three bells in the first watch that night, when--I being in
charge of the deck, and the skipper keeping me company--a light was made
out upon our lee bow, quickly followed by another, and another, and
still another, until the whole of the horizon ahead was lighted up like
a town, there being probably over two hundred lights in sight. It was
evident that we were approaching a large concourse of ships; and in
about an hour's time we found ourselves driving into the very heart of
the fleet. The night was altogether too dark for us to be enabled to
make out who and what they were; but the skipper was of opinion that we
had encountered a large convoy, and as it was impossible to tell whether
they were friends or foes, he determined to wear the schooner round, as
soon as we could find room, and heave her to with her head to the
westward, like the rest of the fleet, when the morning would enable us
to ascertain the nationality of our neighbours and decide whether
anything was likely to be gained by keeping them company. At eight
bells, therefore, by which time we had passed right through the fleet,
we got the schooner round and waited impatiently until morning. There
was a good deal of firing of blank cartridge, throughout the night, as
also of signalling with coloured lanterns; but we could, of course, make
nothing of it, and took it simply to mean that the men-o'-war in charge
of the convoy were doing their best to keep the fleet from becoming
scattered during the continuance of the gale.

When morning dawned, and the light came struggling feebly through the
thick pall of murky, storm-torn vapour that overspread the sky, it
became apparent that the skipper's surmise as to the character of the
fleet had been correct: the _Dolphin_ being in the midst of some two
hundred and fifty sail of vessels of different rigs, from the stately
ship to the saucy schooner, in charge of two seventy-fours, a fifty-gun
ship, a frigate, and four eighteen-gun-brigs. The men-o'-war were all
snugged comfortably down, royal and topgallant yards on deck,
topgallant-masts struck, and not an ounce of unnecessary top-hamper
aloft; but most of the merchantmen had kept everything standing, even to
their royal-yards. There were a few, however--mostly the larger
craft,--who had sent down their top-hamper; and there were others--
notably a very fine, frigate-built ship--that had lost one or more of
their spars during the gale, and were now in great dif