English
frigate. The commanders of the galleys, taking counsel together,
determined to attack the frigate (which they thought themselves easily
able to master), and so capture the entire English fleet.

The captain of the frigate, when he saw the galleys approach him,
ordered the merchantmen to crowd sail and make for the Thames, the
mouth of which they had nearly reached. He then sailed down upon the
galleys, determined to sacrifice his ship if necessary for the safety
of his charge. The galleys fired into him, but he returned never a
shot. The captain of the galley in which Marteilhe was, said, "Oh, he
is coming to surrender!" The frigate was so near that the French
musqueteers were already firing full upon her. All of a sudden the
frigate tacked and veered round as if about to fly from the galleys.
The Frenchmen called out that the English were cowards in thus trying
to avoid the battle. If they did not surrender at once, they would
sink the frigate!

The English captain took no notice. The frigate then turned her stern
towards the galley, as if to give the Frenchmen an opportunity of
boarding her. The French commander ordered the galley at once to run
at the enemy's stern, and the crew to board the frigate. The rush was
made; the galley-slaves, urged by blows of the whip, rowing with great
force. The galley was suddenly nearing the stern of the frigate, when
by a clever stroke of the helm the ship moved to one side, and the
galley, missing it, rushed past. All the oars on that side were
suddenly broken off, and the galley was placed immediately under the
broadside of the enemy.

Then began the English part of the game. The French galley was seized
with grappling irons and hooked on to the English broadside. The men
on board the galley were as exposed as if they had been upon a raft or
a bridge. The frigate's guns, which were charged with grapeshot, were
discharged full upon them, and a frightful carnage ensued. The English
also threw hand grenades, which went down amongst the rowers and
killed many. They next boarded the galley, and cut to pieces all the
armed men they could lay hold of, only sparing the convicts, who could
make no attempt at defence.

The English captain then threw off the galley, which he had broadsided
and disarmed, in order to look after the merchantmen, which some of
the other galleys had gone to intercept on their way to the mouth of
the Thames. Some of the ships had already been capture