ined by the master, who seemed to be making some very earnest
representation to him; but what it was I could not hear, for I was now
down on the quarter-deck and had no valid excuse for approaching any
nearer. However, whatever it may have been, Captain Vavassour was
evidently disinclined to listen to it, for I saw him once or twice shake
his head most determinedly, pointing at the same time at the French
ship, which still remained distinctly in view. Finally the skipper left
the poop and joined Mr Howard on the quarter-deck, conversing very
animatedly with him for about five minutes. It was while he was thus
engaged that the master suddenly called down to him the intelligence
that the stranger had hoisted French colours, upon which he gave the
order for our own colours to be hoisted, and, jumping up on the poop, I
went to the flag-locker, drew out our big ensign, bent it on to the
halliards, and, with the assistance of the master, ran it up to the
mizen peak.

Meanwhile, our men had long been at quarters, and the ship ready for
action. I was, therefore, not surprised to see the first lieutenant
descending to the main-deck, evidently for the purpose of conveying the
skipper's final instructions to the captains of the guns. It was going
to be a running fight, and we were about to open the ball. But the
Frenchmen snatched that honour from us, for as I was descending from the
poop to the quarter-deck after having hoisted the ensign, I saw a jet of
flame and a cloud of smoke burst from the stranger's port side, and
immediately afterwards a heavy shot flew humming high over our
mastheads. Almost immediately afterward three of our starboard
main-deck guns spoke simultaneously, and, as the smoke from them swept
away ahead of us, I heard the captain of the aftermost quarter-deck gun
cry out that all three shots had hulled the French ship, for he had seen
the splinters fly in three distinct places. Then, at brief intervals,
the remaining guns of our starboard main-deck battery were fired; but
seemingly without doing very much damage.

The firing now became brisk on both sides, but the French fired much
quicker than we did, the reason being--as I afterward learned--that our
Captain had given the most imperative orders to the first lieutenant
that the gun-captains were not to fire until they had made sure of their
aim; and the wisdom of this soon became manifest; for while the French
fired upon an average three shots to o