r of our
flag. Captain Weatherall took care that this feeling should not
subside--he distributed the grog plentifully; at our desire he nailed
the colours to the mast, and we waited for a renewal of the combat
with impatience. At four o'clock in the afternoon a breeze sprang up,
and both vessels trimmed their sails and neared us fast--not quite in
such gallant trim as in the morning it is true--but they appeared now
to have summoned up a determined resolution. Silently they came up,
forcing their way slowly through the water; not a gun was fired, but
the gaping mouths of the cannon, and their men motionless at their
quarters, portended the severity of the struggle which was now to
decide this hitherto well-contested trial for victory. When within
half a cable's length, we saluted them with three cheers, they
returned our defiance, and running up on each side of us, the combat
was renewed with bitterness.

The Frenchman would not this time lay us on board until he was certain
that the Spaniard had boarded us to leeward--he continued luffing to
windward and plying us with broadsides until we were grappled with the
Spaniard, and then he bore down and laid his gunwale on our bow. The
Spaniard had already boarded us on the quarter, and we were repelling
this attack, when the Frenchman laid us on the bow. We fought with
desperation, and our pikes gave us such an advantage over the swords
and knives of the Spaniards, that they gave ground, and appalled by
the desperate resistance they encountered, quitted our decks strewed
with their dead and dying shipmates, and retreated in confusion to
their own vessel. But before this repulse had been effected, the
French had boarded us on the weather-bow, and driving before them the
few men who had been sent forward to resist them, had gained our main
deck, and forced their way to the rise of the quarter-deck, where all
our remaining men were now collected. The combat was now desperate,
but after a time our pikes, and the advantage of our position,
appeared to prevail over numbers. We drove them before us--we had
regained the main deck, when our brave commander, who was at our head,
and who had infused spirit into us all, received a bullet through his
right wrist; shifting his sword into his left hand, he still pressed
forward encouraging us, when a ball entered his breast and he dropped
dead. With his fall, fell the courage and fortitude of his crew so
long sustained--and to complete th