d set, and in the course of the cruise I
had the satisfaction of seeing them alert, clean and obedient. This was in
a great measure owing to the officers, who, when supported, were firm,
discriminating and encouraging. The consequence was that during the time I
commanded her there was only one desertion in eighteen months, and the cat
did not see daylight once in three months. I found off Boulogne another
cruiser watching the French privateers and Bonaparte's boast--the flotilla.
The captain of her was a Job's comforter. He told me he was both sick and
sorry to be on such a wear-and-tear, monotonous, do-nothing station, that
he had been out two months without effecting anything, that he had
frequently had the enemy's privateers under his guns, but that the run was
so short, they were always sure of escaping. "One morning," said he,
"about five months ago, I had got within musket-shot of one of those
vagabonds, and had been sure of him, when a shell fired from Cape Grisnez
fell directly down the main hatchway, bedded in one of the water-casks,
and shortly after exploded, without, fortunately, doing more mischief than
destroying a few more casks and splintering the beams and deck without
wounding a man. I was in consequence reluctantly obliged to give up the
chase, but not before I had taken ample revenge. In tacking I gave her all
the larboard broadside, and not a vestige of her was to be seen: but,"
continued he, "I hear of their taking prizes; but where the devil do they
carry them to?" "Not into Boulogne or Calais," replied I. "Havre and
Cherbourg are the ports to sell them in." "Then why," said he, "do they
keep so many of us on this station and so few to the westward?" "I presume
it is," I replied, "because this being the narrowest part of the Channel,
there is more risk of our vessels being captured, and you know all the old
women, with the Mayor and Aldermen, would petition the Admiralty to have
the fleet back again to watch that frightful bugbear the half-rotten
flotilla, which sometimes prevents them from taking their night's rest.
And it is very probable that, was this station neglected, our vessels
would be cut out from the Downs." "I never dreamed of that," answered he.
"It's all right, and if I can only take six of their privateers, or about
twenty of their flotilla, I will not say a word more."

[Illustration: H.M.S. APELLES.]

I remained out nearly three months, watching the flotilla and the
privateers. We