hould the
day go against them. Having no fancy to be so treated, I thought it
prudent to go below, knowing very well that, in spite of their boasting,
they would soon get the worst of it, and that you, at all events, would
fight on until you had compelled them to strike their flag or sent them
to the bottom. I felt the awful position in which I was placed. I
might be killed by one of your shot, even should I escape the knives and
bullets of my captors.

"I considered how I could best preserve my life, as I thought it very
possible that you would send the privateer to the bottom should she not
yield or try to escape. I determined, should I find her sinking, to
leap out through one of the stern windows of the captain's cabin. I
accordingly made my way there, and was looking out for some instrument
with which to force open the window when I saw smoke curling up through
an opening in the deck below me. I at once knew that it must arise from
a spot at no great distance from the magazine. In the hopes of inducing
the commander to send some men down to try and extinguish the fire
before it was too late, I sprang on deck. Scarcely had I reached it,
and was telling the captain of our danger, when I felt a fearful
concussion, and found myself lifted into the air, the next instant to be
plunged overboard amidst the mangled crew, some few around me shrieking
vainly for help, though the greater number had been killed by the
explosion and sank immediately. Being a strong swimmer, I struck out,
narrowly avoiding several who clutched at my legs, and swam towards a
large piece of wreck which had been blown to some distance from where
the ship went down. I scrambled upon it, and was soon joined by three
other men, who had, they told me, been forward, and found themselves
uninjured in the water.

"I saw soon afterwards two others floating at some distance from the
raft. One of them shouted for help saying that he was exhausted, and
could no longer support himself. The other, notwithstanding left him to
his fate and swam towards us. I could not bear to see the poor fellow
perish in our sight with the possibility of saving him, and as there was
no time to be lost, I plunged in and made for him, picking up in my way
a piece of plank. I placed it under his arms, and telling him to hold
on to it, shoved it before me in the direction of the raft. The other
fellow had in the meantime got hold of a piece of timber, on which he
wa