y, a cat's-
paw reached us; and presently the true sea-breeze came creeping along
the water, freshening as it came. We allowed it to reach the mouth of
the channel, when the _Foam_ bore up; and a quarter of an hour later we
were rattling through the passage at the rate of eight knots. On
clearing the channel and opening up the bay we discovered the felucca
some four miles ahead, or about half-way across, foaming along with her
enormously long tapering yard square across her deck and the sheet eased
well out, running down dead before the wind, straight for the entrance
of the lagoons, apparently in the hope that we would follow her and thus
ground upon one of the numerous shoals which lay between her and us.
But if they hoped this they were speedily disappointed, as the moment we
had cleared the end of the channel, all concealment being then
impossible, we hauled our wind and headed the schooner for the first of
the marks which were to pilot us safely on our difficult way. Before we
had completed our first reach the felucca had arrived at the entrance to
the lagoons, and had disappeared. It was half an hour after noon when
we reached the same spot.

Two miles further on lay the narrowest passage in the whole length of
the lagoons, and here I fully expected our progress would meet with a
check. Nor was I disappointed, for on reaching the spot our further
progress was suddenly interrupted, and the schooner brought up all
standing, by a heavy chain which had been thrown athwart the channel,
just far enough beneath the surface of the water to catch our forefoot,
the ends being artfully concealed among the bushes on either side.

"Down, flat on your faces on the deck, every man of you, fore and aft!"
I shouted, for I guessed what would follow; and scarcely was the order
obeyed when the flash of artillery blazed out from among the mangroves
on either hand, and a perfect hailstorm of grape and langridge struck
us, riddling our bulwarks, and tearing the foot of the mainsail and
foresail to shreds, but, luckily, not hitting a soul of us; though how
Courtenay and I escaped--it not being etiquette for either of us to seek
the shelter of the bulwarks--heaven only knows; but we did. The guns
were pointed so as to sweep the ship from stem to taffrail at about the
level of the top of the bulwarks; and, had the men been standing erect,
we must have lost half of them.

"Starboard your helm! hard a-starboard!" cried I to the man a