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NARRATIVE OF AN 



CHAP, the veffels having been able to hear the report of the 

 ^ Y^^. ^. guns fired by the otlier. During this, however, I met 

 with a fmall accident, by firing myfelf one of the blun- 

 derbufTes, which I placed hke a mufquet againft my 

 flioulder ; when I received fuch a ftroke by its rebound- 

 ing as threw me backward over a large hogfliead of 

 beef, and had nearly diflocated my right arm. This 

 however it feems was owing to my ignorance of the man- 

 ner of ufing the blunderbufs, as I have fince been 

 informed that all fuch weapons ought to be fired under 

 the hand, efpecially when heavy charged ; and then by 

 fwinging round the body fuddenly, the force of the 

 rebound is broken, and the effect fcarcely fenfible. I 

 infert this only to fhew in what manner heavy-loaded 

 mufcatoons ought always to be fired; efpecially fince, 

 without any aim, the execution from their wide moutli 

 is almoft equally fatal. 



On the 26th, by a canoe that came down from Pata- 

 maca, I received intelligence that the Cerberus was in 

 danger of being furprifed by the enemy, who had been 

 difcovered hovering round about her; and the part of 

 the river where fhe was moored being very narrow, I 

 confidered her fituation as critical. I therefore imme- 

 diately rowed the Charon up before the Pinneburgh 

 Creek ; and having manned the yawl, as being the moft 

 expeditious, went myfelf, with fix men, to their affifl- 

 ance : but was agreeably furprifed at finding the whole 

 to be a falfe alarm. In the evening we returned back to 

 2 our 



