-up and hand the sails;
and in another minute or so the _Juno_ lay with all sails furled right
up in the centre of the harbour of Toulon, with a line of heavy
batteries between her and the sea. While we were handing sails, a boat
was seen to put off from the brig; but instead of coming aboard us, she
pulled away rapidly in the direction of the town.

Before, however, we were even off the yards, a flaw of wind took the
ship's head, and happily drove it off the bank, when the anchor was let
go, and she lay with her head up the harbour. Still, however, she hung
on the bank by the stern, while her rudder remained immovable and
useless. Seeing this, the captain ordered a kedge to be carried out to
warp her off; which, as she hung very lightly, could easily be done. To
perform this operation the launch was lowered; but being a heavy boat,
it took some time to get her into the water. Warps and the kedge-anchor
were then placed in her, and her crew pulled away with the kedge in the
proper direction to haul her off. While we were thus engaged, a boat
was seen coming down the harbour.

"What boat's that?" hailed the sentry from forward.

"Ay, ay," was the answer.

"Officers coming alongside!" cried the sentry--such being the answer
given by naval officers when hailed by a ship-of-war. A captain repeats
the name of his ship.

The gangway was manned to receive the visitors. Every one was puzzled
to know the meaning of a visit at so unusual an hour, and anxious to
know what it meant. A well-manned boat came alongside, and two French
officers, with several other people, scrambled up on deck.

"Be smart, then, my lads, with the kedge," sung out Mr Webley, third
lieutenant, from forward. "We must get the ship afloat before the wind
drives her further on."

The French officers looked about the decks for an instant, and then,
followed by their people, went aft to the captain, who was standing on
the quarter-deck ready to receive them.

"Monsieur le Capitaine," said one of them, taking off his hat and bowing
politely, "I am sent by the chief of the port to compliment you on the
way you have brought your ship into this loyal port, but to express
regret that the regulations he has been compelled to issue make it
necessary for you to go over to the southern side of the harbour, there
to perform a quarantine for a short ten days or so, as you come from
Alexandria, an infected place."

"But we don't come from Alexandria; w