PAUL JONES OFF FLAMBRO 1 333 



an evasive reply ; whereupon Pearson declared that if 

 they did not at once tell him he would fire into them. 

 Instantly there was a shot from the Richard, followed 

 by a broadside from the Serapis ; then, after further 

 broadsides, the ships were locked together. The 

 Richard he found, later, to be in the " greatest distress. 

 Her quarters and counter on the lower deck entirely 

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

 mounted." She sank "with a great number of her 

 wounded people on board of her." 



Captain Pearson spoke highly of the conduct of his 

 officers and crew, nor was Captain Piercy, in the 

 Countess of Scarborough, in the least remiss in his 

 duty, "he having given me every assistance in his 

 power, and as much as could be expected from such a 

 ship, in engaging the attention of the Pallas, a frigate of 

 32 guns, during the whole action." He claimed that, in 

 addition to "wholly oversetting" the intentions of the 

 flying squadron, he had rescued a valuable convoy from 

 falling into the hands of the enemy " which must have 

 been the case had I acted any otherwise than I did. 

 We have been driving about the North Sea ever since 

 the action, endeavouring to make any port we possibly 

 could, but have not been able to get into any place until 

 to-day we arrived in the Texel." 



Pearson was duly tried by court-martial and honour- 

 ably acquitted. Hull, Scarborough, and other towns 

 made him a freeman, and he received presents of plate 

 from merchants and a knighthood from the King a 

 distinction which caused Jones to declare sarcastically 

 that next time he had the good fortune to meet the 

 captain he would make a lord of him. 



