he
ship about without the assistance of Hamilton Moore or the old
quartermaster. I thought this all very encouraging. I, however, kept my
own counsel, and as I did not appear much discomposed by the recital of so
many miseries, they considered me a complete Johnny Newcome just caught.

We were now ready for sailing, and only waiting the arrival of a general
officer and his suite. The second morning after I joined the frigate a
most serious accident occurred which might easily have proved fatal to all
on board. In a part called the after cockpit, where, after breakfast, the
surgeon examines the sick, a large piece of iron called a loggerhead, well
heated, is put into a bucket of tar in order to fumigate it after the sick
have left it. On this occasion the tar caught fire. It soon reached the
spirit-room hatches, which were underneath, and the powder magazine
bulkhead. Unfortunately, without considering the consequences, a few
buckets of water were thrown on the flaming tar, which made it spread
more. At length the engine was set to work, and beds and blankets from the
purser's store-room surcharged with water soon got it under. These last
were of the greatest service in smothering the flame, and were more
effectual in saving the ship than the engine. The captain and officers
behaved nobly on this occasion. I had the honour of conducting the hose of
the engine down the hatchway, and was almost stifled by the smoke for my
pains. On looking through one of the gunports after the danger was over, I
could not help laughing to see two of the women with a rope fastened under
their arms and held by their husbands, paddling close to the ship's side,
with their clothes rising like large bladders around them. A number of
boats on seeing our danger came to our assistance, but they were ordered
to lay on their oars at a distance. Providentially we did not require
their aid.

On the 2nd of November we received on board General Prescott and his
suite, and immediately afterwards got under weigh and made sail with a
favourable wind down Channel. We had taken our departure from the Lizard,
when, on the same night the wind, which had continued some time from the
eastward, changed to the westward, and came on to blow fresh with very
hazy weather. A number of West Indiamen passed us; they had been beating
about in the chops of the Channel for more than a week. Some of them were
in great distress for provisions. We relieved three of them by se