“When we reached Flamborough Head, there was a spanking wind blowing from west-south-west; so we squared away, and without coming to at the Head made straight for old Hull, the general rendezvous and place of refitting for our squadrons in the German Ocean, because smugglers are plentiful there. “Immediately on arriving there, we warped in alongside the quay, where we stripped ship to a girt line, and gave her a regular-built overhauling from stem to stern. “Many hands, however, make light work. “In a very few days all was accomplished. “The stays and shrouds were set up, and new rattled down; the yards crossed, the running rigging rose, and sails bent. “And the old craft, fresh painted and all a-taunto looked as fine as a midshipman on liberty. “In place of the storm stumps which had been stowed away among the booms and other spare spars amidships, we had sent up top-gallant masts and royal poles, with a sheave for sky-sails and houst enough for sky-scrapers among them. “So you may judge the old frigate looked pretty taunt. “There was a Dutch line ship in the harbour, but though we carried only thirty to her forty guns, her main-truck would hardly have reached to our royal mast-head. “When we had got everything ship-shape and man-of-war fashion, we hauled out again, and took berth about half a mile from the quay. “What little wind we had had in the fore part of the day, died away at noon, and though the first dog-watch was almost out, and the sun was near the horizon, not a breath of air had risen to disturb the deep serenity of the scene. “Even on board our vessel a degree of stillness unusual for a man-of-war prevailed among the crew. “It was the hour of the evening meal, and the low hum that came from the gun-deck had an indistinct and buzzing sound. “On the top of the boom cover, and in the full glare of the sun, lay a tall negro, ‘Black Jake’ the jig-maker of the ship, and a striking specimen of African peculiarities, in whose single person they were all strongly developed. “His flat nose was dilated to unusual width, and his ebony cheeks fairly glistened with delight, as he looked up at the gambols of a huge ape, which had been entrusted to our care to take to Plymouth, and which, clinging to the main-stay just above Jake’s, the big negro’s, woolly head, was chattering and grinning back at the ‘Darkie’ as if there existed some mutual intelligence between them. “I was on watch on deck, and standing amusing myself by observing the antics of the black and his congenial playmate the ape, but at length tiring of the rude mirth, had turned towards the taffrail to gaze on the more agreeable features of that scene. “Just at that moment, a shout and a curse burst upon my ear. “Looking quickly round to ascertain the cause of the unusual sound on a frigate ship, I was horrified at what I saw. “The commodore was on board that day with his wife, child and nurse.