"An Irish pair," said I. "Two girls and a boy." "Hillo," I continued--"why, I only fired _two_ guns!" "Oh, pilgarlic goes for the rocket," cried my uncle, laughing--"but _there_ spoke your mother, you Patlander, you--_there_ shone out Kilkenny, Benjie. Oh dear, oh dear--two girls and a boy--old Pigwell's young wife brought to bed of--two carronades and a rocket--ha, ha, ha." We walked down to the counting-house together as lovingly as ever, but my star was now in the ascendant, for there we found Captain Jennings, who informed my uncle that he had been obliged that morning to land Mr Williamson, the clerk, who was about proceeding in charge of the expedition, in consequence of his having been taken alarmingly ill. This was most unfortunate, as the wind appeared on the eve of coming fair. "We shall have a breeze before next flood, that will take us right round the Head--I hope you won't detain us in the river, sir?" quoth Jennings. My uncle was puzzled what to do, as it so happened that none of the other youngsters at the moment in the employ had ever been away in such a capacity before; so I availed myself of the opportunity to push my request home, and it was finally fixed that forenoon that I should take Mr Williamson's place. A very old friend of my deceased father's, Sir Oliver Oakplank, was at this time the senior officer on the African coast, and as the time was approaching when, according to the usual routine of that service, he would be departing on the round voyage for Jamaica and Havanna, before proceeding to England to refit, it was determined, if I could arrange the lading of our ships in time, that I should take a passage with him, for the twofold object of seeing an uncle, by my mother's side, who was settled in Jamaica, and from whom I had expectations; and making certain speculations in colonial produce at Havanna.