We must leave the Harpy to make the best of her way to Toulon, and now follow our hero.
The cutter's crew knew very well that Jack was acting contrary to orders, but anything was to them a change from the monotony of a man-of-war, and they, as well as Mesty, highly approved of a holiday.
It was, however, necessary that they should soon proceed to business, for they had but their allowance of bread and grog for one day, and in the vessel they found nothing except a few heads of garlic, for the Spaniards coasting down shore had purchased their provisions as they required them.

There were only three prisoners on board, and they had been put down in the hold among the beans; a bag of which had been roused on deck, and a part put into the kettle to make soup.

Jack did not much admire the fare of the first day--it was bean-soup for breakfast, bean-soup for dinner, and if you felt hungry during the intervals it was still bean-soup, and nothing else.
One of the men could speak a little Lingua Franca, and the prisoners were interrogated as to the vessels to windward.

The ship was stated to be valuable, and also one of the brigs.

The ship carried guns, and that was all that they knew about them.