Breakfast over, Simmons went to work and routed out a spare fore-topgallant-mast, which he prepared for sending aloft, while the rest of the watch were busy clearing away the wreck forward; and by the time that the new spar was ready for swaying aloft we had overtaken the rest of the convoy, when the commodore sent away a boat, with the first lieutenant of the _Colossus_ in her, to receive my report.  This I wrote out and handed to him, retaining a copy to be handed to Captain Vavassour; and after a little chat together our visitor instructed me to retain command of the prize until the return of the _Europa_, and meanwhile to take the place of that ship to assist in the protection of the convoy.  He also informed me that during our absence the _Astarte_ had captured the ship privateer that had been so busy on the outskirts of the convoy a few hours before, while the boats of the _Colossus_ and the _Astarte_ had recaptured no less than five merchantmen that had been taken possession of by the marauders.  As for the _Hebe_ and the _Naiad_, they had vanished in the northern board, and as yet there were no signs of their return.