AFRICA. 23 
ceffary for that purpofe to addrefs the Mercury, 
the captain of which was his commodore. The 
poor man had entirely loft his fenfes. 
A frefh breeze, as if by a miracle, at lengtK 
fpringing up, the Mercury bore up to us, and 
aiked our captain why he did not fire. The 
latter replied that he waited for the orders of 
his fuperior officer, and that it was the com- 
modore's bufmefs to give the fignal for bat- 
tle ; an excufe altogether ridiculous from the 
mouth of a feaman^ attacked by a fmall vefTel 
that mounted fixteen eight pounders, while 
he had thirty-two of a larger bore, feveral fwi- 
vels, and three hundred men befides the ihip's 
company. 
The Mercury beginning to fire, we did the 
fam.e ; and, though the former was between us 
and the Englifh, we ftill continued to difcharge 
our broadfides. Our people, favoured by this 
diforder, had all got intoxicated: fome ran 
backwards and forwards, without knowing 
whither they went \ fome ftaggered and joftled 
againft each other ^ while others cried, wept, 
and fwore, or went to conceal themfelves in 
fome fecret corner. The chaplain himfelf, 
with a view no doubt to roufe his courage, was 
* C ^ ^ not 
