412
POST-CAPTAINS OF 1801.
days before, and in fact we had stood on to look for them, with a view of ascertaining their movements; a small Spanish vessel, which we conjectured to be a sort of tender, was passing us, steering towards Carthagena; so that I could hardly flatter myself with being able to bring the frigate off, in the event of a victory, or of even escaping myself if disabled. On the other hand, it appeared that nothing but a flight and superior sailing could enable me to avoid an action; and to do that from a frigate apparently not much superior to us, except iu point of bulk, would have been committing the character of one of his Majesty’s ships more than I could bring myself to resolve on. I therefore continued standing on, without any alteration of our course. Having, with infinite satisfaction and comfort to myself, commanded the Terpsichore’s crew for two years and a half, through a pretty considerable variety of services, I well knew the veteran stuff which I had still left in health to depend upon, for upholding the character of British seamen; and I felt my mind at ease as to the termination of any action with the frigate in sight only. At half-past nine she came within hail, and hauled her wind on our weather beam; as I conceived she only waited to place herself to advantage, and to point her guns with exactness, and being myself unwilling to lose the position we were then in, I ordered one gun to be fired, as a trier of her intention. It was so instantaneously returned, and followed up by her whole broadside, that I am confident they must have done it at the sight of our flash. The action of course went on, and we soon discovered that her people would not, or could not resist our fire. At the end of about an hour and forty minutes, during which time we had twice wore, and employed about twenty of the last minutes in chase, she surrendered. At this period she appeared almost entirely disabled, and we had drawn close up alongside with every gun well charged and pointed. It was nevertheless with considerable difficulty that I prevailed on the Spanish commander to decline receiving such a broadside, by submitting; and from every thing I have since heard, the personal courage, conduct, and zeal of that officer, whose name is Don Thomas Agalde, was such during the action, notwithstanding the event of it, as reflects on him the greatest honor, and irresistibly impressed on my mind the highest admiration of his character. After (from the effect of our fire) his booms had tumbled down, and rendered his waste guns unserviceable, all the standing rigging of his lower masts shot away, and I believe every running rope cut through, and a great number of his people killed and wounded, he still persevered, though he could rally but few of his men, to defend his ship, almost longer than defence was justifiable. Had there been the smallest motion in the sea, every mast must inevitably have gone by the board. Our loss[1] has been much less than could have been expected; but our masts, sails, and rigging, were found to be pretty much cut up. The spirited exertions of every officer, man, and boy, belonging to the ship I command, as well in the action as in securing the two disabled ships, and bringing them off instantly from a
- ↑ Four men wounded.
