a furious cannonading ensued for
several minutes, when the Spaniard ranged up on our lee quarter with
his rigging full of men to board us. Clapping our helm a-weather and
hauling our fore sheets to windward, we fell off athwart his hawse,
and raked him with several broadsides fore and aft; our guns having
been loaded with langridge and lead bullets, and his men being crowded
together forward, ready to leap on board of us, her deck became a
slaughter-house. The officers endeavoured in vain to animate their
men, who, instead of gaining our decks, were so intimidated by the
carnage that they forsook their own. The Frenchman perceiving the
consternation and distress of his consort, to give her an opportunity
of extricating herself from her perilous condition, now put his helm
a-weather, ran us on board, and poured in his men; but we were well
prepared, and soon cleared our decks of the intruders. In the meantime
the Spaniard, by cutting away our rigging, in which his bowsprit was
entangled, swung clear of us, and fell away to leeward. The Frenchman
perceiving this, sheered off, and springing his luff, shot ahead clear
of us. Such was the first act of this terrible drama. We had as yet
sustained little damage, the enemy's want of skill and our own good
fortune combined, having enabled us to take them at such a
disadvantage.

But although inspirited by such a prosperous beginning, our
inferiority in men was so great that our captain considered it his
duty to make all sail in hopes of being able to avoid such an unequal
combat. This our enemies attempted to prevent by a most furious
cannonade, which we received and returned without flinching, making a
running fight of it, till at last our fore yard and foretop-mast being
shot away, we had no longer command of the vessel. Finding that,
although we were crippled and could not escape, our fire continued
unabated, both the vessels again made preparations for boarding us,
while we on our part prepared to give them a warm reception.

As we knew that the Frenchman, who was our most serious opponent, must
board us on our weather bow, we traversed over four of our guns loaded
to the muzzle with musket balls to receive him, and being all ready
with our pateraroes and hand grenades, we waited for the attack. As he
bore down for our bows, with all his men clinging like bees, ready for
the spring, our guns were discharged and the carnage was terrible. The
men staggered back, falling dow