t had been his prisoner
two years. This man was about fifty-five, tall and thin, and his face
was so darkened by the sun that it was hard to say whether he was white
or of mixed blood. We remarked that he was not fond of talking of his
captivity; he said he did not know how long he was a prisoner nor where
he was taken; and as the business of piracy was rather complicated in
these parts, we conceived a suspicion that he had not been a prisoner
entirely against his will. His fellow-fishermen had no narrow feelings
on the subject, and perhaps gave a preference to piracy as a larger
business, and one that brought more ounces, than catching turtles. They
seemed however, to have an idea that los Ingleses entertained different
views, and the prisoner, el pobre, as our patron called him, said those
things were all over, and it was best not to disturb them. He could
not, however, help dropping a few words in behalf of Lafitte, or
Monsieur Lafitta; he did not know whether it was true what people said
of him, but he never hurt the poor fishermen, and, led on by degrees he
told us that Lafitte died in his arms, and that his widow, a senora del
Norte from Mobile, was then living in great distress at Silan, the port
at which we intended to disembark.

Besides piratical associations, this island had been the scene of a
strange incident within the last two years. A sailor lay on his
death-bed in Cadiz, penniless and friendless, and, to requite the
kindness of his host for allowing him to die in his house, he told the
latter that, some years before, he had belonged to a band of pirates,
and upon one occasion, after taking a rich prize and murdering all on
board, he had gone ashore with his companions at the island of Mugeres,
and buried a large sum of money in gold. When the piratical hordes were
broken up he escaped, and dared not return to regions where he might be
recognised. He said his companions were all hanged except one
Portuguese, who lived in the island of Antigua, and, as the only means
of requiting his host's kindness, he advised him to seek out the
Portuguese and recover the money. The host at first thought the story
was told only to secure a continuance of good treatment, and paid no
attention to it, but the sailor died protesting its truth. The Spaniard
made a voyage to the island of Antigua, and found out the Portuguese,
who at first denied all knowledge of the transaction, but at length
confessed it, and said that he w