To pay her head off the right way, Pellew himself had to get out on the bowsprit under a heavy fire of musketry, to bear the jib over to windward; but to make sail seems to have been impossible.
Two artillery boats were sent to her assistance, "which towed her off through a very thick fire, until out of farther reach, much to the honour of Mr.John Curling and Mr.Patrick Carnegy, master's mate and midshipman of the _Isis_, who conducted them; and of Mr.Edward Pellew, mate of the _Blonde_, who threw the tow-rope from the _Carleton's_ bowsprit."[10] This service on board the _Carleton_ started Pellew on his road to fortune; but, singularly enough, the lieutenancy promised him in consequence, by both the First Lord and Lord Howe, was delayed by the fact that he stayed at the front, instead of going to the rear, where he would have been "within their jurisdiction."[11] The _Carleton_ had two feet of water in the hold, and had lost eight killed and six wounded,--about half her crew,--when she anchored out of fire.

In this small but stirring business, the Americans, in addition to the _Royal Savage_, had lost one gondola.
Besides the injuries to the _Carleton_, a British artillery boat, commanded by a German lieutenant, was sunk.

Towards evening the _Inflexible_ got within point-blank shot of the Americans, "when five broadsides," wrote Douglas, "silenced their whole line." One fresh ship, with scantling for sea-going, and a concentrated battery, has an unquestioned advantage over a dozen light-built craft, carrying one or two guns each, and already several hours engaged.
At nightfall the _Inflexible_ dropped out of range, and the British squadron anchored in line of battle across the southern end of the passage between the island and the main; some vessels were extended also to the eastward, into the open Lake.

"The best part of my intelligence," wrote Burgoyne next day from St.John's, to Douglas at Quebec, "is that our whole fleet was formed in line above the enemy, and consequently they must have surrendered this morning, or given us battle on our own terms.

The Indians and light troops are abreast with the fleet; they cannot, therefore, escape by land." The British squadron sharing this confidence, a proper look-out was not kept.