Jamaica, to New York. We kept a bright lookout, all the way through
the passage, and yet struck, one morning just about day-light; and,
five minutes before, we had sounded without getting bottom. When it
cleared away, that we could see, there was two others like
ourselves. One was the ship John Parker, of Boston, and the other
was a 'long-shoreman. We had a valuable cargo on board, but the
craft wasn't hurt a bit; and if the skipper--who was a little
colonial man, not much acquainted with the judicial value of a
wrecker's services--had a' taken my advice, he wouldn't got into the
snarl he did at Key West, where they carried him, and charged him
thirty-six hundred dollars for the job. Yes, and a nice little
commission to the British consul for counting the doubloons, which,
by-the-by, Skipper, belonged to that great house of Howland &
Aspinwalls. They were right clever fellows, and it went into the
general average account for the relief of the underwriters' big
chest," continued the mate.

"We must have all hands ready at the call," said the Captain. "It
looks dirty overhead, and I think we're going to catch it from the
north-east to-night. If we do, our position is not as good as
before. I don't feel afraid of her, if we only get clear of this
infernal coast," said the Skipper, as he rolled up his chart, and
repaired on deck again.

During this time, Manuel, who, had given the crew some very
acceptable hot cakes for supper, was sitting upon the windlass,
earnestly engaged, with his broken English, recounting an adventure
he had on the coast of Patagonia, a few years previous, while
serving on board a whaleman, to a shipmate who sat at his left. It
was one of those incidents which frequently occur to the men