f us, for it obviated the necessity
for the introduction of strangers among us, while we felt that promotion
had gone to the right persons, namely, those who had actually earned it.
It is true that, short as our acquaintance with him had been, we were
all exceedingly sorry to lose Mr Adair, but our sorrow in this respect
was quite counterbalanced by our pleasure in the knowledge that he
thoroughly deserved his promotion, and that one more ship's company
would be made happy under the rule of a good captain. In this
connection I must not omit to mention that, thanks to the highly
favourable report that Mr Adair had made of my conduct in the matter of
reconnoitring the battery, and afterwards, Captain Vavassour had been
pleased to name me in his dispatches, much to the delight of my father,
as I subsequently learned.

We sailed again from Spithead on the fourth day after our arrival, and
nothing of importance occurred for quite a fortnight, during which we
were kicking about in the chops of the Channel, keeping a bright lookout
all the while for anything that might chance to come in our way, whether
in the shape of captured British merchantmen, privateers, French
merchantmen, or otherwise. But luck seemed to be against us, for we
sighted nothing but craft flying the British flag, and most of those
were men-o'-war. At length, however, the skipper grew disgusted, and
determined to see whether better fortune awaited us farther afield.
Accordingly, having sighted Ushant broad on the lee-bow, and some ten
miles distant, at eight o'clock on a certain morning, with the wind out
at about North-West, we stood on until we had brought the island well
over our lee quarter, when the helm was shifted, the ship kept away a
couple of points, a small pull taken upon the weather braces, and away
we went booming into the Bay of Biscay, heading toward Cape Finisterre.
We had experienced fresh breezes, but fine, clear weather, from the
moment when we had left the Isle of Wight astern; but on this particular
day, shortly after noon, the sky became overcast and gloomy, with a
thick, murky appearance to windward that portended a change for the
worse. This, however, did not greatly trouble us, for with Ushant out
of sight astern, the ship heading South-West by compass, and the wind
two points free, we had nothing to fear beyond such discomfort as was
inseparable from the heavy sea that was now fast getting up. As the day
wore on, however, the