nd applied himself to his duties on shore, where he would not be
exposed to such temptations from his former habits.

As the _Aurora_, when she was last at Malta, had nearly exhausted the
dockyard for her repairs, she was even longer fitting out this time,
during which Captain Wilson's despatches had been received by the
admiral, and had been acknowledged by a brig sent to Malta. The
admiral, in reply, after complimenting him upon his gallantry and
success, desired that, as soon as he was ready, he should proceed to
Palermo with communications of importance to the authorities, and having
remained there for an answer, was again to return to Malta to pick up
such of his men as might be fit to leave the hospital, and then join the
Toulon fleet. This intelligence was soon known to our hero, who was in
ecstasies at the idea of again seeing Agnes and her brothers. Once more
the _Aurora_ sailed away from the high-crowned rocks of Valette, and
with a fine breeze dashed through the deep blue waves.

But towards the evening the breeze increased, and they were under
double-reefed topsails. On the second day they made the coast of
Sicily, not far from where Easy and Gascoigne had been driven on shore;
the weather was then more moderate, and the sea had, to a great degree,
subsided. They therefore stood in close to the coast, as they had not a
leading wind to Palermo. As they stood in, the glasses, as usual, were
directed to land; observing the villas with which the hills and valleys
were studded, with their white fronts embowered in orange groves.

"What is that, Gascoigne," said Easy, "under that precipice?--it looks
like a vessel."

Gascoigne turned his glass in the direction--"Yes, it is a vessel on the
rocks: by her prow she looks like a galley."

"It is a galley, sir--one of the row galleys--I can make out her bank of
oars," observed the signal-man.

This was reported to Captain Wilson, who also examined her.

"She is on the rocks, certainly," observed he; "and I think I see people
on board. Keep her away a point, quarter-master."

The _Aurora_ was now steered right for the vessel, and in the course of
an hour was not more than a mile from her. Their suppositions were
correct--it was one of the Sicilian government galleys bilged on the
rocks, and they now perceived that there were people on board of her,
making signals with their shirts and pieces of linen.

"They must be the galley-slaves; for I perceive that