Part of the goods
consist of produce of these parts--puncheons of rum and hogsheads of
sugar in any number. Then I see they have left a good many tons of
copper behind them; overlooked them, I suppose, in the hurry of
loading. A considerable portion of the stores consist of home
produce--cottons, cloths, silks, furniture, musical instruments,
mirrors, and, in fact, goods of all kinds."
"That is most satisfactory, Mr. Wylde, and we sha'n't have had our
trouble for nothing. Ah! here come the other boats."
As he spoke the pinnaces, long-boats, and cutters of the two ships of
war dashed into the harbor, and in a minute or two reached the
landing-place.
"So they gave you the slip as well as me, Chambers?" Captain Wilson
said.
"Confound them, yes. I was within about four miles of them at sunset,
but they both gave me the slip in the dark."
"Mine fairly outsailed me," Captain Wilson said. "I am afraid we have
made rather a mess of the affair; though we acted for the best, and I
don't see how we could have done otherwise. However. I have learned
that the brig and the schooner we have been chasing so long have made
straight for France, so that we shall have no more trouble with them.
The other brig, which only arrived two days before we chased the
others in here, has, it is believed, also gone off. So we shan't have
done so badly; for we can report that we have found out and destroyed
their nest here, and I fancy from what my lieutenant says we have made
a very valuable capture, enough to give us all a round sum in
prize-money.
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