I ought to explain, perhaps, that a polacca is a vessel with three short masts, without tops, caps, or cross-trees to the upper yards. A xebec is a small three-masted vessel used in the Mediterranean; and a galliota is a vessel with one mast, and has from sixteen to twenty seats for rowers. This sort of vessel is very useful for piratical purposes, as it can be propelled at a fair speed by means of oars when the weather is calm, which is impossible with a ship of the ordinary build of England or the United States. As the piratical craft always carry plenty of men they can use the oars to great advantage.
We got to Marseilles without trouble, though our convoy left us when we were just within sight of land. It was fortunate that we did not encounter a French fleet while on the way from Gibraltar to Marseilles, else we might have lost our convoy and been left to take care of ourselves.
Ordinarily, when either the French or the English ships ventured out of port at that time they went in fleets of considerable size, for the double purpose of offense and defense. Several ships together could make themselves reasonably sure of capturing any straggling vessel of the enemy; and in case of attack by an enemy's fleet they might possibly cut some of the ships off singly, even though the enemy's fleet was stronger than their own number. I presume it was in order to avoid drawing an attack from the French that our British convoy turned away at the time he did. Moreover, there was little chance that the Algerine corsairs would venture very near the French coast for fear of capture, and therefore we were fairly safe.
We sold our cargo to good advantage at Marseilles, and very quickly obtained a return one. As soon as we could make ready after our cargo was completed, we hauled out of Marseilles and headed for the Straits of Gibraltar.
ESCORTED BEYOND DANGER.--DAILY WORK ON SHIPBOARD.--WE SAVE A BOATFULL OF CASTAWAYS.--HOW WE FOUND THEM.
"We're in for it now," said the captain, "and must take our chances. We'll hug the Spanish coast pretty closely, and if they press us hard we may have to take refuge in some of the ports of Spain. It's lucky for us, there's a fairly good number of them,--Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Cartagena, Malaga, and several others. We will stop at Gibraltar, and perhaps we may find a British man-of-war sailing out of that port by the time we're ready to start."