laugh and talk as much
as they liked; but as we approached the entrance to the bay, silence was
enjoined, and even the oars were muffled, so that we should give no
notice to the enemy of our approach.

The night was very dark. Our boat had kept near that of our leader, Mr
Bryan; but after some time it was discovered that the other division of
boats had not come up. We had pulled very fast, and probably
outstripped them. We pulled on till we got within the very mouth of the
harbour, and then the order was passed from boat to boat that we were to
lay on our oars till the rest of the boats came up. I found this rather
a trying time. While we were rapidly pulling on I could not think, and
I felt a powerful longing to be slashing away at the enemy. Now I began
to reflect that they would equally be slashing away at me; and I
remembered my own pathetic letter, and what I fancied Jonathan Johnson's
anticipations of evil. Probably the men were indulging in much the same
sort of thoughts; I know that they did not appear to be in nearly such
good spirits as at first. This showed me what I have ever since
remembered, that when dashing work is to be done, it should be done
off-hand, and that all pains should be taken to avoid a halt or
interruption.

Hour after hour passed by; no boats appeared. At length the day broke,
and so rapidly did it come on that, before we had time to get to a
distance, the light revealed us to the eyes of the enemy. The other
boats were nowhere to be seen; they, for some reason, had returned to
the ships; we had now no resource but to do the same, in a very
crestfallen condition.

I hid myself away, as before, and managed to get on board without any
one discovering where I had been. I knew that Mr Johnson would keep
his counsel, and I did my best to keep mine. Captain Collyer and the
other captains were very much annoyed at the failure of the expedition,
and it soon became known that they had resolved to make another attempt
to cut out the Chevrette.

There was no time to be lost. Another expedition was arranged for that
night. Every one knew that it would be far more dangerous than it would
have been on the previous night, because the enemy would now be prepared
for our reception. The corvette, indeed, was seen to go further up the
harbour, so as to be more completely under the protection of the
batteries; and as boats were continually passing between her and the
shore, there could be