he navy; and from that time, until the time of his
death, his eccentricities made him generally regarded as one mentally
unsound.

Jones, having lost the "Alliance" by the mutiny of Landais, remained
abroad, waiting for another ship. He travelled widely on the
Continent, and was lavishly entertained by the rich and noble of every
nation. Not until October, 1780, did he again tread the deck of a
vessel under his own command.

The ship which the French Government finally fitted out and put in
command of Paul Jones was the "Ariel," a small twenty-gun ship. This
vessel the adventurous sailor packed full of powder and cannon-balls,
taking only provisions enough for nine weeks, and evidently expecting
to live off the prizes he calculated upon taking. He sailed from
L'Orient on a bright October afternoon, under clear skies, and with a
fair wind, intending to proceed directly to the coast of America. But
the first night out there arose a furious gale. The wind howled
through the rigging, tore the sails from the ring-bolts, snapped the
spars, and seriously wrecked the cordage of the vessel. The great
waves, lashed into fury by the hurricane, smote against the sides of
the little craft as though they would burst through her sheathing. The
ship rolled heavily; and the yards, in their grand sweep from side to
side, often plunged deep into the foaming waves. At last so great
became the strain upon the vessel, that the crew were set to work with
axes to cut away the foremast. Balancing themselves upon the tossing,
slippery deck, holding fast to a rope with one hand, while with the
other they swung the axe, the gallant fellows finally cut so deep into
the heart of the stout spar, that a heavy roll of the ship made it
snap off short, and it fell alongside, where it hung by the cordage.
The wreck was soon cleared away; and as this seemed to ease the ship
somewhat, and as she was drifting about near the dreaded rock of
Penmarque, the anchors were got out. But in the mean time the violent
rolling of the "Ariel" had thrown the heel of the main-mast from the
step; and the heavy mast was reeling about, threatening either to
plough its way upward through the gun-deck, or to crash through the
bottom of the ship. It was determined to cut away this mast; but,
before this could be done, it fell, carrying with it the mizzen-mast,
and crushing in the deck on which it fell. Thus dismasted, the "Ariel"
rode out the gale. All night and all the next