50 FALSE ALARM. 



for action. The captain and officers on 

 the deck were intent on observing her with 

 their night-glasses. The lower deck guns 

 were run out, and we every minute expected 

 a broadside, and were prepared to return 

 it. To our great surprise and disappoint- 

 ment, upon a closer inspection she turned 

 out to be one of our own convoy, that had 

 got out of the order of sailing, and had 

 straggled away from the rest of the fleet ; 

 and not understanding our night signals or 

 not answering them, she had caused us to 

 mistake her for an enemy. 



About a week after we had left Rio, 

 thinking there was no chance of the Dutch 

 squadron molesting us, the " Albion " and 

 " Sceptre " made signal to part company, 

 and, crowding all sail, were hull down at 

 sunset, and next morning were nowhere to 

 be seen. 



I must here relate a circumstance of not 

 very frequent occurrence in those days in a 

 man-of-war, when long voyages were una- 



