iately
fired a broadside, on which the _Glatton_ poured into her antagonist, at
a distance of thirty yards, such a shower of shot as perhaps no ship had
ever before received. Her crew being insufficient to man her guns on
both sides, the allotment to each gun was divided into gangs. One of
these having loaded and run out the gun, left the most experienced hands
to point and fire it, while they ran across and loaded and ran out the
gun on the opposite side. The two headmost French ships then tacked,
one placing herself alongside to windward, and the other on the
_Glatton's_ bow, while the other ships engaged her on her lee-quarter
and stern. A fierce cannonade was kept up, the _Glatton_ engaging on
both sides so near, that her yard-arms were nearly touching those of the
enemy; the shrieks and cries which arose from them showing the terrible
effect of the _Glatton's_ shot--though the French commodore, at all
events, exhibited no want of courage in the way he fought his ship.
Close to leeward was the Brill shoal, on which the van-ship of the
French, now tacking, endeavoured to drive the _Glatton_. The French
commodore, with whom Captain Trollope had at first engaged, was still on
his lee bow, when the pilot exclaimed, that unless the _Glatton_ tacked
she would be on the Brill. "When the Frenchman strikes the ground, do
you put the helm a-lee," was the answer. Directly afterwards the
commodore tacked, when, while he was in stays, the _Glatton_ poured in a
heavy raking fire, and then endeavoured to come about, but so damaged
was she in her sails and rigging, that it was not without difficulty she
could do so. Notwithstanding that her topmasts and yards were wounded,
her crew, when ordered to shorten sail, flew aloft with alacrity,
executing their task, in spite of the shot flying round them from the
nearest of the Frenchmen able to continue the action. During this
interval the _Glatton's_ fire had ceased, and one of the French ships
stood towards her, in the hopes, probably, of making her their prize,
but the British crew hurrying to their guns, soon undeceived them, and
compelled their still remaining antagonists to follow their consorts.
In attempting to wear after them, Captain Trollope found his masts,
rigging, and sails so much injured that all his efforts were
ineffectual, or his gallantry would probably have been rewarded by a
complete victory. The remainder of the night was spent in strengthening
masts and y