AFRICA. 6i 
the cannon, I naturally concluded that fome 
entertainment was given by our fquadron ; 
and I haftened back to partake of it. When 
I arrived on the Downs, what a fpedtacle did 
I behold ! The Mildelburg blew up, and 
in a moment the fea and the fl^y were filled 
with burning fragments. I had thus the 
cruel mortification of feeing my collections, 
my fortune, my projeds, and all my hopes, 
rife to the middle regions, and evaporate 
into fmoke. 
The Englifh, however, ftill continued to 
fire towards the Downs, and to purfue thofe 
ftragglers whom avarice had detained too 
long aboard of our vefTels. Of five pri- 
foners, whom we had in our fliip, four 
threw themfelves into the waves, on feeing 
their country's flag, and got fafe to their 
own fleet 5 the fifth preferred going on fhore 
with our people. Seeing him upon the 
Downs, at the diftance of ten or twelve 
paces from the fpot where I flood, I im- 
mediately knew him; and whilfl: I was in« 
terrogating him in his own language, as 
well as I could, refpeding the dreadful ca- 
taftrophe which had taken place, a cannon 
bullet. 
