fectually raked him before he was able to bear up, and give us
another broadside, the whole of which flew over us harmlessly, except
for a hole or two in our sails.

The fight now became a running one, both ships going off before the
wind, and the Frenchman rather evincing a disposition to keep us at a
distance. He did not seem to like the taste he'd had of our quality, as
I heard the Irish captain of the after-gun, on the port side, remark.
But we possessed rather the advantage of him in the matter of speed, and
slowly edged down upon him until we were once more close alongside, when
the ships exchanged broadsides, both firing at the same moment. We
could see the white marks in our antagonist's sides, where our shot had
struck, but either from defective aim, or because he wanted to shoot
away our spars, all his shot again flew high, with no worse result than
the severing of the starboard main-topsail-brace, a casualty which it
took but a minute or two to repair.

Two or three more broadsides were exchanged without visible effect, and
then an unlucky shot wounded our fore-topmast so badly that, after
tottering for a minute or two, it went over the bows, dragging the main-
topgallant-mast down with it.

Captain Brisac proved himself quite equal to the occasion. He could not
prevent the "Scourge" from broaching-to, so, ordering the helm to be put
hard-a-port, he luffed us right athwart the Frenchman's stern, pouring
in the larboard broadside, which had been disengaged since our opening
fire, with such good effect that the French ship's main-yard was shot
away, and the mainmast-head badly wounded.

A strong gang was immediately set to work board on each ship to repair
damages; but as the Frenchman, by reason of the loss of his after-sail,
was unable to bring his ship upon a wind, he had no alternative but to
run dead before it, fully exposed, meanwhile, to the raking effects of
our larboard guns, which were kept playing upon him until he had passed
out of range, not one of his guns during that time being able to reply.

It took us rather over one hour to clear away the wreck, and get another
topmast on end, fully rig it, and make sail once more. Mr Sennitt, who
personally superintended the work, insisted that it should be thoroughly
well done--as well done in fact as though we had not been in the
presence of an enemy. The French had, in the meantime, been quite as
active as ourselves, and if their work was not so