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"Of all the fire-ships, upwards of twenty in number," said Lord Cochrane, "only four reached the enemy's position, and not one did any damage. The Impérieuse lay three miles from the enemy, so that the one which was near setting fire to her became useless at the outset; whilst several others were kindled a mile and a half to the windward of this, or four miles and a half from the enemy.
The two hostile fleets were quiet spectators of each other's disasters. We retained possession of nineteen or twenty sail of the line. Some of the enemy's ships were seen running away into Cadiz; while four others passed to windward of our fleet, and made their escape.
Robert had scarcely turned out of the square on his way to find Shargar, when a horseman entered it. His horse and he were both apparently black on one side and gray on the other, from the snow-drift settling to windward. The animal looked tired, but the rider sat as easy as if he were riding to cover.
As he staggered to his feet a violent pressure of wind hurled him against the wheel, to which he clung, staring into the blackness to windward. "All hands, there!" he roared! "Up with you all! Go forward and pay out on the chain!" Shouts, oaths, and growls answered him, and he heard the nasal voice of his mate repeating his order.
She is probably a man-of-war, or, if a merchantman, she is bound to one of the islands to the southward." "But she is as likely to be a foreigner as an English vessel," observed Nat; "at all events, she must be greatly out of her course. If bound to Jamaica, she would have kept through the Windward Passage, or if bound to one of the Leeward Islands, she would not have come near this."
We then made sail, passing to the windward of all the islands, and reached our former anchorage at Porto Grande. There are one barque and three brigs, all American whalers, in the harbor of Porto Grande. They have been out from three to six months, and are here for water, bad though it be, and fresh provisions.
Pipe starboard watch to quarters. The Enterprise closed with the frigate to windward, intending to run round her stern and bring to on the same tack. 'He does not shorten sail yet, sir, said the first lieutenant, as the schooner appeared skimming along about a cable's length on their weather bow. 'And she is full of men, sir, said the master, looking at her through the night-glass.
The topsails were sheeted home; the ship felt the fresh impulse given to her, and went bounding on over the tossing ocean. The mate walked the deck keeping a watchful eye to windward. "I don't know what to make of it, Mr Dicey," he observed to Charles. "It is always well to take a reef in in good time, and better seamanship, too, to my mind, than to wait till the squall is down upon one.
A large caravel and a smaller barque, which were bound for Mina under the command of Bartholomew Diaz, sailed in company with Gama's fleet. On the following Saturday, the ships were in sight of the Canaries, and passed the night windward of Lancerota.
Baker, after he had heard the last "Yes, sir!" said moodily, "Relieve the wheel and look-out"; and climbed with heavy feet the poop ladder to windward. Soon after Mr. Creighton came down, whistling softly, and went into the cabin. On the doorstep the steward lounged, in slippers, meditative, and with his shirt-sleeves rolled up to the armpits.
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