The spy being a clever fellow, managed his business well, and in a fortnight after returned safe to Palermo with answers. Nothing was done, for King Joe and his police kept too sharp a look out, to allow his Sicilian Majesty’s corps of lazzaroni to make, or attempt to make, any disturbance. On our way off Cività Vecchia, near Mount Circello, in company with the _Juno_ (32), we fell in with two French settees, who were steering along shore towards Mola; one we sunk with our two guns, and the other we took; both were laden with charcoal for the forges of the French army before Gaeta; the _Juno_ went thither with our prize, and we continued off the above place in the hope of falling in with a French squadron, but in this we were anticipated by the _Sirius_ (36), who fell in with them, took a corvette, and dispersed the rest. From thence we proceeded off Leghorn, and on the 18th of May, 1806, at noon, I was sent, with seven men, armed with merely four cutlasses, two muskets, and having only eight ball cartridges, after a French row-boat, with orders also to attack a convoy close in shore under the town of Leghorn. This adventure having nearly cost me my life, I shall enter more fully into it. All hands were upon deck, ready to carry any orders given into execution; a French row-boat passed close to the ship, armed with musketoons and muskets, and having a crew of sixteen men. The ship had French colours flying at the time, trying to entice out the enemy’s convoy in shore, and therefore Captain Parker would not permit a musket to be fired to bring-to the small vessel passing near us. The wind was light, and the row-galley had no sooner got out of musket shot astern, than they out sweeps and began to pull away, suspecting, notwithstanding our French flag, that we were an English frigate. At this time our distance from Leghorn might be about seven or eight miles. A large polacre ship was seen to leeward, which was taken for an enemy; we bore up and made all sail after her, when I was called off the forecastle, and ordered to jump into the starboard cutter and go after the aforesaid galley; so much was I hurried that permission was not even allowed me to run below to my cabin, in the gun-room, to get my sword and pistols, but, obeying orders, let the consequences be what they might, having always been drilled into me, away I went, rather sulkily I confess, and when lowered down in the quarter-boat, I found that instead of the proper boat’s crew, any men that happened to be nearest, had been ordered into her; amongst others, an Italian, a native of Leghorn, who for some crime had been severely punished three days before. Just as we were shoving off I discovered there were neither muskets, pistols, nor swords in the boat; after some little delay, two muskets, and four cutlasses, with two cartouch boxes, were given us. With this equipment, I ordered the boat tackles to be unhooked, and away we pulled, but guess my astonishment, when