out of her."

"Thank you, Bob: here's your health, and may we long sail together."

Bob and I finished the bottle, and then we parted.

The next day, I was very busy in examining my vessel and my ship's
company. The schooner was a beautiful model, very broad in the beam,
and very low in the water; she mounted one long brass thirty-two-pounder
forward on a circular sweep, so that it could be trained in every
direction; abaft, she had four brass nine-pound carronades. My ship's
company consisted of sixty men and officers; that is, myself, two mids,
boatswain, gunner, and carpenter. The mids were young lads of about
sixteen years of age, a Mr Brown and a Mr Black, gawky tall boys, with
their hands thrust too far though the sleeves of their jackets, and
their legs pulled too far through their trowsers; in fact, they were
growing lads, who had nothing but their pay to subsist upon, being both
sons of warrant officers. They bore very good characters, and I
resolved to patronise them, and the first thing which I did was, to
present them each with a new suit of uniform and a few other
necessaries, so as to make them look respectable; a most unheard-of
piece of patronage, and which it is, therefore, my boast to record. The
fact is, I was resolved that my schooner should look respectable; my
ship's company were really a very fine body of men, most of them tall
and stout, and I had received a very good character of them from the
officer who had invalided. I had taken all his stores and furniture off
his hands, for I had plenty of money, and to spare.

As soon as I had examined my ship's company, I made them a speech, the
which, although they were bound to hear it, I shall not inflict upon the
reader, and I then went down and examined every portion of the vessel,
ascertained what there was in her and where everything was. Bob Cross
accompanied me in this latter duty, which was not over till dinner-time.

The next morning my signal was made, and I went up to the admiral.

"Mr Keene," said the admiral, "here are despatches to take down to the
governor of Curacao. When can you be ready?"

"Now, sir," replied I; "and if you will make the signal for the Firefly
to weigh anchor, there will be so much time gained."

"Very good, Keene; tell them to make the signal. You must make all the
haste you can, as they are important. Here are your orders: after you
have delivered your despatches, you will be allowed to cruise down i