speronara

"That's what they call a speronara in these parts, sir," answered Bowse;

The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

Away hurried the two happy youngsters, without casting another thought on the speronara.

The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

As soon as the boat, which was full of armed men in the picturesque costume of Greek sailors, came alongside, Caramitzo turned to the padrone of the speronara: --

The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

The padrone of the speronara would have expostulated, but the Greek cut him short, and intimated that, as just then his will was law, if he did not consent with a good grace, he would be compelled to do so -- pointing at the same time to the boatload of desperadoes alongside.

The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

As the speronara drew near, a boat was lowered from the brig and manned, and now came alongside.

The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

The speronara would, on a near inspection by a nautical eye, appear somewhat different to the general run of vessels of her rig and build.

The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

Now, sir, if there is any credit to be placed in the letter we got last night, and in the account the two Sicilians who came on board gave us, and in the warnings we got at Malta, we are likely to fall in with a brig which is no better than she should be, and which is in connection, some way or other, with that same speronara.

The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

The orders were obeyed, and the speronara ran off again before the wind towards the brig, with which she had communicated, and the head of whose topsails were just seen above the horizon.

The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

Now, although under ordinary circumstances, he would not have given the two vessels a second thought; yet coupling the events of the previous day, and the mysterious warning they had received, he could not help thinking that one was the speronara; the other the brig with which she was in communication, and which she wished to persuade them was an Austrian man-of-war.

The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

It took a couple of hours before the speronara hove to close to her, by which time the day was almost over.

The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847