weather-beam; but, as she carried no foretop-gallant sail, and appeared to be steering the same course as the Windsor Castle, she excited but a momentary observation, supposing that she was some homeward-bound neutral, or a merchant vessel which had separated from her convoy.  During the night, which was dark, the moon being in her first quarter, the officer of the middle watch lost sight of their protegee; but this was to be expected, as she did not carry a light.  Before morning the wind fell, and when the sun rose it was a perfect calm.  The officer of the watch, as the day dawned, went on the poop, surveying the horizon for their companion, and discovered her six or seven miles astern, lying alongside of the strange vessel which they had seen the day before.  Both vessels, as well as the Windsor Castle, were becalmed.  He immediately went down to Newton, acquainting him with the circumstance, which bore a very suspicious appearance.  Newton hastened on deck; with his glass he could plainly distinguish that the stranger was a vessel of a low, raking description, evidently no merchantman, but built for sailing fast, and in all probability a privateer.  The man at the mast-head reported that boats were constantly passing between the two vessels.  Newton, who felt very anxious for the safety of his friends, accepted the offer of the second mate to take the gig, and ascertain what was going on.  In little more than an hour the gig was seen from the mast-head to arrive within half a mile of the vessels, and shortly afterwards the smoke from a gun, followed by a distant report.  The gig then winded and pulled back towards the Windsor Castle. It was in a state of great excitement that Newton waited for her return, when the second mate informed him that on his approach he discovered that she was a flush vessel, pierced for fourteen guns, painted black, and apparently well manned; that she evidently, to use a nautical term, was “gutting” the neutral; and that, as they had witnessed, on their boat coming within range, the vessel had fired a round of grape, which fortunately fell short of them.  She had shown no colours; and from her appearance and behaviour (as all privateers respect neutrals), he had no doubt that she was the pirate vessel stated, when they were at St Helena, to be cruising in these latitudes.  Newton was of the same opinion; and it was with a heavy heart that he returned to the cabin, to communicate the unpleasant intelligence to Mrs Enderby and Isabel.

There is nothing more annoying in this world than the will without the power.  At any time, a vessel becalmed is considered a very sufficing reason for swearing by those who are on board of her.  What then must have been the feelings of Newton, lying on the water in a state of compelled inaction, while his friends were being plundered, and perhaps murdered by a gang of miscreants before his eyes!  How eagerly and repeatedly did he scan the horizon for the coming breeze!  How did Hope raise her head at the slightest cat’s-paw that ruffled the surface of the glassy waters!  Three successive gales of wind are bad enough; but three gales blowing hard enough to blow the devil’s horns off are infinitely preferable to one idle, stagnant, motionless, confounded calm, oppressing you with the blue-devils and maddening you with the fidgets at one and the same time.