ur one, the damage sustained by us
was very trifling, while it was not long before the French ship's sails
and rigging became a good deal cut up--to such an extent, indeed, that
we were obliged to clew up our topgallantsails, in order to avoid
running too far ahead of our adversary.

Suddenly, the simultaneous discharge of three or four of our main-deck
guns was followed by a cheer of delight from our lads, and, jumping upon
the carriage of one of the quarter-deck guns, I was just in time to see
the French ship's mizenmast fall forward, dragging down the
main-topgallant-mast with it and passing through the main topsail and
mainsail in its fall, splitting them from head to foot. There was at
once great confusion on board the Frenchman, and, being thus deprived in
a moment of all her after-sail, she immediately fell square off before
the wind, or about three points more to the eastward than the course we
were steering.

"Hurrah! we have her now," exclaimed the skipper, delightedly rubbing
his hands. "Up with your helm, quartermaster, and follow her. Weather
braces, Mr Galway; square the yards, and set your topgallantsails
again. The land cannot be far off, and now she must strike or we will
drive her ashore. Jump down on to the main-deck, Mr Delamere, and
request Mr Howard to train his starboard guns as far forward as they
will go, and then to rake her every time we luff." (The change in the
relative positions of the two vessels caused by both of us squaring away
dead before the wind was that the French ship was now almost stern-on to
us, broad on our starboard-bow, and about half a mile distant.)

I sprang down the ladder on to the main-deck, and there found the first
luff superintending the working of our heavy guns. The men had all
stripped to the waist to obtain the utmost possible freedom of movement
while hauling upon the tackles and flourishing their handspikes,
sponges, and rammers, and, generally speaking, had discarded their hats,
knotting bandanna handkerchiefs round their heads in place of them.
They were all eager to get to closer quarters with the enemy, and were
as merry as crickets, bandying jests with each other in the intervals of
toiling at the guns. I delivered my message, and at the same time
seized the opportunity to inquire whether any casualties had occurred on
that deck. Mr Howard informed me that there had been none thus far;
and with this information I returned to the quarter-deck and