aptain. "How many sails are there in sight,
sir?" inquired the captain.

"One hundred and sixty-three, sir," replied I.

"Signal for convoy to close from the _Acasta_" reported the midshipman
of the watch.

We repeated it, and the captain descended to his cabin. We were then
running about four miles an hour, the water very smooth, and Anholt
lighthouse hardly visible on deck, bearing N.N.W. about twenty miles. In
fact, we were near the entrance of the Sound, which, the reader may be
aware, is a narrow passage leading into the Baltic Sea. We ran on,
followed by the convoy, some of which were eight or ten miles astern of
us, and we were well into the Sound, when the wind gradually died away,
until it fell quite calm, and the heads of the vessels were laid round
the compass.

My watch was nearly out, when the midshipman, who was looking round with
his glass on the Copenhagen side, reported three gun-boats, sweeping out
from behind a point. I examined them and went down to report them to the
captain. When I came on deck, more were reported, until we counted ten,
two of them large vessels, called praams. The captain now came on deck,
and I reported them. We made the signal of enemy in sight, to the
_Acasta_, which was answered. They divided--six of them pulling along
shore towards the convoy in the rear, and four coming out right for the
brig. The _Acasta_ now made the signal for "Boats manned and armed to be
held in readiness." We hoisted out our pinnace, and lowered down our
cutters--the other men-of-war doing the same. In about a quarter of an
hour the gun-boats opened their fire with their long thirty-two
pounders, and their first shot went right through the hull of the brig,
just abaft the fore-bits; fortunately, no one was hurt. I turned round
to look at the captain; he was as white as a sheet. He caught my eye,
and turned aft, when he was met by Swinburne's eye, steadily fixed upon
him. He then walked to the other side of the deck. Another shot ploughed
up the water close to us, rose, and came through the hammock-netting,
tearing out two of the hammocks, and throwing them on the quarter-deck,
when the _Acasta_ hoisted out pennants, and made the signal to send our
pinnace and cutter to the assistance of vessels astern. The signal was
also made to the _Isis_ and _Reindeer_. I reported the signal, and
inquired who was to take the command.

"You, Mr Simple, will take the pinnace, and order Mr Swinburne into the
cutt