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continued near an hour, when it concluded. We took nine ſail of the line, one three-decker blew up during the action, one Frigate on ſhore ſunk and blew up another, which was ſet on fire by the enemy, after ſtriking to us, a curter brig likewiſe blew up, and ſeveral gun boats were deſtroyed belonging to the enemy during the action: two ſail of the line and two Frigates, were all that eſcaped out of their whole fleet, and they much diſabled: it was currently reported, but I vouch for the truth of it, that there was a deal of valuable property in the three-decker that blew up, being the plunder that the French brought from Malta; our ſhip ſuffered very much in the action, beſides the loſs of her main and mizzen maſt, the had her fore-maſt and bow-ſprit ſhattered in ſeveral places, her fore-topmaſt rendered totally unſerviceable, her fore-yard was shot away, and ſhe received a great many ſhots in her Hull, but thank God, ſhe has a good bottom: we had fifty men killed, one hundred and forty-three wounded, and twenty-one have died ſince of their wounds: and there are many more at this time that are dangerouſly ill, our Captain fell in the early part of the action, likewiſe our
