On being sent below to stow away my
bag, I managed to sign my name in pencil to my letter, by placing it on
a gun, and to add a few lines describing what had happened, and then I
hurried on deck, but the boatswain's pipe was already shrilly sounding,
and his voice shouting, "All hands up anchor!"

The commodore's frigate was letting fall her topsails, and the other
ships were following her example. The capstan went merrily round, the
anchor was away, the sails were sheeted home, and we stood out of
Plymouth Sound, steering for the southward.

My poor wife would have to wait some time now before she could hear from
me, or know indeed where I was. There was nobody on board the _Mars_ to
whom I could have entrusted the duty of writing to her. I had to bear
it, therefore, as I had to bear many another trial. Hope still
supported me. As far as we could learn, we were not likely to be long
away. Lord Bridport had driven the French fleet into harbour and was
watching them, although we, of course, might on our return fall in with
an enemy and have a fight.

The weather was fine and the wind fair, but we had plenty to do in
keeping the transports together. There were many of them very slow
sailers, merchant vessels hired for the purpose, some of them brigs of a
hundred and fifty to two hundred tons, which must have afforded very
miserable accommodation to the unfortunate emigrants. The troops were
under the command of a royalist officer, the Comte de Puisaye, who had
as his lieutenants the Comtes d'Hervilly and de Sombreuil.

On the 25th of June we entered the capacious bay of Quiberon, which
affords one of the most secure anchorages on the French coast. On one
side is the Peninsula of Quiberon, which extends out some way from the
mainland, and seaward are two small, well-cultivated islands, so that it
is completely protected from westerly and south-westerly gales. The
next day was spent in preparations for landing, and to allow the
laggards to come up; and on the 27th, at daybreak, the troops, conveyed
in a large flotilla of boats, escorted by six of the squadron, pulled
for the village of Carmac, where they landed. A small body of about two
hundred Republicans attempted to oppose them, but were quickly driven
back, leaving several dead on the field, while the Royalists did not
lose a man.

This slight success encouraged the royalist inhabitants, who came down
to the number of sixteen thousand, eager to receive