The captain, Anselme, was a schemer, and wished to remain in India for a year, instead of returning to England at once, as had been arranged.

Accordingly, he lingered a month in Johanna, and shaped his course northward along the African coast.

Thence getting a fair wind which would have brought him directly to Bombay, without running the risk of working along the Malabar coast, he, instead, steered for the latitude of Goa, and thence crept northwards, making as much delay as possible, so as not to reach Bombay till January.

On the 26th December, an Angrian squadron of five grabs and four gallivats bore down on the _Derby_, off Severndroog, and engaged in their favourite way of attacking a big ship, astern.

There was little wind, and the _Derby_ would neither stay nor wear.