An officer was sent to take our wishes, while the other sailors, with their captain and lieutenants, proceeded to pursue and exterminate the pirates. The fresh boats' crews being so eager in the chase that they knew nothing more about us than that some prisoners had been found. The captain, therefore, politely sent an officer to attend to us, with a message to say he was too busy to do so himself. We learnt from this officer that our captain's conjecture was quite true about the pirate vessel having been chased; and they knew well enough that, once seeing them, Capt. Bute would scour the sea in search of them.

They made for "Yr Ynys Unyg" as a last chance, knowing that few but themselves were aware that the great Anaconda was dead, and they trusted that the fear of it would prevent any one from landing on the island.

Their intentions were all frustrated by finding us all perched upon the rock, and it became a matter of policy to get rid of us somehow. They were unwilling to harm us at first, wishing to reap a golden harvest by claiming the rewards for our recovery; but our obstinacy in refusing to come down drove the pirate captain much beyond his own wishes. Had Capt. Bute's boats been half an hour later there would have been but little of our sad remains left. To his eagerness and skill in following the pirate vessel, and anchoring the Turtle side of the island under cover of the night, we, humanly speaking, owed our lives. May God be praised for all his mercies.

Madame and Smart were first to be considered. It was agreed they must both be taken on board the man-of-war for medical advice. I was to go with them, and Felix was to accompany me to attend on Smart. The rest were to be employed in making preparations for our final departure, besides getting La Luna ready for our once more taking possession of her.

But we had never been separated before for more than a few hours, and the leave taking was quite a business. So I promised to return in the evening, after seeing Madame and Smart comfortable and well cared for. We must talk over our joys as well as sorrows, and, hearing that there were some ladies and servants on board, I the more readily agreed to return. Madame was let down from the rock with great difficulty, utterly unconscious of anything but her own delicious thoughts.

In Turtle harbour, not a mile from our memorable bay, we found the ship, and it was with indescribable emotion that I climbed on to her deck. With the tenderness of women the kind sailors lifted up the invalids, while I was shewn down into the cabin to beseech the good offices of the ladies in it. There were two of them; one reclining on a sofa, hearing a little girl read, whose golden hair hung round her fair face, as the glory surrounds the cherubim; the other and oldest of the two was sketching from the cabin window. The lovely fair face of the recumbent one was raised as I entered.

Why did I start? Have I seen that face before, those calm clear blue eyes, the delicately-formed nose, the beautiful expression? Be calm, my heart, beat not so wildly. "Poor woman, she is ill, what is the matter with her?" said the lady at the window. I knew her too, so well, so perfectly, I wondered she could speak so calmly to me. I forgot my strange appearance, my island dress, my grizzled hair, and brow burnt by the ardent sun.

The younger lady gazed at me, but said nothing. "Pray be seated," said the sweet soft voice of the sketcher, "you look so ill, I will bring you some water." The other lady still gazed, was still silent, but she half rose from her sofa. I could not withdraw my eyes from the well-known face, but I grasped the kind hand that placed the chair for me, while my breath laboured under the convulsive swellings of my heart. "She must be one of the pirate women, and some of her people have been killed," said the elder lady. "Pray, Meta speak to her, and don't gaze at her so fixedly."

I tried to speak, it was impossible. I clung to the one sister, and held out my hand imploringly to the other. She sprang up, and rushed towards me. She pushed my hair from my forehead; her colour came and went like the evening clouds. "Oh, June, June, my sister, my beloved one, it must be you. I cannot be mistaken. I should know that face through every change. Speak to me, speak but one word, call me by my name, if only to ease my heart. My long-lost, my own sister, relieve me, relieve my bursting heart."

Faintly breathing the word "Meta," I remember no more. I sunk upon the ground, but I felt loved arms round me, and the bliss of heaven seemed to take possession of my senses. I awoke to the blessed reality my loving sisters were near me, they soothed me with sweet words, kissed me with sisters' kisses, asked nothing, said nothing but endearing sentences, and suffered my overburdened heart to relieve itself to the full.

The anxieties and cares of the past years, the fear and anguish of the last few days, rolled away like a dark cloud from my troubled brain, while peace, happiness, and rest flooded my heart to overflowing. The transition from utter misery to perfect bliss seemed too much for me at first; I had not felt until then the forlorn and hopeless state to which we had been reduced, and how death in its most dreadful form had nearly severed all I lived for from the earth they were so formed to enjoy and ornament. But, it is idle thus to write, joy does not often kill, so having seen our invalids well cared for, and introduced my lovely little savage boy to his aunts, my beloved sisters accompanied me back to my companions. We found the whole of the pirate gang secured, and going on board La Luna, ah! what joy. The surprise, the ecstasy, the happy welcome, the boundless joy, the innumerable questions. It is impossible to describe it.

We found we owed the meeting with our beloved relatives to the following circumstance:—After my brother's leave was up, and his ship's commission expired, instead of spending his time at home, he, with Sir Walter Mayton, chartered a vessel and determined between them to spend all the time his services were not required by his Queen in searching for us. My two sisters had begged to accompany them, one with her husband and children, and my eldest sister to be her companion. The Esperanza, their vessel, was something similar to La Luna, only larger and carrying six guns. They had been out six months, when, owing to the Esperanza requiring some little repairs, the party, consisting of my two sisters, Mr. J., and the children, accepted Capt. Bute's invitation to take a little cruise with him. He was in command of her Majesty's S. H., which had superseded my brother's ship on the piratical coast.

Accidentally coming across the pirates' vessel, Capt. Bute had given chase, and pursued her so sharply, that, under cover of the night, he had got the H. into safe anchorage on the lea side of the island without the pirates' knowledge. The rest of the tale has been told.