Unaccustomed to the terrible effects of gunpowder in any large
quantities, they believed that something supernatural had occurred,
and many of them jumped into the peroquas and made sail, while the
remainder were confused, trembling, and panting, all huddled together,
on the beach. "You'll never take that fort, Mynheer Vanderdecken," screamed the
well-known voice. Philip raised his sword to cleave the little man in two, but he let it
fall again. "I fear he tells an unwelcome truth," thought Philip; "but
why should I take his life for that?" Some few of the Ternate chiefs still kept up their courage, but
the major part were as much alarmed as their people. After some
consultation, it was agreed that the army should remain where it was
till the next morning, when they should finally decide what to do. When the day dawned, now that the Portuguese fort was no longer
surrounded by the other buildings, they perceived that it was more
formidable than they had at first supposed. The ramparts were filled
with men, and they were bringing cannon to bear on the Ternate forces. Philip had a consultation with Krantz, and both acknowledged, that
with the present panic nothing more could be done. The chiefs were
of the same opinion, and orders were given for the return of the
expedition: indeed, the Ternate chiefs were fully satisfied with their
success; they had destroyed the large fort, the factory, and all the
Portuguese buildings; a small fortification only was uninjured: that
was built of stone, and inaccessible, and they knew that the report of
what had been done, would be taken and acknowledged by the king as a
great victory. The order was therefore given for embarkation, and in
two hours the whole fleet, after a loss of about seven hundred men,
was again on its way to Ternate. Krantz and Philip this time embarked
in the same peroqua, that they might have the pleasure of each other's
conversation. They had not, however, sailed above three hours, when it
fell calm, and, towards the evening, there was every prospect of bad
weather. When the breeze again sprung up, it was from an adverse
quarter, but these vessels steer so close to the wind, that this was
disregarded: by midnight, however, the wind had increased to a gale,
and before they were clear of the N.E. headland of Tidore, it blew a
hurricane, and many were washed off into the sea from the different
craft, and those who could not swim, sank, and were drowned. The sails
were lowered, and the vessels lay at the mercy of the wind and waves,
every sea washing over them. The fleet was drifting fast on the shore,
and before morning dawned, the vessel in which were Philip and Krantz
was among the rollers on the beach off the northern end of the island. In a short time she was dashed to pieces, and every one had to look
out for himself. Philip and Krantz laid hold of one fragment, and were
supported by it till they gained the shore; here they found about
thirty more companions who had suffered the same fate as themselves. When the day dawned, they perceived that the major part of the fleet
had weathered the point, and that those who had not, would in all
probability escape, as the wind had moderated. The Ternate people proposed, that as they were well armed, they
should, as soon as the weather moderated, launch some of the craft
belonging to the islanders, and join the fleet; but Philip, who had
been consulting with Krantz, considered this a good opportunity for
ascertaining the fate of Amine. As the Portuguese could prove nothing
against them, they could either deny that they had been among the
assailants, or might plead that they had been forced to join them. At
all risks, Philip was determined to remain, and Krantz agreed to share
his fate: and seeming to agree with them, they allowed the Ternate
people to walk to the Tidore peroquas, and while they were launching
them Philip and Krantz fell back into the jungle and disappeared. The
Portuguese had perceived the wreck of their enemies, and, irritated by
the loss they had sustained, they had ordered the people of the island
to go out and capture all who were driven on shore. Now that they were
no longer assailed, the Tidore people obeyed them, and very soon fell
in with Philip and Krantz, who had quietly sat down under the shade of
a large tree, waiting the issue. They were led away to the fort, where
they arrived by nightfall. They were ushered into the presence of the
Commandant, the same little man who had made love to Amine, and as
they were dressed in Mussulman's attire, he was about to order them to
be hung, when Philip told him that they were Dutchmen, who had been
wrecked, and forced by the King of Ternate to join his expedition;
that they had taken the earliest opportunity of escaping, as was very
evident since those who had been thrown on shore with them had got off
in the island boats, while they chose to remain. Whereupon the little
Portuguese Commandant struck his sword firm down on the pavement of
the ramparts, _looked_ very big, and then ordered them to prison for
further examination. Chapter XXXI


As every one descants upon the want of comfort in a prison, it is to
be presumed that there are no very comfortable ones. Certainly that to
which Philip and Krantz were ushered, had anything rather than the air
of an agreeable residence. It was under the fort, with a very small
aperture looking towards the sea, for light and air. It was very hot,
and moreover destitute of all those little conveniences which add
so much to one's happiness in modern houses and hotels. In fact, it
consisted of four bare walls, and a stone floor, and that was all. Philip, who wished to make some inquiries relative to Amine,
addressed, in Portuguese, the soldier who brought them down. "My good friend, I beg your pardon--"

"I beg yours," replied the soldier going out of the door, and locking
them in. Philip leant gloomily against the wall; Krantz, more mercurial, walked
up and down three steps each way and turn. "Do you know what I am thinking of?" observed Krantz, after a pause in
his walk. "It is very fortunate that (lowering his voice) we have all
our doubloons about us; if they don't search us, we may yet get away
by bribing." "And I was thinking," rejoined Philip, "that I would sooner be here
than in company with that wretch Schriften, whose sight is poison to
me." "I did not much admire the appearance of the Commandant, but I suppose
we shall know more to-morrow." Here they were interrupted by the turning of the key, and the entrance
of a soldier with a chatty of water, and a large dish of boiled rice. He was not the man who had brought them to the dungeon, and Philip
accosted him. "You have had hard work within these last two days?" "Yes, indeed! signor." "The natives forced us to join the expedition, and we escaped." "So I heard you say, signor." "They lost nearly a thousand men," said Krantz. "Holy St Francis! I am glad of it."