he south-west end of the island,
hauled up for North-East Bay in the Grand Terre, which we reached by
daylight next morning.

Here a fine frigate was found snugly anchored in the south-east corner
of the bay, in a sheltered bight, and under the protection of a battery
mounting ten heavy guns.

It now came out that this frigate, a French craft of forty guns named
"L'Artemise," had arrived at the islands on the previous day, and,
hearing of our being in the neighbourhood, had immediately made her way
to the spot where we had found her; whether to be in wait for us, or to
hide from us, could not yet be said. The skipper of the schooner had
picked up this piece of news, and had bargained with our captain to
pilot him to the place where the French ship lay on condition that he,
with his ship and crew, should be allowed to go free. The bargain was
struck; our skipper insisting, however, upon the total disarming of the
schooner.

The "Astarte" and her prize now hove-to; and, being still in deep water,
orders were sent on board the schooner, to flood her magazine, and to
throw her guns and all the small-arms into the sea, leaving weapons only
in the hands of the master and his two subordinates, for the maintenance
of proper discipline. This done, and all our people being taken out of
the schooner, Captain Annesley wrote out a challenge to the captain of
the French frigate and sent it in by the schooner. We then hoisted our
colours and fired a gun. The French frigate and the battery on shore
hoisted the tricolour soon afterwards; but though we watched the
schooner into the anchorage, and saw a boat go from her to the frigate
presumably with our challenge, no farther notice was taken of our
presence; the frigate remaining all day obstinately at anchor in her
secure position.

Of course everybody on board the "Astarte" was on the _qui vive_ during
the whole of that day. Our three tops were permanently occupied by
relays of officers; and every telescope, good, bad, or indifferent, was
kept constantly levelled at the noble craft inshore.

As for Captain Annesley, he never left the deck a moment as long as
daylight lasted, except to snatch a hasty mouthful at meal times; and he
that day exhibited the nearest approach to ill-temper that I ever saw in
him.

At length night fell; and still no sign had been made by the Frenchmen.
Dinner had been postponed for an hour in the cabin, in hopes that the
frigate would yet come ou