Page:History of Nicolas Pedrosa, and his escape from the Inquisition in Madrid.pdf/14

 low, and one that touched the guitar, and ung equidillas with a tolerable grace, he oon recommended himelf to his hipmates, and grew in avour with every body on board, from the captain to the cook's mate.

When they were out upon their cruize, hovering on the Spanih coat, it occured to Nicolas, that the Inquiidor General at Madrid had told him of the expected arrival of the Preident of Quito; and having imparted this to one of the lieutenants, he reported it to the captain, and, as the intelligence eemed of importance, he availed himelf of it, by hawling into the tract of the homeward bound galleons, and great was the joy, when at the break of the morning, the man at the mat-head announced a quare-rigged veel in view. The ardour of a chace now et all hands to work, and a few hours them near enough to dicern that foe was a Spanih frigate, and eemingly from a long voyage. Little Pedroa, as alert as the ret, tript himelf for his work, and repaired to his pot in the cock-pit, whilt the thunder of the guns rolled inceantly overhead: three chears from the whole crew at length announced the moment of victory, and a few more minutes acertained the good news that the prize was a frigate richly laden from the South Seas with the Governor of Quito and his uite on board.

Pedroa was now called upon deck, and ent on board the prize, as interpreter to the firt lieutenant, who was to take poeion of her. He found every thing in confuion, a deck covered with the lain, and the whole crew in conternation at an event they were in no degree prepared for, not having received any intimation of a war. He found the officers in general, and the paengers without exception, under the mot horrid impreions of the