s
to win the battle. As a similar feeling seemed to animate the rest of
the crew, it was likely to contribute to our success.

We were still some distance from the enemy, when Tom Pim, Chaffey, and I
were summoned to the quarter-deck, to act as the captain's
aides-de-camp, so that I was enabled to see all that was going forward.
The rest of the midshipmen were stationed mostly on the main-deck, each
in command of a certain number of guns.

The _Liffy_ leading, we were now standing close hauled towards the
enemy, who approached us almost before the wind.

The _Amethyst_ came next to us, and the corvette followed. We hoped
that within another ten minutes we should get within range of the others
guns, when suddenly the enemy's leading frigate hauled her wind. Her
consorts immediately afterwards followed her example. On seeing this,
our captain ordered every stitch of canvas the _Liffy_ could carry to be
set, when, the breeze freshening, we rapidly came up with the enemy. I
heard some of the officers say that they intended to make off. The men
at the gun near which I was standing swore at their cowardice, and I
began to think that there would be no fight after all.

Presently the French ships were seen to shorten sail, when our captain
sent the hands again aloft to do the same. They had barely time to come
down and return to their quarters, when a shot, fired by the leading
French frigate, came flying across our deck. No one was hit, but a
hammock and part of the hammock-nettings were knocked away. It showed
what we had to expect.

I expected that the captain would return the compliment, but he waited
calmly till we got nearer. We were to leeward, it must be understood;
but although that would have been a disadvantage had there been any sea
running, as the ocean was calm it didn't make much difference, while we
were thus better able to protect our convoy, and prevent the enemy from
running among them and committing mischief.

Again the breeze freshened, and standing on, we passed the corvette,
which fired a few shots at us without doing any damage. We then
received a similar compliment from the second French frigate, several of
her shots striking the _Liffy_. In a few minutes we were up to our
largest antagonist. As our bow gun came abreast of her quarter, our
captain shouted, "Fire!" and gun after gun was discharged in rapid
succession, the enemy blazing away at us in return.

The _Amethyst_ was meanti