so that we were heartily glad when it was over. There was
something better in store for us too. News was brought us that the
French fleet, nearly twice as strong as ours, was on the look-out for
us. Our fleet was under the command of Admiral Hotham. You may be sure
that we kept a bright look-out for the enemy. At last they hove in
sight, and one of our frigates, the `Inconstant,' got so close that she
brought to action the `Ca Ira,' a French eighty-four, which had carried
away her main and foretop masts. The `Inconstant,' however, was obliged
to bear away, and a French frigate came up and took the line-of-battle
ship in tow, while two other line-of-battle ships guarded her on her
weather bow.

"Our captain had been watching all that took place, and, though we had
no line-of-battle ship to support us, we made all sail in chase. There
was not a man on board whose heart didn't beat high with pride at the
way we went into action against odds so great; but we Agamemnons knew
well enough what our captain could do and would do. As soon as the
enemy could bring their guns to bear, they kept firing away their
stern-chasers at us. We stood on, without answering a shot, till we
were within a hundred yards of them. `Starboard the helm!' cried the
captain. The after-sails were brailed up, and the ship falling off, our
broadside was brought to bear on the retreating enemy. Now we opened a
tremendous fire on them, every gun telling. Then the helm was put
a-port, the after-yards braced up, and again we were after them.

"Again and again we practised the same manoeuvre, never allowing the `Ca
Ira' to get a shot at us with one of her broadside guns. The enemy,
however, were not idle with their after-guns, though it was not till we
had torn her sails almost to ribbons that the French frigates began to
open their fire upon us. Then down came more of the enemy's ships
towards us. The captain seemed only the better pleased at seeing this,
and it's my opinion he would have hove to to meet them, and still
managed to come off victorious by some means or other, even if the
admiral had not made the signal of recall. Though our sails and rigging
were much cut up, we had only seven men wounded, while the `Ca Ira' lost
one hundred and ten that day.

"The next day we were again at it, for we managed to cut off the `Ca
Ira,' and the `Censeur,' which had her in tow. This time we got one on
each side of us, and both of them fought we