her officers, came aboard the Duke,
in obedience to the signal, when we took the condition of our three
ships into consideration. Their masts and rigging were much damaged, and
we had no means of procuring any repairs. If we again engaged the enemy,
we could not propose to do any more than we had done already, which
evidently had not done her much harm, as we could perceive that few of
our shots penetrated her sides to any purpose, and our small arms
availed still less, as not one of their men were to be seen above board.
Our main-mast was so badly wounded that the least additional injury
would bring it down, and the fore-mast of the Duchess was in as bad a
state. The fall of these masts might bring down others, and we should
then lie perfect butts for the enemy to batter at, and his heavy guns
might easily sink us. If we should attempt to carry her by boarding, we
must necessarily run the risk of losing many of our men, with little
prospect of success, as they had above treble our number to oppose us,
not having now in all our three ships above 120 men fit for boarding,
and these weak, as we had been long short of provisions. If, therefore,
we attempted to board and were beaten off, leaving any of our men
behind, the enemy would learn our strength, or weakness rather, and
might go to the harbour and retake our prize, in spite of every thing we
could do to hinder. Our ammunition also was now very short, and we had
only, enough to engage for a few glasses longer. All these circumstances
being duly considered, together with the difficulty of procuring masts,
and the time and provisions we must spend before we could get them
fitted we resolved to desist from any farther attempt upon the enemy,
since our battering her signified little, and we had not sufficient
strength to carry her by boarding. We determined therefore to keep her
company till night, and then to lose her, after which to make the best
of our way to the harbour where we had left our prize, to secure her.

We had engaged this ship first and last about seven glasses, during
which we in the Duke had eleven men wounded, three of whom were scorched
with gun-powder. I was again unfortunately wounded by a splinter in my
left foot, just before the arms chest was blown up on the quarter-deck;
and so severely that I had to lie on my back in great pain, being unable
to stand. Part of my heel-bone was struck out, and all the foot just
under the ankle cut above half throug