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Pinnace. A boat for the accommodation of the inferior officers of a man-of-war, resembling the barge. Yawl. A small boat used for much the same purposes as the cutter. Bow-chasers. See Chasers. Bower. See Anchor. Bring to. To bring a vessel's head up to the wind so that the wind blows from bow to stern. Broad pennant. See Commodore. Cacao. Chocolate nuts. Cackle.
He then set the whole of the crew to shift the long-tom from the bow to the stern. Its muzzle was just high enough to project above the taffrail, and in order to hide it better he had hammocks and other material piled on each side of it so as to form a breastwork three feet high. “They will think,” he said, “that we have put this up as a protection against shot from his bow-chasers.”
They were still, however, at some distance from each other, but their guns could be heard as they exchanged shots; the headmost vessel firing her stern guns, and the other her bow-chasers, but, as far as could be seen at that distance, without inflicting much damage on the other.
As yet the felucca was beyond the range of the frigate's bow-chasers. One shot from those long guns striking her masts or slender spars, would effectually have stopped her flight. Over the blue waters she flew; the officers and crew of the frigate were watching her. "She has an evil conscience, or she would not fly so fast," observed Glover.
The Cleopatra measured only 690 tons, while the enemy's ship, which was the Ville de Milan, measured 1100, and carried forty-six guns. We also shortened sail ready for action, and directly afterwards began to fire our bow-chasers, which the enemy returned with his after-guns.
The wind was light, and though every stitch of canvas was set, it was evident, after an hour’s sailing, that one, at least, of her pursuers gained steadily on her. The French ship would, indeed, have gained more than she had done had she not yawed occasionally and fired with her bow-chasers.
All the time a rapid fire was kept up from the two guns run through the stern-ports of the Research, the pirate almost as frequently discharging her bow-chasers. Her shot as she drew close began to tell with deadly effect.
The time lost in this manoeuvre, added to the crippled condition of the schooner, enabled the West Indiaman to gain considerably on her antagonist; but the pirate kept up a well-directed fire with his bow-chasers, and many of the shots struck the hull and cut the rigging seriously.
Captain de Milon had done his part for one day, and presently the Gloire was drawing off swiftly to the north, while the Dido was bowling along at her skirts, rattling away with her bow-chasers, until a headland hid them both from view.
"Mate," he said, "it's the same sloop that followed us before. It makes me feel better. We know what's about the best she can do. If this wind holds, I think we can fetch Vera Cruz at nightfall. No one Yankee'd dare to follow us under the guns of San Juan de Ulua." "I reckon not," slowly responded the mate of the Goshhawk, "but we don't need to get under that chap's bow-chasers, either."
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