A PIRATICAL SQUADEOX. 121 



teeth, and were beating about in the channel between 

 Malta and Sicily. What would I not have given had 

 steam vessels been in existence ! This was a sad trial of 

 patience, as nearly an eighth of my leave of absence had 

 been thus consumed ■without having made much progress 

 towards my destination. At last we got a south-east 

 wind, and went along merrily, as those packet vessels 

 were remarkably fast sailers as well as well manned and 

 armed. 



On the second day after the wind proved favourable, 

 an event happened which might have proved more fatal 

 to my expedition than the contrary winds. I was shav- 

 ing in my cabin about eight A.m., when the captain came 

 down with anything but a cheerful face, to announce 

 that an Algerian squadron, consisting of a large frigate 

 and a sloop of war, was bearing down upon us ; and 

 added, by way of comfort to me, that the pirates would 

 insist on his sending a boat alongside of the frigate to 

 examine his papers, and that if they obliged the mate to 

 go on board we should certainly be put in quarantine for 

 ten days or a fortnight at Cagliari. This extraordinary 

 communication made me feel most uncomfortable. Mais, 

 que voulez vous ? There was no help for it. I hastily 

 dressed and went on deck, when I saw the piratical 

 squadron with all sail set approaching vis ; and in a short 

 time I could perceive crowds of dark faces and turbans on 

 board the frigate. She had already fired a gun ahead 

 of us for the packet to lay to, and soon after a second 

 gun was fired over the packet. The captain gave orders 

 to back the sails and lay to, telling me if there was any 

 fm-ther delay those black piratical scoundrels 'would 

 probably j5re a broadside into the ship. When the 

 frigate had got wdthin a short distance, a man hailed us 



VOL. II. K 



