56 LUNAR OBSERVATIONS 



after a good passage round the Cape, arrived safe at 

 St. Helena. 



We had not been at sea many days before the captain 

 passenger called me on the poop, and requested me to 

 assist him and the captain of the ship in taking a lunar 

 observation. This I did so much to their satisfaction, 

 that I was associated with them, in consequence of the 

 protracted illness of the second officer, on similar 

 occasions during the rest of the passage to England. 



I must confess to having felt myself particularly 

 flattered, as well as highly gratified, by this mark of 

 confidence bestowed on one so young by an officer whom 

 my little experience assured me was much in advance of 

 his profession ; and I could but admire the unassumed 

 gentleness in his manner when, in casting up, or, in 

 nautical language, working the observation and com- 

 paring the result, if there were any, the smallest, diifer- 

 ence between us, which sometimes happened, though not 

 frequently, he would never say I Avas wrong, but leave 

 me to correct my own error or detect his. 



Thus, with the conversation I would sometimes have 

 with this experienced and highly-intellectual naval 

 officer as well as noble and kind-hearted Christian, did 

 my time pass agreeably enough, and met with no alloy 

 from my messmates, who were in the main all good- 

 natured fellows. 



In consequence of great depredations being committed 

 on our commerce by the French Admiral Linois, in the 

 Marengo line-of-battle ship, and her companion, the 

 Belle Poule, a frigate that, from her sailing qualities, had 

 bid defiance to our fastest cruisers, we were detained at 



