We arrived off the port at about 10 p.m. It was a beautiful night, the moon, just entering her second quarter, beamed softly down upon us from the cloudless, star-spangled sky, and a light air of wind from the southward just filled our sails and fanned us along at a rate of about four knots. When about five miles off, we hoisted lights for a pilot, the skipper being anxious to get in that night, so as to discharge the supernumeraries the first thing in the morning, the vessel being somewhat crowded. Three-quarters of an hour elapsed, during which we looked in vain for a boat coming off to us, when, having approached within a couple of miles of the entrance to the harbour, Captain Hood gave orders for the ship to be hove-to.
Another half-hour passed away, and still no sign of a pilot.
“If poor Rawlings had not been in the sick-bay—aw—we should have been snugly at anchor by this time,” said the skipper to Mr Annesley. “I’ll be bound to say that the—aw—old fellow has been in and out of the place a dozen times at least, and he would have taken us in like a—ah—like a shot.”
“Quite likely, sir,” returned Mr Annesley, with his telescope to his eye; “I think it would be difficult to name a port which he has not been into. It is unfortunate that he should be laid up just at this juncture. They must be very early birds in Toulon, or surely somebody would have made out our lights before this. And,”—he lowered his telescope—“it is very queer, but I cannot make out the British fleet in there, surely we ought to see them from where we now are?”
“Not if they are in the inner harbour, which I—aw—suspect they are. The Italian bwig which came in on the day we sailed was from Marseilles, and her master weported a succession of stwong easterly winds hereabouts, which would natuwally send the Bwitish fleet farther in; we shall find them there all wight; where else could they be?” remarked the skipper.
“Very true, sir,” observed the first lieutenant. “Shall we fill on her and heave about? I see no sign of a boat coming off.”
“Yes, if you please,” was the answer. “By-the-bye, I wonder if young Percival has ever been inside there; if he has, pewhaps he could take us in.”
“I scarcely expect he has ever seen the inside of the harbour, sir,” said Mr Annesley; “still, we can ask him. Shall I pass the word for him?”
“Yes, do,” said the skipper. “I should like to get in to-night, if possible.”
“Pass the word for—oh! here he is,” said the first luff, as Percival strolled aft from the forecastle, whence he had been taking a good look at the harbour. “Mr Percival, Captain Hood wishes to know if you have ever been into Toulon?”