or five miles from the
land. The moon by this time being up, the bold and picturesque outlines
of this island, softened by the rains and wreathed in fleecy clouds,
presented a beautiful night-scene.

The sleeping town of Rousseau barely showed us the glimmer of a light,
and we passed but one coasting schooner. At 2 A.M., we were off the
north end of the island, but now heavy rain-squalls came up, and
rendered it so thick, that we were obliged to slow down, and even stop
the engine, it being too thick to run. The squall lighting up a little,
we endeavoured to feel our way in the dark; mistook the south for the
north end of Prince Rupert's Bay, and only discovered our mistake when
we had gotten fearfully near the shore, and had whitened our water!
Hauled her broad out, and again put her under very slow steam. The
weather now lighting up more, we put her under headway again, doubled
the island, and shaped our course E. by N. It was now 4:30 A.M., and I
went below and turned in. _Deo gratias._ Poor D., the quartermaster, I
had to depose him from his high office of night look-out this night. He
had been remarked for his keen vision by night; but on this occasion he
was so perturbed, that he saw a steamer bearing down upon him from every
direction--even magnifying small sloops into frigates. The evening of
this day was lovely, and I think I have never seen a more beautiful,
sedative, poetic, love-in-a-cottage landscape, than the valleys and
hills presented in which lies the town of St. Pierre. All these charms
were heightened by the presence of grim-visaged war. Our run took every
one by surprise--several of the officers had breakfast and dinner,
appointments for several days ahead. My crew seem to be highly delighted
at our success in "doing the Yankee;" but I am not sure that an old
boatswain's-mate, and a hard, weather-beaten quartermaster, who had
shaved their heads for a close fight, were not disappointed that it did
not come off.

CHAPTER VIII.

_Again at sea--Two captures--The Montmorency--The Arcade--Eastward,
ho!--The Vigilant taken--News from home--Dirty weather--The
whale--Ebenezer Dodge--In irons--A cyclone--The gale rages
--Fire!--Christmas day--No luck--The clank of the pumps--Cadiz_.

Once more afloat on the open sea; and at 4 P.M. of Monday November 25th,
a promising commencement was made in the capture of the fine ship
Montmorency, of 1183 tons, laden with Welsh coal for the English Mail
Packet