and beat her up to the rocks, in order to make a trial of its capacity.  It was just possible to take the sloop through in several places; but, in one spot, the rocks came too near together to admit of her being hauled between them.  The circumstances would not allow of delay, and to work everybody went, with such implements as offered, to pick away the rock and to open a passage.  By midnight, this was done; and the Martha was carried through into the bay beyond.  Here she stood off a short distance and anchored.  The governor went back to his own craft and moved her about a mile, being apprehensive of a boat attack in the darkness, should he remain where he was.  This precaution was timely, for, in the morning, after day had dawned, no less than seven boats were seen pulling down to the pirates, which had, no doubt, been looking for the schooner and the sloop in vain.  The governor got great credit for this piece of management; more even than might have been expected, the vulgar usually bestowing their applause on acts of a glittering character, rather than on those which denote calculation and forethought.

As the day advanced the pirates re-commenced their operations.  The delay, however, had given the colonists a great advantage.  There had been time to communicate with the Reef, and to receive the gun sent for.  It had greatly encouraged the people up at the town, to hear that their enemies were in the false channel; and they redoubled their efforts, as one multiplies his blows on a retreating enemy.  Pennock sent the governor most encouraging reports, and gave him to understand that he had ordered nearly all the men in from the out-posts, leaving just enough to have a look-out, and to keep the Kannakas in order.  As it was now understood that the attack must be on the capital, there was every reason for taking this course.

All the vessels were soon under way again.  The pirates missed the Martha, which they rightly enough supposed had gone ahead.  They were evidently a good deal puzzled about the channel, but supposed it must be somewhere to windward.  In the mean time, the governor kept the Anne manoeuvring around the shoal, in the hope of luring the ship on it.  Nor was he without rational hopes of success, for the brigs separated, one going close to each side of the sound, to look for the outlet, while the ship kept beating up directly in its centre, making a sinuous course towards the schooner, which was always near the shallow water.  At length the governor was fully rewarded for his temerity; the admiral had made a stretch that carried him laterally past the lee side of the shoal, and when he went about, he looked directly for the Anne, which was standing back and forth near its weather margin.  Here the governor held on, until he had the satisfaction of seeing the ship just verging on the weather side of the shoal, when he up helm, and stood off to leeward, as if intending to pass out of the cul-de-sac by the way he