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 the mischief, the lieutenant and two remaining officers also
fell a few seconds after him. Astonished and terrified, the men stopped
short in their career of success, and wildly looked round for a leader.
The French, who had retreated to the forecastle, perceiving our
confusion I renewed the attack, our few remaining men were seized with a
panic, and throwing down our arms, we asked for quarter where a moment
before victory was in our hands;--such was the finale of our bloody
drama.

Out of fifty-five men twenty-two had been killed in this murderous
conflict, and almost all the survivors desperately or severely wounded.
Most of the remaining crew after we had cried for quarter jumped down
the hatchway, to avoid the cutlasses of their enraged victors. I and
about eight others, having been driven past the hatchway, threw down our
arms and begged for quarter, which we had little reason to expect would
be shown to us. At first no quarter was given by our savage enemies,
who cut down several of our disarmed men and hacked them to pieces.
Perceiving this, I got on the gunwale ready to jump overboard, in the
hopes of being taken up after the slaughter had ceased, when a French
lieutenant coming up protected us, and saved the poor remains of our
crew from the fury of his men. Our lives, however, were all he counted
upon preserving--we were instantly stripped and plundered without mercy.
I lost everything I possessed; the watch, ring, and sword I had taken
from the gallant Frenchman were soon forced from me, and, not stripping
off my apparel fast enough to please a Mulatto sailor, I received a blow
with the butt-end of a pistol under the left ear, which precipitated me
down the hatchway, near which I was standing, and I fell senseless into
the hold.

CHAPTER THREE.

WE ARE SENT IN, ON BOARD THE REVENGE, AND TREATED WITH GREAT CRUELTY--
ARE AFTERWARDS RECAPTURED BY THE HERO PRIVATEER, AND RETALIATE ON THE
FRENCH--I AM TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AT PORT ROYAL, WHERE I MEE