ly laden with stores for our enemies, we could not touch
her. Her skipper was very civil, and invited us into the cabin, where a
fine display of decanters and tumblers gave promise of good cheer, in
which we were not disappointed. Mr Fitzgerald was soon deep in the
mysteries of cocktail and similar mixtures. He seemed to enjoy them
amazingly, for he quaffed tumbler after tumbler, till I began to fear
that he was getting rather too deep into the subject. Grey and I took
our share, but we both of us were from inclination very temperate.
Independent of other considerations, I have always held that a splitting
headache, and the risk of getting into trouble, was a high price to pay
for the pleasure of tickling one's palate, or artificially raising one's
spirits for a short time. The men were hospitably entertained forward,
one or two of them finding old messmates; indeed American vessels at
that period were manned principally with English seamen. We remained on
board altogether much longer than we ought to have done, but at last Mr
Fitzgerald, looking at his watch, jumped up, exclaiming that he must be
off. We thanked the skipper for his civility, and, not without
difficulty, getting the men into the boat, away we pulled towards the
frigate. The men were all high in praise of the Yankees, and I have no
doubt that they were all put up to run from the ship at the first
American port at which they might touch.

The calm still continued, and from the lazy way in which the men pulled,
it was clear that they were in no hurry to get on board. Grey and I, of
course, were not; indeed Mr Fitzgerald, who was in great spirits, kept
us highly amused by his stories, so full of racy humour. Our movements
were, however, considerably expedited by the report of a gun from the
frigate, as a signal for us immediately to return. The men now bent to
their oars, and gave way in earnest. We had not pulled far, however,
when another puff of smoke was seen to burst forth from the frigate's
side, followed by the report of the gun, which came booming over the
smooth ocean.

"Och! the skipper's in a mighty hurry," muttered the lieutenant to
himself. "We are making all the haste flesh and blood is capable of,
with the sun boiling up our marrow at this rate."

"Give way, lads, give way," he shouted aloud. "The captain is in a
hurry, for there's something in the wind, depend on that."

We were, I suspect, so completely in a position under