CHAPTER XXXII.

Embark for England.-Nearly wrecked off Ambergris Quay.--Vessel runs upon the Colorados-reef.

-Becalmed off the Havannah.—Clear the Gulf. -Voyage across the Atlantic.—Land at Deal.

As we were to embark the next day, I called to take leave of the intendant, to whom I was indebted for much civility, and on Monday the 15th, about two o'clock, went on board the vessel which was to take us to England, We did not sail till the next day; for our crew was not complete.

r The master was a Mr. Smith, a shrewd good natured Glasgow man: he had been mate of another vessel and was induced to take the command of this : our mate was a clever active young fellow who belonged to the brig, but had declined taking charge of her ; though, from the ability he evinced during the voyage, he proved himself perfectly competent to the task. After dusk, three or four more hands came on board, also the pilot; and after proceeding amongst the quays

for about seventeen miles, we anchored on the 17th : when the pilot had left us, the evening set in very stormy: it afterwards blew a hurricane ; we were off Ambergris Quay, and, the wind blowing hard from the N.E., we endeavoured to tack, but missed stays, and were a long time before we could get her to fill and gather way enough to make a second attempt, which most fortunately succeeded, as we had not room to wear, and must have been cast away had she missed stays a second time.

On the 23d, about sun-set, when off the western point of Cuba, the mate, whilst he happened to be looking over the side of the vessel, in conversation with me, suddenly started up, ordered the helm to be put a-lee and all sail to be reduced. I soon discovered that we were running right amongst a shoal of sunken rocks, which proved to be the Colorados : we had not room either to wear or stay: and were gliding upon them as gently as possible : we then got out the long-boat, put the kedge anchor into her, and were proceeding to carry it with only a three inch hawser: it immediately struck me that so small a rope would not be strong enough to heave us off, and I prevailed upon the captain to make use of one double the size : it was most fortunate that he followed my advice, as we were obliged to heave so hard that we were in momentary expectation of the one we did uge breaking: at length the hawser dropped all of a sudden, and we concluded it had snapped and all was over with us, but the men in the boat observed that we were afloat, and called to us to heave round, which we did right merrily : we then weighed the anchor, made sail, and stood off.

At two o'clock, P. M., the next day we saw a raking vessel coming up to us, full sail, but when within two miles of us she tacked about and veered off. The 25th and 26th we were becalmed off the island

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of Cuba, and suffered much apprehension on account of the numerous pirates with which the coast is infested. The captain, mate, and the whole of the crew had their separate stories to tell of the bloody deeds of those miscreants, as each new creek or table-land marked out the spot in which they had been perpetrated. The captain said that, on his way to Belize, he had been boarded by a small boat containing thirty men, who pretended they only wished to know if they had any Spaniards aboard : they told him it was useless to make any resistance, for that, on firing a shot, more boats would put off, and they should all be massacred : he escaped with no other injury than some plunder of the articles they wanted out of the cargo. “ But what became of the Eliza?” said another, “Why she was skuttled off Yucatan," answered a third, “and Jem, who escaped up the country, afterwards saw all the bodies of his messmates on the beach without their heads."

This kind of conversation, a thermo

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meter at 98°, and a dead calm which made it easy for pirates to row up to us and impossible for us to escape, should they be inclined to attack us, rendered our situation any thing but agreeable. To add to my comfort, I had been presented, on my departure from Belize, with some English newspapers ; in the shipping accounts of which I had the satisfaction of reading some delectable specimens of the proceedings of these marauders: one I remember was particularly striking, respecting a circumstance which had taken place, a few months before, at the Bay of Matanzas, which spot, if we were fortunate enough, we might expect to be off in the course of twenty-four hours :-it was, that a vessel about 300 tons burthen was found stranded within three miles of that port : she had been plundered and skuttled, and the decks were strongly marked with blood, and it was added, “It is supposed that all hands were murdered.” There was something so unbecoming and unsatisfactory in