of surprise at seeing
me.

Tom grasped my hand and said, "Well, I am glad, Paddy, to find you safe
aboard. We fully believed that the brig was lost in the hurricane, and
never expected to set eyes on you again."

Nettleship also greeted me warmly, though he looked somewhat down in the
mouth. The cause of this soon came out.

"Why, Nettleship," I said, "I thought you would have been made long
before this."

"It's my ill-luck that I'm not, Paddy," he answered. "I thought so too.
I got highly complimented for bringing the prize into Port Royal, and I
was then told to rejoin my ship as soon as possible; while the _Soleil_
was commissioned, and a commander and two lieutenants, who had just come
out from England with strong recommendations from the Admiralty, were
appointed to her."

"Well, cheer up, old fellow; we are very glad to have you still with
us," said Sinnet.

Tom afterwards told me that Nettleship got blamed by the admiral at
Jamaica for sending me aboard the brig with so few hands, and for
allowing the prisoners to remain on board, as he shrewdly suspected what
had really happened, that if we had managed to escape the hurricane,
they had risen on us and taken possession of the vessel.

The _Soleil_ had brought intelligence which she had gained from the crew
of a prize she had captured a few days before, that the Count de Grasse
had borne away for Saint Christopher's, where he had landed a force
under the Marquis de Boullie, which it was feared would overpower
General Fraser. The news soon ran through the fleet that, instead of
waiting to be attacked, we were forthwith to sail in search of the
French, to attack them. In a short time, at a signal thrown out from
the flag-ship, the fleet, consisting of twenty-two sail of the line and
several frigates, got under way, and stood out from Carlisle Bay. We
first proceeded to Antigua, where we obtained fresh provisions, and took
on board the 28th regiment of foot and two companies of the 13th, under
the command of General Prescott; and on the evening of the same day we
sailed for Saint John's Roads, and stood under easy sail for Basse
Terre, two of our frigates going ahead to give timely notice of what the
French were about. We and the _Nymph_ frigate were on one flank, and
two others on the opposite side. We were fully expecting that we should
have warm work in the morning. Few of the officers turned in. When a
large fleet is sailing together, it is ne