e Windward Passages
for the protection of trade and the suppression of piracy until
recalled, and to look in at the post office on Crooked Island about once
a month for orders.

Keeping close along in under the land, so as to take full advantage of
the land breeze, we were off Morant Point by midnight, when we stretched
away to seaward, and finally, after being obliged to take to our sweeps
to get across the calm belt between the _terral_ and the trade-wind,
stood away to the northward, close-hauled upon the starboard tack,
toward the Cuban shore.

Weathering in due time Cape Maysi, the eastern extremity of the island
of Cuba, we shaped a course for Crooked Island Passage, and being then
able to get a small pull upon the weather-braces and to ease off the
mainsheet a foot or so, we bowled along in a style which filled all
hands with delight.

On our arrival at Crooked Island we called at the post office, and I
left a letter for the admiral, reporting progress. There was a fine
full-rigged ship lying there when we arrived, bound for London; she had
been there two days, waiting and hoping for the arrival of a man-of-war,
under the protection of which to get safely through the Passage. She
carried a very rich cargo and some sixteen passengers, most of whom were
ladies, and as she only mounted four small guns, and carried no more
than just sufficient men to work the ship, her skipper was willing to
lose a day or two upon the chance of getting a safe convoy clear of the
islands, among which there had been of late some very daring cases of
piracy.

Finding that the "Centurion"--as his ship was named--was perfectly ready
for sea, I arranged with her skipper to sail again that afternoon, which
we accordingly did. The "Centurion" proving to be a slow sailer, we
were four days taking her out clear of everything, when, having done so
without molestation, the two ships parted company, and we bore up for a
regular cruise to the southward among the various passages.

We fell in with a good many ships, all English, pushing through he
various passages, and a few of them asked for convoy; but of pirates,
slavers, or French privateers--any of which would have been game for our
bag--we saw nothing.

At length, having made the circuit of the archipelago once, calling at
the post office on reaching it, but finding no orders, we had proceeded
so far on our cruise as to have arrived off the Square Handkerchief
Shoal on our second r