ed as to become an immoveable log
on the water. The Frenchman up-helm, and off he started. The commodore,
at last, got his ship's broadside to bear, and nearly tore her out of
the water. However, she was a faster sailer than any ship in our fleet,
and, finally, made her escape, to the mortification of the whole fleet,
except one Captain Brusee, a French prisoner of war, a passenger on
board our ship, who danced with ineffable delight;--natural enough, but
not very pleasant to the sight of an Englishman.

The following day we experienced a most violent hurricane, which lasted
for two days without cessation. Fortunately, our fleet suffered but
little injury, with the exception of one vessel, the _Lady
Castlereagh_, which we thought must inevitably have been lost. She was
about a quarter of a mile from us, and we could at one time see her
whole keel. There was a general shriek of terror from all on board of
us, and our captain said that he feared she would never right. The next
gigantic wave, however, brought her up, and she did right, in spite of
our predictions, but seemed to roll, pitch, and labour dreadfully. Some
parts of her masts were carried away; but what, I do not now recollect.
Three of our ships separated from the fleet, and we imagined that they
had fallen into the hands of the French, for we learned, at St. Helena,
that they had been seen a few days before from that island. The name of
the French ship which we had fallen in with was _Le Cannonier_, a
sixty-four, from the Isle of France. We understood that she was so badly
wounded, that she was obliged to put into Simon's Bay, not aware, at
that time, that the Cape was again in possession of the English. She
soon found this out, cut and ran, and got clear to the Isle of France.
Our three strayed ships made their appearance at St. Helena the
following day, having seen the French fleet the night after the affair
between the _Tremendous_ and _Le Cannonier_, and, under cover of the
night, escaped unobserved, or they must have been taken, as the French
fleet consisted of five sail or more.

Our reception at St. Helena, by Governor Brooke, was truly splendid and
hospitable. We remained there, I think, eight or ten days, after which
we again stood towards Old England.

We arrived in England some time in October, 1807. We landed at Long
Reach, and proceeded to Dartford, in Kent, from whence I marched my
invalids, or rather had them carried, to Chelsea Hospital--a jo