--Only sugar," said I, still fishing;
"too bulky, I suppose.--Ariel, Jenkins Whitehaven;" remark--"sugar,
coffee, and logwood. Nuestra Senora de los Dolores, to sail for
Chagres on 7th proximo;" remark--"rich cargo of bale goods, but no
chance of overtaking her." "El Rayo to sail for St Jago de Cuba on the
10th proximo;" remark--"sails fast; armed with a long gun and musketry;
thirty hands; about ten Spanish passengers; valuable cargo of dry goods;
mainmast rakes well aft; new cloth in the foresail about half--way up;
will be off the Moro about the 13th.--And what is this written in ink
under the above?--The San Pedro from Chagres, and Marianita from Santa
Martha, although rich, have both got convoy.--Ah, too strong for your
friends, Obed--I see, I see.--Francis Baring, Loan French, master--an
odd name, rather, for a skipper;" remark--"forty seroons of cochineal
and some specie; is to sail from Morant Bay on 5th proximo, to go
through the windward passage; may be expected off Cape St Nicolas on the
12th, or thereby." I laid down the paper and looked him full in the
face. "Nicolas is an ominous name. I fear the good ship Francis Baring
will find it so. Some of the worthy saint's clerks to be fallen in with
off the Mole, eh? Don't you think as I do, Obed?" Still silent. "Why
you seem to take great delight in noting the intended departures and
expected arrivals, my friend--merely to satisfy your curiosity, of
course; but, to come to close quarters with you, captain, I now know
pretty well the object of your visiting Jamaica now and then you are
indeed no vulgar smuggler.
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