ll find the English names printed first, in the end of
the book."

"'The Hope, or _l' Esperance_,'" read the signal-officer; "'36, _lee
capitang dee frigate dee Courtraii_.'"

"A single-decked ship after all! This affair is as bad as the d----d
_nullus_, ashore, there. I'll not be beaten in learning, however, by any
Frenchman who ever floated. Go below, Locker, and desire Doctor Magrath
to step up here, if he is not occupied with the wounded. He knows more
Latin than any man in the ship."

"Yes, Sir Jarvy, but this is French, you knows, your honour, and is'nt
as Latin, at all. I expects she'll turn out to have some name as no
modest person wishes to use, and we shall have to halter it."

"Ay, he's catted his anchor, sure enough; if the figure be not Hope, it
must be Faith, or Charity."

"No fear of them, Sir Jarvy; the French has no faith, nor no charity,
no, nor no bowels, as any poor fellow knows as has ever been wrecked on
their coast, as once happened to me, when a b'y. I looks upon 'em as no
better than so many heatheners, and perhaps that's the name of the ship.
I've seed heatheners, a hundred times, Sir Jarvy, in that sort of
toggery."

"What, man, did you ever see a heathen with an anchor?--one that will
weigh three hundred, if it will weigh a pound?"

"Perhaps not, your honour, with a downright hanchor, but with sum'mat
like a killog. But, that's no hanchor, a'ter all, but only a kedge,
catted hanchor-fashion, sir."

"Here comes Magrath, to help us out of the difficulty; and we'll
propound the matter to him."

The vice-admiral now explained the whole affair to the surgeon, frankly
admitting that the classics of the cabin were at fault, and throwing
himself on the gun-room for assistance. Magrath was not a little amused,
as he listened, for this was one of his triumphs, and he chuckled not a
little at the dilemma of his superiors.

"Well, Sir Jairvis," he answered, "ye might do warse than call a council
o' war on the matter; but if it's the name ye'll be wanting, I can help
ye to that, without the aids of symbols, and signs, and hyeroglyphics of
any sort. As we crossed the vessel's wake, a couple of hours since, I
read it on her stern, in letters of gold. It's _la Victoire_, or the
Victory; a most unfortunate cognomen for an unlucky ship. She's a French
victory, however, ye'll remember, gentlemen!"

"That must be a mistake, Magrath; for Daly has shown an anchor, yonder;
and Victory carries no ancho