He came so near our broadside as to allow our six-pound grape to do execution handsomely.

We then bore away and gave him our stern guns in a cool and deliberate manner, doing apparently great execution.

Our bars having cut his sails considerably, he was thrown into confusion, struck both his ensign and his pennant.

I was then puzzled to know what to do with so many men; our ship was running large with all her steering sails out, so that we could not immediately bring her to the wind, and we were directly off Algeciras Point from whence I had reason to fear she might receive assistance, and my port Gibraltar in full view.

These were circumstances that induced me to give up the gratification of bringing him in.