The commander was a calm-tempered man, accustomed to disappointment, or he might have joined with some of the younger officers in their expressions of disgust at having lost the picaroon. Lieutenant Foley tried to look unconcerned when the commander at length expressed his intention of standing across to the Jamaica coast, touching at different places to ascertain what was going forward on shore.
As the wind was favourable the Champion was not long in making the land. A small bay marked as Peyton’s Cove on the chart lay directly abreast of her. The commander, heaving the ship to, sent his second lieutenant with a boat to try and ascertain from any of the people in the neighbourhood what was going forward, that he might direct his course accordingly. A fisherman’s hut appeared not far off from where he landed, and the lieutenant made his way towards it. The door was closed, but Mr Foley, on listening, heard a loud snore from within. He knocked.
“Ki! who are you? What you come for?” asked a gruff voice.
“Open the door, my friend, and I will tell you,” answered the lieutenant; “but bear a hand, for I am in a hurry.”
The door was speedily opened, and a stout, well-fed negro appeared.
“Beg pardon, Massa Osifer,” exclaimed the man, who had evidently been taking his midday sleep after the labours of the morning, for he stood blinking his eyes as the bright light shone on them; “what you want?”
“I want to know what is going forward in the country; and if you cannot inform me, pray say where I can find some one who can, for I see no dwelling-houses hereabouts.”
“Oh, massa, bad, berry bad. De black slaves great rascals. Dey say dat dey murder all de garrison at Fort Maria, and kill de white buckras eberywhere.”
“That is indeed bad news,” observed Mr Foley, scarcely believing the man.
“It true news too,” answered the fisherman in a positive tone. “If you wish to know, go on along de road up dere, on de top of de hill to de right, and dere you find a house, and de people tell you what happen, if dey alive; but me tink all de people dead by dis time, seeing dat dere troats were cut last night.”