In the meantime, the remainder of the ship's company hoisted out and lowered down four boats, which were manned and armed to storm the battery.

I was very anxious to go on service, and O'Brien, who had command of the first cutter, allowed me to go with him, on condition that I stowed myself away under the foresheets, that the captain might not see me before the boats had shoved off.

This I did, and was not discovered.

We pulled in abreast towards the battery, and in less than ten minutes the boats were run on the beach, and we jumped out.

The Frenchmen fired a gun at us as we pulled close to the shore, and then ran away, so that we took possession without any fighting, which, to confess the truth, I was not sorry for, as I did not think that I was old or strong enough to cope hand to hand with a grown-up man.