The captain came on board in the evening, having dined with the admiral, and left directions for having all ready for unmooring and heaving short at daylight. The signal was made from the frigate at sunrise, and before twelve o'clock we were all under weigh, and running past St Helen's with a favourable wind. Our force consisted of the Acasta frigate, the Isis ship, sloop, mounting twenty guns, the Reindeer, eighteen, and our own brig. The convoy amounted to nearly two hundred. Although the wind was fair, and the water smooth, we were more than a week before we made Anholt light, owing to the bad sailing and inattention of many of the vessels belonging to the convoy. We were constantly employed repeating signals, firing guns, and often sent back to tow up the sternmost vessels. At last we passed the Anholt light, with a light breeze; and the next morning the main land was to be distinguished on both bows.
Chapter LVIII
How we passed the Sound, and what passed in the Sound The Captain overhears again a conversation between Swinburne and me.
I was on the signal-chest abaft, counting the convoy, when Swinburne came up to me. "There's a little difference between this part of the world and the West Indies, Mr Simple," observed he. "Black rocks and fir woods don't remind us of the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, or the cocoa-nut waving to the sea-breeze."
"Indeed not, Swinburne," replied I.
"We shall have plenty of calms here, without panting with the heat, although we may find the gun-boats a little too warm for us; for, depend upon it, the very moment the wind goes down, they will come out from every nook and corner, and annoy us not a little."
"Have you been here before, with a convoy, Swinburne?"
"To be sure I have; and it's sharp work that I've seen here, Mr Simple— work that I've an idea our captain won't have much stomach for."
"Swinburne, I beg you will keep your thoughts relative to the captain to yourself; recollect the last time. It is my duty not to listen to them."
"And I should rather think to report them also, Mr Simple," said Captain
Hawkins, who had crept up to us, and overheard our conversation.