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Updated: July 17, 2025
If we could keep ahead until darkness came down, we might still manage to escape by altering our course, as soon as we had lost sight of the frigate. At length, however, we saw her yaw. She had got us within range of her guns. She fired, and two shot came whizzing past us. On this Mr Harvey ordered us to run out two long guns, brass six-pounders, through the stern-ports, and to fire in return.
She would have been thankful for any occupation, but she could do nothing but sit still and wait for the result of the impending fight yes, she could pray; and earnestly she did so, that her beloved father and his friends might be protected from the shot of the foe. When Captain O'Brien returned on deck, he found that the two guns had been pointed through the stern-ports.
And then it is so dreadfully hot here, although the stern-ports are always open.
Abaft this they found the captain's cabin, a room some twelve feet long, and the entire width of the ship, well lighted there being both a skylight and stern-ports and fitted up in a style which gave unmistakable evidence of the refined taste of the former captain's poor drowned wife.
The spring on the Essex's cable being shot away, she was unable to turn her broadside as was wished; but the Americans ran out of the stern-ports three of their long guns, which were so well served as to cut away some of the most important of the Phoebe's ropes and sails, and Hillyar for a moment feared his ship would be drifted out of action.
Karain's lips moved slightly. A vivid flash of lightning made the two round stern-ports facing him glimmer like a pair of cruel and phosphorescent eyes. The flame of the lamp seemed to wither into brown dust for an instant, and the looking-glass over the little sideboard leaped out behind his back in a smooth sheet of livid light.
More men were wounded, and our fore-topsail yard was badly damaged, in addition to our main-topsail yard, while we had to cut away the stern galleries the better to train our guns, run through the after ports. The other ships especially the Triumph, Sir Erasmus Gower were keeping up a tremendous fire from their stern-ports. Notwithstanding this, the French were getting closer and closer.
"Now the old barkie travels," exclaimed the exultant Ritson. "Unhook the gun-tackles, you sea-dogs, and rush the gun aft; we'll try a shot out through the stern-ports this time." At this moment the boom of another gun from the schooner was heard; and next moment the shot came flying through the Aurora's rigging, cutting the main-brace pennant, and passing through the head of the foresail.
The bright rays of the sun were streaming through the stern-ports, and glittering on the arms and the gilt mouldings of the bulkheads, when Ada Garden again awoke. Her eyes were dazzled by the bright refulgence which they encountered, and almost blinded, she closed them, till Marianna bethought of drawing the curtain across the foot of her couch. In so doing she saw that her mistress was awake.
"Listen," said George. "What I propose is this. The stern-ports are all open; and I believe that, by assisting each other, we may manage to creep out through them on to the main-brace boom-iron, and thence make our way along the ship's side, outside the bulwarks, forward, when, by watching our opportunity, we may possibly manage to overpower the guard on the forecastle, throw off the hatch, and release our own lads, and then we must just make a fight for it.
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