vening and morning guns. The first
evening we fired proved fatal to a pilot and four boatmen, who imagined
the firing proceeded from a ship seen standing for the harbour with the
loss of her fore top-mast. The night was very dark and tempestuous, and a
short time after leaving St. Maw's the boat upset and they were all lost.
This was the more distressing as they all left wives and families. The
officers among the squadron made a subscription for them, and the mids,
although not rich, were not backward. The wind becoming favourable, we on
the fifth morning made sail out of the roads and stood down Channel. The
same night, which was very dark and squally, we fell in with the _Venus_
frigate, who, before we could answer the private signal, favoured us with
a discharge of musketry. Fortunately, it did no other damage than cutting
some of the ropes.

On the morning of the second day after leaving Falmouth we saw four ships
about five miles distant to the S.W. At first we took them for Indiamen
homeward bound. In the expectation of procuring some good seamen we stood
towards them. After a short time we discovered them to be French frigates.
We immediately altered our course, and made all possible sail to avoid
them. On perceiving this they signalled each other and stood after us
under a press of sail. The wind was moderate, and had again changed to the
westward. The enemy was drawing fast on us. After a chase of five hours
the nearest frigate fired her foremost guns at us, which cut away the
maintop bowline. We returned their fire with our stern chasers. As they
had neared us so rapidly, we thought it prudent to throw overboard the
foreign stores in order to improve our sailing. Two of the enemy's
frigates were now within gunshot and the two others nearing us fast. We
had almost despaired of escaping, when fortunately one of our shot brought
down the advanced frigate's fore topsail yard, and we soon found we were
leaving her. The second yawed, and gave us a broadside; only two of her
shot took effect by striking near the fore channels. Her yaw saved us, as
we gained on her considerably. The wind had become light, which still
further favoured us. We were now nearing our own coast, and towards sunset
the enemy had given up the chase and hauled off to the S.W. The wind
veering to the northward, we altered our course to the westward; but,
singular to say, at daylight next morning we found ourselves about six
miles from the same ve