sky, and immediately afterwards down they
came with loud crashes, the ship looking like a huge roaring and raging
cauldron of flame, while crash succeeded crash as the heated guns fell
into the hold. Several of the people brought on us were severely
scorched, showing the desperate efforts they had made to try and save
their ship. Dr McCall and the assistant-surgeons had work enough in
attending to them. Fortunately the soldiers had not arrived alongside
the _Glasgow_ before she caught fire, and when they came down the
harbour they were put on board our frigate, and we received orders to
carry them to their destination.

Everything was done as rapidly as possible for their accommodation. The
men were berthed on the main-deck. The captain received the commanding
officer, the lieutenants messed in the gun-room, and we had the pleasure
of entertaining the ensigns. The land breeze began blowing about eight
o'clock, the time the _Glasgow_ was to have sailed. We were detained
some time in getting off provisions from the shore, but by dint of hard
work all was ready by ten o'clock, and the night being bright, the
anchor was hove up. With every sail that we could carry set, we glided
out of the harbour. It was important to get a good offing, so that we
might weather Portland Point, the southernmost part of the island,
before the sea-breeze should again begin to blow. We hoped that the
land breeze, which generally begins to drop about midnight, would last
longer than usual, so as to carry us well out to sea. There are ugly
rocks off Portland which it is not pleasant to have under the lee at any
time.

"Shure it would be hard to bate these nights out here, Mr Terence,"
said Larry, whom I met on deck, and who seemed to enjoy as much as I did
the calm beauty of the scene, the stars like specks of glittering gold
shining out of the heavens of the deepest blue, each one reflected in
the tranquil ocean. The line of coast, seen astern and on our starboard
quarter, rose into various-shaped mountains, their outlines clearly
marked against the sky; while every now and then a mass of silver light
was spread over the water, as some inhabitant of the deep leaped
upwards, to fall again with a splash into its liquid home.

I asked Larry how Hoolan was going on after his flogging.

"He doesn't talk much, Mr Terence, but he looks as sulky as ever, and I
wouldn't trust him more than before," was the reply.

"He can harm no one, a