Captain Delmar had given orders to pipe to dinner at seven bells (half-past eleven o'clock); that in case the boats were required, the men might have dined before the were sent away. A few minutes after twelve o'clock it fell a dead calm; the hands were turned up, the boats hoisted out and lowered down, the guns and ammunition put in them, and everything in readiness; we keeping our glasses upon the enemy, and watching her manoeuvring, which, at the distance we were, was now easily to be distinguished. Captain Delmar was aware that he ran some risk in sending his boats away, for it might so happen that a breeze might spring up from the seaward, and the enemy have the advantage of it long before us; if so, it might bring her up to the vessel astern, and the boats be captured: indeed it might bring her up nearly alongside of us before we caught the wind. It was necessary therefore, to be very cautious, and not send the boats away till the last moment--that is, before we saw the French ship hoisting out or lowering down her own. That the Frenchman knew that our boats had been hoisted out, could not be doubted, as their eyes were quite as sharp as ours. They, however, tried to double us; for all of a sudden, as I had my glass upon the French ship, I perceived three boats coming round her quarter, and pulling right for the merchant vessel: the fact was, that she had lowered down her stern and quarter boats to leeward, which we could not perceive. I reported this immediately to the captain, who ordered the boats' crews to be piped away. "Who is to command the boats, sir?" said the first lieutenant. "Mr Keene," said the captain. "Mr Keene, I wish to speak with you before you go." Captain Delmar then walked to the capstern, and, in few words, pointed out what I have just stated as the difficulty which might occur, and the chances of capture. "You understand me, Mr Keene?" "Perfectly, sir," replied I. "Well, then, I trust to your discretion, Mr Keene, and hope I shall not be disappointed. Now you may go." "The French ship is getting up her yard tackles," said the signal man. "Then you have no time to lose, Mr Keene. As for the small boats, they are of no consequence."