210 



porter's journal. 



but with the most positive orders to make no attempt on 

 the ship. They soon succeeded in drivins^ the boats along 

 side the ship, but found great difficulty in keeping out ot" 

 the range of his shot, as he had mounted two guns on his 

 forecastle, with which he kept up a constant fire on our 

 boats, having hauled down his American colours and hoist- 

 ed English. At four o'clock on the afternoon of the 30th, 

 both ships were perfectly becalmed, at the distance of three 

 and a half miles from each other, our two boats lying ahead 

 of the enemy, and preventing his boats from towing ; my 

 crew so worn out with fatigue as to be incapable of working 

 the drags to any advantage ; the enemy with English, and 

 we with American colours flying. I considered him as al- 

 ready our own, and that the ceremony of taking possession- 

 was all that was now requisite. I could plainly perceive 

 that his force did not exceed ten guns and thirty men ; and, 

 as any alternative was preferable to working the drags any 

 longer, I, to the great joy of every one on board, gave orders 

 for attempting her with the boats, which were soon hoisted 

 out, manned, armed, and despatched after her. The ene- 

 my, seeing so formidable a force coming against him, fired 

 a few guns, apparently with a viev/ of intimidating ; but find- 

 ing that they continued to advance, he ceased firing and 

 hauled down his colours. The boats had now got within 

 three quarters of a mile of him, when a fresh breeze sprung 

 up from the eastward, with which he made all sail to the 

 northward, hoisted his colours, fired at our gig and whale- 

 boat as he passed, which in return gave him volleys of mus- 

 ketry, and before sunset he vv^as hull down ahead of us, 

 while we were lying the whole time perfectly becalmed. 

 Our boats continued the chase, with the hope that it would 

 again fall calm, and made flashes occasionally to guide me 

 in the pursuit, which I was enabled to renew when the 

 breeze struck me, which was not until after sundown. I 

 came up with the boats at nine o'clock at night ; we had 

 all lost sight of the enemy, and the apprehension of losing 

 all my boats and oflicers, and the greater part of my crew, 

 induced me to heave to and take them on board. This 

 was soon done, when I renewed the pursuit on the same 

 course I had before observed him standing, as I did not 

 think it proper to run away before the wind, on the expec- 

 tation of his having changed his course j as this would have 



