burning furiously in every quarter, and it seemed to us very evident
that it would soon be entirely burnt to the ground. As the unfortunate
inhabitants were afraid of leaving the town, for fear of falling into
the hands of the Indians, from whom they could expect no quarter, many
of them, we had too much reason to believe, were burnt to death.

During the heat of the engagement the Lowestoffe, in her eagerness to
get close up to the fort, ran on shore, and was considerably galled
while she remained there by the enemy's fire. The rest of the squadron
lending her assistance, she soon got off. All the ships were, however,
much cut up both in spars and rigging, while a considerable number of
men had been killed and wounded. The commander, in consequence, finding
that we had produced no impression on the enemy's works, threw out a
signal for the ships to haul off for the night. As we sailed out of the
harbour, the Spaniards, fancying that we were about to abandon the
enterprise, made a sortie, and furiously attacked the forces on shore.
They were, however, repulsed with much loss, and again took shelter
within their works. At night a lieutenant was sent in command of a
hundred men, to try and open a communication with the forces on shore,
but the enemy were too much on the alert to render the attempt
practicable.

We were under no little apprehension all the time as to the fate of the
forces on shore, for we could see that a furious attack was being made
by the Spaniards on Governor's Hill, and its result it was impossible to
ascertain. At daylight we once more stood in, when we had the
satisfaction to discover that our forces still held Governor's Hill, and
had thrown up works on it from which they were bombarding the town. As
the wind would not allow us to get in close to the forts, we hove-to
main-topsails to the masts, and employed ourselves in firing random
shots at the enemy's works while the Lowestoffe repaired damages. At
five in the afternoon, seeing a British Union Jack flying close to the
woods at the water's edge, the Porcupine was directed to run in and land
her guns. This was done under a heavy fire from the fort. I was among
those sent on shore, and I was ordered to take fifty men under my
command, and with four guns to lead them up through the town of Omoa to
the top of an exceedingly high hill on the other side of it. The
enterprise was of no slight danger and difficulty, but it pleased me the
m