More than once a white sail was seen in the distance, which the captain pronounced, from its cut, to belong to a British cruiser.
"The weather is fine, you see, and the wind is steady, so they are coming rather farther into the bay than usual.

We shall see more of them, as soon as we are round that cape ahead, for they keep a very sharp lookout off Cherbourg." It was not, however, until they had rounded Ushant that any British vessel came near enough to cause them uneasiness.

There were two large frigates cruising backwards and forwards off Brest, and a brig-of-war came within shot, as they were doubling Penmarch Point.
"There is plenty of water for her, here," the skipper said.
"However, she will hardly catch us, before we are under shelter of the batteries of Quimper." "I should have thought that she would hardly think you worth the trouble of chasing." "It may be that they think we are carrying fresh meat from Saint Malo to Nantes.

There is a good deal of trade that way, this time of year, when meat will keep good for a week.

Or it may be that they want to get news of what ships there are in Brest.