86 



neighbouring- coast, While I endeavoured iri 

 the cabin to defend my own rights, and those 

 of the proprietor, I heard a noise upon the deck. 

 Something was whispered to the captain, who 

 left us in consternation. Happily for us, an 

 English sloop of war, the Hawk, was cruising 

 in those parts, and had made signals to the 

 captain to bring to ; which he not being prompt 

 to obey, a gun was fired from the sloop, and a 

 midshipman sent on board our vessel. He was 

 a polite young man, and gave me hopes, that 

 the boat, laden with cacao, would be given up, 

 and that on the following day we might pursue 

 our voyage. In the meantime he invited me 

 to accompany him on board the sloop, assuring 

 me, that his commander, captain John Gamier, 

 ©f the royal navy, would furnish me with better 

 accommodation for the night, than I should find 

 in the vessel from Halifax. 



I accepted these obliging offers, and was re^ 

 ceived with the utmost kindness by captain 

 Garnier, who had made the voyage to the north- 

 west coast of America with Vancouver^ and who 

 appeared to be highly interested in all J related 

 to him of the great cataracts of Atures and May- 

 pure, the bifurcation of the Oroonoko, and it's 

 communication with the Amazon. He named 

 to me several of his officers, who had been with 

 lord Macartney in China. I had not for a year 

 enjoyed the society of so many well-informed 



