ns,
looking through the ports at their enemy and our friend, we overpowered
them. Scarcely one of them made any resistance. In an instant we were
on the upper deck, where the officers, seeing that the game was up,
cried out that they gave in, and hauled down the French flag.

On this, didn't we cheer lustily! The ship which had so opportunely
come to our rescue was the fifty gun ship _Leander_, the Honourable John
Talbot. Her crew cheered as she came up to us, and her captain asked us
if we could hold our own against the Frenchmen without assistance. We
replied that we could, and against twice as many Frenchmen to boot. We
thought then that we could do anything. He told us we were fine
fellows, and ordering us to follow him, he hauled his wind in chase of
the _Ville de Milan_.

We took care to disarm all the Frenchmen; and, you may believe me, we
kept a very sharp look-out on them, lest they should attempt to play us
the same trick we had just played them.

The _Ville de Milan_ had by this time got some miles away, but the
_Leander_ made all sail she could carry, and we had little doubt would
soon come up with her. Still we could not help keeping one eye on the
two ships, and the other on our prisoners. In little more than an hour
after the French flag had been hauled down aboard the _Cleopatra_, as we
hoped, never to fly there again, the _Leander_, with her guns ready to
pour forth her broadside, ranged up alongside the _Ville de Milan_. The
Frenchmen were no cowards, as we had found to be the case, but they
naturally didn't like her looks; and not waiting for her to fire, wisely
hauled down their colours. Then once more we cheered, and cheered
again, till our voices were hoarse. People have only to consider what
the anticipation of a prison must be to British sailors, to remember
that we fancied that we had lost our gallant ship, and that we were
smarting under a sense of defeat, to understand our joy at finding
ourselves once more at liberty. I had a joy far greater than any one,
or at least than any one not situated as I was (and perhaps there were
some as anxious as I was to return home), of feeling that I had now a
far greater chance than had before occurred of once more setting foot on
the shores of Old England, and of returning to my beloved wife.

The three ships all hove-to close together, while arrangements were made
for our passage to England. The _Leander_ put a prize crew on board the
_Vi