h
day despatching to the neutral every thing which his gratitude could
suggest; but, as Newton was most anxious to proceed on his voyage, it
was agreed that the next morning they should part company. At the close
of the evening a strange sail was observed on the weather-beam; but, as
she carried no foretop-gallant sail, and appeared to be steering the
same course as the Windsor Castle, she excited but a momentary
observation, supposing that she was some homeward-bound neutral, or a
merchant vessel which had separated from her convoy. During the night,
which was dark, the moon being in her first quarter, the officer of the
middle-watch lost sight of their _protegee_; but this was to be
expected, as she did not carry a light. Before morning the wind fell,
and when the sun arose it was a perfect calm. The officer of the watch,
as the day dawned, went on the poop, surveying the horizon for their
companion, and discovered her six or seven miles astern, lying alongside
of the strange vessel which they had seen the day before. Both vessels,
as well as the Windsor Castle, were becalmed. He immediately went down
to Newton, acquainting him with the circumstance, which bore a very
suspicious appearance. Newton hastened on deck; with his glass he could
plainly distinguish that the stranger was a vessel of a low, raking
description, evidently no merchant-man, but built for sailing fast, and
in all probability a privateer. The man at the mast-head reported that
boats were constantly passing between the two vessels, Newton, who felt
very anxious for the safety of his friends, accepted the offer of the
second-mate to take the gig, and ascertain what was going on. In little
more than an hour the gig was seen from the mast-head to arrive within
half a mile of the vessels, and shortly afterwards the smoke from a gun,
followed by a distant report. The gig then winded, and pulled back
towards the Windsor Castle. It was in a state of great excitement that
Newton waited for her return, when the second-mate informed him that on
his approach he discovered that she was a flush vessel, pierced for
fourteen guns, painted black, and apparently well manned; that she
evidently, to use a nautical term, was "gutting the neutral;" and that,
as they had witnessed, on their boat coming within range, the vessel had
fired a round of grape, which fortunately fell short of them. She had
shown no colours; and, from her appearance and behaviour (as al