Cambiaso immediately sent an order for the mate to be sent off to the E. Cornish in one of the shore boats, accompanied by three or four of his soldiers, as guards. This was in the evening; and after he left, I was visited by several of the officers, and at last by Cambiaso himself. I fancied I saw some anxiety amongst them, with regard to the mate’s proceedings. They were so ignorant of all that pertained to navigation, that I believe they thought it possible for one man to navigate a vessel by himself, and had some idea that the mate’s request to go on board was part of a concerted plan between us, by which he could make his escape, and bring succor to the other prisoners. The next morning the wind shifted, and blew directly in shore very fresh, with a heavy sea. Cambiaso at once ran up a flag on the flag-staff, as a signal for the boat to return to shore. I was walking on the platform at the time, and saw her leave the vessel, with four men in her; but the distance was too great for me to distinguish whether or no the mate was among them. As the boat neared the shore, and got among the breakers, I could see that she was rowed very unsteadily, as if by landsmen. Suddenly she was capsized, and the men in the water. Three of the men struggled to the shore, but the fourth was drowned. He never rose after the first struggle. As the remainder came into the barracks, I pressed eagerly forward, to see if my fellow prisoner was with them, and learned that he had remained on the brig. The circumstance of his remaining, added to their half formed suspicions, and during the rest of that day, I was obliged to calm the hourly increasing excitement, by assuring each new visitor to my prison, that the mate was doubtless doing his best to make the brig hold to her anchors; that it was not yet safe for him to leave her, and so forth. That evening, to my great relief, he made his appearance, and I immediately gave him his cue as to what account he should give of his delay. I felt, however, that I had run a great risk, which nothing but the strongest necessity should make me incur again. During the third week in December, I had frequent visits from Cambiaso and Garcia, during which they questioned me very closely in regard to my knowledge of navigation, sometimes turning to the English mate, and comparing his answer with mine. They asked what I knew of the navigation of the Straits; and would often seem to be cross-examining me with regard to the lay of the shore, and the appearance of the headlands. I took advantage of their visits, to beg for more indulgence to my crew, who were still shut up in the crowded place where they had first been put, and deprived of almost the necessaries of existence; but it was evident, from Cambiaso’s answers, that he had not yet determined what course to take with regard to us.