iled, and then the
admiral, who never would be beaten, against the orders of Sir John
himself; determined to take command of the expedition on shore.
Midnight was the time chosen for the attack. The orders were, that all
the boats should land at a big mole which runs out from the town. Away
we pulled; the night was very dark, the boats got separated, and when we
reached the mole there were only four or five boats there. A heavy fire
was at once opened on us, but the admiral would not be turned back.
Drawing his sword, he was springing on shore, but the same moment he was
struck by a musket ball, and fell back into the arms of his step-son,
Lieutenant Kisbet. The lieutenant and one of our men bound up his arm,
while all those who could be collected jumped into the boat to shove her
off. It was difficult work, for she had grounded. We pulled close
under the battery to avoid the heavy fire from it. As we moved on, all
we could see was the bright flashes from the guns extending in a long
line in front of us. On again pulling out, a fearful cry was raised.
It came from the `Fox' cutter. A shot had struck her between wind, and
water, and down she went, leaving her crew struggling in the waves. The
admiral had just before been lifted up in the stern-sheets by Mr Nisbet
to look about him.

"`Give way, lads--give way,' he shouted, forgetting his own desperate
wound. `We must save them.'

"Soon we were in among the struggling men, and hauling them into the
boats as fast as we could, the shot all the time rattling about us. The
admiral seemed to have recovered his strength, and worked away with his
left arm, assisting in saving a great many. Eighty men were saved, but
more than half the crew were lost. The first ship we came to was the
`Seahorse.' Her captain's wife, Mrs Freemantle, was on board, but he
was with the boats, and no one could tell whether he was alive or dead.

"`No, no,' exclaimed the admiral; `I can give the poor lady no tidings
of her husband; she shall not see me in this state. Pull to another
ship.'

"We managed to reach the `Theseus,' a rope was lowered, he sprung up the
side, and would have no help. We could scarcely believe our eyes, for
we thought he was half dead. His was a wonderful spirit. Then he sent
us off to try and save a few more of the poor fellows from the `Fox.'
When we got back we found that he had made the surgeon at once cut off
his arm. We brought him the news that Cap