On the Ocean 39 



deprived the ship of the use of her fore-sail and 

 fore-top-sail, and compelled her to run large. How 

 ever, the Epervier eased away 27 when abaft her foe's 

 beam, and ran off alongside of her (using her port 

 guns, while the American still had the starboard 

 battery engaged) at 10.35. The Peacock's fire was 

 now very hot, and directed chiefly at her adversary's 

 hull, on which it told heavily, while she did not 

 suffer at all in return. The Epervier coming up into 

 the wind, owing somewhat to the loss of head-sail, 

 Capt. Wales called his crew aft to try boarding, but 

 they refused, saying "she's too heavy for us," 28 and 

 then at 11.05 tne colors were hauled down. 



Except the injury to her fore-yard, the Peacock's 

 damages were confined to the loss of a few top-mast 

 and top-gallant backstays, and some shot-holes 

 through her sails. Of her crew, consisting, all told, 

 of 1 66 men and boys, 29 only two were wounded, 

 both slightly. The Epervier, on the other hand, had 

 45 shot-holes in her hull, 5 feet of water in her hold, 

 main-top-mast over the side, main-mast nearly in 

 two, main-boom shot away, bowsprit wounded se 

 verely, and most of the fore rigging and stays shot 



87 According to some accounts she at this time tacked. 



98 James, "Naval Occurrences," p. 243. 



S9 "Niles' Register," vi, 196, says only 160; the above is 

 taken from Warrington's letter of June i, preserved with the 

 other manuscript letters in the Naval Archives. The crew 

 contained about ten boys, was not composed of picked men, 

 and did not number 185 vide James. 



