ops marched into the town,
it was found that the French had evacuated it, and had retired to
Bastia.

This, the most important town in the island, and, at the period of my
story, also the most strongly fortified--whatever it may be at the
present day--is about six miles from San Fiorenzo; and is situated on
the eastern or opposite side of the long narrow peninsula which forms
the northern extremity of Corsica. It was against it that, in Lord
Hood's opinion, our next operations ought to be directed.

His views, however, and those of Major-General Dundas were widely
divergent as to the practicability of the proposed scheme; the latter
being of opinion that we had neither strength nor means sufficient to
effect the reduction of so strongly fortified a place as Bastia; while
Lord Hood, on the other hand, was sanguine of success. This difference
of opinion between the heads of the forces led to a protracted and
vexatious delay, during which we of the fleet busied ourselves
successfully in raising the French thirty-eight-gun frigate, "Minerve,"
which her crew had sunk in San Fiorenzo harbour. This ship was
afterwards added to our navy under the name of the "San Fiorenzo."

I must not omit to mention that, a few days after the taking of the
Convention Redoubt, Captain Hood publicly thanked me, on the "Juno's"
quarter-deck, for the assistance I had rendered him on that memorable
night; and the story also reaching the admiral's ears, I had the
gratification of being warmly commended by that great chief, as well as
of finding that my name had been prominently mentioned in his despatches
home. Several other officers also thanked me for supporting the
reputation of the navy, Captain Nelson being especially eulogistic--for
him--on the subject. So that, altogether, I received a far greater
share of credit than it seemed to me so simple a matter merited.

At length, meeting after meeting having taken place between Lord Hood
and Major-General Dundas, without those officers being able to agree
upon the question of investing Bastia, something very like a rupture
took place; the admiral declaring that so confident was he of success,
that, since General Dundas would not co-operate with him, he would
undertake alone the task of reducing the place with the seamen and
marines belonging to the fleet.

This resolution once arrived at, Lord Hood forthwith set about the work
of carrying it out with his accustomed energy. An old twenty-