Being thus unable to enter it, we were
compelled to bring up at no great distance from the shore. From where
we lay we could see but a very little way up the river, a point of land
covered with trees hiding the next reach, so that the chase might be
there, though invisible to us. The captain accordingly directed the
first lieutenant to pull up in the gig to ascertain if she was there;
intending, if so, to carry the ship into the river whenever the
sea-breeze should set in. As she was a large, well-armed vessel, with a
numerous crew, he was unwilling to risk the loss of his men, at the
commencement of a long voyage, by attacking her with the boats.

The gig was soon hidden behind the point; when the watch below, to which
I belonged, was allowed to lie down in the shade on deck--for, having
been awake all night, we could scarcely keep our eyes open. I was in an
instant asleep; and being roused up again after a snooze of two hours, I
found that the gig had not returned. The captain was beginning to get
anxious, when the look-out from the mast-head, who could see farther
over the point than we could on deck, shouted, "The gig in sight, and
another boat following her."

Some minutes passed, when we saw the gig chased round the point, the
crew pulling with all their might; and the next instant a much larger
boat hove in sight. As she did so, a man standing in the stern-sheets
was seen to lift a musket and fire at the gig: at the same moment an oar
dropped from the hands of one of the crew, who sank down on the thwart;
the gig, however, still coming on. It was a wanton act. The large boat
pulled round, and before we could have brought one of our guns to bear
on her she was again hidden behind the point. The captain, on seeing
the occurrence, ordered the other boats to be got ready, intending to
send them up in chase of the audacious stranger, and they were in the
water before the gig was alongside.

Lieutenant Worthy, on coming on deck, informed the captain that he had
gone up the river for some distance without seeing the chase, when, just
as he had at length caught sight of her topgallant-masts over a wooded
point, a large boat had darted out from behind it; while several shots
fired from the shore warned him of the danger of proceeding farther.
Immediately putting the gig round, he pulled down the river, seeing that
it would be madness to attempt attacking the larger boat with his small
crew.

The daring way i