e
sheets, halliards, and downhauls, clewing up and hauling down
preparatory to running alongside the schooner nearest us, a great shout
was raised by the negroes, immediately followed by a confused discharge
of their muskets and the hurling of a few spears, but where the bullets
went we never knew, for certainly none of them came near us, and as for
the spears, they fell short and dropped harmlessly into the water. To
this salute we of course made no reply, as our business was not to make
war upon the natives unless absolutely compelled to do so, and three
minutes later, having taken as much room as the width of the creek would
permit, our helm was eased over and the _Felicidad_ swept round toward
the object of her first attack, which was the schooner flying French
colours. A death-like and ominous silence now prevailed on board the
four craft that we were so audaciously attacking, and not a man was to
be seen on board either of them. This state of things continued until
we were within forty fathoms of the nearest craft, when a shouted
command arose from on board the _brigantine_--which was the third craft
away from us--and instantly the ports of the two nearest schooners were
thrown open, and a rattling broadside of nine guns loaded with round and
grape was poured into us with terrible effect, for we were almost
bows-on at the moment, and the shot swept our deck fore and aft. No
less than eleven of our people went down before that murderous
discharge, and as five of them lay motionless, I greatly feared that the
poor fellows would never rise again. We reserved our fire until the
sides of our own schooner and the Frenchman were almost touching, and
then gave him our broadside and the contents of Long Tom as well; then,
as the _Felicidad_ struck her opponent pretty violently, Ryan waved his
sword above his head, snatched a pistol from his belt with his left
hand, and shouted--

"Heave the grapnels! Come along, lads, follow me, and hurroo for ould
Oireland!"

The two schooners being fast together, every man Jack of us sprang after
our leader, only to be confronted by the boarding nettings triced up on
board our antagonist, however; and as we sprang on the bulwarks and
commenced hacking away at the obstruction they opened a hot and most
destructive fire upon us with their muskets and pistols. I saw our men
dropping to right and left of me, and then one of the tricing-lines of
the netting gave way--one of our lads