“Prince. Said you the noble duke was taken prisoner?
Messenger. Yes your highness, and most strangely--Sword
in hand, like a brave knight, he entered the breach at the head of his
soldiers, and before ten of them could follow him, the wall above fell
down and choked up the gap a score of feet in height--making a
second wall.
Prince. And so he was caught with a mere handful of men
within the beleagured city!
Messenger. It is too true your highness.”

A PIRATE'S DECK—A DUTCH BUCCANEER—CHASE—STORM
ENCOUNTER—A PRISONER.

The French goëlette, or tender, which bore the
fanciful name of EULIONE, having on board the
commander of the French frigate “Le Sultan,”
after separating from the larger vessel on gaining
the offing, sailed, as we have before mentioned,
southward, in the direction of Carthagena—while
the former steered easterly for St. Domingo.

The object of Count D'Oyley, in taking an opposite
course to that of his frigate, was to make surer
the chance of intercepting or overtaking the pirate
whom he sought, and who, he supposed, had sailed
for one of his two rendezvous in the West Indian
seas—an uninhabited island near Carthagena, or
the secluded bay on the west coast of St. Domingo.

With the speed of the wind the little vessel flew
over the water, promising, by her unequalled velocity,
soon to gain the advantage which the buccaneer
had obtained by many hours precedence. The

[figure description] Page 150.[end figure description]

bosom of the young Frenchman swelled, as, glancing
over the side, he observed the rapid motion of
his vessel flinging the spray to her tops, and leaving
a long track of boiling foam astern. And his eye
passing over the decks lighted with pride and pleasure,
as it met the dark tiers of guns on either side,---
the circles of muskets and boarding pikes around
the masts---racks of cutlasses and pistols lining the
quarter-rail—and upon the gallant band of seamen
whom he had picked from his frigate for this expedition,
on account of their experience, fearlessness,
and fidelity.

Leaving the impatient lover on his pursuit of
retributive justice, we will precede him to the shores
of the Spanish main, toward which his vessel was
rapidly borne.

Noon held her burning sceptre over the southern
Carribbean sea, where our scene now opens, veiling
the tremulous outline of the distant hills of St. Martha
in a gauze-like haze, while the sun, in his high
tropical altitude, was reflected with dazzling brilliancy
in the glassy bosom of the waters.

There was not breath enough to toss a curl on
a maiden's brow. The surface of the ocean was
undimpled, and sleepily rolled its polished waves
towards a coral reef, dotted here and there with
clumps of low mangroves, upon which they broke
with a sudden roar—sometimes leaping quite over
them, and mingling with the calm waters of the lagoons,
which stretched between them and the beach
of the main land.

Beyond this reef, and nearly opposite to the St.
Domingo gate, rising and falling upon the swells
with a swan-like motion, a xebec, or three-masted
schooner rode at anchor. Every spar and line of
rigging was painted upon the water with the accuracy
of reality. Each mast consisted of a single
black stick, crossed obliquely by a long pliant yard,

[figure description] Page 151.[end figure description]

upon which was brailed closely up a lateen sail
suspended about half the altitude of the mast from
the deck. The hull, which was about ninety feet
long, was constructed with great breadth of beam,
and flush from stem to stern. Like her spars it
was painted black, with the exception of a narrow
ribbon of red paint drawn around it just below the
gunwale. From her unusual breadth amidships,
the eye would be deceived in estimating her tonnage
too large, but the extreme sharpness of her
bows more than qualified this unusual width, and
while it contradicted her apparent burden—promised
unusual speed.

Two large boats were lashed in the centre, and a
smaller one hung on each quarter. Directly amidships,
and just before the mainmast, on a revolving
carriage, was mounted a long gun, while in sockets
sunk in the frame-work around it were several
thirty-eight pound shot—a size proportioned to the
vast calibre of the piece. Besides this frowning emblem
of war---on either side of the vessel, and half
run out of the ports, which were thrown open for
free circulation of the air, were three cannon of different
calibre and metal---two of them being cast
out of brass and originally intended for heavy field
artillery, the others of iron, carrying eighteen and
twenty-four pound shot. The arms of Spain were
impressed on one, while the crown of Great Britian
and the eagle of the United States, were stamped in
bold relief upon the remainder.

The gun carriages were constructed of heavy
live oak, stained red, and rigged with chains and
cordage to keep them in their places. Bags and
hammocks were stowed away in the nettings in the
bulwarks, which were the height of a man's head
and impervious to musket balls. A forecastle, mainhatchway
and companion-way were the only passages
of communication between the main-deck and

[figure description] Page 152.[end figure description]

lower. Around the first were congregated, under a
canvass awning, spread from side to side of the vessel,
about a score of men, in whose harsh and varied
countenances a physiognomist might recognize individuals
of many nations. Although the dark
hair, gleaming eye, and full red lip of the Spaniard,
the swarthy cheek and inferior face of the Portuguese
showed what countries they most numerously
represented.

Some of these were enjoying a siesta after their
rude meal, which they had just shared together—
others were reclining in various easy and indolent
postures upon the deck, with segars between their
lips, laughing and jesting or playing tricks upon
their sleeping fellows. One was kneeling near the
windlass, muttering in a low tone, and lazily fingering
a string of black glass beads, held in his hands,
while one or two, with folded arms, paced moodily
and silently the little clean space under the awning
not occupied by their shipmates.

These men were dressed nearly alike, in blue,
checked, cotton, or canvass trowsers, bound round
their waists by a red, blue, or white sash—and without
shoes or stockings. Conical caps, of various
colours, in which red and blue predominated, were
worn upon their heads—lying beside them on the
deck, or thrust into their bosoms. Some of them
wore woollen shirts of the same colour of their caps,
with the sleeves rolled up, and fastened at the neck
with gold and silver buttons, or else thrown back
over their shoulders exposing broad shoulders and
Herculean chests. Every man was armed with a
long double-edged knife with a broad blade, stuck
without a sheath in his girdle, upon the haft of
which, as they slept, walked or conversed, their
hands mechanically rested. For, in a community
like theirs, where a hasty word is spoken at the
price of the blood of the speaker, it became

[figure description] Page 153.[end figure description]

necessary that each one should bear upon his person, at
all times the means of defence and offence.

Heavier weapons, in the shape of cutlasses and
pikes, stood around the masts, and in other convenient
places, ready for their grasp in the moment
of battle.

Under another awning, spread over the larboard
gang-way, and shading the space occupied by two
of the guns, was assembled another and larger
group, whose dress and mode of passing the sultry
hours of mid-day were similar.

On the opposite side of the deck, without the
shade, and in the sun, lay a negro upon his back,
with a grotesque expression upon his ungainly features,
playing with a monkey, which he held struggling
in the air, and who had been curtailed of his
natural and most ornamental appendage, whilst,
undoubtedly for the preservation of symmetry, his
ears had been shorn after the same fashion.

Half a dozen boys, white, black and yellow,
whose heads displayed all the varieties of carroty,
woolly, and strait black hair, were gathered about
him, their coal black eyes sparkling with glee.
Each of these neophytes to the trade of buccaneering,
was naked to the waist, from which depended
an apron, or a pair of loose trowsers, (abridged,) from
dimensions adapted to men of much larger growth.
Small, sheathed knives, which were stuck in the
belt, or string confining their lower and only teguments,
were oftener in use for malice or mischief,
than the broader blades of the men.

One of these youths, whose robes would have
required much enlargement to rival the primitive
fig leaf—was occupied in pricking, by way of practice
in his profession, the hams of the suspended
monkey; and delighting himself, and his particoloured
companions, in the contortions and yells of
the animal.

[figure description] Page 154.[end figure description]

Farther aft, was spread an awning, whose scolloped
edges, bound with some bright-red material,
indicated due consciousness of that superiority
which appertains either to the quarter-deck of a
ship of the line, or a pirate-schooner. Beneath this
gay awning reclined various individuals, whose
rank on board the schooner entitled them to protection
from the sun farther astern, than the other lessfavoured
occupants of the vessel.

From the stays, which on either side supported
the after or mizen-mast, was stretched, about three
feet from the deck, a hammock of net-work, in
which lay a heavily-framed man, whose breadth
of shoulders indicated great physical power, while
the rotundity of his short person betrayed the bonvivant.
His head was large, and covered with red,
bushy hair; his complexion, naturally fair, was now
changed to a jocund red; his eyes, small, deep set,
and gray—his forehead fleshy, and his cheeks full,
and hanging; while the lower portion of his face,
drooped into that second, and pleasing fulness,
which bears the appellation of “double-chin.” A
pair of white jean trowsers, enveloped his rotund,
lower limbs---while a loose gingham coat, was
wrapped partially around his body. His height,
or rather length, as he lay in the open hammock,
appeared less than five feet, and judging from the
lines of years which graced his visage, and an
occasional tuft of gray hair, interspersed in the
burning bush, which covered his phrenological
organs, his age might have been a little above forty-five
or six.

At the time we introduce him to the reader, he
was lying with his face upwards, and one leg hanging
out of the hammock, smoking a long fantastic
German pipe, and idly watching the little blue
clouds, as they circled above his head, rolled along
beneath the awning, and floated astern, into the

[figure description] Page 155.[end figure description]

outward air. A half-naked African waved over
him a large fan, made of the variegated feathers of
some gorgeous Mexican bird—whom he would
occasionally take his pipe from his mouth to curse,
for roughly blowing some more beautiful wreath,
which had won his eye---breaking into a host of
flickering clouds. The slave's skill, seemed to consist
in cooling the atmosphere around the head of
the smoker, without agitating the spiral wreaths
which were satisfactorily, and at regular intervals,
emitted from his large, vermillion lips.

On the deck, nearly under the hammock, reposed
two other figures, whose dress, and arms, which
they constantly wore, in connection with their
presence on the quarter-deck, indicated them to be
officers. A fourth figure, with dark and handsome
features, rendered unpleasing by an habitual, sinister
expression, with a form slender and athletic, calling
to mind one of the athletæ of ancient Greece---
with flowing white trowsers and loose gingham
frock, confined to his waist by a yellow silk sash---
which also secured pistols and a cutlass---leaned in
an easy attitude against the binnacle, his muscular
arms bared to the shoulder, and folded over his
breast, while the smoke of a segar curled unheeded
over his head. His eyes were habitually fixed
upon the northern horizon, visible between the
awning and the quarter rail, but without that consciousness
which indicated attention to any particular
object. All at once, they lighted up, and dilated,
while his brow was lowered over them, as though to
shade, and strengthen his vision---and with his head
and body advanced, he looked long and steadily,
towards one point of the horizon.

“Vat dat you shee, maat,” slowly interrogated the
corpulent personage in the hammock, as his eye, by
chance, detected the change in the attitude, and
manner of his officer. “No saail, mine Got---
heh!”

[figure description] Page 156.[end figure description]

“A sail, I believe it is, captain---my glass here,
you black imps---jump!” he cried, and the troop of
urchins, leaving the monkey in the midst of his
martyrdom, sprung for the campanion-way, but
were distanced by the sans-culotte, who the next
moment placed the spy-glass in the hands of the
officer.

“A schooner, with a gaft top-sail, and top-gallant
mast---I can just see the peak of her main-sail!”
he said, after looking a moment through the instrument.

“Heh! dat shall pe Mynheer, captain Lafitte---
to pe shure! shee if dere pe royals?”

“She has none set---I can't well make out her
spars at this distance---but she brings a breeze with
her, whoever she be! her upper sails belly out
like —,” and looked round at the corporeal curvature
of his captain for an illustration, with a sly
smile of Castillian humour.

“None of dat, Mynheer Martinez, you are put a
strait spar---vereas I'sh am always under full topshails,---
to pe shure. Tam dish hot climate---if haal
don't lay under dish tam Carribbean shee---den I'sh
neber ecshpect to shee it---it melts a maan down, like
trying out fat in de cook's kettlesh. Hugh, hugh,
hugh! it takes mine breat from out de body when
I'sh open mine mout, dis so tamn hot”—Puff, puff!---
“Dere! dat wash a purty curl, wid de ring in de middle
like de shmoke from de mout of de cannonsh,”
he exclaimed. Turning growlingly to the slave,
“Curse you, plack nigger, vat sall mak' you plow
in dis deble sortish style—I'll toss you ofer-poard to
mak' de breesh be coming—to pe shure.”

“I make her out now, distinctly,” said the first
officer---“she is a schooner of about seventy tons,
with fore-top-sail, and top-gallant-sail set. Caramba!
she is walking down this way with a bone in her
teeth.”

[figure description] Page 157.[end figure description]