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ever, are not over scrupulous on such occasions, nor easily bantered from enjoying good things when set before them.

After the recent rough buffetings, every article was doubly welcome: we laughed, joked, and enjoyed ourselves; and the health of my blackeyed Susan, as they called her, was drunk in a bumper.

On going a-shore the following day, I took the first opportunity of calling: it was the only tolerable tavern in the place. My damsel flew to embrace me, and the old woman, without waiting for any introduction, clasping her hands about my neck, almost smothered me. She sang out a kind of Irish pillalilleloo; then, clapping her hands and applying them directly to my cheeks, held me as it were at arms length; and, looking stedfastly in my face, called out, "Och! to be sure I shan't love the dear crature as long as I live."

She repaid the money which I had advanced for her daughter, and wished to pay more; but at no rate whatever would she permit me to pay for any thing I had at her house during the time we remained at St. John's; and at our departure sent a quantity of good things on board for the mess, which at such a place we should have been at a loss to obtain by any other means.

It may be necessary to explain here the cause of this young lady's absence from her mother

and being found in so disagreeable a plight. She had been tempted, by an officer, to leave her. home and accompany him to England, where he forsook her. Friendless and unknown, prostitution seemed her only resource; until, recollecting to have heard her mother talk of relations at Belfast, in Ireland, she determined to seek them; and, in the hope of assistance from them, to get back to her. She took her passage for that place in one of the London traders; but her inquiries were ineffectual, she could find neither relations nor friends. In this distress, hearing of a vessel taking passengers for New York, she concerted the plan which I have described.

CHAPTER IV.

Sail for Gibraltar, fall in with Admiral Boscawen, a smart engagement, capture of a French frigate, arrive at Gibraltar.

ALL on board were much pleased to learn that our captain had received instructions to sail, with all possible dispatch, for Gibraltar. It was late in the year, and the place was getting ex

tremely uncomfortable from the intense coldness of the weather, although the wind was from the south-east, which detained us so long that we became apprehensive, lest, when the wind shifted to the northward, we should be frozen in for ⚫ the winter before we could clear the harbour.

During this delay, we were busily employed in cutting and fetching spruce-fir on board, and in brewing as much spruce-beer as possible, for the use of the whole ship's company; the captain, officers, and all, drinking it in common.

The Newfoundland harvest, or fishery, being over, we shipped a number of Irishmen: they stiled themselves Holy Ghosters, and terribly wicked mutinous dogs they were; nothing short of extreme severity in discipline, and unremitted vigilance, could keep them in any kind of subordination.

On the wind chopping suddenly round, we sailed, getting out of the harbour just at dusk in the evening; by the morning, in all probability we should have been frozen in, as the wind, settling at north-west, blew a complete freezer, and brought us next day to the goose wings of our fore-sail, and at night to our bare poles. For several days we continued thus, depending much on the man at the helm to guard against the ship's broaching-to.

This was the quickest passage I ever made. On the thirteenth day after leaving the harbour

of St. John, we were off Cape St. Vincent; the next day we fell in with Admiral Boscawen, who had engaged and beat the French fleet, and was then pursuing the flying enemy, who were running for Cadiz.

Joining the chace, our superior sailing enabled us to run considerably a-head, and overhaul the three sternmost ships of the enemy; one a large two-decker, seemingly much crippled, with two frigates to attend her. The frigates dropped astern to engage us, seeing the distance we were from the other chacing ships. We ran close along side the leeward most ship, and gave her an English salute; then, throwing the ship athwart her weather-bow, completely stayed her proceeding, as it was evidently intended by both to con tinue a running fight, two to one, while at such a distance from other support, or compel us to drop the chase. But Monsieur was mistaken, our captain was determined to fight them both if he could not make sure of one.

For a short time, we sustained both their fires; but, as the antagonist we had grappled with, and our ship had lost their way through the water, his companion unavoidably shot a-head; and, before he could regain a situation to annoy us, our chacing ships were approaching too fast for his venturing to aid his partner any longer; he, therefore, boidly ran away and left him in the lurch. The Frenchmen attempted to board us

and cut away, by which they lost several men: it is due to them to say they fought most gallantly. Finding, at length, they could not disengage their ship, and that one of our seventyfours was drawing near, the enemy struck his white flag and surrendered.

Old Boscawen complimented our captain for his conduct. R-answered by observing, that, having formerly sailed under his command as a midshipman, he had profited by his constant practice and orders, never to waste or burn powder until near enough to singe the enemy's whiskers with the priming of his guns. Rough as the old admiral was, this was a compliment that could not be otherwise than flattering.

We were now so near to Cadiz, that all farther pursuit was useless: gathering the ships together, we made for Gibraltar.

In this engagement we had six men killed and several wounded; myself, among the latter, by splinters that tore the outside of my left leg se unmercifully, as to make the surgeons doubtful of effecting a cure without amputation; but, a good constitution and good spirits aiding their operations, (which, in extracting some of the splinters, were frequently very severe,) I recovered sooner than was expected.