e a running fire was kept up
for nearly three hours, but shortly before midday, whilst the cutter
was still chasing her and holding on the same course as the other, the
_Badger_ came on at such a pace that she ran aboard the smuggler's
starboard quarter whilst both ships were still blazing away at each
other.

The smuggler's crew then cried out for quarter in English. This was
granted by the _Badger's_ commander, who had a boat lowered, but
whilst in the act of so doing the treacherous smuggling craft
recommenced firing. It was a cowardly thing to do, for Reymas, their
own captain, had particularly asked the _Badger's_ commander to
forgive them and overlook what they had done, whilst other members of
the crew cried out to the same effect. This had caused a cessation of
fire for about five minutes, and was only reopened by the smugglers'
treachery. One of the _Badger's_ mariners named William Cullum, was in
consequence shot dead by a musket aimed at him by one of the
smugglers. Cullum was standing by the windlass at the time, and died
instantly.

[Illustration: "The Cruiser's Guns had shot away the Mizzen-Mast."]

The _Badger_, therefore, again began to fire into the other ship, but
in about another five minutes the smuggler again called for quarter,
and this was again granted. The cruiser sent her boat aboard her, and
brought off the smuggler's crew, amounting to twenty-three men, though
two others had been killed in the affray. The _Badger's_ chief mate,
on boarding the smuggler, sent away the latter's crew in their own
boat, and seven of these men were found to be wounded, of whom one
died the following morning. The name of the vessel was seen to be the
_Vree Gebroeders_. She was of 119 tons burthen, and had the previous
day started out from Flushing with a cargo of 42 gallons of brandy,
186 gallons of Geneva--these all being in the 3-1/2 gallon
half-ankers. But there was also a good deal of other cargo, consisting
of 856 bales of tobacco which contained 51,000 lbs., thirteen boxes of
tea, and six bags of sugar. All these goods were made up in
illegal-sized packages and she had nothing on board except what was
contraband. The chests of tea were found all ready slung for landing
with small ropes.

The _Vree Gebroeders_ was provisioned for three months, and was armed
with four carronades, 9-pounders, and two swivel muskets, bayonets,
and other arms of different kinds. Her destination had been for
Ireland. When the