Excellent, Captain Collingwood,
who compelled the San Ysidro to hoist English colours; and, I
thought, the large ship, Salvador del Mundo, had also struck: but
Captain Collingwood, disdaining the parade of taking possession of
a vanquished enemy, most gallantly pushed up, with every sail set,
to save his old friend and messmate; who was, to appearance, in a
critical state. The Blenheim being ahead, the Culloden crippled and
astern, the Excellent ranged up within two feet of the San Nicolas,
giving a most tremendous fire. The San Nicolas luffing up, the San
Josef fell on board her; and the Excellent, passing on for the
Santissima Trinidada, the Captain resumed her station abreast of
them, and close alongside. At this time, the Captain having lost
her fore-top-mast, not a sail, shroud, nor rope left, her wheel
away, and incapable of farther service in the line or in chace, I
directed Captain Miller to put the helm a-starboard; and, calling
for the boarders, ordered them to board. The soldiers of the
sixty-ninth, with an alacrity which will ever do them credit, and
Lieutenant Pearson of the same regiment, were almost the foremost
on this service. The first man who jumped into the enemy's mizen
chains was Captain Berry, late my first-lieutenant--Captain Miller
was in the act of going, also, but I directed him to remain--he was
supported by our spritsail yard, which hooked in the mizen rigging.
A soldier of the sixty-ninth regiment having broken the upper
quarter-gallery window, I jumped in, myself, and was followed by
others as fast as possible. I found the cabin doors fastened, and
some Spanish officers fired their pistols: but, having broke open
the doors, the soldiers fired; and the Spanish
brigadier--commodore, with a distinguishing pendant--instantly
fell, as retreating to the quarter-deck; where immediately onwards,
for the quarter-deck; where I found Captain Berry in possession of
the poop, and the Spanish ensign hauling down. I passed with my
people, and Lieutenant Pearson, on the larboard gangway, to the
forecastle; where I met two or three Spanish officers, prisoners to
my seamen. They delivered me their swords. A fire of pistols or
muskets, opening from the admiral's stern-gallery of the San Josef,
I directed the soldiers to fire into her ste