his barge to the harbour, accompanied as before by a
squadron of boats.

His Majesty was so eager to see the prizes captured by his fleet, that,
before going on shore, he insisted on pulling up the harbour to have a
look at them. There, at their moorings, lay the six huge line of battle
ships which had lately belonged to the republican French, now the prize
of English valour. The Northumberland, Achille, La Just, Impetueux, and
America, the two latter the finest seventy-fours that had ever been seen
in the British harbour, the Sans-Pareille, almost equalling in size the
Queen Charlotte, and noted for her swift sailing. The Venguer would
have been among them had she not sunk just after she struck her colours.

In the evening the town was brilliantly illuminated, and the next day
the king attended the launch of a line of battle ship, the Prince of
Wales. Directly afterwards, the indefatigable monarch, with the queen
and princess, rowed out to Spithead, embarked on board the Aquilon
frigate, royal salutes firing from all the ships while the crews manned
yards and cheered, and the bands played their most lively music.

The Aquilon getting under way stood towards the Needles, when the king
returned to Portsmouth to spend the Sunday.

On the following Monday he sailed in the Niger frigate for Southampton,
whence the royal family proceeded in carriages for Windsor.

Such is a description of one of the many visits the king delighted to
pay to the fleets of England, so that both the officers and men of the
navy were well acquainted with his person, and very many could boast of
having had the honour of conversing with him.

The Triton, however, was soon to be far away from such scenes, and to be
engaged in the stern reality of warfare. Her destination was the
Mediterranean, and her captain and crew being eager to distinguish
themselves, the grass was not allowed to grow on her keel. Still,
though a bright look-out was kept, and leagues of water had been
ploughed by her, a couple of privateers, a few merchantmen, and Gunda
costas, only had been captured, she having hitherto encountered no
worthy antagonist.

Unhappily fever broke out on board, and going into Gibraltar she was
compelled to leave thirty men at the hospital. Even after she sailed
again, a considerable number remained on the sick list; indeed, she had
almost an equal number with those left behind unable to do duty.

Though his crew were thus reduced in