"Left them behind busily preparing quarters for you and your contingent," answered Purchase.  "We have had a pretty lively time of it, I can tell you, since we left here this morning.  Searched both banks of the river for a dozen miles or more, exploring creeks in search of the gentry who attacked us from the river last night, and who undoubtedly put the savages up to the shore attack upon the camp, and eventually found them snugly tucked away in a big lagoon about twelve miles from here, the entrance of which is so artfully concealed that we might have passed it within a hundred fathoms and never suspected its existence.  Splendid place it is for carrying on the slave traffic; large open lagoon, with an average of about fifteen feet of water everywhere; fine spacious wharf, with water enough for ships to lie alongside; two spanking big barracoons; and a regular village of well- built houses; in fact, the finest and most complete slave factory that I've ever seen.  Well-arranged defences, too; battery of four nine- pounders; houses loop-holed for musketry; and a garrison of about a hundred of the most villainous-looking Portuguese, Spaniards, and half- breeds that one need wish to meet.  They were evidently on the look-out for us--had been watching us all day, I expect--and opened a brisk fire upon us the moment that we hove in sight.  Luckily for us their shooting was simply disgraceful, and we managed to effect a landing, with only two or three hurt.  But then came the tug-of-war.  The beggars barricaded themselves inside their houses, and blazed away at us at short range, and then, of course, our people began to drop.  But Perry wouldn't take any refusal; landed the boat guns, dragged them forward, and blew in the doors, one after the other, stormed the houses, and carried them in succession at the sword's point.  After that it was all plain sailing, but very grim work, doc, I can tell you; our people had got their blood up, and went for the Dagoes like so many tigers.  It lasted about a quarter of an hour after we had blown the doors down, and I don't believe that more than a dozen of the other side escaped.  Of course we, too, suffered heavily, and there are a lot of fresh cases waiting for you, but Murdoch is working like a Trojan.  And now I have come to fetch you and your contingent away out of this; there is a fine, big, airy house that Murdoch has turned into a hospital, where the wounded will be in clover, comparatively speaking; so, if you don't mind, we'll get to work at once and shift quarters before nightfall."