ld rather have had a turn to with their friend than have been baulked
altogether. We found, however, that we should soon have a good
opportunity of gratifying our pugnacious propensities. Admiral
Cornwallis was at that time the commander-in-chief of the Channel fleet.
He had directed Captain Collyer to look out for the Uranius and another
frigate, the Emerald, and to proceed off Point Saint Matthieu, to watch
the French and Spanish fleets then lying in Brest harbour. After
cruising for a couple of days, we fell in with the other frigate, and
thus all together proceeded to our destination. We soon reached it. On
standing in towards the land, we very clearly made out the enemy's fleet
at anchor in Brest harbour; but few, if any, of the ships had their
sails bent, and even if they had come out after us we could very easily
have escaped.

"All hands shorten sail, and bring ship to an anchor," was the order
given, and all three frigates brought up just as coolly as if we had
been at Spithead.

"I wonder what they think of us?" I observed to the boatswain, as one
day I was examining the enemy through my glass.

"Think of us!" he exclaimed. "That we are as impudent as sparrows, and
that they would willingly wring our necks and eat us if they could. But
it is nothing to what I have seen done in the way of daring. I once
belonged to a frigate, commanded by Captain Longbow, and, as he would
tell you, if you were to ask him, we one night sailed right into the
middle of a Spanish fleet--ran alongside one of their ships, boarded and
carried her, and took her out free without the Spanish admiral
discovering what we had been about. There's no end to the wonderful
things I have seen done, or, I may say, without conceit, have done, Mr
Merry. But I rather suspect that we shall have to lose sight of the
Dons and Monsieurs for a few days. There's bad weather coming on, and
we shall have to stand out to sea; but, never mind, they'll not make
their escape with a gale in their teeth."

Mr Johnson prognosticated rightly. Before many hours it was blowing
great guns and small-arms, and the three frigates were endeavouring,
under all the sail they could carry, to obtain a good offing from the
land. We tumbled about and pitched into the seas in a way which
prevented me from, as usual, pitching into my dinner. One thing was
satisfactory; the gale blockaded the enemy as effectually as we could
have done. They were not inclined to