ame entered on
the ship's books, and to hear my rating, which was that of "able
seaman." The _Glutton_ had been an Indiaman, measuring 1400 tons, and
had been purchased into the service. She was now armed with the then
newly-invented carronades, 68-pounders on the lower, and 32-pounders on
the upper deck. This was a weight of metal no ship had, I believe,
previously carried; and Captain Trollope was very anxious to try its
effect on the ships of the enemy, rightly believing that it would not a
little astonish them.

Our first cruise was off the coast of Flanders. We had not long to wait
before an enemy was seen. On the 15th of July, when the days were
longest and the weather fine, early in the afternoon six ships were seen
from the mast-head running before the wind; and soon afterwards, further
to leeward, appeared a brig and a cutter, which they were apparently
bearing down to join. I was at the helm when the captain made out what
they were.

"Four French frigates and two corvettes. They will just suit us!" said
he, shutting up his glass with a smile of satisfaction.

"A heavy squadron for one ship to attack," observed one of the
lieutenants.

"One!--every man on board will be sorry they ever met _us_!" said the
captain. He knew that the officer who spoke was not one likely to
flinch from the work to be done.

We were standing directly for the enemy, whose ships were pretty close
in with the land. Notwithstanding the apparently overwhelming numbers
of the foe, the ship, with the greatest alacrity, was cleared for
action.

"Shall we really fight them?" asked a youngster of Peter, who was a
great favourite with all the midshipmen.

"Ay--that we shall, sir," he answered. "The captain only wishes that
there were twice as many ships to fight."

"That's all right!" exclaimed the young midshipman. "I was afraid that
some trick was intended, and that we should soon have to up stick, and
run for it."

"No, no; no fear of that! I don't think our captain is the man to run
from anything."

It was now about eight o'clock in the evening, and the French ships,
having formed in line, seemed to have no intention of avoiding us. A
feeling of pride and confidence animated the bosoms of all our crew as
we stood round the short heavy guns with which our ship was armed, while
advancing towards an enemy of a force apparently so overwhelming. One
French frigate, the _Brutus_, was a razeed 64-gun ship, and now carri