In the morning we loaded the canoe with one hundred and forty-one half barrels of flour, and twenty half barrels of pork and mackerel, and two hogsheads filled with firkins of butter. The canoe had a large quantity of other freight on board before she come alongside of the Allen. After delivering all the goods consigned to Mr. Craig, I sold Mr. Montaudevert thirteen hundred and forty dollars' worth of goods consigned to myself, on a credit of ninety days, and took his note, payable in gold dust, at two hundred and fifty dollars per pound, or Spanish dollars, at my option. Mr. Montaudevert told me if I returned there in the Allen next voyage he would ship on board of her on freight, thirty thousand dollars' worth of dust. This may show the reader that gold dust has been gathered in that region for many years; and if that country was as well searched as California is at this day, no doubt many beds of that valuable ore might be found. I remained in Chagres eight or ten days, selling goods from the vessel at retail at good prices. Having four hogsheads of rum and brandy on board, which I found was a contraband article in that government, I entered them at the custom house for exportation, and afterwards sold them to an American captain, who agreed to meet me a few miles at sea, out of the jurisdiction of that government, where I delivered them and received my pay. The river Chagres is navigable for small vessels about half a mile inside of the bar, which has about eleven feet of water on it at full tide. The town contains about fifty huts, called houses, built after the model of the Indians. The inhabitants are called Samboes, being a mixture of native Indian, Negro, and white blood. They are a very indolent, harmless, and inoffensive race; and their customs and manners are much like the native Indians. I got under weigh and proceeded a few miles to sea, when I found the vessel lacked ballast, so we ran into Porto Bello and purchased a few tons of fustic, which put her in good sailing trim, when we shaped our course back towards the Island of St. Andreas, where I took Mr. Henry T. Smith, and his return cargo on board, consisting of four hundred pounds of tortoise shell, and five or six thousand dollars in gold and silver, which he had collected for the owners of the Allen. We soon got under weigh and shaped our course for New-York. As my little schooner was a fast sailor, pilot-boat model, I beat to the windward, hoping to get sight of the Island of St. Domingo and sail through the windward passage. After a few days we succeeded in obtaining sight of that Island and sailed along under the lee of it; keeping a bright look-out for suspicious looking vessels. Knowing that my vessel had been taken from the pirates, I was fearful that some of the former gang who once had possession of her might capture me, when I could not expect anything but immediate death. [Illustration: Schooner Renegade firing into the Schooner Allen.]