23§ NARRATIVE OF AN. 



CHAP, flill near one foot longer than my own; therefore call- 

 ing to him that Jabres were not made to thruft, but to 

 cut with, I offered to make an exchange ; but he refufing, 

 I dropped mine on the ground, and eagerly with both 

 hands endeavoured to wreft his from him, till (as I had 

 hold of it by the blade) I faw the blood trickle down all 

 my fingers, and I was obliged to let go. I now grafped 

 my own fabre, with which I ilruck at him many times, 

 but without the leaft effe6l, as he parried every blow with 

 the utmoft facility ; at lafl, with all his force, he made a 

 cut at my head, which, being confcious 1 could not ward 

 off by my Ikill, I bowed under it, and at the fame inftant 

 ftriking fideways for his throat, had the good fortune to 

 make a gafli in the thick part of his right arm at leaft 

 fix inches long, the two lips of which appeared 

 through his blue jacket, and in confequence of which 

 his right-hand came down dangling by his fide. I had, 

 however, not efcaped entirely unhurt, for his fabre, hav- 

 ing paifed through my hat without touching my fcull, 

 had glanced to my right llioulder, and cut it about one 

 inch deep. At this time I infifted on his afking my par* 

 don, or on firing both our piftols left-handed ; but he 

 chofe the firft, which ended the battle. I now reminded 

 him that fuch Swifs jokes were always too ferious to 

 Engliflimen ; when we fliook hands, and I condu6ted 

 him, covered with blood, to the furgeon of his owi> 

 corps, who having fewed up the wound, he went to 

 his hammock, and for the fpace of feveral weeks per- 

 formed no duty. Thus was I reconciled to Captain 



Meyland ; 



