t ascertain, though he tried hard to do so.

"The great Wolfe recited poetry when about to die in the arms of victory
on the heights of Abraham," observed Mr Mildmay to the midshipman; "do
you recall the lines to your memory, Billy? What were they?"

"I think, sir, they were something about `the curfew tolling the knell
of parting day,' but I can never recollect more of the poem."

"Ah! so they were--let me see," and the lieutenant bit the end of his
pencil. "`As Britain's tars who plough the mighty deep.'"

"`Sheep' or `sleep' come in rhyme with `deep,'" suggested Billy.

"Be silent--I want a grander term," said the lieutenant. "`Where waves
on waves in wild confusion leap'--that's fine isn't it?"

"Yes, sir," said Billy. "We're up an African river, and are going to
lick a lot of blackamoors; you'll have a difficulty in bringing
blackamoor into your lines, I've a notion."

"Of course I should call them Arabs, their proper designation, when I
get as far," replied Mr Mildmay.

Just then the boat grounded, as did several others near her, and there
the whole flotilla lay in sight of the fort, outside of which appeared a
number of barracoons, but whether full of slaves or not it was
impossible to say. The unavoidable delay of the leading boats enabled
the others to overtake them; and as the tide rose, their crews shoved
them over the shoals, and once more they advanced in line abreast.
Their progress was slow; again several of the larger boats grounded, and
the whole, consequently, had to wait till the rising tide floated them.
The next time they grounded, the Arabs seemed to have discovered that
they were within range of the eight guns mounted on the fort, as well
indeed as the muskets of the large party sent out along the bank. The
latter, as well as the guns in the fort, now began blazing away, shot
and bullets flying thickly over and around the boats. Mr Mildmay at
this juncture thought it as well to put his notebook into his pocket.
The boats' guns, however, were not to be idle; the commander gave the
order to fire, and immediately they opened with spherical case-shot,
grape and canister, the former thrown with great accuracy into the
middle of the fort, while the latter quickly sent some of the swarthy
heroes under shelter, and put the greater number to flight. Several of
the men in the boats had been hit, which excited the eagerness of the
crews to get at the foe. The first thing, however, to be done