ossible," said the French captain, taking off his hat.

Our captain returned the salute, and then, slipping down from the
gunwale, ordered the sails to be filled, and after a minute, to give the
Frenchman time to prepare, he fired off in the air the fusee which he
held in his hand, as a signal for the action to begin. We instantly
commenced the work of death by pouring in a broadside. It was returned
with equal spirit, and 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 mean time 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 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