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The appearance of the Indiaman's cuddy and the gentlemen and lady passengers not that there were many of the latter must have raised curious doubts in his mind. Suddenly he jumped up and asked to what ship he had struck. "`To the Honourable East India Company's ship Exeter, answered Captain Meriton, with a bow which beat the Frenchman's.
"That settles the matter for good and all!" exclaimed the skipper, now in rare good-humour, as he pointed to the Indiaman's stern. "Up with your helm, my man," to the man at the wheel; "let her go broad off. We will pass under the Indiaman's stern, and board her from to leeward. Away aloft there and let fall the topsail, some of you.
The skipper conned us alongside in such a masterly style that I do not believe the hulls of the two vessels actually touched at all at least, I was unconscious of any shock yet we were close enough for the two boarding-parties to spring with ease and certainty from our rigging into the Indiaman's channels; and the next moment, as they tumbled in over the ship's rail, our helm was eased up, and the vessels sheered apart, without having carried away so much as a rope-yarn.
The Gale continued, which obliged us to lay fast all the morning. Friday, 15th. Strong Gales at South-East all the Afternoon and most part of the Night, though in the Evening it fell a little moderate, which gave the Indiaman's Boat an opportunity to come on board us, with a Complement of a Basket of Fruit, etc,; she was the Admiral Pocock, Captain Riddell, homeward bound from Bombay.
I had just gained the deck of the prize when the three lanterns were displayed in the Indiaman's rigging, upon which a hearty cheer came ringing over the water from no great distance, and, though we could see nothing, the lightning having by this time ceased, we soon heard the measured roll and rattle of sweeps, succeeded a few minutes later by the arrival of the Dolphin alongside; Woodford having grown impatient and determined to see for himself what was going forward.
The fire of the schooner had been most destructive; many of the Indiaman's crew, as well as of the troops, had been mowed down one after another; until at last, finding that all their efforts to defend themselves were useless, most of those who were still unhurt had consulted their safety, and hastened down to the lowest recesses of the hold to avoid the raking and destructive shot.
He shall be placed under your charge, madam," answered the captain, with a bow. As soon as it was daylight, the English part of the Indiaman's crew, with the officers, as well as the military men among the passengers, were removed on board her captor, which proved to be "La Sybille," a French privateer corvette.
I knew he must be armed, and felt no wish to gratify him, inasmuch as he might take it into his head to make some inquiries concerning the boat, which if not already visible from his decks, soon must be. I was certain the Dawn, deep as she was, would go four feet to the Indiaman's three, and, once past him, I had no apprehensions in the event of a chase.
This move on the part of the Indiaman's prizemaster proved the man to be possessed of both sagacity and foresight, for it threw us at once some four miles to leeward of him and compelled us forthwith to take in our studdingsails and brace sharp up in order to follow him, while he was now so close to the land that there was every prospect of his being able to get in and anchor under the shelter of a battery before we could overtake him.
My next task was to send a couple of trustworthy hands into the Indiaman's cabin to assist the passengers in any way which might be found needful; after which I scrambled down on board the brigantine to see how matters were going there.
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