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But the temporary relief that we had hoped for was only an exchange of tormentors: our new assailant, the horse-fly, or bull-dog, ranged in the hottest glare of the sun, and carried off a portion of flesh at each attack. Another noxious insect, the smallest, but not the least formidable, was the sand-fly known in Canada by the name of the brulot.
"Un brûlot! un brûlot! a fire-ship!" exclaimed twenty voices together, the horror that mingled in the cries proclaiming the extent of a danger which is, perhaps, the most terrific that seamen can encounter. But the voice of Raoul Yvard was not among them. The moment his eye caught the first glimpse of the flames he disappeared from the bowsprit. He might have been absent about twenty seconds.
But the temporary relief that we had hoped for was only an exchange of tormentors: our new assailant, the horsefly, or bulldog, ranged in the hottest glare of the sun and carried off a portion of flesh at each attack. Another noxious insect, the smallest but not the least formidable, was the sandfly known in Canada by the name of the brulot.
All the prisoners were put into one great boat, and in another of the biggest they placed all the women, plate, jewels, and other rich things: into others they put the bales of goods and merchandise, and other things of bulk: each of these boats had twelve men aboard, very well armed; the brulot had orders to go before the rest of the vessels, and presently to fall foul with the great ship.
Among the rest, one said to Captain Morgan, "Take you care for the rest, and I will undertake to destroy the biggest of those ships with only twelve men: the manner shall be, by making a brulot, or fire-ship, of that vessel we took in the river of Gibraltar; which, to the intent she may not be known for a fireship, we will fill her decks with logs of wood, standing with hats and montera caps, to deceive their sight with the representation of men.
"Is there, then, no danger that the brûlot will yet come down upon us she is fearfully near!" "Not sufficiently so to do us harm; more especially as our sails are damp with dew. Here she cannot come so long as our cable stands; and as that is under water where she lies, it cannot burn. In half an hour there will be little of her left, and we will enjoy the bonfire while it lasts."
Let us turn now to the subject of the smudge, known in Lower Canada as LA BOUCANE. The smudge owes its existence to the pungent mosquito, the sanguinary black-fly, and the peppery midge, LE MARINGOUIN, LA MOUSTIQUE, ET LE BRULOT. To what it owes its English name I do not know; but its French name means simply a thick, nauseating, intolerable smoke.
"It matters not, dearest the fact must come out in some way or other, and in due time you shall know all. And now, Messieurs" the door closing on Ghita "there need be no further concealment between us. I am Raoul Yvard the person you take me for, and the person that some of you must well know me to be. I fought your boats, Monsieur Cuffe avoided your brulôt, and led you a merry chase round Elba. I deceived the Signor Barrofaldi and his friend the podest
Cependant comme les Chefs s'entre-regardent, & qu'aucun ne veut paroitre se donner une superiorite qui puisse piquer la jalousie, ils se menagent dans les Conseils plus que les autres; & quoiqu'ils en soient l'ame, leur politique les oblige a y parler peu, & a ecouter plutot le sentiment d'autrui, qu'a y dire le leur; mais chacun a un homme a sa main, qui est comme une espece de Brulot, & qui etant sans consequence pour sa personne hazarde en pleine liberte tout ce qu'il juge a propos, selon qu'il l'a concerte avec le Chef meme pour qui il agit."
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