RESULTS OF THE FIGHT. 



77 



"The first lieutenant and myself were immediately escorted into 

 when we found her to be an American ship-of-war, called the Bonne 

 forty guns and 375 men, commanded by Captain Paul Jones; the 

 engaged us to be the Alliance, of forty guns and 300 men ; and the 

 engaged and took the Countess of Scarborough after two hours' action, 

 French frigate, of thirty guns and 274 men ; the Vengeance, an armed 

 and seventy men : all in Congress service, under the command of Paul 



the ship alongside, 

 Homme Richard, of 

 other frigate which 

 third frigate, which 

 to be the Pallas, a 

 brig of twelve guns 



Jones. They fitted 





PAUL JONES. 



and sailed from Port TOrient the latter end of July, and then came north. They have on 

 board 300 English prisoners, which they have taken in different vessels in their way 

 round since they left France, and have ransomed some others. On my going on board 

 the Bonne Homme Richard I found her in the greatest distress, her quarters and counter 

 on the lower deck being entirely drove in, and the whole of her lower deck guns dis- 

 mounted; she was also on fire in two places, and six or seven feet of water in her hold, 

 which kept increasing upon them all night and next day, till they were obliged to quit her. 

 She had 300 men killed and wounded in the action. Our loss in the Serapis was also very 

 great/' Captain Pearson concludes with a proper tribute to the bravery of Captain Piercy, 

 who with his small frigate had engaged the Pallas, a much larger vessel, and to the men in 

 general. The honour of knighthood was afterwards conferred on Captain Pearson, while Piercy 



