La 
1802.] 
tenant, another officer, and ten men, 
would have been of fingular fervice, ei- 
ther in purfuing and capturing the convoy, 
or by reinforcing me: but, ftrange as it 
may appear, the tact is, that they re- 
mained all this time mere fpeStators of 
the action, in which they took no intereft, 
keeping themfelves to windward, and out 
of all danger; while, on the other hand, 
the conduét of the Alliance had, at leaft 
the appearance of proceeding.from a prin- 
ciple worfe than ignorance or mfubordi- 
nation. 
It muft appear clear, from what has 
been already faid, that if the enemy’s 
ports were not annoyed, the Baltic fleet 
taken, and the eight Indiamen feized, 
the blame did not lie with me. 
It is but juftice, however, to obferve, 
that fome of my officers conduéted them- 
felves admirably during the action. The 
Lieutenant, Mr. Dale, being left alone at 
the guns below, and finding he could not 
rally his men, came upon the deck, and 
fuperintended the working of the pumps, 
notwithftanding he had been wounded. 
Notwithitanding al} his efforts, the hold 
was more than half full of water when the 
enemy furrendered. 
During the laft three hours of the ac- 
tion both the veffels were on fire: by 
throwing water on the flames, it was fome- 
times fuppofed that they were quenched, 
but they always broke forth anew, and, 
on the clofe of the aétion, we imagined it 
wholiy extinguifhed. It was very calm 
during the remainder of the night ; but, 
when the wind began to blow, our danger 
hecameimminent,the fire having penetrated 
the timbers, and fpread until it had reached 
within a few inches of the powder-maga- 
zine. On this, the ammunition was 
brought on the deck, to be thrown into 
the fea, in cafe of extremity ; but we, at 
Jength, facceeded in ovr endeavours, by 
cutting away a few planks, and employing 
our buckets, 
Next morning the weather was hazy, 
and not a fingle fail wasto be feen. We 
then examined the Richard, to fee if it 
were pollible to carry her into any port. 
This proving wholly impra@ticable, ail the 
boats were employed in carrying the 
wounded on board the cther veflels. ‘This 
occupi-d much of our time, and on the 
fucceeding day, netwithftanding all ovr 
- pumps had been at work, the hold was 
entirely full of water, and the veffel (oon 
after funk. On this occafion I could only 
fove the fignal-flags, ,and I loft all my 
propery, amounting to moie than 25,000 
iVieS, : 
Account of Pau] Jones. 
149 
On this, I inftantly affumed the com- 
mand of the Serapis, on which we erected 
jury-mafts; but the fea was fo tempefl yous 
that it was ten days before we reached 
the Texel, 
No fooner was my arrival known than 
forty-two veflels, forming different fqua- 
drons of frigates, were fitted out from the 
various ports of Great Britain againft me, 
and two of thefe were ftationed during 
three months at the mouths of the Texel 
and the Fly. My fituation in Holland 
influenced not a little the condu& of the 
belligerent powers, at the fame time that 
it excited the attention of all Europes 
The Englith minifter at the Hague ad- 
drefled different memorials to the States 
General, in all of which he infited that 
the Serapis and the Countefs of Scare 
borough ** fhould be delivered up to the 
King, his mafter;”’ and he, at the fame 
time, claimed me, under the appellation 
of “‘ the Scotch Pirate,”’ 
Inftead of liffening to thefé propofi- 
tions, the States General permit ed me to 
land my wounded on the dland of the 
Texel, which was delivered up to me for 
that purpofe: on this, the Britith Govern- 
ment became furious, and Hojlanc wasre- 
duced to fo critical a tituation, that the 
States were under the neceflity of infifting, 
that I fhould either leave the Texel, or 
produce acomymiffion trom his Moft Chrif- 
tian Majeity, and hoift the French 
flag. 
he Prince of Orange, who was attach- 
ed to the Englifh intereft, fent the Vice- 
edmiral Rhynft, who was alfo Englifh in 
his heart, to aflume tie command of the 
Dutch {quadron in the Texel, compofed 
of thiteen two-deckers. This officer. 
drew up his {quadron, during fix weeks, 
in fuch a manner as to menace us; and, 
in fhort, did every thing in his power to 
render my fituation both dangerous and 
dif: greeable. 
In the mean time, I had an interview 
with the Duke de la Vauguyon, at Am- 
fterdam, who intimated to me, that it was 
the incention of the King of France that 
I fhould hot bis fag during my ttay in 
the ‘lexel, as he imagined, that my prizes 
would affuredly fall into the enemy’s 
hands if I tried to efcape. I, however, 
refuied this honour, as | hid declared mye 
felt an American officer, and h d given a 
copy of my commiffion from Co \vrcf8 to 
the Dutch Admiral. It was contiived, 
however, at length, that I fhould go on 
board the frigate Alliance, the Captain of 
which had been jent to Paris, to give aa 
account of his conduct, and where | ould 
fill 
