r, the
captain dangerously wounded. Out of eight lieutenants five were killed,
with three hundred petty officers and seamen, and about one hundred
wounded. We left the second lieutenant and sixty men in charge of her, and
took some of the prisoners on board when she swung clear of us. We had
pummelled her so handsomely that fourteen of her lower deck guns were
dismounted, and her larboard bow exhibited a mass of splinters.

After she cleared us another Spanish three-decker drifted nearly on board
of us. We received her fire, which shot away the gaff. We returned her
salute with interest, and her foremast went about four feet above her
deck. We cheered and gave her another broadside, and down came her
colours. We manned the jolly boat--the only boat that we thought would
float--to take possession of her, but she had not proceeded more than a few
yards when down she went, leaving the fourth lieutenant and her crew
paddling like sea nondescripts. Having no boat that would float, four of
the seamen jumped overboard to rescue those who could not swim, and they
all regained the ship. Mr. C., the lieutenant, was nearly drowned, and had
it not been for a black man, who took him on his back, he must have sunk.
(This man he never lost sight of and left him a handsome legacy when he
died.) We were drifting like a pig upon a grating, and as helpless as a
sucking shrimp, when the signal was made to repair damages. We soon cut
away all that was useless, and in twenty minutes we were under topsails as
courses, and top-gallant-sails as topsails.

The carpenters had cobbled up one of the cutters, in which I was sent on
board the _Royal Sovereign_ to report our condition and to request the
assistance of one of the fleet to tow us, as in consequence of our rudder
being so much shattered by shot it was rendered unserviceable. The
_Defiance_ was ordered to take us in tow; we shortly afterwards made the
signal, that we were able to renew the action. The enemy's fleet were
making for Cadiz. Nineteen sail of their line of battleships had
surrendered, and one, the _Achille_, had blown up. The explosion she made
was sublime and awful; a number of her crew were saved by the _Pickle_
schooner. The wind still continued light, and the signal was flying to
renew the attack. In about twenty minutes we were again in the rear of the
enemy, who appeared to have had enough of it, as they had neared Cadiz,
and all the prizes except four seventy-fours were