[Sidenote: Jan. 13.] Having been on salt grub for more than a month, sent pinnace into Quitta for bullocks and water, intending to return in a day or two. Stood to the eastward. [Sidenote: Jan. 14.] At daylight found ourselves close off Little Popoe, in which lay three suspicious-looking vessels. _El Liberal_, master Don Francisco Gonzalo, was a fine brig of 160 tons, mounting two guns, with a crew of twenty-six men. She was not quite ready for her slaves, having still part of her trading cargo on board. The _Dulcinea_, a small schooner of 81 tons, and crew of 18 men, appeared to be perfectly ready for taking her slaves on board. She, too, was a rakish American-built craft. Her Captain, Don Fernando Penez, was on shore. The third, the _Louisa_, was a pretty brigantine of 120 tons, carrying a crew of 24 men, commanded by Don Juan Fanara Amez. She appeared nearly ready for a start. Having examined each vessel, we ran along the coast to Quitta and fresh beef. About twelve miles to the westward of Little Popoe, a large canoe came off to offer the services of the owner, a Caboceer, an independent chief. He sported over his house a large white flag with a Dutch head to it. The coxswain of the boat, who brought off his master’s gold stick of office for a bottle of rum, informed us that the slave schooner _Dulcinea_, at Popoe, would embark between 200 and 300 slaves, and that she would get under way at 3 P.M., and was cruising about to see if the coast was clear. At 6 o’clock she was to embark her slaves. I promised the fellow, in case of capture, $20 for his information. In the evening we boarded a Brazilian polacca brig belonging to the same owners as one of the slave vessels we had already examined. But though not fitted for slaves, she brought from Bahia that sort of cargo generally used in the purchase of them. [Sidenote: Jan. 16.] On arriving off Quitta, we found the _Dos Amigos_, whose Captain had been kind in lending his canoes to get off our fresh provisions, and before our arrival accommodated the officers and stewards with beds. The only return we could make for his courtesy would be to capture him when he had embarked his slaves. We found here a Portuguese who called himself “John Thomson,” speaking English, ready to give any information respecting slave vessels. Having given him full directions and a promise, hoisted boats in and stood out to sea as if going off the coast, and then proceeded off Little Popoe to watch the movements of the _Dulcinea_. On the afternoon of the appointed day we were all anxiety. The weather was hazy, but we kept well in the offing, and at 5 P.M. bore up for the land. Just at sunset observed through the haze a sail to leeward. We made sail, and were closing with chase when dark claimed her.