an ignorant, obstinate man, who had
been nearly all his life in the coal trade.
Soon after leaving Port Royal, we encountered
strong north-easterly winds,
accompanied by a heavy swell from the
eastward. Mr. Lumsden consulted me as to
whether he should ply for the windward, or
bear up for the leeward passage. Not
wishing to incur any responsibility, I
replied that the windward passage might
protract the voyage, but that the leeward
would expose us to the risk of being
trapped by pirates. Without much
consideration he decided on the latter course.
We therefore steered for the Great
Caumanos, but, the vessel sailing heavily,
and the winds being unusually light, we
did not reach those islands till the fourth
day. The natives came out to us in canoes,
and we purchased a few parrots, some
turtle, and a quantity of curious and
rich-coloured shells. Thence, we steered
for Cape Saint Antonio, the south-west
point of the island of Cuba, speaking by
the way a schooner from New Brunswick
that had for six days been struggling for
the windward passage. On the following
morning we made the Cape, wind light and
weather fine; the breezes, too, freshened
and became more favourable. At daylight
on the following morning we discovered
two sail ahead, standing the same course,
and, the day being clear, we took a good and
leisurely observation of the sun's altitude.

At two o'clock, while walking on deck
in conversation with Captain Cowper, I
discovered a schooner standing out
towards us from the land. She struck me as
so suspicious, that I immediately went up
aloft, with a telescope, to con her over more
closely. I was convinced she was a pirate.
I told Cowper so, and we decided to at
once call Mr. Lumsden from below. We
were at this moment about six leagues from
Cape Roman, which bore south-east by east.
The obstinate fool Lumsden refused,
however, to alter his course, supposing that,
because he bore the English flag, no one
would molest him.

In about half an hour we could see that
the deck of the schooner was black with
men, and that she was beginning to lower
her boats. This alarmed Mr. Lumsden,
who now ordered the course to be altered
two points; but it was too late, the
stranger being already within gun-shot.
In a short time we were within hail, and
a voice in English ordered us fiercely to
lower our stern boat and send the
captain on board. On our not complying, the
pirate fired a volley of musketry. Mr.
Lumsden was now paralysed with terror,
and gave orders to lay the main yard
aback. A boat put off from the pirate, and
nine or ten ferocious ruffians armed with
muskets, knives, and cutlasses, boarded the
Zephyr. They at once took charge of the
brig and drove Captain Cowper, Mr. Lumsden,
and myself, into their boat with blows
from the flat part of their sabres. In his
frightened haste Mr. Lumsden left the books,
which contained the account of all the money
on board, open on the cabin table.

The pirate captain ordered us on deck
immediately on our arrival. He was a man of
uncouth and savage appearance, tallish and
stout, with aquiline nose, high cheek bones,
a big coarse mouth, and very large staring
eyes. His complexion was sallow, and his
hair was black. In appearance he much
resembled an Indian. His father, I afterwards
heard, was a Spaniard, and his
mother a Yucatan squaw. On learning
from us that the vessels ahead were French
merchantmen, he gave orders for all hands
to chase. He asked Mr. Lumsden, in broken
English, what our cargo was. He was told
that it consisted of sugars, rum, coffee,
arrowroot, and dye woods. He then asked
Mr. Lumsden what money he had on board?
On being told none, he broke into a satanic
rage.

"Don't imagine that I am fool, sare," he
said. "I know all Europe vessel have
specie. If you give up what you have,
you shall go on your voyage safe and free.
If not, I'll keep the Zephyr, throw her
cargo overboard, and if I find one doubloon,
Demonio! I will burn her, with every
sacred soul on board."

Towards night, the breeze dying away,
the captain relinquished the chase, and gave
orders to shorten sail and stand towards the
Zephyr. After supper, when spirits had
been served out to our boat's crew, the
captain turned to me, and, to my infinite
horror, told me that, as he was in a bad state
of health, and none of his sailors understood
navigation, he should detain me to help
navigate the schooner. I pretended that I was
married, and had three children and aged
parents anxiously expecting me home. But
I appealed to a monster devoid of all feeling,
who, when Lumsden begged not to be
deprived of my services, savagely replied:

"If I do not keep him, I shall keep
you."

Lumsden, with tears in his eyes, privately
turned to me and entreated me not to beg
off, or he himself would be taken. He had