a mile to port, sir,"
said I, for I was still at my post watching the proceedings.

"O Mr Burn! Mr Burn! what could you be about? It is really shameful
to throw away his Majesty's shot in that manner. Oh, Mr Burn!" said
the captain, more in pity than in anger.

Mr Burn looked ridiculously foolish.

"O Mr Burn!" said I, "is this all you can show to justify your
bragging?"

"If ever I fire a shot with the captain again," said the mortified
gunner, "may I be rammed, crammed, and jammed in a mortar, and blown to
atoms."

In the space of a quarter of an hour we were alongside of the _Jean
Bart_. She mounted twenty-two guns, was crowded with a dirty crew, and,
after taking out most of them, and sending plenty of hands on board, in
two hours more we had got up her spare top-masts.

Before dark, everything appeared to be as if nothing had occurred, with
the exception of the captain's gig and the doctor's hat; and hauling our
wind, in company with our prize, we made sail towards that quarter in
which we had left our convoy.

At daylight next morning, we found ourselves again with our convoy. Mr
Silva had recaptured the four vessels taken by the felucca. The
_Falcon_ hove in sight about mid-day. She had chased the felucca well,
to windward, when the immense large schooner had intruded herself as a
third in the party, and she and the felucca, as well as I could
understand, had united, and gave the man-of-war brig a pretty
considerable tarnation licking, as brother Jonathan hath it.

She certainly made a very shattered appearance, and had lost several
men. However, in the official letter of the commander to Captain Reud,
all this was satisfactorily explained. He had beaten both, and they had
struck; but owing to night coming on before he could take possession of
them, they had most infamously escaped in the darkness. However, it did
not much signify, as they were now, having struck, lawful prizes to any
English vessel that could lay hold of them. I thought at the time that
there was no doubt of _that_.

The next day we made the land. The low island of Barbados had the
appearance of a highly-cultivated garden, and the green look, so
refreshing in a hot country, and so dear to me, as it reminded me of
England.

CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

A NAVAL DINNER, WITH ITS CONSEQUENCES--A NAVAL ARGUMENT, WITH ITS
CONSEQUENCES, ALSO--THE WAY DOWN THE RIVER PAVED AT LAST, AND THE
PROCESS AND THE PERSON OF THE UNFORTUNAT