ull crushing thud
or two aloft, and a little rattling shower on deck as ropes and
splinters came clattering down. Some of our spars had evidently been
badly wounded, and the carpenter and his mates were sent aloft to
ascertain the extent of the damage. While they were ascending the
rigging, _bang_ went our foremost gun on the starboard side, followed by
the remainder of the broadside; and the moon happening to shine full
upon the stone walls of the fort which had just opened upon us, we saw,
as the smoke drove astern, a little cloud of dust rise about one of the
embrasures, a ragged patch of chipped and broken stone appeared to start
out upon the wall, and faintly borne down to us on the heavy night-wind
came the sound of shrieks and yells of agony. It was perfectly evident
that our shot had told with severe effect.

As though the discharge of our broadside had been the preconcerted
signal for a general cannonade, every battery within range on each side
of the harbour now opened fire upon us, some of them, however,
fortunately for us, being unable to bring more than a single gun to
bear. Had the guns on shore been served with only ordinary skill, we
should undoubtedly have been destroyed; as it was, though the shot flew
over and over us thick as hail, lashing the sea into foam all round us,
shredding our sails to ribbons, cutting up very badly our standing and
running rigging, bringing down our main-topgallant-mast, and severely
wounding several of our other spars, we still glided safely on, our hull
uninjured, and not a man hurt. Orders were now sent down for the guns
on the main-deck to play upon every battery upon which they could be
brought to bear, and for each gun to be laid with the greatest possible
accuracy, precision rather than rapidity of fire being the skipper's
object. An irregular fire from both broadsides accordingly now
commenced; and that it was not altogether without effect was
demonstrated by the speedy silencing of two or three out of the many
guns now playing upon us; but, as our object was to escape with the
least possible delay, Captain Hood would not allow the frigate's course
to be altered by so much as one single hair's-breadth in order to bring
our guns more directly to bear upon either of the batteries.

"We shall have to make a short board presently, sir," said Percival to
the skipper, as we drew down to within half a mile of the harbour
entrance; "there is shoal water directly ahead