p and take a look at the northern shores
of those islands whose southern coastline we had just so rigorously
overhauled--the lookout aloft hailed to say that he thought he heard
firing somewhere to windward. I was walking the deck at the time
chatting with young Marchmont, one of the two mids sent on board by the
admiral, and, upon this report being made, the lad volunteered to go
aloft and investigate. A couple of minutes later the active youngster
was on the royal-yard, peering out eagerly ahead and to windward, with
one hand shading his eyes to ward off the glare of the sun. He remained
thus for perhaps three or four minutes, when I saw him assume a more
eager look, and presently he turned round and hailed:

"On deck there! there certainly _is_ firing going on somewhere in our
neighbourhood, sir, for I have just heard it most distinctly; and a
moment before I spoke I thought I caught sight of something like a
smoke-wreath gleaming in the sun away yonder, broad on our weather bow.
Ha! there it goes again! Did you not hear it, sir?"

"No," I replied; "the wash of the water under our bows and alongside
makes too much noise down here. But that will do; you can come down
again, Mr Marchmont. If, as you believe, there is firing going on to
windward of us we shall soon know more about it, for, of course, I shall
not now bear up until I have satisfied myself as to the matter."

The men forward became at once upon the _qui vive_, as I could see by
the animated countenances of the messmen, and the eagerness with which
they exchanged remarks as they went to the galley for the dinner which
the cook was then serving out; as also by the nimble manner in which the
relief lookout aloft shinned up the ratlines. He was one of the
keenest-sighted men we had on board; and instead of seating himself, as
usual, on the topsail-yard, he continued his upward progress until he
reached the royal-yard, upon which he perched himself as easily as if he
had been in an arm-chair, steadying his body by bracing his back against
the few inches of the slender royal-mast which rose above the yard. He
had not been settled more than ten minutes before he hailed to report
that he heard the firing distinctly, and had also caught sight of a
light wreath of smoke about four points on the weather bow. This was so
far satisfactory, inasmuch as there could now be no longer any doubt as
to the firing; the next thing was to find out its nature, whether i