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with whom Great Britain was then at war. In his secure asylum Nicolas enjoyed the first happy moments he had experienced for a long time past, and being a lively good-humoured little fellow, and one that touched the guitar and sung sequidillas with a tolerable grace, he soon recommended himself to his ship mates, and grew in favour with every body on board, from the captain to the cook’s mate.
When they were out upon their cruize, hovering on the Spanish coast, it occurred to Nicolas, that the Inquisitor-general at Madrid had told him of the expected arrival of the president of Quito, and having imparted this to one of the lieutenants, he reported it to the captain; and as the intelligence seemed of importance, he availed himself of it, by hawling into the track of the homeward-bound galleons, and great was the joy, when at the break of the morning the man at the mast-head announced a square-rigged vessel in view. The ardour of a chase now set all hands at work; and a few hours brought them near enough to discern that she was a Spanish frigate, and seemingly from a long voyage: little Pedrosa, as alert as the rest, stript himself for his work, and repaired to his post in the cockpit, whilst the thunder of the guns reeled incessantly over his head; three cheers from the whole crew at length announced the moment of victory, and a few more minutes ascertained the good news, that the prize was a frigate richly laden from the South Seas, with the governor of Quito and his suite on board.
Pedrosa was now called upon deck, and sent
