o had been
captured, with their wounded, we put into the three small French boats
which had been captured in the first attack, taking away their oars,
that, when I shoved off and left the vessel, they might drift about till
they were picked up by the French ship.

Every thing being in readiness, I had now to decide what I should do
with the merchant vessel. The wind coming up so fast from the seaward,
gave her no chance of escape, and I decided that I would set her on
fire. Having so done in three different parts, to ensure her
destruction, I then shoved off with our boats, having first pushed off
the Frenchmen in their boats without oars, and wished them good-bye;
they certainly did look very foolish, and anything but pleased.

As we pulled for the frigate, I perceived that the line-of-battle ship's
sails were filling, and that it was touch and go with us; but I also
knew that she could not leave her boats and that it would take some time
to pick them up; two were half-manned, and pulling towards her; the
other three were without oars, and must be picked by the other boats;
all of which would occasion delay. Notwithstanding, we pulled as hard
as we could and were halfway back before the breeze was sufficiently
steady to enable the line-of-battle ship to make much progress through
the water. Of course we could not well see what was going on when we
had pulled away in the boats, and were at a distance; all we could see
was, that the French line-of-battle ship was not yet in chase, from
which we presumed that she had not yet picked up her boats. In the
meantime the merchant vessel burnt furiously, and the columns of smoke
very often hid the enemy from our view.

Before we arrived on board the breeze had passed us and caught the sails
of our frigate and the two merchant vessels, so that we were more easy
on that score. Captain Delmar had been very anxious; the yards,
tackles, and stays, and the tackles for hoisting up the quarter-boats,
were already hanging down as we pulled alongside, and "all hands in
boats" was piped before we could get up the gangway. There was no time
to be lost: the French line-of-battle ship had picked up her boats, and
was now in chase, with studding-sails below and abaft. The two merchant
vessels had made all sail, and were running inshore ahead of us. I
touched my hat to the captain, and said, "Come on board, sir--shall I
see the quarter-boats hoisted up?"

"If you please, Mr Keene,"