pped short off by the deck. The next moment the ship
swung round, broadside on to the land, and the sea began to break over
her. Her captain had actually run her on shore to escape us.

Sail was at once shortened on board the _Hermione_, and the ship hove
to, with her head off-shore. Captain Pigot then sent for his telescope,
and, with its aid, made a thorough inspection of the stranded frigate;
most of the officers following his example. Yes, there could be no
possible mistake about it, she was hard and fast on shore, bumping
heavily to all appearance, and with the sea breaking over her from stem
to stern. Not satisfied, however, with this distant inspection, the
skipper caused his gig to be lowered, and in her proceeded as near to
the scene of the wreck as prudence would allow. He was absent two full
hours, and on his return we learnt that the French ship was hopelessly
lost; that the crew were with the utmost difficulty effecting a landing
on the beach; and that the craft herself was already breaking up. He
was highly exasperated, as indeed were we all, at this noble prize thus
slipping through our fingers, at a moment, too, when escape seemed
absolutely impossible; and in the heat of temper he denounced the French
captain as a dastardly poltroon, a disgrace to his uniform; and swore
that, could he but have got hold of him, he would have seized him to a
grating and given him five dozen at the gangway. And I firmly believe
he fully meant what he said. As for me, though I--youngster that I
was--felt, perhaps, as keenly disappointed as the skipper himself, I yet
thought that the French captain had more thoroughly performed his duty
to his country than he would have done had he remained afloat and fought
us. For, with the vastly superior force of an entire squadron on our
side, escape would then have been for him impossible; his ship must
inevitably have been captured; with the sequence that, in the hands of a
British crew, she would have become a formidable foe to the country
which had recently owned her. Whereas, now, though that country had
lost her, her guns could at least never be turned against it.

Captain Pigot's inspection over, and the gig hoisted in, the
_Hermione's_ main-topsail was filled and we made sail for the offing,
where the remainder of the squadron was now hove to awaiting the
progress of events.

On the following day the hands were mustered to witness punishment, and,
to the unspeakable