ue rumour floating about Portsmouth, a few days ago,
that Lord Hood--by the way, I wonder if he is in any way related to our
skipper?--is to take a fleet to Toulon, though for what purpose nobody
seemed to know; I hope we shall not be ordered to join," said Smellie.

"I hope not!" remarked Percival. "_I_ also heard the rumour to which
you refer, and I fancy there must be some truth in it, for it went so
far even as to specify by name several ships as having been selected to
form part of the fleet, and I know that there has been a pretty general
overhaul and refit going on with many of them. There is a large French
fleet at this moment lying in Toulon harbour, and I am of opinion that
the expedition--if such there is to be--is for the purpose of getting
hold of a few of them. It is said that there are no less than thirty-
four ships, many of them of large size, lying there ready for sea, while
they have one seventy-four, and two forties--all very fine vessels--on
the stocks and about ready for launching. If Lord Hood can take the
pick of such a fleet as that, we should be able to lay up in ordinary
the old `Juno' and a few more like her. But I do not think we need
distress ourselves much respecting the Toulon fleet. If Lord Hood wants
any frigates, he will take them out with him. _Our_ mission, I expect,
will be to cruise up and down the Mediterranean, doing the best we can
for ourselves; our skipper has, no doubt, influence enough to ensure
that he shall not be hampered by being attached to blockading fleets, or
anything of that kind, where you get a great deal of work and very
little prize-money."

Percival's assumption turned out to be correct. We called at Gibraltar,
and remained a couple of days, giving some of us, of whom I happened to
be one--an opportunity of exploring this extraordinary fortress, from
whence we went on to Malta, remained there a week, and were then ordered
out to cruise. We were told that the French had seventeen ships-of-war
cruising in the Mediterranean, but we seemed to be altogether out of
luck's way, for we never had the good fortune even to sight one, and,
beyond picking up some half-a-dozen insignificant French traders, we did
positively nothing for six entire months.

At length, about the middle of December, the ship requiring a slight
refit, we bore up for Malta, arriving there on the 23rd of the month--
just in time for the Christmas festivities. We of the cockpit contrived