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POST CAPTAINS OF 1825.
before the wind, and made sail after him. At 2-25, engaged him with our larboard guns, and received his starboard; then wore, and raked him close under his stern, giving him the weather-gage, which he did not take advantage of, but made sail free on the larboard tack: luffed up, gave him our starboard guns, raking, but rather distant, and made sail after him. At 2-40, enemy shortened sail; did the same, and engaged him close to windward. At 2-50, he wore in the smoke, and was not perceived till nearly round, having just lost the head of our bowsprit, the jib-boom, &c.: hove in stays hoping to get round quick and prevent our being raked, but the ship hung a long time, and we received a heavy raking broadside into our stern at about two cables’ length distant; gave him our larboard guns on falling off; the enemy wore immediately, and we did the same. At 2-55, brought him to close action within pistol-shot: the master was now wounded and carried below. Continued it till 3-5, when finding the day evidently gone, from all our rigging being cut to pieced, with our fore and main-masts badly wounded. Captain Lambert determined on boarding, as our only hope: bore up, and should have succeeded in laying him aboard abreast of his main-chains, but from the unfortunate fall of our fore-mast, the remains of our bowsprit passing over his stern, and catching his mizen-rigging, which was a great misfortune, as it brought us up to the wind and prevented our raking him. Whilst under the enemy’s stem, attempting to board, there was not a man to be seen on his deck, from which circumstance I am induced to believe there was a good prospect of success. This manoeuvre failing, we were left at the mercy of the enemy, which he availed himself of, wearing across our bows, raking us, when our main-top-mast went, and wearing again, at 3-20, under our stem. At 3-30, oar gallant captain was mortally wounded, and carried below: from this time till our mizen-mast went, at 4-15, the enemy laid on our starboard quarter, pouring in a tremendous galling fire, whilst on our side we could never get more than two or three guns to bear, and frequently none at all. After this we fell off and the enemy’s rigging was so much cut, that he could not avoid shooting a-head, which brought us again fairly broadside and broadside; Java very frequently on fire from firing through the wreck which lay on the side. Engaged till 4-35, when the Constitution made sail a-head, and got out of gun-shot; where she remained an hour, repairing her damages, leaving us a perfect wreck, with our main-mast only standing, and main-yards[errata 1] gone in the slings. Every exertion was made by us, during this interval, to place the ship in a state to renew the action; we succeeded in clearing the wreck of our masts from the guns, and endeavoured to get before the wind by setting sails on the stumps of the bowsprit and fore-mast; got the main-tack forward, the weather yard-arm remaining aloft; cleared away the booms, got a top-gallant-mast out, and commenced rigging it for a jury-fore-mast, intending to set a lower steering-sail for a foresail. Before we could get this accomplished, we were
Errata:
- ↑ Correction: main-yards should be amended to main-yard
