at present in a certain island, not very far away, I suppose, where there’s plenty of it, and deuced little botany, too, I imagine?” To this question of the old gentleman’s I gave nothing but a half stupid sort of stare, thinking as I was at the same time of something else I cared more about. “By Jupiter! though,” cried I on a sudden, “instead of heaving the ship to, I do believe we’ve set topmast-stu’nsails, judging from the way she pitches into the water; there’s the brig nearing the wind a point or two in chase, too;—why, the fellow that has charge of the deck must be mad, sir!” Next minute the fire out of one of her bow-chasers flashed out behind the blue back of a swell, and the sudden _thud_ of it came rolling down to leeward over the space betwixt us, angrily, so to speak; as the brig’s fore-course mounted with a wave, the sun shining clear on the seams and reef-points, till you caught sight of the anchor hanging from one bow, and the men running in her lee stu’nsail-booms upon the yardarms. The planter and I went on deck at once, where we found a fine breeze blowing, far out of sight of land, the Indiaman rushing ahead stately enough; while our young fourth officer appeared to have just woke up, and the watch were still rubbing their eyes, as if every man had been “caulking it,” after last night’s work. Even Mr Finch, when he came hastily up, seemed rather doubtful what to do, till the salt old third-mate assured him the brig was a British sloop-of-war, as any one accustomed to reckoning sticks and canvass at sea could tell by this time; upon which our topsails were clued up, stu’nsails boom-ended, and the ship hove into the wind to wait for the brig.