Martinique, and destroyed four privateers riding under its protection;
but his valour appeared much more conspicuous in a subsequent
engagement, which happened in the month of November. Being detached on
a cruise in his own ship, the Buckingham, by commodore Moore, who
commanded at the Leeward Islands, he fell in with the Weazle sloop,
commanded by captain Boles, between the islands of Montserrat and
Gaudaloupe, and immediately discovered a fleet of nineteen sail, under
convoy of a French ship of war carrying seventy-four cannon, and two
large frigates. Captain Tyrrel immediately gave chase with all the sail
he could carry, and the Weazle running close to the enemy, received
a whole broadside from the large ship, which, however, she sustained
without much damage; nevertheless, Mr. Tyrrel ordered her commander to
keep aloof, as he could not be supposed able to bear the shock of large
metal, and he himself prepared for the engagement. The enemy's large
ship, the Florissant, though of much greater force than the Buckingham,
instead of lying-to for his coming up, made a running fight with her
stern-chase, while the two frigates annoyed him in his course, sometimes
raking him fore and aft, and sometimes lying on his quarter. At length
he came alongside of the Florissant, within pistol shot, and poured in
a whole broadside, which did considerable execution. The salutation was
returned with equal vivacity, and a furious engagement ensued. Captain
Tyrrel was wounded in the face, and lost three fingers of his right
hand; so that, being entirely disabled, he was obliged to delegate the
command of the ship to his first lieutenant, Mr. Marshal, who continued
the battle with great gallantry until he lost his life; then the charge
devolved to the second lieutenant, who acquitted himself with equal
honour, and sustained a desperate fight against three ships of the
enemy. The officers and crew of the Buckingham exerted themselves
with equal vigour and deliberation, and captain Troy, who commanded a
detachment of marines on the poop, plied his small arms so effectually,
as to drive the French from their quarters. At length, confusion,
terror, and uproar, prevailing on board the Florissant, her firing
ceased, and her colours were hauled down about twilight; but her
commander perceiving that the Buckingham was too much damaged in her
rigging to pursue in any hope of success, ordered all his sails to
be set, and fled in the dark with his t