tive orders in writing on the
subject, for it is an awkward thing for a midshipman to have a thing
like this left to his discretion, especially as at other times superior
officers don't seem to think that midshipmen possess any discretion
whatever."

CHAPTER XIV.

A PIRATE HOLD.

On arriving at Rhodes, Wilkinson and Edgar rowed ashore as soon as the
anchor was dropped, and called upon the Turkish governor. They were
received with much honour, and the governor was delighted to hear the
news, which they were the first to bring, that the French had abandoned
the siege of Acre and were retreating in all haste to Egypt. He gave
orders for a salute to be fired at once in honour of this great success,
and then asked Wilkinson what he could do for him, assuring him that he
would put all the resources of the island at his disposal. Edgar, as
interpreter, assured the governor that they had no occasion to avail
themselves largely of the offer, but that, in consequence of the amount
of ammunition expended in the siege they were short of both powder,
ball, and musketry ammunition, and would be very much obliged for as
large a supply as he could spare them. He gave orders at once for the
issue to him of as much as they required. Edgar then went on:

"The object of our coming here, sir, is to endeavour to check the piracy
that is now being carried on among the islands. Numerous complaints have
reached Sir Sidney Smith from Turkish, British, and Greek merchants;
ships are constantly missing, and there is no doubt that they have been
captured and scuttled, and their crews massacred."

"Your ship is a small one for such a purpose," the governor said, for
from the divan on which he was sitting he commanded a view of the port.

"I hope that she is large enough," Edgar replied; "she is heavily armed
for her size, and she is a fast sailer. Sir Sidney Smith had no larger
vessel at his disposal, as he needs the two men-of-war and the small
frigate for watching the Egyptian coast, and, indeed, had he been able
to send a larger craft, it would not have been so well suited for the
purpose, for the pirates would hardly have ventured to attack her. We
shall, after we have put out to sea, disguise the brig and rig her as a
merchantman in order to tempt them out. We shall not do it until we are
well away, for the pirates may have friends here who might send them
information. We shall head for the south, and shall give out that we are
t