smart
sort of a chap, and sarved as interpreter, and the commissioner put
great faith in him."

"But how did you learn all this, Swinburne?"

"Why, I'll tell you, Mr Simple; I steered the yawl, as coxswain, and
when admirals and captains talk in the stern sheets, they very often
forget that the coxswain is close behind them. I only learnt half of it
that way, the rest I put together when I compared logs with the
admiral's steward, who, of course, heard a great deal now and then. The
first I heard of it, was when old Sir John called out to Sir Isaac,
after the second bottle, `I say, Sir Isaac, who killed the Spanish
messenger?' `Not I, by God!' replied Sir Isaac, `I only left him for
dead;' and then they both laughed, and so did Nelson, who was sitting
with them. Well, Mr Simple, it was reported to Sir Isaac that his
clerk was often seen taking memorandums of the different orders given to
the fleet, particularly those as to there being no wasteful expenditure
of His Majesty's stores. Upon which, Sir Isaac goes to the admiral, and
requests that the man might be discharged. Now, old Sir John was a sly
old fox, and he answered, `Not so, commissioner--perhaps we may catch
them in their own trap.' So the admiral sits down, and calls for pen
and ink, and he flourishes out a long letter to the commissioner,
stating that all the stores of the fleet were expended, representing as
how it would be impossible to go to sea without a supply, and wishing to
know when the commissioner expected more transports from England. He
also said, that if the Spanish fleet were now to come out from Cadiz, it
would be impossible for him to protect Sir W. Parker with his six sail
of the line, who was watching the Spanish fleet, as he could not quit
the port in his present condition. To this letter the commissioner
answered, that from the last accounts, he thought that in the course of
six weeks or two months, they might receive supplies from England, but
that sooner than that was impossible. These letters were put in the way
of the damned Portuguese spy clerk, who copied them, and was seen that
evening to go into the house of the Spanish ambassador. Sir John then
sent a message to Ferro--that's a small town on the Portuguese coast to
the southward--with a despatch to Sir William Parker, desiring him to
run away to Cape St. Vincent, and decoy the Spanish fleet there, in case
they should come out after him. Well, Mr Simple, so far d'ye se