y for their return voyage,
the prisoners were distributed on board the several vessels which composed
it. I was placed with a few others on board the 'Lord Wellington,' and
being in a destitute condition, I agreed to assist in working the ship to
England, at the same rate as the regular hands on board. The fleet
rendezvoused in the near vicinity, and consisted of something over thirty
sail, most of them of the largest class, and equal in size to a
line-of-battle ship. They were well armed, some carrying thirty or forty
guns, with a plentiful supply of muskets, pikes, etc. This had been
customary for many years, as a protection against the French privateers
and men-of-war, which swarmed the Indian ocean; in many instances proving
themselves more than a match for their enemies, and sometimes beating off
large class frigates.

On going on board, I found between four and five hundred people, including
officers, passengers, and crew. The captain was a large heavy-built man,
very unwieldy, and remarkable only for having a large, long body placed
upon very small legs. He reminded me of an ill-constructed building, ready
to fall by its own weight. He appeared never to be happy unless he was 'in
hot water,' either with the passengers or crew. There were six mates, or
more properly lieutenants, for all the officers were in uniform. There
were also a dozen or more midshipmen, a boatswain and his two mates,
gunners, quarter-masters, armorers, sail-makers, and carpenters in
abundance. In short, we were fitted out in complete man-of-war fashion;
not forgetting the cat-o'-nine-tails, which was used with great
liberality. The crew was made up of all nations, but the majority
consisted of broken-down men-of-war's men, who being unfit for His
Majesty's service had little fear of imprisonment. The others were
composed of Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, etc.; and taken altogether, one
would have inferred that they must have been drafted from Falstaff's
regiment of taterdamallions.

One fine morning the fleet got under way. Nothing note-worthy or
interesting however occurred until we made the island of Ceylon, where we
lay a couple of days; during which time the crew _got_ and _kept_ most
unaccountably drunk. The officers tried every method to solve the mystery,
but without effect. The truth was, the men became suddenly fond of
cocoa-nuts, selecting them from the bum-boats in preference to any other
fruit. The secret was, that the shell was bo