League Key (called by the chart Key Largo), about thirty or thirty-five leagues from Trinidad.  After this strange conduct they began examining my papers by a Scotchman who went by the name of Nickola, their sailing master.—­He spoke good English, had a countenance rather pleasing, although his beard and mustachios had a frightful appearance—­his face, apparently full of anxiety, indicated something in my favor; he gave me my papers, saying “take good care of them, for I am afraid you have fallen into bad hands.”  The pirates’ boat was then sent to the Exertion with more men and arms; a part of them left on board her; the rest returning with three of my crew to their vessel; viz., Thomas Young, Thomas Goodall, and George Reed—­they treated them with something to drink, and offered them equal shares with themselves, and some money, if they would enlist, but they could not prevail on them.  I then requested permission to go on board my vessel which was granted, and further requested Nickola should go with me, but was refused by the captain, who vociferated in a harsh manner, “No, No, No.” accompanied with a heavy stamp upon the deck.  When I got on board, I was invited below by Bolidar, where I found they had emptied the case of liquors, and broken a cheese to pieces and crumbled it on the table and cabin floor; the pirates, elated with their prize (as they called it), had drank so much as to make them desperately abusive.  I was permitted to lie down in my berth; but, reader, if you have ever been awakened by a gang of armed, desperadoes, who have taken possession of your habitation in the midnight hour, you can imagine my feelings.—­Sleep was a stranger to me, and anxiety was my guest.  Bolidar, however, pretended friendship, and flattered me with the prospect of being soon set at liberty.  But I found him, as I suspected, a consummate hypocrite; indeed, his very looks indicated it.  He was a stout and well built man, of a dark, swarthy complexion, with keen, ferocious eyes, huge whiskers, and beard under his chin and on his lips, four or five inches long; he was a Portuguese by birth, but had become a naturalized Frenchman—­had a wife, if not children (as I was told) in France, and was well known there as commander of a first rate privateer.  His appearance was truly terrific; he could talk some English, and had a most lion-like voice.

Tuesday, 18th.—­Early this morning the captain of the pirates came on board the Exertion; took a look at the cabin stores, and cargo in the state rooms, and then ordered me back with him to his vessel, where he, with his crew, held a consultation for some time respecting the cargo.  After which, the interpreter, Nickola, told me that “the captain had, or pretended to have, a commission under General Traspelascus, commander-in-chief of the republic of Mexico, authorizing him to take all cargoes whatever of provisions, bound to any royalist Spanish port—­that my cargo being bound to an enemy’s port, must be condemned;