out six o'clock in the
morning, our last charge of canister shot was in the gun, the last
rocket in the tube, and nearly all the percussion caps expended. The
barge was pulled closer to the nearest prahu to give more effect to the
discharge, and the captain was in the stern of the barge with the rocket
tube in hand, when one of the prahus on shore fired her swivel; the ball
struck the captain, and knocked him overboard. He was hauled in, and we
found that he had received a severe wound in the groin, which was
dressed by the surgeon.

_Lieutenant Baugh_ now took the command, and the gun was discharged with
good effect, and all the people on board of the prahus, who were able to
escape, made for the shore. One of our marines was wounded in the neck
with an arrow, and, with the exception of the captain, no other casualty
took place.

The fight would have been continued with the round shot still left in
the barge, but the assistant surgeon was anxious that the captain should
return to the ship and have the ball extracted. The barge therefore
pulled for the ship, whose royals were just visible above the horizon.
The pirates, finding that we were retreating, returned to their prahus
and fired their guns at us, but without effect.

We arrived on board about 9 A. M., and the ship's head was put towards
the scene of action, while the barge and two cutters were despatched in
search of the gig, of whose safety we had great doubts. About 11.30, A.M.,
the second cutter, being in advance, discovered a sail in shore, and
which, by the aid of our telescopes, we made out to be the gig. When we
closed with her, and found that all was right we were greatly relieved.
We heard from Mr. Hooper, the purser, who was in her, that after waiting
in vain for the barge's return, he set fire to the prahus. In one of
them he found a woman and child alive, whom he landed at the nearest
point. He then pulled in the direction we had gone, being guided by the
sound of our guns. On his arrival in the bay we were not in sight, and
perceiving several prahus with flags flying and gongs beating, he
naturally concluded that we had been overpowered, and he was making the
best of his way towards the ship. The boats continued pulling towards
the shore, leaving the gig to return to the ship and ease the minds of
the ship's company respecting her safety.

On our arrival in the bay with the barge and cutters, we found that the
prahus had hauled into a creek, on