ces oblige him to take it off."

"That's very true, Bob," replied I: "it is only this very morning that
he laughed himself, and I laughed also, and he pulled up immediately
afterwards, twice as stiff to me as before."

I then told Bob of Mr Culpepper's report, which amused him very much.

"I am sure that he is pleased with you, Mr Keene, and I must say that
you were very useful and very active."

"Do you know that the carpenter says that we have received injuries that
cannot be well repaired without the ship going into dock, and I should
not be surprised if we were to be sent home, if the survey confirms his
report. I hope we shall; I am tired of the West Indies, and I should
like to see my mother; we have a nice breeze now, and we are two points
free. If it lasts, we shall be at Jamaica in a fortnight or less."

The captain coming on deck put an end to our conversation.

Before night the prize had got up jury-masts, and sail set upon them,
and we went through the water more rapidly. In ten days we arrived at
Port Royal with our prize. The captain went on shore, and what was
still more agreeable, we got rid of all our prisoners and wounded men.
A survey, in consequence of the carpenter's report was held upon the
Calliope, and the result was, she was ordered home to be repaired. The
Dort was commissioned by the admiral, and Mr Hippesley received an
acting order to the sloop of war, which had become vacant by the
commander of her being promoted into the Dort, which was now christened
the Curacao.

In ten days after our arrival we were ready, and made sail for Old
England. Tommy Dott and the second lieutenant remained on board, and
were both convalescent before we entered the Channel. Tommy Dott's
wound, by the bye, was a splinter in the back, added to severe bruises
from tumbling down the hatchway.

Captain Delmar had shown great kindness to the son of the Dutch captain
and he did not send him on shore with the rest of the prisoners, but
permitted him to remain, and come home in the Calliope. He recovered
slowly, but was soon out of danger, and was walking about with his arm
in a sling long before we arrived in England. It appeared to me that,
during the passage home, old Culpepper was not so much in the good
graces of Captain Delmar as he used to be; he was, however, more
obsequious than ever. We had a fine run home, and in seven weeks from
our leaving Port Royal, we dropped our anchor at Spithead.

I