604? NIGHTS IN THE GALLEY. 



frigate that was hove to, waiting for them outside the harbour. 

 She filled immediately, and with the schooner in tow beat up to 

 the squadron that they expected to find at anchor in Oporto. 

 Young Watts was still very ill, though getting better every day ; 

 there was no longer any fear of his dying. The captain had a cot 

 slung for him under a screen, under the half-deck, close to his own 

 cabin, and my father was taken out of the schooner to attend on 

 him ; every fine day he was carried on deck in his cot, and laid 

 abaft on the signal-locker, under the awning, for the weather was 

 very hot, and the surgeon said the more air he had the better. 

 They had such light and foul winds that they were a long time on 

 their passage ; after they had been out three days, the mast-head 

 men sung out ' a sail ! a sail 1' All eyes were on her, every glass in 

 the ship was shoved over the hammocks'-netting ; at last she became 

 visible from the deck, and from the mast-head you could see her 

 hull ; and after the hofficer of the signals had been looking at her 

 from the main-topmast cross-trees for some time, he came down and 

 told the skipper he was sure she was a merchantman. She was to 

 leeward of the frigate, so they bore up, and as she kept on a wind, 

 they soon overhauled her. ' Hoist French colours,' says the skipper, 

 ' and then if she is an Englishman we can soon convince her what 

 we are.' So up went the tri-colour, old Bony's flag, and when she 

 saw it she hoisted a tri-colour too, and made some private signal ; 

 there they were hauled. When the brig she was a brig saw the 

 frigate didn't answer her private signal, she bore up, but she might 

 as well have remained as she was. ' Oh ! Oh ! you are too late, you 

 should have thought of that before,' says the skipper ; ' I'll have you 

 now, whatever you do, or I am mistaken, and I don't think I am.' 

 They clapped stunsails on the frigate in a crack, and soon over- 

 hauled, and when they came within gun-shot, the skipper says 

 ' Now just drop a shot alongside her: don't hither; send it close 

 alongside of her, and that will be a delicate hint we want to speak ; 

 if she doesn't take it so, we'll give her a broader one just in her 

 stern.' But they had no occasion ; she saw it was no use for 

 a deeply-laden merchantman to try to get clear of a smart frigate, so 

 she hove her main topsail to the mast, hauled her colours down, and 

 lowered her top-gallant sails. The frigate run a little closer, and 

 then hove to, and sent her jolly-boat with a midshipman on board, 

 to take possession of her. After he had searched her, he came back to 

 report to the captain, and brought her skipper, with his log-books, 

 and all his papers. Among the papers was found a bill of lading for 

 a hundred thousand doubloons, and the midshipman said he had seen 

 a quantity of boxes like money boxes in her after-hold. ' Very well,' 

 says the skipper, ' that's a good prize, and nobody m sight to share it 

 but ourselves ; get the barge out, and bring all the money out of the 

 prize.' And when they had done so, the captain told the mid- 

 shipman he should send him as prize -master. While they were get- 

 ting his chest in the boat, the midshipman was standing on the gang- 

 way, the gunner comes to him, and says ' Now, Tyrrell/ that was his 

 name, ' I'll tell you what you do directly you get on board that craft, 

 do you furl your top-gallant-sails, take a reef in your top-sails, and get 



