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Updated: May 12, 2025
The result of these two shots was scarcely as effective as that of the previous discharge possibly because the gun-captains had become a little flurried and excited nevertheless two of the boats aimed at were blown to pieces, while two or three of the others showed signs of more or less serious damage, and the occupants were thrown into such dire confusion that, abandoning all further effort to save their comrades, they took to their oars and seemed intent only upon getting apart as quickly as possible, an example which was immediately followed by the remaining boats, the crews of which opened out until there was at least a couple of fathoms of clear water separating boat from boat.
"Prime!" shouted the officer on the quarter-deck. Primers were placed in the vents of the already loaded guns, and the gun-captains stepped back, tautening the lock-strings, and bending down to glance along the sights. "Point! Tell the division officers to train on the craft that's coming, and wait orders." This last command to a midshipman aid. The silence throughout the great ship was profound.
The firing now became brisk on both sides, but the French fired much quicker than we did, the reason being as I afterward learned that our Captain had given the most imperative orders to the first lieutenant that the gun-captains were not to fire until they had made sure of their aim; and the wisdom of this soon became manifest; for while the French fired upon an average three shots to our one, the damage sustained by us was very trifling, while it was not long before the French ship's sails and rigging became a good deal cut up to such an extent, indeed, that we were obliged to clew up our topgallantsails, in order to avoid running too far ahead of our adversary.
The gun-captains eyed the approaching vessels over the sights of their guns. Only the quick throb of the engines and the sough of the waves were audible. The two vessels were now within some four miles of each other. There was no question but that the stranger was a man-of-war and an ironclad, at that provided with a formidable ram.
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