to the lad, who was soon on board again, without injury, though a
little frightened, but which did not prevent his soon enjoying the
ludicrous finish of the captain's frolic. The lad's boasting
expression gave an idea that he was a good swimmer, and I believe
if ever the captain was frightened, it was when he saw the
struggles in the water: but his self-possession and activity did
not forsake him, and no one enjoyed the laugh against himself more
than he did when the danger was over.

"This season at Newfoundland was passed in the same course of
active exertion as the former one. We sailed for Cadiz and Lisbon
in October, for the purpose of receiving any remittances in bullion
to England, which the British merchants might have ready on our
arrival. We had light winds and fine weather after making the coast
of Portugal. On one remarkably fine day, when the ship was
stealing through the water under the influence of a gentle breeze,
the people were all below at their dinners, and scarcely a person
left on deck but officers, of whom the captain was one. Two little
ship-boys had been induced, by the fineness of the weather, to run
up from below the moment they had dined, and were at play on the
spare anchor to leeward, which overhangs the side of the ship. One
of them fell overboard, which was seen from the quarter-deck, and
the order was given to luff the ship into the wind. In an instant
the officers were over the side; but it was the captain who,
grasping a rope firmly with one hand, let himself down to the
water's edge, and catching hold of the poor boy's jacket as he
floated past, he saved his life in as little time as I have taken
to mention it. There was not a rope touched, or a sail altered in
doing this, and the people below knew not of the accident until
they came on deck when their dinner was over.