overpowered, he gained sufficient time for most of his
flock of merchant-ships to escape.

In February, 1805, this gallant officer, in the Arrow, of 18
twenty-four pounders, ably supported by Captain Arthur Farquhar, in
the Acheron bomb, carrying not half that number, actually engaged two
large French frigates, mounting in all 90 guns and 1300 men, while the
English force was only 26 guns and 90 men. The damage and delay caused
to the enemy by this spirited resistance enabled the convoy to
disperse, and all get off but three, out of thirty-two. The English
ships did not strike till they were so much cut up that one sunk
immediately afterwards, and the other was burned by the captors as
useless.

On the occasion of our voyage in 1812, however, the fortitude and
skill of our East India ships were put to no such proof, as our most
interesting evolutions were confined to the interchange of good
dinners; for your Indiamen know as well how to eat, drink, and be
merry, as to fight, if need be. Their chief business is to trade; but
their trading is a widely different thing from that of the ordinary
merchant service. The East India Company's officers are bred in many
respects like naval men, and they feel in the same manner. Being
sprung from as good a stock as the officers of the Navy, they possess
a kindred gentleman-like spirit, and are in every respect suitable
allies in battle.

In fine weather, during our whole voyage, there scarcely occurred a
day on which, in the course of the morning, if the sea were tolerably
smooth, and the wind not too strong, the dinner invitation signal was
not displayed from the commodore, or from some of his flock. When
there was a breeze, and the ships were making way through the water,
some technical address was necessary to avoid delay. This will easily
be understood, without going into minute details, when it is
remembered, that there must always in a convoy be found certain ships
which sail worse than others, and that, although these tubs, as they
are most deservedly called, crowd all their canvas, the rest are
obliged to shorten sail in order to keep them company; as Lightfoot,
in the fairy tale, was obliged to tie his feet in the race. If it be
the commodore who gives the dinner, he either heaves to, while the
boats of the several captains come on board, or he edges down to the
different ships in succession, passes them at the distance of a
quarter of a cable's length, picks up his gue