Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 3.djvu/165

 "Very true," said his lordship.

We now approached the stranger very fast, when, to our great mortification, she proved to be an English frigate; made the private signal, it was answered; shewed her number, we showed ours, and her captain being junior officer came on board, to pay his respects and shew his order. He was three weeks from England, brought news of a peace with France, and, among other treats, a navy list, which, next to a bottle of London porter, is the greatest luxury to a sea officer in a foreign climate.

Greedily did we all run over this interesting little book, and among the names of the new made commanders, I was overjoyed to find my own; the last on the list to be sure, but that I cared not for. I received the congratulations of my messmates; we parted company with the stranger, and steered for the island of St. Jago, our captain intending to complete his water in Port Praya Bay, previous to a long cruize after the American squadron.