nd
commenced a Highland fling, shrieking and leaping, and clapping their
hands in a way that made the old Rajah almost jump off his cushions with
astonishment, the glare of the blue lights increasing the wild and
savage appearance of the dancers.

"Bismillah! These English are wonderful people!" exclaimed the old
Rajah. "If they would but follow the prophet, and take to piracy like
us, they might possess themselves of the wealth of all the world, for
who could stand against them!" So delighted was the old gentleman with
his entertainment, that he declined receiving any further present with
the exception of a few bottles of rum, which he could not bring himself
to refuse. He promised also that should any English people fall into
his power, that, for the sake of us and our dancing friends, he would
always treat them with kindness, and assist them in reaching any port
they might desire.

We now put him on board his prow, and sent him rejoicing on his way.
Possibly he might not have been so well-pleased when he came to discover
that three of his fleet had been sunk by our guns, and yet he was
evidently too great a philosopher to allow such a matter to weigh
heavily upon his spirits. I was very thankful to be once more on board
the frigate. Captain Oliver treated me and Esse with the greatest
kindness, for, though we had kept up our spirits, we were rather the
worse for the hardships we had gone through, and the strain on our
nerves; for midshipmen have nerves, whatever may be thought to the
contrary, though they are fortunately very tough and not easily put out
of order. We were accordingly put into the sick list and relieved from
duty for a couple of weeks. I repeated to Mr Schank the account which
Mr Noalles had given me of himself. He was greatly astonished at what
I told him.

"I little thought the man I knew so well when I was last in these seas
was the one who had behaved so cruelly to my poor sister," he said.
"However, he has gone, and peace be to his memory. I will do my utmost
to discover his daughter, and I should think, as Mr Bramston must be
well-known in Bombay, there can be little difficulty in doing that. I
will write the first opportunity to a friend I have in Calcutta, and get
him to make all the inquiries in his power." After cruising for some
months among the East India Islands, we returned to Canton. We were
there directed to convoy a fleet of merchantmen round to Calcutta. What
with r