bandon
the enterprise. The men in their enthusiasm wished to tow the frigates
up. Again it shifted. Our sails filled; the men cheered heartily.
Once more up along the harbour, we lay till we brought our broadsides to
bear on the forts and the two Dutch ships, the Arethusa's jib-boom being
right over the town. It was just dawn; a boat was despatched by the
commodore for the shore; she bore a summons to the Dutch governor to
surrender, promising to treat him and everybody with the utmost civility
if he would; but Mynheer von Tronk was in no humour to listen to any of
the more refined arguments Captain Brisbane had to offer; so the flag of
truce was hauled down, and we had recourse to the _argumentum ad
hominem_, or, in other words, we began blazing away from all the guns we
could bring to bear. This fully roused up the sleepy Dutchmen, and we
could see them, (Mr Johnson declared that many of them had their
breeches in their hands), rushing into the boats to get on board their
ships, or hurrying to the batteries, which had hitherto maintained a
very ineffectual fire. We had given them just three broadsides, when
the commodore at the head of a part of his crew put off from the
Arethusa and pulled for the Dutch frigate. Up her sides we saw him and
his gallant fellows climbing. We longed to be with them. The Dutch
fought bravely, as they always do, but liquor had unnerved their arms.
The conflict though short was sharp. Down came the Dutch flag, and up
went that of England, but not till the Dutch captain and several of his
crew had been killed and numbers wounded. The brave Captain Lydiard of
the Anson captured the corvette in the same style. Still close to us
frowned the forts, capable it seemed of sinking every one of our ships
in a few minutes.

"We must take them, Bryan, without loss of time," I heard our captain
observe, as I was sent up with a message to him. Scarcely had he
uttered the words when the signal to land was made. In a wonderfully
few moments the boats were manned and crowded with small-arms men, and
with ladders and crowbar bearers. I accompanied Mr Johnson with the
ladder-bearers' party. While the crowbar-men proceeded to the gates, we
made the best of our way to the walls. Our chief hope was to succeed by
a dash. The Dutchmen numbered ten to one of us, and they were no
cowards, only slow. As yet they had not half-opened their eyes, or they
might have counted our numbers, and discovered