"The brig was just squaring away her main-yard at the whistle from the boatswain's mates, when the whole run of the Indiaman's bulwarks was crowded with the passengers' and men's faces, watching the brig gather way to pass ahead; I could hear the officers on deck hail the India mates, wishing them a good voyage, the ladies bowing and waving their handkerchiefs to the British Union-Jack. Some sort of confusion seemed to get up, however, about the ship's taffrail, where Rollock, Ford, and some others were standing together; the planter jumped up all at once on the quarter-mouldings nearest the brig, then jumped down again, and his straw hat could be seen hurrying towards the quarter-deck. "Next I caught a bright glimpse of Violet Hyde's face, as the sun shot on it free of the awnings--her eyes wandering with the brig's motion, I fancied, along the deck above me, till suddenly she seemed to start, and Westwood appeared behind her. The next thing I saw was the black-faced figure-head of the _Seringapatam_ rising below her bowsprit, about sixty yards from the gun-room port where I was, and down she went again with a heavy plash, as Tom Westwood himself leapt up between the knight-heads at the bow, hailing the brig's deck with a voice like a trumpet. 'Ahoy! the _Podargus_ ahoy! For mercy's sake, heave to again, sir!' he sung out. 'I'm the man you want!' 'The Indiaman ahoy!' I heard Captain Wallis himself hail back. 'What d'ye say?' The creak of our yards, with the flap of the jib, and the men's feet, drowned Westwood's second hail, as it came sharp up to windward; the sailors in the Indiaman's bows were grinning at him behind, while the first lieutenant of the brig shouted gruffly that she had no time to wait for more letters; and I heard the gun-room steward say to the marine, on going out with the dirty breakfast-cloth, he wondered if 'that parson cove thought the _Pedarkis_ wanted a chapling,' or was only 'vun of these fellers that's so troublesome to see the French Hemperor.'