which had for centuries been fixed in
the ponderous stones of which the pier was composed. There was the mayor
with his cocked hat on, but his leather apron still tied in front, for
he had been working at his calling; there was the sergeant of the
invalids, who, perhaps, was a greater man than the mayor, all beard and
mustachios, but so thin in his person that he looked as if a stout
breeze would have blown him away; and there were the soldiers leaning on
their muskets. These were the most important personages, but they were
backed by the whole population of the town, amounting to about three
hundred men, women, and children, all talking, jabbering, and screaming.
Add to them the captain of the privateer, so important that he could
not attend to even the mayor or the sergeant; and the privateer's men,
dressed in every fashion, armed to the teeth, all explaining, or pushing
away, or running here and there obeying orders; then the wounded
men--for they had several men killed and others hurt in the conflict
with the cutter--handed up one by one, bandaged here and there, and
exciting the compassion and even screams of the women; the prisoners,
who had been ordered to come on deck, half dressed and chapfallen; the
sails of the vessels only clewed up, and still fluttering; ensigns and
pennants hoisted upon every mast, and waving over the heads of the crowd
assembled at the pier--and you may have some idea of the confused and
bustling scene.

[Illustration: THE ARRIVAL OF THE PRIVATEER AT LANION.--Marryat, Vol.
X., p. 841.]

At last, as there appeared no chance of anything being arranged while
the people crowded round, the captain of the privateer ordered his men
to draw their weapons and drive back the crowd, which was soon effected,
notwithstanding many oaths, and more screaming on the part of the fairer
sex; and when the crowd had been thus driven the men were stationed so
as to keep them back. At first this gave offense to all parties--to the
crowd, because they didn't like to be driven away--to the mayor, who
remained with the sergeant and invalids in the area which had been
cleared by the privateer's people, because he thought that they had
interfered with his civil authority--and to the sergeant of invalids,
because he thought that the marine force had interfered with his
military authority; but the captain of the privateer having taken off
his hat and bowed, first to the mayor and then to the sergeant, and
saying how