raised for the widows of
those who perished. She, knowing less about him than her sister-in-law
did, accepted his offer. He assured her also that he had made every
inquiry for Emily and the little boy, but could not trace in what
direction they had gone. It was remarkable that all the information she
obtained about the wreck of the _Royal George_ was from her cousin, and
he seems thoroughly to have won her confidence by his apparently frank
and pleasing manners.'"

"Such was the account I received from Mr Pengelley. I wish I could
tell you more; but I cannot help thinking that something will come of
it, and you may depend on me for doing my best to ferret out the truth,
as I think you may also on my good brother-in-law. Good-bye for the
present, Ben; I don't know whether it will be wise to tell this to your
young friend."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought the matter over, and at last resolved to make a copy of the
letter, and to give it, sealed up, into Harry's keeping. I did so,
charging him not to open it, except in the case of my death.
Recollecting Susan's natural curiosity to know the contents of the
letter, and also in case the original and the first copy should be lost,
I made a second, which I sent on shore at Falmouth, charging Susan not
to show it to anyone. I also wrote to Jerry, thanking him for his
exertions, and begging him to send Susan all the information he could
collect.

We had been at sea some time, and had taken a French privateer and three
Spanish merchantmen, though we had met with no enemy which offered
opposition. We were cruising in the Bay of Biscay, when one evening,
Cape Ortegal bearing south-west, distant eight or nine leagues, we
discovered a large fleet to windward, which our captain believed
consisted of Spanish merchant vessels under convoy of some men-of-war.

"We will pick up some of those fellows before long," he exclaimed; and
we stood towards the enemy. As we drew near we made out five frigates
and two men-of-war brigs, with full eighty merchant vessels, steering to
the northward, having apparently come from Cadiz. In spite of their
number, our captain kept to his resolution of attacking them, and stood
on till we weathered the leading frigate, which was ahead and some
distance from the convoy. The darkness of night had come on when we got
up alongside the enemy. Our captain hailed and asked her name. The
answer