as he was, I always thought, with
Falstaff, that "discretion was the better part of valour," especially in
a midshipman.

The men left in the boat got safe on board with her. The hands were all
ready, and the moment our oars splashed in the water they hove round
cheerfully, and the guns came galloping down the rocks like young
kangaroos. They were soon under water, and long before the Frenchmen
could get a cut at the hawsers. They then fired at them with their
muskets, in hopes of stranding the rope, but they failed in that also.
We secured the guns on board, and, before daylight, got under weigh, and
made sail for the fleet, which we joined shortly afterwards. I here
learned that my own ship had fought a gallant action with an enemy's
frigate, had taken her opponent, but had suffered so much, that she was
ordered home for repairs, and had sailed for England from Gibraltar.

I had letters of introduction to the rear-admiral, who was second in
command; and I thought, under these circumstances the best thing I could
do would be to "clean myself," as the phrase used to be in those days,
and go on board and present them. I went accordingly, and saw the
flag-captain, who took my letters in to the admiral, and brought out a
verbal, and not a very civil message, saying, I might join the ship, if
I pleased, until my own returned to the station. As it happened to suit
my convenience, I did please; and the manner in which the favour was
conferred disburdened my mind of any incumbrance of gratitude. The
reception was not such as I might have expected: had the letters not
been from people of distinction, and friends of the rear-admiral, I
should much have preferred remaining in the frigate, whose captain also
wished it, but that was not allowed.

To the flag-ship, therefore, I came, and why I was brought here, I never
could discover, unless it was for the purpose of completing a menagerie,
for I found between sixty and seventy midshipmen already assembled.
They were mostly youngsters, followers of the rear-admiral, and had seen
very little, if any, service, and I had seen a great deal for the time I
had been afloat. Listening eagerly to my "yarns," the youthful ardour
of these striplings kindled, and they longed to emulate my deeds. The
consequence was, numerous applications from the midshipmen to be allowed
to join the frigates on the station; not one was contented in the
flag-ship; and the captain having discovered tha