ncreasing between the belligerents,
and an officer stepped forward to know what we wanted.

We told him our errand. "Tell your captain," said he, "that he has done
good service to his government, and saved the capture of many a rich
merchantman, if I mistake not. The ship you have destroyed was the
`Wilks' privateer, mounting twenty guns--six-pounders--commanded by as
brave a man as ever stepped, Captain John Williams, and bound into the
English channel on a six-months' cruise. If it is any satisfaction to
you, you may say that she was only off the stocks five weeks. There's
the captain; he'll never break biscuit more, nor will several of our
people who were drowned coming on shore. There's all that remains of
poor Captain Williams."

He spoke with bitterness, and, lifting a flag, exposed the form of a man
in an officer's uniform. He had been wounded, it appeared, by one of
our broadsides, and carried on shore by his crew. I was not sorry,
having received the information we were ordered to obtain, to get away
from the scene of the catastrophe. This was our finishing stroke in the
Bay of Fundy. During our cruise there it appeared by the log-book that
we had seen ninety rebel vessels of various descriptions, of which we
had either taken or destroyed thirty-three sail--a highly satisfactory
amount of mischief to have committed in so short a time--but it had no
effect in making the Americans loyal, or increasing their love for their
British brethren.

CHAPTER NINE.

RECOMMENDED TO SIR PETER PARKER.--JOIN CHATHAM WITH GRAMPUS AND TOM
ROCKETS--MY MESSMATE O'DRISCOLL.--APPOINTED TO COMMAND PIGOT TENDER.--
CRUISE WITH O'DRISCOLL.--CHASE AND CAPTURE A SCHOONER.--FIND TWO LADIES
ON BOARD.--NEW STYLE OF EXISTENCE.--DISCOVER SKIPPER'S PLOT TO RE-TAKE
HIS VESSEL.--MADELINE CARLYON AND MRS. TARLETON.--CAUGHT IN A HEAVY
GALE.

One forenoon a midshipman from HMS Chatham came on board, with a letter
from the admiral, Sir Peter Parker, to Captain Hudson. The Chatham was
at that time Sir Peter's flag-ship. The midshipman was of course asked
below and pressed to stop for dinner. In a remarkably short space of
time he made himself at home with all hands. He had a very red head of
hair, very red eyes, and very red face indeed. I have never met a
redder person, but he was far from ugly, and his countenance was brimful
of good-nature and humour. He and I quickly became friends. He caught
my name.

"Faith, that's not