gether mustered only 340
men. Every street in the place was defended by artillery, and we heard
that a large force of 8000 men was advancing. The enterprise had
therefore to be abandoned. Captain Trowbridge proposed to the Governor
that we should re-embark with our arms, and he engaged that the squadron
should not further molest any of the places in the Canary Islands.
These terms were agreed to. We obtained also permission to purchase
such provisions as we required. The affair was a disastrous one. We
gained nothing, for besides 150 men killed or drowned, among whom were
several brave officers, we had upwards of 100 wounded, and the Admiral
lost his right arm.

"People call this sort of thing `Glory,' but for my part I could not
make out what advantage we expected to gain, or what business we had to
go there at all."

"I say, Mr Riddle, were you ever shipwrecked?" sang out one of the old
sailor's auditors, who was getting rather tired of the long yarn about
his battles with which he had been indulging us.

"Bless you, young gentlemen, that I have, well-nigh a score of times I
might say. Some time after this I belonged to the `Nautilus' sloop of
war, commanded by Captain Farmer. We belonged to the squadron of
Admiral Lewis, then cruising in the Hellespont, when we were ordered to
England with despatches of the utmost importance. We had a fresh breeze
from the north-east as we threaded our way through the numerous islands
of that sea. When at length we got off the island of Anti Milo, the
Greek pilot we had with us declared he knew nothing of the coast to the
westward. As, however, our captain was anxious to make a quick passage
for the sake of the despatches, he determined to try and pilot her
himself. Though the weather looked threatening, we sailed at sunset
from Anti Milo, and shaped a course for Cerigotto. As the night grew on
the wind increased to a heavy gale, torrents of rain fell, the thunder
roared and rattled, the flashes of lightning were as vivid as I ever saw
in my life. Sometimes it was almost brighter than day, then pitchy
dark. The captain had just given orders to close reef the topsails,
intending to bring the ship to till daylight, when a bright flash of
lightning showed us the Island of Cerigotto right ahead, about the
distance of a mile or so. Now, knowing his position, the captain
resolved to run on, believing all danger past. The watch below was
ordered to turn in. Those who re