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 had continued for a
considerable time. His bowsprit had been at two different times
over our quarter-deck, but never so far forward as to enable us to
secure him. All this time we were approaching the shore, and we
were then, I am certain, within two miles of it. I had been
cautioned by the master, whose abilities and great assistance I
must ever gratefully remember, more than once, of the shoal water,
and I had repeatedly called for and sent after the pilot; and I am