about four, a head, of the French squadron. Scarcely were the sails trimmed, and the impossibility of escape obvious, than I determined on running the vessel athwart hawse of the headmost, in the hope of doing some mischief, and thereby facilitating the escape of the Phœbe; but this design was frustrated by our own helmsman, who, being a Frenchman,[1] and alarmed at the enemy's threat to sink us, disobeyed my orders in the conning[2] of the vessel. Seeing her spring too, I ran aft, to the helm, but it was too late, our rigging just cleared the main chains of the frigate, which, to my utter astonishment, hove too, and sent a boat to take possession; thus, by a voluntary and unnecessary act, did the enemy execute that, which I had fondly hoped to effect, and which
- ↑ This man went by the name of John Powell, he belonged to the Phœbe's Sailmaker's Crew, was sent on board the Prize to repair the sails, and was to have been returned to the ship. I afterwards gave him a certificate of baptism for Plymouth, and passing himself as of Guernsey parents, he was never found out.
- ↑ Directing the steering.
