He came in quite boldly, and when within hailing distance of us, hailed us, and inquired-- "What ship is that ?" "Her Majesty's ship Petrel.

What ship's that ?" To this inquiry there was no reply, and although we repeated it several times there was no rejoinder.
During the colloquy, I endeavoured to place myself in a raking position astern of him, which he as carefully avoided by keeping his broadside to me.

From this manoeuvre I knew him pretty certainly to be an enemy, and having approached to within about two hundred yards, I directed my First Lieutenant to repeat the question.

"What ship's that ?" was accordingly again shouted, and this time there was a reply.
We distinctly heard that he was an United States something or other, but the name we could not make out.

I then directed the First Lieutenant to tell him that this was the Confederate States steamer Alabama, and to open fire on him immediately, which we did from our starboard battery.