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