up so many
hands, and good ones too, and he is evidently popular among the men."

"He is a thoroughly good man, sir. He attached himself to my fortunes when
I was but a ship's boy, and has stuck to me ever since. He and Tom Stevens
are, with one exception, the greatest friends I have ever had, and both of
them would lay down their lives for me."

"A good master makes a good man," Lieutenant Somerville said with a smile.
"Your greatest friend was, of course, the lady who pushed you on with your
education."

"Yes, sir, certainly I regard her as the best friend I ever had."

"Well, there is no better friend for a lad than a good woman, Gilmore. In
that sense my mother was my greatest friend. Most mothers are against
their sons going to sea. In my case it was my father who objected, but my
mother, seeing how I was bent upon it, persuaded him to let me go."

Three weeks after being commissioned the complement of the _Jason_ was
complete, and she was ordered to proceed to the West Indies, to which
place they made a fast passage. To their disappointment they fell in with
none of the enemy's cruisers on their way. The voyage, however, sufficed
to give the crew confidence in their commander. He was prompt and quick in
giving orders, and at the same time pleasant in manner. He paid far more
attention than most captains to the comfort of his crew, and, while he
insisted upon the most perfect order and discipline, abstained from giving
unnecessary work. In cases where punishments were absolutely necessary he
punished severely, but when it was at all possible he let delinquents off
with a lecture. So, while he was feared by the rougher spirits of the
crew, he was regarded with liking and respect by the good men.

On their arrival at Carlisle Bay, Barbados, they found that they were in
time to join a naval expedition whose object was to recover the islands of
St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Grenada, which had been captured by the French
the previous year.

A fleet had been sent from England under the command of Rear-admiral
Christian, consisting of two ships of the line and five frigates,
convoying a large fleet of transports with a strong body of troops on
board under the command of Sir Ralph Abercrombie.

At Carlisle Bay this fleet were joined by most of the ships on the West
Indian station, and on the 21st April, 1796, the augmented fleet, under
the command of Sir John Laforey, sailed to Marin Bay, Martinique, where
they anch