my course, putting more sail on,
so as to increase my distance to what it was before. This manoeuvre I
executed three times with success, and I had the satisfaction of
perceiving that his foretop-mast was shot away; but when I rounded-to
the fourth time, he did the same, and we exchanged broadsides. The
effect of his superior artillery was evident, for my rigging and sails
were much damaged; happily nothing so serious as to impede our speed,
and I again put before the breeze as before, and increased my distance
previous to again rounding-to; for, as the water was very smooth, I
knew that if I was crippled she would lay me by the board immediately,
and I might be taken and hanged before the Arrow could come up to my
assistance. I therefore continued a running fight at such a distance
as rendered me less liable to suffer from his guns.

It is true that this distance made my guns even more ineffective, but
I was decoying my Frenchman off from the land, and placing the Arrow
between him and his port, so that his return would be intercepted.
This continued for about an hour, when I perceived that the Frenchman
had got up a new foretop-mast, and had set the sail upon it. He now
ran out his bow-chasers, and continued to fire upon me with them
alone, not choosing to lose ground by rounding-to, to give me a
broadside; and as his canvas was all out, and I was occasionally
rounding-to to dismantle him, we retained much the same distance from
one another. At last a shot from his bow-chaser struck off the head of
my mainmast, and my gaff came down.

This was serious. We hastened to reef the mainsail, and hoist it up
again upon the remainder of the mast, but having no gaff-topsail, our
speed was necessarily decreased, and the enemy appeared to be
gradually closing with us. I looked out for the Arrow, but could
perceive no signs of her; indeed it was too dark to see farther than
half a mile. Finding that on the point of sailing we were on I had no
chance, I determined to alter my course, and put my schooner right
before the wind, so that I might set the square mainsail, which would
give time for the Arrow to arrive; indeed at this time I was in a
state of great anxiety. However, I had made up my mind not to be taken
alive, and to sell my life as dearly as I could.

When the enemy perceived that we had put before the wind, he did the
same, and as we were about half a mile from each other, we continued
to exchange broadsides as we ra