Upon this, the doctor gave him such a piece of his mind that the consul furiously commanded him to hold his peace, or he would instantly have him seized into the rigging and flogged.

There was no help for either of us--we were judged by the company we kept.
All were now sent forward; not a word being said as to what he intended doing with us.
After a talk with the mate, the consul withdrew, going aboard the French frigate, which lay within a cable's length.

We now suspected his object; and since matters had come to this pass, were rejoiced at it.

In a day or two the Frenchman was to sail for Valparaiso, the usual place of rendezvous for the English squadron in the Pacific; and doubtless, Wilson meant to put us on board, and send us thither to be delivered up.

Should our conjecture prove correct, all we had to expect, according to our most experienced shipmates, was the fag end of a cruise in one of her majesty's ships, and a discharge before long at Portsmouth.
We now proceeded to put on all the clothes we could--frock over frock, and trousers over trousers--so as to be in readiness for removal at a moment's warning.