of the Boatswain, shared the same fate. The first Lieutenant was to have had the direction of cutting the bower cable, in the launch; and the jolly-boat, under the direction of the Carpenter, the stern cable; these boats had, besides their proper crews, (who were not to move out of them, but immediately to go a-head and take the ship in tow) as many boarders as they could stow.
Advancing aft, with an intention of getting to the general rendezvous, the quarter-deck, Captain Hamilton met with a furious opposition; and having several of his people wounded, he left the Gunner with about 12 men in charge of the starboard gangway, whilst with the Surgeon’s party, he himself proceeded by the opposite side to the quarter-deck, and thus placed the enemy between the boarding parties. The quarter-deck was now most obstinately disputed (principally by the Spanish officers), for upwards of a quarter of an hour, and a dreadful carnage took place. Great numbers of the enemy were killed; some got down the after-ladder, and others jumped overboard; and in this part of the affair it was that Captain Hamilton received several wounds, to be hereafter noticed. The first Lieutenant had by this time boarded, and shortly after the acting Lieutenant of Marines, with his small party; and the cables being now cut, the boats under the direction of the second Lieutenant, went a-head, and with their hook-ropes took the ship in tow. The hands that were stationed for that purpose had let fall the fore and mtzen topsails[1], and every boat and man betook themselves, in conformity with the order and arrangements made prior to the attack, to the different services allotted to them.
Immediately after the quarter-deck was taken possession of, and the force of the assailants increased by the marines and others who had boarded from different boats, no time was lost in making an attack upon the main-deck; for which purpose the marine officer, Mons. de la Tour du Pin, and Surgeon, (Captain Hamilton, and Mr. Maxwell the Gunner, being at this time too badly wounded to make a part of the number,) followed the Spaniards down the after-ladder so immediately that they had not time to make any regular de-
- ↑ According to the plan of attack, six men were assigned to loose the above-mentioned sails; four to the former, two to the latter.
