t on board, my uncle accompanying us. On reaching the
"Vigilant" I found that the new boat had been delivered and was hoisted
in, the dockyard gang was clear of the ship, and everything was ready
for an immediate start. I accordingly gave the word to unmoor, and in
another quarter of an hour we passed out of the harbour with a nice
little breeze from about N.N.E.

My uncle remained on board until we were abreast of Cowes, when he
ordered the wherry--which had been towing astern--to be hauled
alongside. The "Vigilant" was hove-to; my uncle shook hands with little
Smellie, slipped a five-pound note into the hand of Chips, the
carpenter's mate, for the crew to drink my health, and then, taking a
hasty but most affectionate leave of me, hurried over the side into the
wherry, seized the yoke-lines, and bade the boatman make sail for
Portsmouth Harbour. We at once filled away again; and two hours
afterwards passed through the Needles.

Nothing worthy of note occurred until we were half-way across the Bay of
Biscay, when, about four bells in the forenoon watch of a most
delightful day, with a moderate breeze from the westward, and a very
long swell, but no sea, the lookout man aloft reported a sail broad on
our lee bow.

I was in the cabin at the time, reading.

"What does she look like?" inquired Smellie, who had the watch.

"I can only see the heads of her fore and main-topgallantsails," replied
the man, "but I believe she is a frigate, sir."

Smellie came to the open skylight and spoke down through it:--

"I say, Chester, if it's not troubling you too much, will you hand me up
my glass, please? It is in the beckets, just inside the door of my
berth. Here's a strange sail to leeward, and I want to take a squint at
her."

I found the telescope, and carried it on deck myself. Master Harold
slung it over his shoulder, and in another minute was perched on the
long tapering yard of the lateen mainsail.

"What do _you_ make her out to be?" I hailed him, after he had given
her a careful overhauling for some three or four minutes.

"A frigate, without doubt," he replied, his glass still levelled at her.
"I can see her mizzen-royal-mast, with the yard across. Her sails are
not large enough for a line-of-battle ship. Ha! she has hove in stays.
Round she comes, smartly too. Why, she is setting her royals! Surely
she can't be coming after us?"

"As like as not," returned I. "If we can see her, she can see us; a