trying to pierce through the gloomy atmosphere, but no sign of her could
we discern, and night once again closed round us in our solitude. The
weather did not improve, so we spent another day at pile driving,
neither a pleasant nor a profitable occupation. The second morning
after the event I have described was as dark and lowering as before,
but, as I went on deck after breakfast, Grampus cheered me by saying
that he thought it was going to mend a bit. We were looking to the
south-east, when simultaneously all hands uttered a loud cheer. The
clouds seemed to burst asunder, the mist lifted, the bright sun shone
forth, and, surrounded by his glorious rays, beneath a canopy of blue
sky, our noble ship appeared, standing towards us, with the schooner and
a sloop in her wake. There was, however, still too much sea on for her
to send a boat without some risk; indeed, before she could well have
done so, another sail hove in sight, and she was away in chase.

On the 14th of the month we spoke his Majesty's ship Mermaid, with a
convoy from England to New York. On the 15th the Orpheus took a
schooner from Martinique, with a cargo of claret, so that with another
sloop she had taken she had now five prizes. It was not, however, till
the 26th of the month that a boat boarded me from the ship, with written
directions from Captain Hudson to take under my command all the prizes,
and to proceed with them to New York. I, in return, sent for my bedding
and chest, and a few other things from the purser, which I required, and
as soon as I had got them I hoisted the signal to my squadron to make
sail for the port of our destination. A midshipman had been put in
charge of each of the prizes, and as soon as we had lost sight of the
ship we ran close to each other to discuss the plans of amusement which
each of us were already enjoying by anticipation. Delisle commanded one
of the schooners, Ragget another, Nicholas had one sloop, and Drew the
last capture. We were, as may be supposed, a very merry set. It did
not occur to us that our enemy's cruisers might pop down on us before we
got into port, as does a cat among a party of mice at play. We were
almost as helpless as mice in the paws of a cat, for so few men were
sent away in each prize that we had scarcely strength to work them, much
less to fight or make sail on an emergency. In this instance fortune
favoured us. We made Sandy Hook on the 28th, and before evening were
all