nded in this very characteristic letter. It is
not certain that it was ever sent; for the copy preserved is too
carefully written for a rough draft, yet contains many corrections and
erasures. He was, perhaps, dissatisfied with it, and before he had
determined what to send, his promotion spared him the necessity of an
application. Still it is an interesting document, affording, as it does,
a detailed account of the action, a sketch of his former services, and
a transcript of his feelings at the time.

"MY LORD,--Your Lordship will receive herewith, from Admiral Drake,
an account of an action fought by H.M.S. _Apollo_, at sea, June 15,
which lasted for two hours and twenty minutes. I trust your
Lordship will excuse my troubling you with a private account of the
engagement, to inform you of many occurrences during the action
which my public letter would not admit of. When the action began,
both ships had all their sails set upon a wind, with as much wind
as we could bear. The ever-to-be-lamented Captain Pownoll received
a wound through his body about an hour after the action commenced,
when standing at the gangway. The enemy had then suffered much,
having lost the yard-arms of both his lower yards, and had no sails
drawing but his foresail, main-top-gallant-sail, and mizen-topsail,
the others flying about. We had engaged her to leeward, which, from
the heel his ship had, prevented him from making our rigging and
sails the objects of his fire; though I am well convinced he had
laid his guns down as much as possible. When I assumed the command,
we had shot upon his bow. I endeavoured to get the courses hauled
up, and the top-gallant-sails clewed up, neither of which we could
do, as we had neither clue-garnets, bunt-lines, or leach-lines
left. However, we got the top-gallant-sails down, with most of the
stay-sails, and the mizen-topsail aback; but finding we still
outsailed him, I had no other method left but that of sheering
across his hawse, first on one bow, then on the other, raking him
as we crossed, always having in view the retarding his way, by
obliging him either to receive us athwart his bowsprit, in which
case we should have turned his head off shore, or to sheer as we
did. He, foreseeing our intention, did so; but never lost sight of
gaining the shore. In this situation we h