ommander Israel Pellew, had been
through the American War of Independence while they were midshipmen; the
latter had lately joined us as a volunteer. We sailed again on the 17th
of June on a cruise. When nearly abreast of the Start we stood out for
the southward, in the hopes of falling in with one of the two frigates
we had chased into Cherbourg. We were about six leagues from the Start,
when the look-out from the masthead hailed--

"A sail on the starboard beam."

This was as we were standing to the south-east. You may be sure that we
at once bore up in chase, under all sail. The stranger, as we got
nearer, was seen carrying a press of canvas, as we fancied, to get away
from us. We came up with her, however, and by the evening made her out
to be no other than the _Cleopatre_, one of the frigates of which we
were in search. Finding that she could not escape, even if she intended
to do so, she hauled up her foresail, and lowered her topgallant-sail,
bravely waiting for us. The men were at quarters, and the officers at
their stations, while the captain conning the ship stood at the gangway
with his hat in his hand. We were close up to each other and not a shot
had been fired; the French captain hailed, when our captain cried out--

"Ahoy! ahoy!"

On which our crew gave three hearty cheers, and shouted--

"Long live King George!"

"Reserve your fire, my lads, till you see me put my hat on my head,"
cried our captain; "then blaze away and thrash the Frenchmen as soon as
you can."

The word was passed along the deck, and all hands eagerly looked out for
the signal.

The Frenchmen tried to imitate our cheer, but made a bad hand of it.
Captain Mullon, as we afterwards heard was his name, the commander of
the French frigate, was seen holding the red cap of liberty in his hand,
and making a speech to his crew, on which they all sang out at the top
of their voices, _Vive la Republique_, and one of the sailors, running
up the main rigging, secured the red cap to the masthead. We stood on
till our foremost guns could bear on the starboard quarter of the enemy.

The French captain held his hat, like our captain, in his hand. They
bowed to each other, when ours was seen to place his on his head. It
was the looked-for signal. At that instant we opened fire, which the
Frenchmen were not slow in returning. We were running before the wind,
within rather less than hailing distance of the Frenchman, who was on
our