he enemy could not overleap. The carnage was
terrible; the contest lasted over half an hour, and resulted in the
total defeat of the British, who, with bull-dog ferocity and obstinacy,
although foiled in their desperate effort to take the privateer, were
unwilling to abandon the enterprise, and were shot and hewn down by
scores. Only three of the officers escaped; several of the boats were
destroyed, and two of them, after the action, were found alongside the
brig, literally filled with the dead and dying!

The boats which survived the conflict, crushed and discomfited, pulled
slowly back to their ships, bearing with them many of the wounded. Of
the four hundred who left the ships an hour and a half before, full of
health, high in spirits, and eager for the battle, hardly one hundred
and fifty returned unharmed.

The attack on the boats by Captain Reid and his brave men was so sudden
and overwhelming, that the enemy, notwithstanding the convulsive efforts
of a few, seemed incapable of making any effective resistance. Instead
of being the attacking party, their efforts were mainly confined to
ineffectual attempts to defend themselves. Thus, on the part of the
Americans, the loss in the two engagements was only two killed and seven
wounded. One of those who fell was Mr. Williams, of New York, the second
lieutenant. The first and third lieutenants were among the wounded.
Thus, early in the action Captain Reid was deprived of the services of
his most efficient officers, but he was equal to the emergency, and his
cool and intrepid conduct secured the victory.

On the following morning, soon after daybreak, the Carnation gun-brig
was hauled in within point blank gun-shot, and opened a fire on the
General Armstrong; but the gallant commander of the privateer, being
determined to submit to no other than a superior force, returned the
fire with his long twenty-four pounder so effectually, boring the brig
through and through at every shot, that she was soon glad to haul off to
avoid being sunk at her anchors. Preparations were now making to bring
in the frigate; and aware that to prolong the contest would be worse
than useless, Captain Reid ordered the brig's masts to be cut away, a
hole blown through her bottom, and with all his men, trunks, chests, and
baggage, took to his boats and safely reached the shore. They had
not been landed fifteen minutes when the dismasted sinking vessel was
boarded by the British boats without res