NIGHTS IN THE GALLEY. 547 



give you a fit out myself; and 1*11 allow you twenty pounds a year ; 

 and depend upon it, as long as I live, if you conduct yourself pro- 

 perly, I'll treat you as my own son.' Well, little Watts was com- 

 fortable enough now settled in the midshipman's berth, taken notice 

 of by all the officers, and sure of the captain's favour, he was a great 

 deal better off than most midshipmen, for they were not then as they 

 are now all of good property and good friends ; there were lots of 

 'em, I've heard my father say, that crept in at the hawse-holes ; but 

 now a-days, they jump slap in at the cabin windows. Well, lads, so 

 they went on, cruising, till one morning they made out a vessel on 

 their lee-beam, looking like a marchantman ; and it being their duty 

 to speak all homeward bound merchantmen, to see if they were in 

 distress, and wanted anything, they up with the helm, and bore down 

 upon her ; when they came near enough, they both hoisted their co- 

 lours, and hove to ; the lee-cutter was lowered, and the skipper or- 

 dered the third-leaftenant to board her, and told Mr. Watts to take 

 charge of the boat ; away they went, and found she was an English 

 brig, bound for London, laden with silks from Trieste. After she 

 had given all the information she could, she said she saw that morning, 

 a great distance off, a vessel, looking like a frigate, and she thought a 

 French one, steering S.S.E. The third-leaftenant hurried on board 

 to tell the skipper ; and as it was a fair wind, every stitch of canvas 

 she would bear was soon crowded in chase ; that was Saturday after- 

 noon, and night closed in ; but they saw nothing of her. For all this, 

 the skipper wouldn't alter his course ; he said it was better to keep 

 that course than run a wild goose- chase, and miss her after all. Well, 

 the next morning, Sunday, no sail was in sight ; still they continued 

 their course ; and, as the Seringapatam was a fast sailer, they 

 thought they might overhaul her. Well, they went to prayers, as we 

 always do on a Sunday, and, as they had no chaplain, the captain 

 always read prayers. Just as he was in the middle of them, the 

 signal-man cried out from the mast-head, ' a sail ! a sail !' ' What 

 direction ?' c Right a-head, Sir, steering the same way as we 

 are.' Up jumped all the men from church, when they heard this, 

 and were running on deck, when the captain called them, and said . 

 'My men, if that is the ship we have been looking for, she is too far 

 off to render it necessary for us to go to quarters directly, and in the 

 meantime none of us will be less determined in the hour of trial by 

 having asked assistance from aloft !' and he pointed with his finger 

 to heaven. So all the men sat down again, and after having read 

 two or three prayers he got up, and said ' Now, my men, to quarters ; 

 I need not tell you to fight bravely, for that you have always done, 

 and I don't think your courage will fail you now you want it.' 

 Well, they were soon ready, for men don't take long to prepare when 

 they have the chance of a good action before them. All this time 

 they were overhauling the stranger like the d 1, and they soon got 

 near enough to see she shewed a good row of teeth, just about a 

 match for them in size. As they got nearer they made the private 

 signal, which not being answered, they were sure she was a French- 

 man. Up went the colours nailed to the mast, and directly the 

 Frenchman saw this, up went his colours, and he hauled on a bow- 



