'SHAKE a couple of reefs out of the main-t'gall'nt sail and foretopsail, Mr. Taylor; I think she'll stand them.'

'Ay, ay, sir,' was the response; and instantly the order was repeated to the boatswain, the shrill sound of whose pipe was quickly heard as its peculiar variations pierced the air. The hoarse shout of the man's command followed the last note of the whistle, and then were seen some dozens of active English sailors in the act of swarming up the ratlins like monkeys, and laying out upon the yards.

The first speaker was a man in the prime of life, square of build, and of powerful frame. His cleanHis clean shaved face showed a countenance moulded in a form that denoted firmness of purpose and decision of character; yet his eyes, which were dark in colour and quick in expression, often lighted up in a manner which seemed to imply that he was ever ready to either indulge in a merry joke, or sympathise with words of warmest friendship.

He was dressed in the uniform of an officer of the English navy. Upon his head was a large cocked hat in shape like a half-moon, and so placed that one corner of it just dropped over the front point of his right, while the other reclined over the back part of his left, shoulder. Straight up the front of this cocked hat were three rosettes of black silk ribbon, underneath

which ran two lines of flat gold lace. His coat, which had a heavy turn-down collar and large lappels faced also with gold lace, was cut clear away from the two gilt buttons which held it closed over his breast. Similar buttons ran down the outside seam of each side of the coat, having upon them the impress of an anchor, with a twisted cable surmounted by a royal crown. A small loose gold lace bullion epaulette hung over each shoulder. The colour of the coat was that dark blue which had, a few years previously, been authorised by his Majesty King George III. to be worn by all officers and seamen of his Royal Navy. A waistcoat of the same coloured cloth hung much over this officer's hips. At the sides of his waistcoat were two huge lappeted pockets, having also upon them bands of gold lace and rows of gilt buttons. His nether garments were blue cloth breeches, ending at the knee with three gilt buttons in an upright line, black silk stockings, and black leather shoes with large silver buckles.

This officer was Captain Marshall of his Majesty's Royal Navy. The name and rank of the person who answered his order was Mr. Taylor, the master of the ship upon whose quarter-deck they were both standing. In appearance he was short, yet active and energetic. His face was much bronzed by many years' exposure to the sun and sea air. With some slight difference in the description of the

gold lace upon his uniform and the size of his epaulettes, to denote his lower rank in his Majesty's naval service, he was dressed in similar fashion to his superior.

The ship concerning which the command had been given was his Majesty's frigate Arethusa, afterwards the renowned 'saucy' Arethusa, the fastest sailing, the tautest, the smartest ship in the whole of his Majesty's fleets; the frigate that, after the day upon which this tale opens-namely, the 18th of June, 1778-took more prizes, and carried more dismay amongst the vessels of France, Spain, and Holland, during the long war with these Powers that followed the events of this day, than any other English ship afloat.

A beautiful sight was it to see the tight little frigate as she now appeared under a cloud of canvas white as the driven snow, and careening slightly over by the force of the wind as it spread out her square-cut sails. As she dashed through the blue waters of the ocean under a fine fresh breeze, and gently rose and fell with the action of the waves, she seemed to push them aside in sportive delight, throwing the foamy spray from her finely-shaped bows like some strong swimmer who has risen from his first dip in the cool water on a hot summer's morn, and then buffets the surface of the element in the pleasure of his early enjoyment.

The gallant ship's decks were so white and clean, that one could have eaten from them without a fear that the food would be sullied

by a speck of dirt. The long rows of snowy hammocks which ran round her quarters seemed as if they were a portion of the ship's immovable equipment, so neatly were they arranged in accurate lines. Her stanchions, highly polished, glistened in the morn

ing's sunlight. Her tiers of taper guns were painted black, and polished with beeswax until they reflected like mirrors. Her wellrove rigging was traced from point to point of her tapering masts and shapely yards with wondrous regularity, like the threads of some beautiful spider's web as it is seen against the sky in the early light and spreading from branch to branch of the giant oak.

At the moment that Captain Marshall spoke, the night-watches had been piped below; but not to rest, for they knew well that other and more serious occupation was soon to be theirs. Every man on the upper deck stood still and silent at his appointed station, ready to obey with swift promptness the necessary orders.

'Put her off a point or two, and square the yards, for I notice that the wind has shifted a little; we shall then get the breeze more abaft,' said the captain, as he watched the effect of his first order.

The command was quickly executed, and Captain Marshall, casting his eyes sometimes aloft, often in the distance ahead, seemed anxiously to regard the progress of a ship in full sail ahead, about two points on his larboard bow.

'We are overhauling her fast now, Mr. Taylor,' said he; 'run up the ensign.'

The ball of coloured bunting was rapidly unfurled by the signalman, and in another moment the red flag with a white square in the upper left corner, having upon it the red cross of St. George, was flying at the peak of the Arethusa's mizenmast.

'There goes her answer!' cried out Captain Marshall with flashing eyes, as a tricoloured ensign ran up to a corresponding point in the rigging of a large frigate, that was staggering forward under every

stitch of canvas she could carry, some three or four miles ahead.

Captain Marshall, as he stood upon the deck of his ship, was engaged in a chase, a particular and remarkable chase after a French frigate; a pursuit, indeed, which resulted in the commencement of one of the most terrible and disastrous wars in which this country was ever occupied. He was at that moment employed in one of the most extraordinary episodes which has ever happened in the history of the English as a nation.

A more awful crisis than that which was pending, at the very moment Captain Marshall gave his orders, had not taken place at any period of the national existence.

England was then engaged in that tremendous contest with her American colonies which ended, five years later, in their entire independence, in their complete severance from the mother kingdom, and in their formation into the present United States of America.

The Anglo-American colonies had formed an alliance, for moral and material support, with France, who was at that time assisting these colonies, not only covertly, but openly, notwithstanding she was still on terms of friendship with England. France, an ancient enemy, and ever watchful for supremacy, had taken advantage of England's difficulty as her own opportunity.

A few months previous, in order to humiliate this country in the eyes of Europe, the French King, Louis XVI., had openly received and acknowledged as ambassadors from America, then an appanage of the British Crown, and, although in rebellion, still under its rule, three British American delegates Dr. Franklin, a great man amongst men, who afterwards negotiated and signed the treaty of peace

VOL. XXXI.

which separated England and America for ever; Silas Deane, and Arthur Lee.

Diplomatic efforts had been made by the English Government, in two directions, some time before the delegates were received by the French King. The first had been to detach the colonists from their French alliance; the second had been to sever the French from their compact with the American colonists. Neither effort succeeded.

In consequence of the critical condition into which matters were fast drifting in relation to France, and holding in view the gigantic and disastrous nature of the conflict with the American colonies then in progress, the Corporation and a large and influential body of the citizens of London presented a rescript to his Majesty the King of England, upon the opening of Parliament, drawing his most serious attention, in a well-written document, to the grave nature of all that was taking place, to the ultimate result of the French support of our American colonists, and of the likelihood of a fresh war at the same time as that in progress with the British colony of America.

Amongst the political observations which this notable document pointed out were, that not one friendly alliance had been formed by England for any protection to meet a combination against her by inhospitable Powers; whilst, at the same moment, most dangerous coalitions by foreign States were in progress against this country; in short, that England stood isolated and alone, abandoned by mankind, and without even the pretence of a friend to whom she could turn in her hour of need. She was left to fight the whole world, should it become allied against her. This remarkable rescript required that the

S

country, all its vast interests and its wealth, should be protected in a manner adequate to the position of affairs.

The councils of the Ministry then in power were of the most pusillanimous and undecided character. The rescript of the citizens of London created an immense sensation; yet, after many vapourings and vain boastings on the part of the Government of the day, nothing whatever was done, beyond rendering an assurance that his Majesty King George would give effect to any measure which legislation should sanction towards the consummation of peace, and for the preservation of the kingdom.

But quickly this indolent and vacillating Government was aroused from its apathy and indecision, and compelled to exert itself to immediate action.

Louis XVI. publicly stated that he had effected two separate treaties with the American deputies, by which he had bound himself to assist the colonists in the most material manner, and had entirely recognised their assertion of independence of England; thus openly avowing his sympathy with their cause, and his object of dismembering the English colonial system, thereby to aim a blow at England's power, her wealth, and her position before the eyes of all the world. He then directed the draft of these treaties to be communicated to the English Government by his ambassador in London. This was done by this functionary in the most insulting manner. No sooner had the draft of these treaties been presented by the French ambassador, and the effects of his communication upon the English public become known to the French King, than he took a most decided step. He directed an immediate seizure of every English ship that was in a French

port.

This was at once followed by a reprisal of a similar character by the English Government. But no great harm was done in either direction, since it so happened that very few vessels of either nationality were in port at the time. Therefore no positive breach between the two countries took place. Still, these acts brought matters to a most important, indeed to a very serious, crisis.

War was now imminent, and preparations had, in the face of affairs as they now stood, to be rapidly made to meet the coming storm, and to secure the kingdom against invasion, come from what quarter it might.

The tocsin of war now resounded throughout the whole of England, and every man in the country seemed to breathe an air that was impregnated with the strongest military ardour. The whole of the Militia was called out and embodied, and joined to those regular forces which remained at home. Large camps of exercise were formed at Winchester, Salisbury, St. Edmunsbury in Suffolk, and at Coxmeath in Kent. Above 300,000 able-bodied men were soon under arms to resist any attempt to invade the land.

But the eyes of the nation turned, as usual, upon its navy-upon those magnificent ships which had always been the country's pride and hope, and upon those marine forces which had so long and so determinedly upheld in many a crisis the honour and integrity of England.

The confidence which the country, in this fearful time of isolation and self-dependence, had in the navy was further enhanced by the appointment of a certain naval officer to command the grand fleet for the Channel and Mediterranean which was forming at Portsmouth for the protection of the coasts of

England and her mercantile in

terests.

This naval officer was Admiral Keppel, an officer who had received, so far, 'more kicks than halfpence,' so to speak. He had splendidly served his country in the late war against France under such men as Admiral Lord Anson, Admiral Lord Hawke, and others of excellent repute; yet, being without the corrupt influence of the age, Admiral Keppel had, up to the present, obtained but scant recognition at the hands of his employers, either for his acknowledged bravery or for his high capacity. In the navy, however, he was adored by all, and the whole force was only too rejoiced when it heard that this meritorious officer was to be in chief command. He went to Portsmouth to assume his position, but, to his disgust and discomfiture, he found that the supineness and inactivity which had pervaded the Ministry had affected the department of the Admiralty, and that, instead of a well-equipped fleet being ready, as had been represented to him, he found only six sail of the line in a position to go to sea!

This excellent officer, who had never, during a period of forty years' hard service, received one important command, was now called upon, at the moment of supreme danger, to defend his country with inadequate means. He might, therefore, under the circumstances of so serious a responsibility, have respectfully declined the task which had been assigned to him; yet he solved, like an English gentleman and faithful subject of his King, to pay previous neglect by a stern determination to stand by his country in the hour of her trial. He quietly pointed out to the King his own position and that of the country in relation to

re

the state of the fleet. At the same moment, without alarming the nation by a statement of facts, he made his demands upon the Admiralty with such persistent energy that he at last aroused that department to a state of activity. He had the satisfaction, in a few months, to find himself at sea with twenty sail of different classes of men-of-war, with which to watch over any attempts to invade the country, and to protect the merchandise then passing to and fro across the ocean between distant ports.

At the time of the opening of this episode, Admiral Keppel was cruising in the neighbourhood of Ushant, on the French coast, and was in the act of watching the movements of the French fleet, then making vast preparations in the harbour of Brest.

On the 17th of June 1788, the day previous to that on which Captain Marshall gave the orders which commenced this episode, several large French ships had sailed out and made their appearance in the offing, and could be perceived gradually creeping up to the English fleet, yet without attempting any communication by signal or otherwise. They were evidently observing the proceedings of the admiral, ascertaining the armament of each vessel, counting his ships, and generally taking stock of the whole force of course with ulterior motives against England and English interests the moment war was either openly or on the point of being declared.

Now, therefore, so soon as he perceived this, Admiral Keppel was placed in a unique and very delicate position. War was not yet declared, nor had any act happened to cause an actual commencement of hostilities. The situation of the admiral was painful and perplexing. He could not