowing the ship's canvas was still
in full progress. The poor wretches were constantly getting in the way
of those who were well and busy, but the latter were themselves just
then much too happy to grumble or find fault, so the invalids were
good-humouredly assisted up the ladder to the top of the forecastle,
where they could enjoy an uninterrupted view of the island, and left
there to feast their eyes upon its beauties in peace, until the time
should arrive when their shipmates would be ready to man the boats and
take them ashore.

And what a glorious sight it was that met their gaze. First of all
there was the green and placid water, alive with fish, rippling gently
to a narrow beach of golden sand, and beyond that sand nothing but
vegetation