way to leeward,
the thick rain almost shutting her out from sight.

The Frenchmen rubbed their hands, and blessed the wind and the rain, and
commiserated us on our prospects of being carried to France. All we
could hope was, that it would clear up again before the evening, and
that the wind would shift back into its old quarter.

We waited in vain for the change. Hour after hour passed by. The wind
blew great guns and small arms, and the rain came down in dense masses,
which completely shut out the stranger from our sight. I thought that
probably the Frenchmen would alter their course, but we stood steadily
on, only keeping up a little to be well to windward of our port, in case
the wind should veer round more to the north-west. Evening at length
came. It grew darker and darker; and with heavy hearts we prisoners had
to abandon all hopes of rescue.

The night passed away, while it was blowing and raining all the time
till near the morning. As soon as it was daylight I hurried on deck.
The horizon was clear. With what eagerness I looked around; not a sail
was in sight! The English ship, if such she was, finding herself so far
to leeward, had probably abandoned all hope of overtaking us.

At length the coast of France hove in sight. We looked at it as likely
to prove our home for many a weary day. It was past noon when we
anchored in the harbour of Saint Malo, and I could not be surprised at
the exultation of the Frenchmen, when they found themselves surrounded
by no less than five prizes, which they had taken in the course of two
or three weeks.

Their friends in numbers came off to welcome them, and brought all sorts
of wines and spirits, and provisions from the shore, far more indeed
than the crew could by possibility consume. The wine and spirits,
however, seemed to be most welcome, and the crew, having an abundance of
wherewithal to carouse, sat down to make themselves happy. Never have I
heard a set of human beings jabber away at the rate they did; they
laughed, and sang, and pledged each other without cessation.

La Motte, who was listening to them, told me that they were boasting of
all the deeds they had done, or would do, or had heard of being done,
till they were satisfied that their nation was not only the greatest,
the richest, the wisest, the most happy in the world, but that none ever
had or would come up to her.

Just before dark, the captain took Mr Randolph on shore; but he
observed