The gun fired from the lower battery on the island, was the first intimation we had of the approach of the prize which I had given my gallant fellows to understand was in reserve for us; and presently afterwards Sambo, whom I had dispatched on the look out, appeared on the bank, stating that a large boat, which had been fired at ineffectually, was making the greatest exertions to clear the channel.  A second shot discharged from a nearer point, soon after announced that the boat had gained the head of the Island, and might therefore be shortly expected, in the impatience of my curiosity I sprang to the shore, took the telescope out of the hands of Sambo, and hastened to climb the tree from which he had so recently descended.  I now distinctly saw the boat, as, availing herself of the rising and partial breeze, she steered more into the centre of the stream; and I thought I could observe marks of confusion and impatience among the groups in front of the fort, whom I had justly imagined to have been assembled there to witness the arrival of the canoes, we had seen descending the river, long before the first gun was fired.

“The opportunity of achieving a daring enterprize, in the presence of those assembled groups,” pursued Grantham with a slight blush, “was, I thought, one so little likely to occur again, that I felt I could not do better than turn it to the best account; and with this view my original intention had been to man my small boat with the picked men of my crew, and attempt the American by boarding.  Two circumstances, however, induced me to change my plan.  The first was that the enemy, no longer hugging the shore, had every chance of throwing me out by the sudden and unexpected use of her canvass, and the second (here Gerald slightly colored, while more than one emphatic hem! passed round the table,) that I had, with my telescope, discerned there was a lady in the boat.  Under these circumstances, I repeat, I altered my mode of attack, and proposed rather to sink my laurels than to lose my prize. ("Hem! your prizes I suppose you mean,” interrupted De Courcy,) “and adopted what I thought would be a surer expedient—­that of firing over her.  This demonstration, I imagined might have the effect of bringing her to, and causing her to surrender without effusion of blood.  You were ail witnesses however of the unexpected manner in which, owing to the sadden falling off of the wind, I was compelled to have recourse to the boat at last.”

“But the chase, and the firing after you doubled the point?” inquired Captain Granville.  “We saw nothing of this.”

“The American, plying his oars with vigour, gave us exercise enough,” answered the young sailor, “and had made considerable way up the creek, before we came up with him.  An attempt was then made to escape us by running ashore, and abandoning the boat, but it was too late.  Our bow was almost touching his stern, and in the desperation of the moment, the American troops discharged their