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Grau is going to get us between two fires if he can. As soon as the corvette is past us she too will swing round and attack us with her bow-guns while the Huascar rakes us with her stern weapons. It looks as though the Covadonga were in for a hot time!"
These having been destroyed, he pushed on three miles till he saw before him the main body of the largest junks moored compactly across the stream with their heavy bow-guns pointing at him. These opened so tremendous a fire that in a few moments every boat was hit. The commodore's coxswain was killed, and scarcely a man in the boat escaped.
When the distance between the Royal Arthur and the French destroyer was about two knots and a half the cruiser opened fire from her bow-guns upon the destroyer, which only stood out a little above the surface of the water.
When within long range, battery and vessels opened a tremendous fire with eighty-pound rifles. The approach of the squadron continued until when within three-quarters of a mile the signal was flung out from the mast of the flagship, "Dash at the enemy." Then full speed was put on, and firing commenced from bow-guns. The Confederates became totally demoralized.
Meanwhile the Forbin advanced from the north and opened fire from its bow-guns upon the British gunboat, and soon afterwards the Chanzy fired its first shot. The position of the vessels was now as follows: the gunboat lay broadside opposite the Forbin, the two cruisers were firing with their bow-guns on each other, while the destroyer kept in the background.
Ludlow saw the danger, and he endeavored to urge his people on to regain the bow-guns, one of which was known to be loaded. But the explosion of a grenade on deck, and in his rear, was followed by a shock in the hold, that threatened to force the bottom out of the vessel.
The fact was, the Irresistible fired two, or, I believe, three bow-guns, but I never could consider that entitling her to being the first in action; but of this hereafter. Now is a good opportunity for you and my sister to come and spend a few days at Portsmouth, if you can spare time to undertake the journey. Come down immediately, and take a sail in the ship into Portsmouth Harbour.
Villavicencio, therefore, promptly made up his mind to retake the gun- runners, which he felt certain were no longer in Peruvian hands, since his signals remained unanswered; and when he had approached to within a mile and a half of the two Chilian craft, he very much astonished Jim Douglas by opening fire upon him with his heavy 8-inch bow-guns.
To outmanoeuvre their oars as he had done the ship's sails, Amyas knew was impossible. To run from them was to be caught between them and the ship. He made up his mind, as usual, to the desperate game. "Lay her head up in the wind, helmsman, and we will wait for them." They were now within musket-shot, and opened fire from their bow-guns; but, owing to the chopping sea, their aim was wild.
In fact, the Royal Arthur continued her course northwards, maintaining an incessant fire upon the Chanzy and the destroyer, which still kept on the watch in the rear, and made for the Forbin, on which she immediately opened fire with her bow-guns. As the scene of action thus shifted further and further north, the captain of the Caledonia resolved to turn westwards again.
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