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parts; that is some few obstinate fellows
kept firing, although the colours were struck
and many prisoners taken out.
On the 18th at daybreak the Turks were again
in a line, and our flotilla was below P.
Jones's squadron, which we now thought no
more of or rather relied no more upon for assistance. No doubt my first business at rising in
the morning was to see what the Captain Pasha
had been about in the night; when I perceived
first 2 or 3, then as far as 7, of their ships
which laid with their heads neither to the
current nor to the wind: from whence one might
well suspect them to be ashore. I called
directly my best sailors to consult them;
and, as it appeared to us all that these ships
were ashore, I went immediately onboard
P.N. to acquaint him with my observation
and propose an immediate attack. I found
him already up, and doubting also of what
my coming confirmed him in.
The signal
was made directly for engaging: but as there
was no wind to blow out the signal flags, nothing
could be done but by a boat rowing round to
give orders. I therefore, receiving the orders
first, set sail first, and called to all I came
over in my way to follow me. We had about
as much discipline in our manoeuvres as
a London mob; however we advanced as
many of us as chose immediately, and the
rest by degrees till we came within musquet
shot of the ships onshore. I with 3 or 4
more got to close to 3 of them: where, as
every one did the best for himself, I contrived
to place myself on the quarter of the largest
and so as to be sheltered by the same from the
Guns of the one next to it. In this position
( as near as I could keep myself where the
current ran strong) I remained for I suppose
about 2 hours: firing about 130 shot out of
4 guns, my companions soon left me,
as I suppose to go to others fight elsewhere: and some others,
one or two at a time, came in their places:
but the smoke was so great, that I could
see only the vessels I was engaged with,
although I seemed to be most in danger from
the guns of the town and of some small
gunboats that were near the shore none of
which I could see. The bombshells and shot
from these fell round me in a quantity
that surprised me much that they did not
hit me: tis true they were random shot, and
came from a distance. As to the shot from
the ships I engaged, although I could not
keep my vessel from being sometimes exposed
to their broadside, all they flew
all so much above our heads, that
even our little masts were scarcely in
danger. Now & then a few grape shot touched
us, and some musket balls; but not
a single man on my vessel was killed;
whereas the day before when I kept at a
greater distance I had 2 killed & several
slightly wounded. 2 or 3 times these Ships
had ceased firing, & upon our sending our
boats alongside, while some were geting
quietly into as prisoners, others still
fired musquetry & even greater guns:
then we called our boats off & began
again with our great guns, till by their
signs of submission & ceasing to fire they
induced us again to send boats.
Out of a line one of these Ships I took 56
prisoners onboard my own vessel: and the
rest, to about 400 alive, were taken onboard
others: and the ship was saved, and is now
fitted again. She had then but 48 guns on board onboard
although built for 60. 7 others which the
turks lost that day were all burnt,
besides one sunk. Yet our fireships were
not used. They were not burnt on purposes purpose:
but, as all our vessels were for the most
part furnished with shells like bombshells,
or others filled with combustible matter to
be used instead of shot, there was no avoiding
the burning any vessel we fired into.
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Identifier: | JB/540/488/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 540.
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