shortened sail for action, hoisting Dutch
colours.

Captain Hawkins again made his appearance on the quarter-deck, when we
were within half a mile of her.

"Are we to run alongside of her, or how?" inquired I. "Mr Simple, I
command her," replied he, "and want no interference whatever."

"Very well, sir," replied I, and I walked to the gangway.

"Mr Thompson," cried the captain, who appeared to have screwed up his
courage to the right pitch, and had now taken his position for a moment
on one of the carronades; "you will lay the brig right--"

Bang, bang--whiz, whiz--bang--whiz, came three shots from the enemy,
cleaving the air between our masts. The captain jumped down from the
carronade, and hastened to the capstan, without finishing his sentence.
"Shall we fire when we are ready, sir?" said I; for I perceived that he
was not capable of giving correct orders.

"Yes--yes, to be sure," replied he, remaining where he was.

"Thompson," said I to the master, "I think we can manage in our present
commanding position, to get foul of him, so as to knock away his
jib-boom and fore-topmast, and then she can't escape. We have good way
on her."

"I'll manage it, Simple, or my name is not Thompson," replied the
master, jumping into the quarter-boat, conning the vessel in that
exposed situation, as we received the enemy's fire.

"Look out, my lads, and pour it into her now, just as you please," said
I to the men.

The seamen were, however, too well disciplined to take immediate
advantage of my permission; they waited until we passed her, and just as
the master put up his helm so as to catch her jib-boom between our
masts, the whole broadside was poured into his bow and chess-tree. Her
jib-boom and fore-topgallant went down, and she had so much way through
the water, that we tore clear from her, and rounding to the wind shot
a-head. The enemy, although in confusion from the effects of our
broadside, put up his helm to rake us; we perceived his manoeuvre, and
did the same, and then squaring our sail, we ran with him before the
wind, engaging broadside to broadside.

This continued about half-an-hour, and we soon found that we had no fool
to play with. The brig was well fought, and her guns well directed. We
had several men taken down below, and I thought it would be better to
engage her even closer. There was about a cable's length between both
vessels, as we ran before the wind, at about six miles an hour with a