it to cope
even with a single frigate. Still our brave captain determined to
struggle to the last. She being a heavy sailer, the two frigates came
rapidly up with us, and there was no doubt from their appearance that
they were enemies, although we could not as yet see their ensigns. All
doubt on that score was dissipated, when, in a short time, French flags
were run up at their peaks. The prisoners were accordingly ordered
below and placed under sentries, while the captain went along the decks
encouraging the men. They received him with cheerful countenances as he
appeared, promising to do their best to beat the enemy. I asked
Nettleship what he thought would be the result of the contest.

"Heaven only knows!" he answered; "but there's one thing, I'm certain
that our fellows will fight to the last. I never saw a crew, though so
many of them are sick, more resolute or full of pluck."

The leading frigate, now coming up on our starboard quarter, opened
fire, and we, luffing up, returned it with our aftermost guns. She then
ranged up abeam, while her consort placed herself on our larboard
quarter, so that we could not luff up again without being raked by the
other. We, however, could fight our starboard broadside, and
occasionally could bring some of our larboard guns to bear on the enemy
on that side. We could now see that each frigate mounted forty guns,
their decks being crowded with men; indeed, they together mustered more
than double our complement. These were fearful odds, but Captain
Bouchier and his crew seemed in no way daunted. The men ran the guns in
and out as fast as they could load them, but the enemy's shot came
crashing aboard, committing fearful havoc in all parts of the ship. The
French must have known, from our smaller masts and spars, that we were
likely to be short-handed, and also soon discovered the small number of
guns we carried.

Though I saw numbers struck down around me, I never for one instant
thought of myself or expected to be killed. The surgeons below soon had
their hands full, as one poor fellow after another was carried down to
the cockpit. The dead were left where they fell, for all were too busy
to remove them. The enemy generally fired at our hull rather than at
our spars.

I was standing near Nettleship, when I heard him exclaim--

"Here comes one of them alongside us."

I looked out of a port, and there saw the frigate on the starboard beam
dropping so close th