aracter of Captain Hawkins; "if, by mistake, you have
been put in possession of any of Mr Simple's secrets, you are bound in
honour not to make use of them; neither can you retain property not your
own."

But Captain Hawkins was determined, and refused to give them to me.
"Well, then, Captain Hawkins," replied the captain of the _Acasta_, you
will oblige me by remaining on my quarter-deck till I come out of the
cabin.

The captain of the _Acasta_ then wrote an order, directing Captain
Hawkins immediately to deliver up to _him_ the papers of mine in his
possession; and coming out of the cabin, put it into Captain Hawkins'
hands, saying, "Now, sir, here is a written order from your superior
officer. Disobey it, if you dare. If you do, I will put you under an
arrest, and try you by a court-martial."

Captain Hawkins bit his lip at the order.

"Your boat is manned, sir," said the captain of the _Acasta_, in a
severe tone.

Captain Hawkins came on board, sealed up the books, and sent them to the
captain of the _Acasta_, who redirected them to me, on His Majesty's
service, and returned them by the same boat. The public may therefore
thank the captain of the _Acasta_ for the memoirs which they are now
reading.

From my messmates I gained the following intelligence of what had passed
after I had quitted the brig. The fire of the praam had cut them up
severely, and Captain Hawkins had been struck in the arm with a piece of
the hammock rail, which had been shot away shortly after I left.
Although the skin only was razed, he thought proper to consider himself
badly wounded; and giving up the command to Mr Webster, the second
lieutenant, had retreated below, where he remained until the action was
over. When Mr Webster reported the return of the boats, with the
capture of the gun-boat, and my supposed death, he was delighted, that
he quite forgot his wound, and ran on deck, rubbing his hands as he
walked up and down. At last he recollected himself, went down into his
cabin, and came up again with his arm in a sling.

During the short time that we remained in port, I took care that _Riga
balsam_ should not be allowed to come alongside, and the men were all
sober. We received orders from the captain of the _Acasta_ to join the
admiral, who was off the Texel, in pursuance of directions he had
received from the Admiralty to despatch one of the squadron, and we were
selected from the dislike which he had taken to Captain