We passed the latitude of
Cape St. Vincent yesterday evening, and we are now pretty well off the
coast of Africa. Nine out of ten of the ships we have seen were either
bound to the Mediterranean or on their way home. Now that we have
passed the mouth of the strait we shall not run across many sail."
"Where are we going to, then?" Ralph said.
"Well, I don't think there is any harm in telling you now, that we are
bound south, but how far is more than I know. I expect first we shall
go west and try and pick up some prizes among the islands, and after
that perhaps go round the cape and lie in wait for Indiamen on their
way home. You see, one of those ships is worth a dozen of these
Mediterranean traders, and one is not bothered down there as one is
between the strait and the channel with your cruisers and privateers;
they swarm so there that one can hardly fire a gun without bringing
them down on us. I don't suppose the captain would have meddled with
that Indiaman if it hadn't been that he thought the owners would be
pleased by a prize being sent in so soon. As to the bark, we were
obliged to take her to get a new mast. It would never have done to
have started on a long cruise with a badly-injured spar."
"But I should think it would be difficult to send home prizes from the
West Indies," Ralph said.
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