With all of these Jack, with his high spirits, good-tempered face, merry laugh, soon became a favorite.
During the first two days at sea he had suffered the usual agonies from sea-sickness.

But before reaching Gibraltar he had got his sea-legs and was regularly doing duty, being on the watch of the second lieutenant, Mr.Pierson.
The wind, which had blown strongly across the Bay of Biscay and down the coast of Portugal, moderated as the "Falcon" steamed past Cape St.
Vincent with its picturesque monastery, and the straits were calm as a mill-pond as she slowly made her way along the Spanish coast and passed Tarifa.

Up to the time when she dropped her anchor in the Bay of Gibraltar, the only incident which had happened on the way was that, as they steamed up the straits, they passed close by a homeward-bound P.and O.steamer, whose passengers crowded the sides, and cheered and waved their handkerchiefs to the eastward-bound ship.
The "Falcon" was not a fast vessel, seldom making, under favorable circumstances, more than eight knots an hour.

She carried sixteen guns, twelve of which were eighteen-pounders.

It had been intended that the "Falcon" should only stay a few hours at Gibraltar, proceeding immediately she had taken in a fresh supply of coal.