"And so it did to most of us, Mr Simple; but there was one Dick Smith, mate of a transport, who had come on shore, and he steps out, saying, `I've been looking at your men handling that gun, and my opinion is, that if you gets a butt, crams in a carronade, well woulded up, and fill it with old junk and rope yarns, you might parbuckle it up to the very top.' So Captain Faulkner pulls out five doubloons, and gives them to him, saying, `You deserve the money for the hint, even if it don't succeed.' But it did succeed, Mr Simple; and the next day, to their surprise, we opened fire on the French beggars, and soon brought their boasting down. One of the French officers, after he was taken prisoner, axed me how we had managed to get the gun up there but I wasn't going to blow the gaff, so I told him as a great secret, that we got it up with a kite; upon which he opened all his eyes, and crying `_Sacre bleu_!' walked away, believing all I said was true; but a'n't that a sail we have opened with the point, Mr Simple?" It was so, and I reported it to O'Brien, who came up, and gave chase. In half-an-hour we were alongside of her, when she hoisted American colours, and proved to be a brigantine laden up to her gunwale, which was not above a foot out of the water. Her cargo consisted of what the Americans called _notions_; that is, in English, an assorted cargo. Halfway up her masts, down to the deck, were hung up baskets containing apples, potatoes, onions, and nuts of various kinds. Her deck was crowded with cattle, sheep, pigs, and donkeys. Below was full of shingle lumber, and a variety of different articles too numerous to mention. I boarded her, and asked the master whither he was bound. "Why," replied he, "I'm bound for a market--nowise particular; and I guess you won't stop me." "Not if all's right," replied I; "but I must look at your log." "Well, I've a notion there's no great objection to that," replied he; and he brought it up on deck. I had no great time to examine it, but I could not help being amused at the little I did read, such as--"Horse latitudes--water very short-- killed white-faced bullock--caught a dolphin, and ate him for dinner-- broached molasses cask, Number 1, letter A. Fine night--saw little round things floating on the water--took up a bucket full--guessed they were pearls--judge I guessed wrong, only little Portuguese men-of-war-- threw them overboard again--heard a scream, guessed it was a mermaid-- looked out, saw nothing. Witnessed a very strange rippling a-head-- calculated it might be the sea-serpent--stood on to see him plain, and nearly ran on Barbuda. Hauled off again--met a Britisher--treated _politely_."