that, with the aid of a volley from our pistols, we had not much
difficulty in making our way in over the craft's low bulwarks. But when
we gained the deck we found it literally crowded with Frenchmen, who met
us with a most stubborn resistance; and had there been light enough for
them to see what they were doing, we should probably have been driven
back to our boats in less than three minutes. But the port-fire had by
this time burnt itself out, or been extinguished, and the darkness, save
for the intermittent flash of the pistols, was profound; so that,
although there was a great deal of firing, of hacking, and hewing, and
shouting, there was very little harm being done, at least to our side,
so far as I could see. And if the French had the advantage of us in
point of numbers, we had the advantage of them in an equally important
matter; for whilst our men were dressed in their ordinary rig of blue-
jackets and trousers, rendering them almost invisible in the darkness,
the suddenness of our attack had compelled our enemies to turn out on
deck in their shirts only, by which we were able to distinguish them
pretty clearly.

The fight had been progressing in this unsatisfactory manner for about
ten minutes, when suddenly the dash and rattle of oars was heard
alongside, immediately followed by a ringing British cheer. In another
instant a ghastly blue glare of light illumined the decks; and we saw
Douglas, at the head of the pinnace's crew, fling himself in over the
bulwarks, with a lighted port-fire held aloft in one hand, whilst he
brandished his sword with the other. This timely reinforcement at once
brought the fight to a conclusion, the Frenchmen forthwith flinging down
their weapons and crying for quarter. The help came not a moment too
soon, so far as Farmer was concerned; for the very first act of Mr
Douglas, on reaching the deck, was to cleave to the chin a Frenchman
whom he saw with both knees on Farmer's chest and with his sword
shortened in his hand about to pin the unfortunate master's mate to the
deck.

The Frenchmen were at once driven below and the hatches clapped over
them; after which our lads were sent aloft to loose the topsails; and,
the cable being cut, the ship was got under weigh. Whilst this was
doing, I had time to question our gallant "second" as to the cause of
his opportune appearance; and I then learned that so complete had been
the surprise that the other craft had been taken almost