ver to the Isle of
Wight, and now came off to Spithead to see the last of them. There was
still room for another midshipman. They were expecting every day to
sail, and Jack was in despair at not hearing from either of his friends,
wondering what would have become of them, when a shore-boat was seen
coming off to the ship, and Paddy Adair and his chest came up the side.

"Hurrah!" exclaimed Jack, as soon as he saw him; "that is jolly. But I
say, old fellow, where is Murray? I wish that he was here too."

Adair could not tell, and they puzzled their brains in vain to account
for his silence. The topsails were loosed, the capstan was manned, and
to a merry tune the men were running round and heaving up the anchor,
and as the fine old admiral was shaking hands with all he knew on board
just before stepping into his boat, Jack could scarcely persuade himself
that four years had passed over his head since, with the exception that
Murray was not present as one of the _dramatis persona_, precisely the
same scene had been enacted. The _Ranger_ had a quick run to Sierra
Leone, where her arrival was welcomed with very great delight by all on
board the ship she came to relieve. The frigate at last cast anchor
opposite Freetown, and Jack and Adair were allowed with several of the
officers to go on shore.

They were surprised at finding so large and flourishing a town, with a
population, although the greater number are black or coloured, so
generally intelligent and well off. They saw churches, and colleges,
and schools, and places of education of all sorts. They were told that
many of the negroes liberated from slavers have become wealthy, and that
the sons of men who landed on those shores twenty years ago ignorant
savages, are now receiving a first-rate education, and studying Latin,
Greek, and Hebrew, many of them diligently preparing for becoming
ministers of the gospel. Freetown, built on rising ground, close to the
sea, has a very picturesque appearance. Jack and Adair were also struck
with the number of people who came into the town to trade, and with the
signs of industry everywhere visible. However, they were not sorry to
find themselves once more at sea, with a sharp lookout kept night and
day for slavers. The officers were in general very different in
appearance from those in the _Racer_, though they were all very good
sort of fellows. The oddest looking was Dr McCan, the surgeon. He was
a jovial-faced sh