the feelings of his readers, he would extract one or 

 two instances of these atrocities. But, for the pre- 

 sent, he will refer them to pages 1 89 and 1 93 of the 

 history of the Bucaniers. It was written by an 

 Englishman, who, with a proper regard to 'the ho- 

 nour of his countrymen, being, as usual, unwilling 

 that they should lose the credit of being pre- 

 eminent even in wickedness, makes the following 

 characteristic remark in his preface. " A bolder 

 race of men, both as to personal valour and conduct^ 

 certainly never yet appeared on the liquid element ; 

 and 1 hope it will be taken neither for an affront 

 nor a compliment, to say the English were alw ays 

 the leading and prevailing party among them." 

 The author cannot descend to make any defence 

 to the charge implied in the supposed resemblance 

 betw een his character and that of the English hero. 



The first specified offence directly laid to his charge, 

 is that of speaking " disrespectfully" of the troops 

 and fortifications of Port Praya. To this he has no 

 defence to offer, except that he said nothing but what 

 was strictly true. Setting aside the authority of 

 Cook's Voyages, and the author of lord Macartney's 

 Embassy to China, the writer will refer to a narra- 

 tive of a more recent date, and from the pen of a 

 British Naval Officer. It fully justifies all that 

 Capt. Porter says, and in fact presents a picture, so 

 entirely similar, and in words so much alike, as 

 almost to justify a suspicion of plagiarism on the 

 part of Capt. Porter, had not he been fortunate 

 enough to precede Capt. Tuckey in his publication. 



" The fortifications," says Capt. Tuckey, " con- 

 sist of what is here called a Fort, but which an 

 Engineer would be puzzled to describe ; and a line 

 facing the Bay, of sixteen old iron guns, within a 

 demoHshed parapet wall." On the several hiffh 



