Captain Waghorn, her commander, and I was at once rated as
quartermaster. The flag of the brave Admiral Kempenfelt, who had a year
before been appointed Admiral of the Blue, flew aboard her. We sailed
shortly afterwards with a strong squadron for Brest, to look after a
French fleet which had just left that port, conveying a large number of
merchantmen bound for the East and West Indies. On the 12th of December
we had the good fortune to discover the enemy's fleet about thirty-five
leagues to the westward of Ushant, we being a long way to leeward of the
convoy. I heard the admiral talking to the captain.

"We will cut off the merchantmen first, and fight the enemy afterwards,"
says he.

What he had determined on he was the man to carry out, and before
evening we had picked up twenty merchantmen, laden with provisions and
naval and military stores, two or three regiments of soldiers, and a
large number of seamen. The _Royal George_ had to heave-to for the rest
of the squadron, which was a long way astern.

Next morning the French fleet was increased by a number of other ships
appearing to leeward. The admiral was a prudent as well as a brave man,
and considered that it would be wiser not to engage them, and so with
our prizes we sailed back to Portsmouth. I could almost see my cottage
from the maintop, but I could not get leave to go on shore; and as to
having Susan off to see me, that I would not think of, for she would
have had to see and hear things such as I did not wish my wife to
witness. We again sailed for a cruise down Channel, and, after putting
into Torbay, once more returned to Portsmouth. Admiral Kempenfelt, we
had heard, had been appointed to the command of the fleet in the
Mediterranean, and we expected to sail again in a week or less. This
was in August 1782. Lord Howe's fleet was also lying off Spithead,
among them the _Victory_, _Barfleur_, _Ocean_, and _Union_, all
three-deckers, close to us, and numerous other men-of-war and merchant
vessels; indeed, the people who came off from Portsmouth declared they
could hardly see the Isle of Wight on account of the masts and spars of
the ships. In consequence of going foreign we had been paid in golden
guineas. As soon as I had received my pay, I got leave to go on shore
to spend a couple of days, to be off again on the evening of the 27th.
I had no difficulty in getting a boat, for there were hundreds pulling
backwards and forwards. I found Sus