Captain Pellew was informed that two French frigates had again been seen
in the Channel, and he discussed with his brother Israel, at their elder
brother's table, the course most likely to intercept them. After they
had talked over the advantages of sailing along the English or the
French coast, they at length determined to keep mid-channel.

An active and most anxious pursuit of the enemy for the last three weeks
had made the crew not less eager than their commander; and the subject
of the expected battle engrossed their sleeping and waking thoughts. A
dream of Captain Israel Pellew had perhaps some influence on the result.
His brother would not allow him to be called till they were just closing
the French frigate, and meeting him as he ran on deck half dressed, he
said to him, with much emotion,--"Israel, you have no business here! We
are too many eggs from one nest. I am sorry I brought you from your
wife." But Israel, whose whole attention was occupied with the enemy,
exclaimed, "That's the very frigate I've been dreaming of all night! I
dreamt that we shot away her wheel. We shall have her in a quarter of an
hour!" His brother, who had already inferred her high state of
discipline from her manoeuvres, replied, "We shall not take her so
easily. See how she is handled." He was a perfect artillerist, and,
prompted by the suggestions of his sleep, he took charge of a gun, made
the wheel his object, and ultimately shot it away. Not less
extraordinary was the dream of a master's mate, Mr. Pearse, who had
served in the _Winchelsea_. He dreamt that the _Nymphe_ fell in with a
French frigate the day after leaving port, that they killed her captain,
and took her; and so vivid was the impression, that he firmly believed
it to be a supernatural intimation, and spoke of it accordingly to his
messmates. They rallied him immoderately on his superstition, but his
confidence remained unshaken; and when his papers were examined after
his death, for he was killed in the action, it was found that he had