116 ADVENTURE WITH A PULLA-PEREE MAN. [1823. 



satisfied with this arrangement, bade me good night, and left me. I 

 soon after went on board the schooner ; and at eleven, P. M., called 

 the crew aft, and inquired what they had had while on shore. They re- 

 plied that they could not tell, for this fellow had kept them out in the 

 country in a state of senseless inebriation all the time they had been 

 on shore ; that he had shown them a written paper, purporting to be a 

 certificate from me that they might have their liberty while the vessel 

 was in port ; and that I had ordered him to let them have whatever 

 they wanted until she was ready for sea ! 



This candid statement of the delinquents confirmed what I had pre- 

 viously learned from the Spaniards respecting this man ; I therefore 

 at once determined not to submit to such a shameful imposition. But 

 knowing the imbecility of the civil authority, I concluded that it was 

 worse than useless to look for legal protection ; I therefore resolved to 

 leave the port during that night. Accordingly, at two, A. M., when a 

 light air sprang up from the south, I called all hands, muffled the palls 

 of the windlass, ran the anchor up to the bows, got out the sweeps, 

 and swept the vessel out of the harbour ; by which time it was day- 

 light, and a dead calm. 



August 22d. — A little after daylight I saw a boat coming round the 

 point, full of soldiers well armed, about thirty in number. Having ex- 

 pected the visit, I was fully prepared to receive them. All hands were 

 at quarters, the guns double-shotted with canister and grape, and all 

 the muskets and boarding-pikes were on deck. 



As soon as the boat came within hail, I ran up the star-spangled 

 banner, and demanded of them what they wanted. They immediately 

 lay upon their oars, while the pulla-peree gentleman assumed the 

 office of spokesman, and said he must have either his money or the 

 men who owed it. In reply, I reminded him of his villany, and that 

 we were now five miles from the port, with a legal clearance from the 

 custom-house ; assured him that I neither knew the party, nor w r ould 

 acknowledge any claims which they might pretend to have against the 

 AVasp ; that my men were under the protection of my guns and the 

 flag of my country ; and, finally, that if they advanced their boat's 

 length nearer to the schooner, the account would very quickly be settled 

 with hard, if not with precious metal. 



Suiting the action to the word, every gun was immediately pointed 

 for the boat. This manoeuvre was sufficient for our doughty assail- 

 ants. The word among them was instantly " Stern, all /" and they 

 lost no time in pulling to a respectful distance ; and no doubt con- 

 sidered themselves very fortunate in being permitted to return to the 

 shore in as good health as they left it. 



At about ten, A. M., we took a breeze from south -by- west, with fair 

 weather, when we shaped our course for the islands of St. Ambrose 

 and St. Felix. During this passage we were often surrounded by 

 sperm and right whales, porpoises, dolphins, bonettas, skipjacks, 

 sharks, and pilot-fish. 



August 25th. — On Monday, the twenty-fifth of August, at two, P. M., 

 we arrived at the island of St. Ambrose, and sent the boats on shore 

 in search of seal. They returned at seven, P. M., with eighty-seven 



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