ripe, and in the highest perfection.  Upon plumbing with a line my people found we were at least sixty feet from the ground, and unable to advance or retreat.  At about eight or nine o’clock, as near as I could judge by the altitude of the sun, the wind rose suddenly, and canted our barge on one side:  here she filled, and I saw no more of her for some time.  Fortunately we all saved ourselves (six men and two boys) by clinging to the tree, the boughs of which were equal to our weight, though not to that of the barge:  in this situation we continued six weeks and three days, living upon the almonds; I need not inform you we had plenty of water.  On the forty-second day of our distress the water fell as rapidly as it had risen, and on the forty-sixth we were able to venture down upon terra firma.  Our barge was the first pleasing object we saw, about two hundred yards from the spot where she sunk.  After drying everything that was useful by the heat of the sun, and loading ourselves with necessaries from the stores on board, we set out to recover our lost ground, and found, by the nearest calculation, we had been carried over garden-walls, and a variety of enclosures, above one hundred and fifty miles.  In four days, after a very tiresome journey on foot, with thin shoes, we reached the river, which was now confined to its banks, related our adventures to a boy, who kindly accommodated all our wants, and sent us forward in a barge of his own.  In six days more we arrived at Alexandria, where we took shipping for Constantinople.  I was received kindly by the Grand Seignior, and had the honour of seeing the Seraglio, to which his highness introduced me himself.

CHAPTER X

Pays a visit during the siege of Gibraltar to his old friend General Elliot—­Sinks a Spanish man-of-war—­Wakes an old woman on the African coast—­Destroys all the enemy’s cannon; frightens the Count d’Artois, and sends him to Paris—­Saves the lives of two English spies with the identical sling that killed Goliath; and raises the siege.

During the late siege of Gibraltar I went with a provision-fleet, under Lord Rodney’s command, to see my old friend General Elliot, who has, by his distinguished defence of that place, acquired laurels that can never fade.  After the usual joy which generally attends the meeting of old friends had subsided, I went to examine the state of the garrison, and view the operations of the enemy, for which purpose the General accompanied me.  I had brought a most excellent refracting telescope with me from London, purchased of Dollond, by the help of which I found the enemy were going to discharge a thirty-six pounder at the spot where we stood.  I told the General what they were about; he looked through the glass also, and found my conjectures right.  I immediately, by his permission, ordered a forty-eight pounder to be brought from a neighbouring battery, which I placed with so much exactness (having long studied the art of gunnery) that I was sure of my mark.