red that we were entering a small French port,
which had not been visible to us, called (I think) Lanion, situated
between Isle Bichat and Morlaix. When within half a mile of the land,
French over English was hoisted at our peak, and a French pennant over
an English pennant at our main.

"I told you so," said Bramble; "they have made a man-of-war out of us,
and now there'll be no end to the lies that they will tell; for though
these French fellows do not fight quite so well as we do, at lying
they'll beat us hollow, any day of the week. Never mind, Tom, we must
keep a sharp lookout, and there's no saying--keep your eyes open as we
go into the harbor--I never was here before, but I suspect it's nothing
better than a poor fishing town."

In a quarter of an hour the ship and privateer were both made fast to an
old stone pier which ran out from the town; but there were no other
vessels in the harbor except two small coasting chasses marees, and
about a dozen fishing-boats.

The harbor was formed by the mouth of a small river, which ran down
through a very narrow alluvial flat, backed by precipitous rocks. On the
right side of the river on entering, and on the level ground above
mentioned, which extended back perhaps two hundred yards, until it was
met by the rocky cliffs, was situated the village which, centuries back,
must have been the town of Lanion. It consisted of perhaps one hundred
to one hundred and twenty houses, few of them of any size, the major
portion with walls built of mud and whitewashed over. The only remains
of the former town were a stone-built market-place, the portion of the
Hotel de Ville in which the mayor resided, and the old church, which,
although perfect in its walls, was sadly dilapidated in the roof. It had
long been deserted, and a small chapel had been built in lieu of it, in
which the only cure of the place performed the service. The massive
stones of which the now neglected pier had once been built proved that
at one time considerable expense had been incurred in the formation of
this small harbor.

A battery mounting two guns at the end of the pier protected the mouth
of the harbor; and there was a guard of a sergeant and twelve invalids,
who were stationed there to man the guns upon the approach of an enemy.

It would be difficult to describe the confusion which took place as soon
as the two vessels were fairly alongside the wharf, and made fast with
hawsers to the massive iron rings