82 THE SEA. 



of the steward might yet be required. The females were afterwards ordered into the 

 cabin, and treated with great brutality. 



Whether Barbazan had any spark of humanity left in his bosom, or whether it was 

 a forgetfulness of the orders given to him by De Soto, caused by the wine he had taken, 

 is not known, but after a series of outrages, he contented himself by ordering his men to 

 fasten the women in the cabin, heap lumber on the hatches of the hold, and bore holes in 

 the ship below the water-line. This may seem strange mercy, but it left some chance, 

 if by any possibility any of those on board could get free and stop the leaks. His orders, 

 it will be remembered, had been to put all to death, as well as sink the ship. 



Whatever Barbazan's motives may have been, his course of action saved the ship, for 

 the women contrived to force their way out of the oabin, and release the men in the hold. 

 W T hen they came on deck they anxiously peered out into the darkness, and had the 

 satisfaction of seeing the pirate-ship, with all sails set, bearing away in the far distance. 

 Their delight was, however, somewhat checked when they found that the vessel had six 

 feet of water in her; but at length work at the pumps told, and the vessel was kept 

 afloat. Yet they were still in a helpless condition, for the pirates had sawn away the 

 masts and cut the rigging. Fortunately, however, they fell in with a vessel next day: 

 their troubles were over, and they were brought in safety to England. 



To return to De Soto. It was only next morning that he learned that the crew 

 and passengers had been left alive. This excited his utmost rage, and he declared that 

 now there could be no security for their lives. He determined to put back, but providentially 

 he could find no trace of the vessel, and at last he consoled himself with the belief that 

 she had gone to the bottom. He then set sail for Europe, and on his voyage met a brig, 

 boarded, plundered, and sank her, having first murdered the crew, with the exception of 

 one individual, whom he took with him as a pilot, as he professed to know the course to 

 Corunna. As soon as he had come within sight of that port, De Soto came up to the 

 unfortunate sailor, and said, "You have done your duty well, and I am obliged to you 

 for your services." He then immediately shot him dead, and flung his body overboard I 

 Polite and humane De Soto ! 



At Corunna he obtained papers under a false name, sold most of his ill-gotten spoils, 

 and set sail for Cadiz, where he expected to easily dispose of the remainder. The wind? 

 were favourable and the voyage good till he was actually in sight of the famed old 

 Spanish port, off which he arrived in the evening. He therefore determined to lay to, 

 intending to reach his anchorage in the morning, when the wind shifted, culminating in 

 a 'gale, which blew right on land. He exerted all his seamanship to weather a point that 

 stretched outwards, but his lee-way carried him towards the land, and the vessel became an 

 utter wreck. Soto soon arranged a plan. They were to pass themselves off as honest men 

 to the authorities of Cadiz ; Soto was to take upon himself the office of mate to an 

 imaginary captain, and thus obtain their sanction in disposing of the vessel. In their 

 assumed character the whole proceeded to Cadiz, and presented themselves before the proper 

 officers of the marine. Their story was listened to with sympathy, and for a few days 

 everything went on to their satisfaction. Soto had succeeded so well as to conclude the 

 sale of the wreck with a broker for the sum of one thousand seven hundred and fifty 



