take me ashore here on the Palisadoes, a narrow spit of land, not above one
hundred yards across, that divides the harbour from the ocean, and to haul
the canoe across, and take me to the agent's house in Kingston, who will
doubtless frank me up to the pen, where the admiral resides, and I shall
thus deliver the letters, and be back again by day--dawn."

"Not a bad plan," said old Deadeye; "put it in execution, and I will go
below and get the despatches immediately."

The canoe was once more hoisted out; the three black fellows, the pilot of
the ship continuing on board, jumped into her alongside.

"Had you not better take a couple of hands with you, Mr Treenail?" said the
skipper.

"Why, no, sir, I don't think I shall want them; but if you will spare me Mr
Cringle I will be obliged, in case I want any help."

We shoved off, and as the glowing sun dipped under Portland Point, as the
tongue of land that runs out about four miles to the southward, on the
western side of Port Royal harbour, is called, we arrived within a hundred
yards of the Palisadoes. The surf, at the particular spot we steered for,
did not break on the shore in a rolling curling wave, as it usually does,
but smoothed away under the lee of a small sandy promontory that ran out
into the sea, about half a cable's length to windward, and then slid up the
smooth white sand, without breaking, in a deep clear green swell, for the
space of twenty yards, gradually shoaling, the colour becoming lighter and
lighter, until it frothed away in a shallow white fringe, that buzzed as it
receded back into the deep green sea, until it was again propelled forward
by the succeeding billow.