the whole of the fruit was rotten, and the vessels did
not pay the expenses of their condemnation. Shortly after this affair, two
of the boats, with a lieutenant, a master's mate, and myself, were sent in
shore near Cape Francois, St. Domingo, on a cruise of speculation. No
object being in sight when we left the ship, about 10 P.M. we came
suddenly on three dark-looking schooners, who on seeing us gave us a warm
reception. The night, fortunately for us, was very dark, and we were
nearly alongside of them without our perceiving them, as they were
anchored so near the land. I was mid of the lieutenant's boat, and he
determined on boarding the largest of them. I knew, or rather I could
foresee, the result; but as he had taken in the course of the last two
hours three north-westers, and was half-seas over, my advice availed
little. The other boat was at some distance from us. On we went, when
three of our men were seriously wounded and I received a musket-ball
through the left side of my hat, which slightly wounded my ear, taking
part of the hair, and I felt a distressing whirling noise inside my head,
and was so giddy I was obliged to sit down, not before, however, I had
shot a man in the main-channels who I thought had fired the shot at me. We
had kept up a brisk firing, and must have killed several of their men,
when they got long spars with a spike at the end over the side, and
endeavoured to drive them through the bottom of our boat. The lieutenant,
who was now more himself, found boarding her impracticable, as she had her
boarding netting up, her decks filled with men, and nine ports in her
side. We reluctantly pulled off. We had unfortunately taken the bull by
the horns--that is, pulled for her broadside. The lieutenant and myself,
for I recovered sufficiently to load my musket, kept firing at her decks
as we retired. She paid us the same compliment, and slightly wounded
another of the boat's crew. Had the night not been so cloudy, and without
a moon, we should have paid dearly for our temerity. We rowed in a
straight line for her stern. The two other vessels were well armed, and
they saluted us with a few shot as we pulled off, which, however, went far
over us. We soon after joined the other boat, which had lost sight of us
when we attempted boarding the enemy's vessel. We learnt a few days
afterwards, from a New Providence privateer, that they were three
guardacostas, as the captain of her called them--in other words