s garrison, that our leaders soon became
convinced of the impossibility of effecting a surprise. Naturally the
subjugation of this redoubt became the all-absorbing topic of
conversation.

While the interest was at its highest, it happened that Mr Annesley had
occasion to go on shore, and he took a passage with me in the little
"Mouette." He had never landed on the island before, and so, as we ran
down toward the creek, I pointed out to him the various points of
interest in the landscape. He was very anxious to get a sight of the
Convention Redoubt, but this was not just then possible, a high rocky
acclivity close to the shore shutting out the view. I had often looked
at this rock, and had thought what a fine view of the redoubt might be
had from its summit, and how easily the place might be reduced, were it
only possible to plant guns there, and I mentioned something of this
while we were going ashore.

Our worthy "first" remained silent for a good ten minutes after I had
concluded my remarks, intently examining through his telescope the face
of the rock meanwhile. At last he said,--

"I should like to give that rock a bit of an overhaul, Chester. Are you
a good hand at climbing?"

"Pretty fair, sir, I believe," was my modest reply.

"Well, then, as soon as I have transacted my business, we will both go
and see what it looks like," said he.

Accordingly, as soon as he was at liberty, we made our way to the base
of the rock. I call it a rock, and so it certainly was; but there was a
considerable depth of soil in many places about its sides, which soil
was thickly covered with short close herbage, upon which a few goats
were browsing here and there, and it sent a thrill through us both to
see these active animals leaping from one projection to another, or
clinging like flies to the almost perpendicular faces of the thinly-
scattered grassy slopes. Looking up at them through our telescopes, it
frequently seemed that they had got themselves into such a position,
that it would be equally impossible for them to attempt either to go
forward or to return without precipitating themselves headlong to the
bottom of the precipice.

It was not an encouraging spectacle to two persons who entertained
serious thoughts of scaling such a cliff, especially as stones detached
by the feet of the scrambling goats above occasionally came plunging
down about our ears; but sailors are not easily, daunted when it comes
to a ques