aptain Winter had returned with three prizes, and was waiting
below to see him. The old gentleman, I was afterwards told, was so
excited at the good news that he would not wait to dress, but descended
to the parlour, where the skipper awaited him, in his dressing-gown.
The old boy was almost overwhelmed at the news of his good fortune;
insisted that Captain Winter should stay to breakfast with him; and
afterwards, despite the cold weather, came off to the roadstead and
visited each of the prizes in turn. It was as well, perhaps, that he
did so, as there was a considerable amount of business to be transacted
in connection with the recapture of the _Hoogly_, the captain of which
was anxious to resume his voyage up channel as soon as possible. This
important matter was arranged by noon; and about two o'clock, the wind
having hauled round from the southward, the Indiaman weighed and
proceeded, the passengers on board having meanwhile subscribed a purse
of two hundred and thirty guineas for the officers and crew of the
_Dolphin_, in recognition of what they were complimentary enough to term
our "gallantry" in the recapture of the ship. This nice little sum was,
however, only the first instalment of what was to come; there was the
salvage of the ship to follow: and over and above that I may mention
that the underwriters voted a sum of five hundred guineas to us; while
the Patriotic Fund Committee awarded the skipper a sword of the value of
one hundred guineas, and to me a sword of half that value, for our fight
with and capture of the two privateers, poor Lovell being left out in
the cold in consequence of his having been prize-master of the _Hoogly_,
and having therefore taken no part in either of the engagements. He got
his reward, however, in another way; for the _Etoile du Nord_ turned out
to be such a very fine vessel, quite new and wonderfully fast, that Mr
White purchased her on his own account, rechristening her the _North
Star_, and put Lovell in command. He was fairly successful in her, I
afterwards heard, but not nearly to such an extent as he ought to have
been with so fine a vessel under him. He declared that luck was always
against him. As for me, Mr White was so pleased with the report of my
conduct which Captain Winter had given him that, as soon as ever the
purchase of the _Etoile du Nord_ had been effected, and Lovell provided
for, he offered me the berth of chief mate of the _Dolphin_, which berth
I p