and
when all was ready, Sir Gervaise descended to the shore, using the very
path by which he had ascended the previous day; and, pushing through the
throng that crowded the landing, almost too much engaged to heed even
his approach, he entered his barge. In another minute, the measured
strokes of the oars urged him swiftly towards the Plantagenet.

CHAPTER XVII.

"'Twas not without some reason, for the wind
Increased at night, until it blew a gale;
And though 'twas not much to a naval mind,
Some landsmen would have look'd a little pale,
For sailors are, in fact, a different kind;
At sunset they began to take in sail,
For the sky show'd it would come on to blow,
And carry away, perhaps, a mast or so."

BYRON.

As it was just past the turn of the day, Bluewater determined to linger
on the cliffs for several hours, or until it was time to think of his
dinner. Abstracted as his thoughts were habitually, his mind found
occupation and pleasure in witnessing the evolutions that succeeded
among the ships; some of which evolutions it may be well now briefly to
relate.

Sir Gervaise Oakes' foot had not been on the deck of the Plantagenet
five minutes, before a signal for all commanders was flying at that
vessel's mast-head. In ten minutes more every captain of the fleet, with
the exception of those belonging to the vessels in the offing, were in
the flag-ship's cabin, listening to the intentions and instructions of
the vice-admiral.

"My plan of sailing, gentlemen, is easily comprehended," continued the
commander-in-chief, after he had explained his general intentions to
chase and engage; "and everyone of you will implicitly follow it. We
have the tide strong at ebb, and a good six-knot breeze is coming up at
south-west. I shall weigh, with my yards square, and keep them so, until
the ship has drawn out of the fleet, and then I shall luff up on a taut
bowline and on the starboard tack, bringing the ebb well under my
lee-bow. This will hawse the ship over towards Morlaix, and bringing us
quite as far to windward as is desirable. While the ebb lasts, and this
breeze stands, we shall have plain sailing; the difficulty will come on
the flood, or with a shift of wind. The ships that come out last must be
careful to keep their seconds, ahead and astern, in plain sight, and
regulate their movements, as much as they can, by the leading vessels.
The object is to spread as