Under the Meteor Flag: Log of a Midshipman during the French Revolutionary War

by Harry Collingwood

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

  THE FRENCH FRIGATE.

  The gale lasted through the night and all next day, moderating aboutsun-down, however, sufficiently to allow of our setting our fore andmain-lugs close-reefed, and keeping away upon our course. The windcontinued to drop after that all through the night, the sea also goingdown rapidly; and next day we were able to shift our canvas, setting thelateens in place of the lugs; after which we bowled gaily along withoutfurther adventure, passing Ushant on the evening of the fourth day afterthe gale had blown itself out, and arriving at Spithead somewhat withinthe next forty-eight hours.

  The anchor let go, Smellie and I jumped into the gig, and, taking thedespatch-box with us, pulled ashore, landing at the Sally-port. Fromthence we proceeded, first to the admiral's office, and afterwards tothe "George" in High Street, where I ordered a post-chaise; and then thepair of us sat down to a hastily-prepared dinner while the carriage wasin process of fitting-out.

  In consequence of my representations to the admiral, he had ordered the"Vigilant" into harbour immediately, to refit and make good the slightdamage inflicted on us during the gale in the Bay of Biscay, and, whenthe post-chaise was announced, Smellie only remained long enough to seeme fairly under way, when he returned on board to take the little hookerinto harbour, and superintend the operation of refitting.

  It was not quite six p.m. when we shoved off from before the door of the"George," and dashed away up the High Street, and soon afterwards thechaise was bowling along at a spanking pace over the dry, white, dustyroad in the open country--the landscape flooded in the lovely goldenhaze of a fine summer evening, and the air heavy with the perfume offlowers and the sweet, health-giving smell of rich pasture-lands, longchestnut-avenues, and thick pine plantations. The mingled odours of thecountry--so different from the strong smell of the sea-breeze--the sightof the slanting sunbeams glancing through the boles and branches of thevenerable trees dotted here and there in clumps along the roadside; ofthe verdant hedges with their rich clusters of delicate dog-roses andtrailing honeysuckle or wild convolvulus; of the groups of sleek cattlefeeding in the fields, contemplatively chewing the cud under the shadeof some over-hanging tree, or browsing along the roadside; of the knotsof rosy, sun-tanned children playing about the village-roads or on thegreen, and turning to stand open-mouthed and stare at the chaise as wedashed past; of the pretty cottages nestling in a bower of greenery,each with its tiny flower-garden in front, and a thin wreath of bluesmoke curling up from its chimney into the still evening air; of thepicturesque villages, with their ancient church-spires pointingheavenward; and of the stately country-seats of the gentry, surroundedby noble trees, the growth of centuries, the deer clustered beneaththeir umbrageous branches, with their spacious flower-terraces and longavenues of limes, arching chestnuts, or venerable oaks, reaching fromthe house to the distant road, and terminating in snug little ivy-covered lodges and heavy ornamental iron gates with massive stone piers,moss-grown, and surmounted by time-worn and weather-stained stonesculptures of the arms of the family; the drowsy chime of the church-clocks; the barking of dogs; the lowing of cattle; the voices ofherdsmen or field-labourers singing as they wended their weary wayhomeward after the labour and heat of the day--the sound softened andmellowed by distance; all combined to render that journey one of themost pleasant and enjoyable I had ever undertaken, notwithstanding thepain and discomfort which I experienced from my wounded arm.

  The evening passed on; the lovely, silent twilight insensibly deepenedinto night; the stars twinkled forth, one by one, in the pure, clear,deepening blue overhead; the road gradually widened; the houses alongits sides became more and more frequent, the atmosphere thickened; thehorizon ahead grew luminous; lights appeared and rapidly increased innumber, soon they were glancing on both sides of us; a dull, heavy roarbecame audible, and finally, as the church-clocks were striking the hourof midnight, the chaise pulled up before the door of my uncle's house inSaint James's Square; and I had arrived in town.

  As the post-boy let down the steps and threw open the carriage-door forme to alight, I could see through the fanlight over the door that therewas a light in the hall, so I felt pretty certain that my uncle had notyet retired. I ran up the steps and gave the bell-handle a tug whichspeedily brought old Timothy to the door.

  "Has Sir Peregrine retired yet, Tim?" said I.

  "He has not, sir," replied the ancient, "but I much doubt if he will seeany one at such a late--Why, I declare, if it ain't Master Ralph! Comein, sir; come in. Sir Peregrine is in the libr'y. Won't he be glad tosee you, just! He's always looking through the paper to see if there'sany news of the `Juno,' or if your name is mentioned, sir. This is anunexpected visit, though, Master Ralph; I hope there's nothing wrong,sir."

  "Oh dear, no! quite the reverse I hope, Tim, my boy. I've been senthome with despatches. Now, lead the way to the library, if you please."

  This short confabulation passed in the hall while Tim was relieving meof my cloak and hat. He now preceded me to the library, at the door ofwhich he knocked, and then, flinging open the portal, he announced me.

  "Master Ralph, Sir Peregrine."

  I passed into the lofty apartment, its walls lined from floor to ceilingwith well-stocked book-shelves, and found the worthy knight seated inhis own particular old easy-chair, with one foot--ominously swathed inflannel--reposing upon another; his specs on his nose, and the gazettein his hand.

  He looked round with a start as my name was mentioned, shaded his eyeswith his hand for an instant, as his eyes fell upon my advancing figure,and then--forgetting all about his gout--started to his feet with bothhands outstretched.

  "Why, Ralph! My dear boy, where--_con_found this gout! It _always_attacks me at exactly the wrong moment--but never mind; what cloud haveyou dropped from?"

  "From no cloud at all, my dear sir, but just from an ordinary post-chaise, in which I have come up from Portsmouth. How are you, sir? Ihope you have nothing worse than the gout to complain of. Wish you werefree of _that_, for it must be very troublesome."

  "Troublesome enough, my boy, you may take my word for that; but thepresent attack is luckily very trifling--a mere fleabite, in fact. Andhow are you? You don't look particularly bright, rather the reverse,indeed; and what is the matter with your arm?"

  Thereupon I gave him a hasty outline of my story, so far at least as thecruise in the "Vigilant" was concerned; and then old Richards, thebutler, brought in the supper; serving it, by Sir Peregrine's orders, inthe library, so that we might not be disturbed or my yarn interrupted bypassing from one room to another.

  We sat until close upon three o'clock a.m., my uncle forgetting allabout bed in his anxiety to hear full particulars of my doings since Ihad last parted from him. At length, however, he glanced at the clockupon the mantelpiece, and at once pulled me up short.

  "There, there! that will do for to-night, my dear boy. I've forgotteneverything in listening to you, and have allowed you to talk all thistime instead of sending you straight off to your bunk, as I ought tohave done, and you with a broken arm, too. But I am delighted to haveheard all that you have told me--the gazette tells one nothing--and Ican afford you the satisfaction of knowing that your name has attractedattention in the right quarter; Sir James has spoken to me about you onmore than one occasion; and your promotion is certain. If you go on asyou have begun, Ralph, I predict that you will mount the ratlinesrapidly. Now, we will breakfast at ten o'clock, if that will suit you,and then I will go with you myself to the Admiralty with the despatches.My gout? Pooh! I'll lay a crown it will be gone by the time I turnout in the morning; and if it is not, it is not bad enough to keep me atanchor here when I can perhaps do you a good turn. I'll introduce youto Sir James; I should like him to see for himself the sort of lad youare. Now; good-night! Tim will attend to you. God bless you, my boy."

  I trundled off, Timothy leading the way with a light in each hand forthe room which I had formerly occupied, and, having undressed with t
heassistance of my somewhat garrulous attendant, tumbled into theluxurious bed, and immediately fell into a sound sleep.

  The arrangement of the previous night was duly carried out, SirPeregrine's gout having, as he had predicted, been merciful enough toafford him a respite.

  We drove to the Admiralty, and I sent in my despatch-box. My uncle alsosent in his card.

  Half an hour elapsed, Sir James happening to be engaged when we arrived,and then Sir Peregrine was admitted to the august presence. Anotherhalf-hour passed, at the expiration of which time I also was invitedinto the sanctum. My uncle introduced me; Sir James uttered a fewcomplimentary phrases upon my past conduct, informed me that "he had hiseye upon me," presented two fingers for me to shake, gave his entirehand to my uncle, and we were dismissed. As we passed through the outeroffice it was intimated to me that my presence would be required thereat noon next day.

  "That's a good job well over," ejaculated my uncle, as we once moreseated ourselves in the carriage and drove off. "You are in highfavour, let me tell you, my boy," he continued. "Lord Hood has referredto you in very flattering terms in his despatches, in connexion withthat hare-brained escapade of yours at Bastia; and Sir James has assuredme of the very great satisfaction with which he views your conduct, andhas promised moreover that he will take the earliest possibleopportunity to show his appreciation of it. Now, where shall we go? Isuppose you do not feel very much in cue for sight-seeing, with yourwounded arm, eh? Very well; then we'll drive to my tailor's--you want anew gang of rigging put over your mast-head badly, my boy, and thenwe'll go home and you shall rest a bit. I have a few friends coming todinner this evening; but you need not join us if you do not feel equalto it, you know."

  The "new gang of rigging" was duly ordered, and faithfully promised fornext day at noon--Sir Peregrine insisting upon its being charged to hisaccount--and then we returned to Saint James's Square.

  With the dinner-hour my uncle's guests arrived, some twenty in number;and, as I rather fancied the dear old gentleman would be glad if I werepresent, I put in an appearance. My suspicions were no doubt wellfounded, as it turned out that one of the guests was no less a personagethan my new acquaintance of the morning--the great Sir James himself.The old boy was a good deal less taut in the backstays than he had beenin the morning, giving me his whole hand to shake on this occasion.During dinner he addressed himself to me several times, puttingquestions to me with reference to our recent operations in Corsica--thathappening to be one of the topics of conversation; and after the mealwas over he invited me to haul alongside, and chatted with me quite halfan hour upon the same subject. Later on in the evening I happened tooverhear him remark to my uncle,--

  "Like your nephew, Portfire--am much pleased with him--promising youngofficer--very--smart and intelligent--seems steady too--shall keep myeye on him."

  Which, of course, was very gratifying.

  I drove to the office next day at noon, Sir Peregrine accompanying me,but this time he remained in his carriage while I went inside. Mydespatch-box was handed back to me, together with written orders--whichwere read over to me--to proceed without delay to Malta, there to handover the contents of the said box to Lord Hood. In the event of hislordship not being there, I was to search for and find him.

  "Well, Ralph, what news?" asked my uncle, as I rejoined him.

  "I must leave you at once, dear sir," I replied. "I have orders to sailforthwith for Malta, with these despatches. I had hoped they would havegiven me time to run down home, if only for a few hours; but all that isquite knocked on the head. As it is, I shall not be able to enjoy aboveanother hour of your society, uncle, for I must start for Portsmouthwithout a moment's delay."

  "Ah!" remarked Sir Peregrine, "I anticipated this, from a remark whichSir James let fall last night, and I have so far provided for it that wecan start in an hour's time. I feel so much better that I shall rundown with you. We will post down in my own carriage, and after I haveseen you fairly off, I will look in upon your father and spend a day ortwo with them on my way back to town. I shall then be able to tell themall about you."

  I tried to dissuade the old gentleman from undertaking so fatiguing ajourney, but, having once made up his mind, there was no moving him fromhis purpose; and accordingly, having partaken of a good substantialluncheon, we started away about two p.m., and, after a pleasant,uneventful journey, reached Portsmouth a few minutes before eighto'clock in the evening.

  We put up at the "George;" and, after ordering dinner, walked down tothe harbour, and soon made out the "Vigilant," anchored about a quarterof a mile away. The tide was still flowing a little; so, jumping into awherry, we were soon alongside.

  I found Smellie on board, and all hands, including a strong gang ofdockyard workmen, still busy, late as it was, putting the finishingtouches to the repairs. The provisions, water, and other stores hadbeen shipped during the day; but the boat, to replace the one destroyed,would not be ready until the next morning.

  My uncle had been trotting round, giving the little craft a thoroughinspection, during the time I had been engaged with my junior, andexpressed himself as being much pleased with her handsome model. Whenwe were ready to return to the shore he proposed that we should takelittle Smellie with us; and we accordingly all three trundled over theside into the shore-boat, which we had detained--leaving Hardy tosuperintend the finishing touches--and rowed down the harbour again inthe light of a beautiful, clear full moon.

  Sir Peregrine was in high spirits that evening at dinner; he said itreminded him of his young days to be down there once more, and hecompletely unbent from his usual stateliness, so that we spent a mostdelightful evening, turning in about midnight.

  I awoke early next morning, and, having roused out my second in command,we walked down to the dockyard to hurry the people up with the new boat,which they were just finishing off.

  We returned to the hotel to breakfast at eight o'clock; and by ten a.m.,having completed all my business on shore, we once more chartered awherry, and went on board, my uncle accompanying us. On reaching the"Vigilant" I found that the new boat had been delivered and was hoistedin, the dockyard gang was clear of the ship, and everything was readyfor an immediate start. I accordingly gave the word to unmoor, and inanother quarter of an hour we passed out of the harbour with a nicelittle breeze from about N.N.E.

  My uncle remained on board until we were abreast of Cowes, when heordered the wherry--which had been towing astern--to be hauledalongside. The "Vigilant" was hove-to; my uncle shook hands with littleSmellie, slipped a five-pound note into the hand of Chips, thecarpenter's mate, for the crew to drink my health, and then, taking ahasty but most affectionate leave of me, hurried over the side into thewherry, seized the yoke-lines, and bade the boatman make sail forPortsmouth Harbour. We at once filled away again; and two hoursafterwards passed through the Needles.

  Nothing worthy of note occurred until we were half-way across the Bay ofBiscay, when, about four bells in the forenoon watch of a mostdelightful day, with a moderate breeze from the westward, and a verylong swell, but no sea, the lookout man aloft reported a sail broad onour lee bow.

  I was in the cabin at the time, reading.

  "What does she look like?" inquired Smellie, who had the watch.

  "I can only see the heads of her fore and main-topgallantsails," repliedthe man, "but I believe she is a frigate, sir."

  Smellie came to the open skylight and spoke down through it:--

  "I say, Chester, if it's not troubling you too much, will you hand me upmy glass, please? It is in the beckets, just inside the door of myberth. Here's a strange sail to leeward, and I want to take a squint ather."

  I found the telescope, and carried it on deck myself. Master Haroldslung it over his shoulder, and in another minute was perched on thelong tapering yard of the lateen mainsail.

  "What do _you_ make her out to be?" I hailed him, after he had givenher a careful overhauling for some three or four minutes.

  "
A frigate, without doubt," he replied, his glass still levelled at her."I can see her mizzen-royal-mast, with the yard across. Her sails arenot large enough for a line-of-battle ship. Ha! she has hove in stays.Round she comes, smartly too. Why, she is setting her royals! Surelyshe can't be coming after us?"

  "As like as not," returned I. "If we can see her, she can see us; andas a craft of our rig is a rather unusual sight just about here, it isnot improbable that her skipper may wish to learn a little more aboutus. What is she--English or French, think you?"

  "I believe she is French," was the reply. "I had a good look at hercanvas as she hove about, and it appeared to me to be decidedlyFrenchified in shape."

  We were already hugging the wind as closely as was possible, and hadevery possible inch of canvas spread; so we could do nothing but standon as we were going, and await the course of events.

  Her sails rose rapidly above the horizon for the first hour or so, butafter that, as we brought her more _on_ our quarter, they began to sinkagain. When about abeam of us, the stranger hoisted the tricolour ather gaff-end, fired a gun, and showed a signal from her main-royal mast-head, of which we could make nothing. We, however, hoisted the Frenchflag also, and left them to make the best they could of it. After thefirst signal had been flying some time, it was hauled down, and anothersubstituted, but with no better luck than before, and it was soon hauleddown.

  "She is after us, for a guinea," said I.

  "Ay, ay, nae doot o' that," quoth the old quarter-master; "but she'll nocatch us the gait she's ganging the noo. This is oor ain weather, and Iwad like brawly to see the _freegate_ that can beat us wi' nae mair windthan this. Yon Frenchman wad gie a hantle o' siller to see the breezefreshen, but it'll no do that yet awhile."

  The frigate stood on until she was well upon our weather quarter, bywhich time the heads of her topgallantsails were just visible from thedeck, when, to remove any doubt that might have remained as to herintentions, she once more hove in stays and stood after us.

  I went below and looked anxiously at the barometer; it was perfectlysteady. I then returned to the deck and keenly scrutinised the sky; itwas covered with patches of thin fleecy cloud which allowed the sun toshow through, with broad patches of clear blue sky between; and thebreeze was just fresh enough to curl the tops of the wavelets over intiny flecks of foam, and to heel the "Vigilant" until our lee covering-board was just awash, with the clear, sparkling water occasionallywelling up through the lee scuppers. It was, indeed, as old Sandy hadremarked, the weather in which the little "Vigilant" stepped out to thegreatest advantage, and I had very little fear of any square-riggedvessel being able to overhaul us so long as matters remained _in statuquo_. I knew that we were sailing a good couple of points nearer thewind than was the Frenchman astern, and I believed we were going throughthe water nearly if not quite as fast as he was. By two bells in theafternoon watch the craft had dropped to leeward until she was a coupleof points on our lee quarter, but she had certainly risen us a little,for by standing on the weather-rail I could see the heads of hertopsails.

  Matters remained in pretty much the same state for the rest of the day,excepting that our pursuer gradually tagged away farther and farther toleeward, until he was broad upon our lee quarter. Toward sun-down,however, the breeze began to freshen, and our pertinacious companionsoon showed us how great an advantage this was to him, by the way inwhich he drew up on our lee beam.

  When I went below to tea, I found that the barometer had fallen alittle, and by the time that I had finished the meal and regained thedeck, we were jerking through a short, choppy head-sea, with our leebulwarks half-buried in the foam which hissed past our sides, the fore-deck drenched with the continuous heavy shower of spray which flew inover our weather bow, and our long yards swaying and bending as thougheach had been a fishing-rod with a lively salmon at the end of the line.I began to feel rather anxious, for the sea which the freshening breezehad knocked up was very detrimental to _our_ speed, while upon thefrigate, owing to her vastly superior power, it had little or no effect.

  Night at length fell. There was no moon, and the stars were partiallyobscured by the patches of cloud which covered the sky. I began to hopewe were going to have a dark night, under cover of which we might giveour pursuer the slip. As the darkness closed down upon us, and justbefore she vanished in the gloom, I took her bearings with the greatestaccuracy. She had by this time crept up to within a couple of pointsabaft our lee beam, and from our deck the upper halves of her topsailswere visible. I allowed half an hour to elapse, and then tried to findher with my night-glass. To my great disappointment, I did so withoutmuch difficulty; and, what was worse, she was fast drawing up abreast ofus.

  It was by this time as dark as it was likely to be, so I resolved toheave about at once, in hope that we might execute the manoeuvreundetected, and so give the Frenchman the slip. We accordingly tacked;and as soon as we were fairly round, and the sheets, etcetera, coileddown, I had another look for her. Presently the small dark patch swaminto view, as I carefully swept the horizon at the point where I knewher to be, and, to my disappointment, it showed much shorter thanbefore. She also had tacked.

  "Umph!" I muttered, "their night-glasses are as good as my own,apparently."

  I began to see a French prison looming in the distance; for, from therapidity with which she had tacked, and the manner in which,notwithstanding our superior weatherliness, she was overhauling us, Iknew that our pursuer must be an exceedingly smart ship, and her skipperwas acting like a man who had all his wits about him.

  All our lights were of course most carefully masked--a tarpaulin beingthrown over the cabin skylight, and a seaman's jacket over the binnacle,the helmsman steering by a star.

  We stood on thus for about a couple of hours after tacking, and I wasseriously debating in my mind the possibility of giving the Frenchmanthe slip by lowering away all our canvas and then running to leewardunder bare poles, my eyes resting abstractedly upon a brilliant planetbroad upon our weather bow, which was just on the point of dipping belowthe horizon, when suddenly the said planet vanished. I took no noticeof this until it as suddenly reappeared in the space of a few seconds.

  "Another sail, by all that's complicating!" I ejaculated.

  "Another sail! Where away, sir?" exclaimed Hardy, who was standingbetween me and the helmsman.

  "Just to the southward of that bright planet on the horizon, broad onour larboard bow," said I, as I levelled my glass. "Ah! there she is.Another frigate, by the look of her--hull up, too."

  "Phew!" whistled Hardy; "that's rather awk'ard; she may pick us out anyminute. But perhaps she's English, sir. You don't often see two Frenchships so close together as this here. Can you see her pretty plain,sir?"

  "Not very," I replied. "But I fancy there's an English look about her."

  "Let _me_ take a squint at her, sir."

  I handed him over the glass, and he took a good long look at her.Suddenly he handed the glass back to me.

  "She's English, sir! I'll take my oath of it!" he exclaimed. "She'sthe `Amethyst,' that's what she is. I knows her by the way her fore-topmast and topgallant-mast is looking over her bows. There ain'tanother ship afloat as has got such a kink in her foremast as the`Amethyst,' and that's her, sir, as sure as I'm Tom Hardy."

  "Are you _quite_ certain?" I inquired. "Do not speak rashly becausethe consequences may prove serious to us. If you are _positive_ aboutthe matter, I will signal him and turn the tables upon our friendastern."

  "Let me take another look, sir."

  I handed over the glass, and he took another long look at her.

  "Fire away with your lanterns, sir, as soon as you like," said he."I'll stake my liberty that yon craft is none other than the `Amethyst.'She's a twenty-eight; but her skipper is man enough to give a goodaccount of Johnny, I'll be bound."

  "Then rouse out the lanterns, and let's make the private signal," saidI. "But instead of hoisting them at our peak, where the Frenchma
n willsee them and perhaps suspect something, haul the staysail down, get ablock well up on the fore-stay, and we will run them up there; our sailswill then hide them from the craft astern."

  So said, so done; we showed the private signal, and in less than aminute it was properly answered, upon which we telegraphed the news thata French frigate was about ten miles astern in chase of us.

  Our signal was duly acknowledged; and immediately afterwards the"Amethyst"--for she it was--bore up.

  I now looked for the French frigate, to see if I could observe anythingto show that they had seen the English frigate's signal lanterns; butshe was still carrying on upon the same tack, and, as I judged that sheand the "Amethyst" were about seventeen miles apart, I hoped that thelights had escaped her notice.

  In about twenty minutes the "Amethyst" passed us, a mile to windward,and apparently steering a course which would run her slap on board theFrenchman in another half-hour. There was not a light to be seenanywhere about her; but for all that I knew that her crew were wideawake and busy. She was running down under courses, topsails, spanker,and jib, her topgallant-yards down upon the caps, with the sails clewedup, but not furled; royals stowed.

  "_Now_ we shall see some fun shortly," exclaimed Smellie, in high glee--he having got an inkling that something out of the common was toward, inthat mysterious way in which people _do_ learn such things on board asmall ship, and had accordingly come on deck. But he was mistaken foronce, if by the term _fun_ he meant a frigate action; for old Clewline,the skipper of the "Amethyst," was too seasoned a hand to do anythingrashly. He ran down, his ship as dark as the grave, until he hadattained a position about two miles dead to windward of our pursuer,when he hauled up and showed the private signal at his gaff-end. TheFrench frigate immediately edged away about four points and showed somelanterns, but they were not a reply to the "Amethyst's" signal; soClewline tried another--to make quite sure of avoiding any mistake.This was not answered at all; on the contrary, the Frenchman hauled downhis lanterns and wore short round, crowding sail at the same moment;whereupon the "Amethyst" also bore up again and--Clewline must have hadhis men aloft all the time, ready for the emergency--as she squared awayin chase, we saw her stunsails fluttering out to their boom-ends on bothsides. We then tacked and resumed our original course once more,heartily thankful for our escape, and chuckling mightily at the thoughtof the trap Johnny Crapaud had run his nose into. In less than half anhour afterwards we lost sight of both ships.

  We reached Gibraltar without further incident, and failing there toobtain any intelligence as to Lord Hood's whereabouts, we filled up ourwater and sailed again for Malta the same evening. We had a splendidbut perfectly uneventful run from the Rock, a westerly wind and fineweather prevailing during the whole trip.

  On our arrival at Malta I learned that the "Victory" was lying at Genoa,and thither we accordingly went, picking up on the way a small Frenchschooner from the Levant, laden with fruit. We were over three weeks onthe passage, having an alternation of calms and strong head-winds tocontend with; so that I was heartily glad when we at length foundourselves in port, and the _mud-hook_ down.

  The "Juno" was also there, and, on delivering my despatches and makingmy report, I was ordered to give up the command of the "Vigilant" to thesenior mid belonging to the "Victory," and to rejoin my own ship. This,of course, I at once did; and I was not at all sorry to get back oncemore among my old shipmates, from whom I had been separated for so longa time.

  I had not left the "Victory" many minutes before the signal was made forour skipper to repair on board the flag-ship. His boat was stillalongside that craft when I went up over the "Juno's" side with mytrifling belongings; but by the time that I had stowed them away and hadfound my way on deck, Captain Hood was back again on board his own ship,and in conference with the first lieutenant in the former's cabin. Itwas not long before the first luff reappeared--with such a delightedexpression upon his face that we at once felt certain he had heardpleasant news, and very soon it came out that I had brought, among mydespatches, the order for the "Juno" to return home and pay off.

  "Hurrah for old England!" was now the cry; everybody was in the highestof spirits, for there was literally nothing to do but up anchor andaway, which was promptly done, so that I scarcely spent half a dozenhours in the port of Genoa, the "Juno" sailing on the evening of the dayon which the "Vigilant" had arrived.

  We were nearly a month in reaching as far as Gibraltar; but aftergetting fairly through the Gut and round Saint Vincent we made shortmiles of it, the girls having taken hold of the tow-rope, as Jack says,and eventually arrived at Spithead without the occurrence of anycircumstance worth recording. The ship was paid off next day, and I wasenabled to return once more, after an absence of nearly two years, tothe paternal roof.