something, but he did not keep
his word; for his despatch was published before we quitted the
roadstead, and not the name of one officer mentioned, only generally
saying, that they conducted themselves to his satisfaction. He called
the enemy a corvette, not specifying whether she was brig or ship
corvette; and the whole was written in such a bombastic style, that any
one would have imagined that he had found a vessel of superior force.
He stated, at the end, that as soon as he repaired damages, he wore
round, but that the enemy declined further action. So she did,
certainly--for the best of all possible reasons, that she was too
disabled to come down to us. All this might have been contested; but
the enormous list of killed and wounded proved that we had had a hard
fight, and the capture of the brig afterwards, that we had really
overpowered her. So that, on the whole, Captain Hawkins gained a great
deal of credit with some; although whispers were afloat, which came to
the ears of the Admiralty, and prevented him from being posted--the more
so, as he had the modesty not to apply for it.

CHAPTER FIFTY SIX.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACTION--A SHIP WITHOUT A FIGHTING CAPTAIN IS LIKE A
THING WITHOUT A HEAD--SO DO THE SAILORS THINK--A MUTINY, AND THE LOSS OF
OUR FAMOUS SHIP'S COMPANY.

During our stay at Yarmouth, we were not allowed to put our foot on
shore, upon the plea that we must repair damages, and proceed
immediately to our station; but the real fact was, that Captain Hawkins
was very anxious that we should not be able to talk about the action.
Finding no charges preferred against him, he recommenced his system of
annoyance. His apartments had windows which looked out upon where the
brig lay at anchor; and he constantly watched all our motions with his
spy-glass, noting down if I did not hoist up boats, etcetera, exactly at
the hour prescribed in his book of orders, so as to gather a list of
charges against me if he could. This we did not find out until
afterwards.

I mentioned before, that when Swinburne joined us at Plymouth, he had
recommended a figure-head being put on the brig. This had been done at
O'Brien's expense--not in the cheap way recommended by Swinburne, but in
a very handsome manner. It was a large snake coiled up in folds, with
its head darting out in a menacing attitude, and the tail, with its
rattle, appeared below. The whole was gilded, and had a very good
effect; but after the doc