d that
he had gained information that it had sailed from Martinique in great
force for the purpose of attacking the island. In an hour afterwards
Sinnet brought in the brig in safety, when he had to deliver her up to
the prize agents.

It was a fine sight to me, for I had never seen so many line-of-battle
ships together, with their broadsides pointed in the same direction,
sufficient, it seemed, to blow the whole navy of France into the air.
Captain Macnamara, immediately on bringing up, sent Mr Harvey with the
despatches to the admiral, and directed him to ask for instructions as
to our future course.

We waited hour after hour in expectation of the French fleet.

"We shall have a good stand-up fight for it," observed Sinnet to me. "I
only wish that I had kept command of the brig, and I would have blazed
away at the Frenchmen with my pop-guns."

The night passed away. Early the next morning a sail was seen in the
offing, standing towards the bay. We all supposed her to be one of the
advance frigates of the French, sent ahead to ascertain our strength;
but as the light increased she was seen to be a corvette, though at the
same time she had a French appearance. She came steering directly for
the admiral, and hove-to inside him.

"Why, I do believe it's the craft we took soon after we left Jamaica,
and Nettleship and you were sent away in charge of," exclaimed Sinnet,
who had been watching her.

I had also been examining her minutely, and had come to the same
conclusion.

Directly she had furled sails, a boat went off from her to the admiral,
and remained alongside for some time. We were thus left in doubt as to
whether we were right. At length the boat, which had returned to the
corvette, came pulling towards us.

Sinnet was watching her through a telescope.

"Why, I say, Paddy, I'm nearly certain I see old Nettleship in the
stern-sheets, and Tom Pim alongside him," he said.

"Then there can be no doubt that the corvette is the _Soleil_; but
Nettleship hoped to get his promotion, and if so, he has been made one
of her lieutenants," I remarked.

"He hasn't got on a lieutenant's uniform, at all events," said Sinnet,
looking through the telescope.

In a short time the boat was alongside, and our doubts were solved, by
seeing Tom Pim and Nettleship come on deck. They went aft at once, and
reported themselves to Captain Macnamara. As soon as they were
dismissed they joined us. They both gave a start