led, till the light increased, when I made out an
English merchant vessel, and a foreign-looking ship alongside her. Soon
after I came down, and had reported what I had seen, we made them out
clearly from the deck.

"We must overhaul those fellows," said the first lieutenant, and he
instantly gave orders to make all sail.

The breeze was increasing, and we soon neared them. At last we saw the
larger ship make sail, and stand in for the land, while the other
remained, with her yards some one way some another. As she was not
likely to move, we steered after the first. The captain had been
called, and now made his appearance on deck. Our fear was that the
stranger would run on shore, or get into some harbour before we could
come up with her. That she was an Algerine pirate, and had been engaged
in plundering the brig, we had no doubt. However, she was not a very
fast sailer, and we soon got her within range of our guns.

"Give her a shot across the forefoot, and make her heave to," cried the
captain, who was more animated than I had ever yet seen him.

Our larboard bow-chaser was fired, but the Algerine took no notice of
it. We now sent our shot as fast as our guns could be run in and
loaded. Several struck her, and at last her main-yard was knocked away.
Still she stood on, her object being, apparently, to induce us to
follow till we ran ashore. The men were sent into the chains to heave
the lead. Occasionally the chase fired at us, but her shot did us no
damage.

"She will escape us after all," cried the captain, stamping with
impatience.

Scarcely had he uttered the words than there came a loud roar. Up rose
the masts of the Algerine, with her deck, and fragments of wreck and
human bodies, and then down they fell into the water, and, except a few
spars and planks, the fine vessel we had just seen vanished from sight.
The frigate's head was at once put off shore; the boats were lowered,
and pulled away to rescue any of the unfortunate wretches who had
escaped destruction. I went in one of the boats, and we approached the
scene of the catastrophe. We saw two or three people clinging to the
spars, but as they perceived us they let go their hold and sank from
sight, afraid, probably, of falling into our hands alive. As soon as
the boats returned on board, the frigate's sails were filled, and we
stood for the brig alongside which we had seen the Algerine, hoping to
find that her crew had escaped with th