. As soon as I perceived he would certainly fall on board, I
called the boarders, so as to be ready to repel any attempt to
board us. At the instant every officer and man repaired to the
quarterdeck, where the two vessels were coming in contact, and
eagerly pressed me to permit them to board the enemy; but this I
would not permit, as it was evident, from the commencement of the
action, that our fire was greatly superior both in quickness and
effect. The enemy's bowsprit came in between our main and mizzen
rigging, on our starboard side, affording him an opportunity to
board us, if such was his design, but no attempt was made. There
was a considerable swell on, and as the sea lifted us ahead, the
enemy's boom carried away our mizzen shrouds, stern davits, and
spanker boom, and he hung upon our larboard quarter. At this
moment an officer, who was afterwards recognized to be Mr.
M'Donald, the first lieutenant, and the then commanding officer,
called out that they had surrendered. I directed the marines and
musketry men to cease firing, and, while on the taffrail asking
if they had surrendered, I received a wound in the neck. The
enemy had just then got clear of us, and his fore-mast and
bowsprit being both gone, and perceiving us wearing to give a
fresh broadside, he again called out that he had surrendered. It
was with difficulty I could restrain my crew from firing into him
again, as he had certainly fired into us after having
surrendered. From the firing of the first gun, to the last time
the enemy cried out he had surrendered, was exactly 22 minutes by
the watch. She proved to be His Britannic Majesty's sloop of war
Penguin, mounting six 32 pound carronades, two long 12's, a 12
pound carronade on the top-gallant fore-castle, with swivels on
the capstern in the tops. She had a spare port forward, so as to
fight both her long guns a side. She sailed from England in
September last. She was shorter upon deck than this ship, by two
feet, but she had a greater length of keel, greater breadth of
beam, thicker sides, and higher bulwarks than this ship, and was
in all respects a remarkably fine vessel of her class. The enemy
acknowledge a complement of 132, 12 of them supernumerary marines
from the Medway 74, received on board in consequence of their
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