THE GREEN BAG protect the force employed for that purpose. At one o'clock the governor answered that, from the accounts, the British boats first attacked and urged the British commander to put an end to hostilities. No response came and an hour later the governor again wrote asking a suspension of hostilities. He got a reply, through the consulate, that the Americans having first violated the neutral ity of the port, the commander of the British squadron would fire on the American schooner, and if his ship encountered any hostilities from the castle lie would regard the island as an enemy and treat the town and castle accordingly. At six o'clock on the morning of Sept. 2yth the attack on the privateer was begun by the Cat nation. It was at first repulsed, but Captain Reid having learned through his own consul, of the communication of the Britisli com mander to the governor, saw that further resistance was useless, scuttled his brig, and at half-past seven went ashore with his crew, taking their baggage and part of the ship's provisions and rigging. At eight o'clock the British ship cannonaded the privateer, then fast on the rocks, for fifteen minutes, then sent boats to her, looted her, and burned her. By nine o'clock the brig was destroyed. The British fire damaged some houses on the shore and wounded three persons. On the 28th of December the governor reported to his own government this affair, which he characterized as " a horrible and bloody combat brought about by the mad ness, pride, and haughtiness of the insolent British officer who would not respect the neutrality maintained by Portugal in the existing contest between his British majesty and the United States of America." The report of Mr. Dabney, the United States consul, supported that of the governor, and said that the British commander in the face of the testimony of all Fayal tried to throw the odium on the Americans, claiming to have sent boats merely to reconnoitre the brig without hostile intentions, that the
British were informed of the character of the brig by the pilots the moment they entered. "To reconnoitre," he said, "an enemy's vessel in a friendly port at night with four or five boats carrying by the best accounts one hundred and twenty men, is certainly a strange proceeding. ' ' On the day the ship was destroyed, Captain Reid entered before his consul a protest, sworn to by him self, two of his lieutenants, and seven of his lesser officers, setting forth the facts as here tofore, and described the approach to his ves sel of the four boats " filled with armed men." He says that he repeatedly hailed and warned them to keep off, and they disregarding this he ordered his men to fire on them, which was done; that the boats returned the fire and killed one man and wounded the first lieutenant; that they then retired; that he put the ship within one half a cable's length of the shore and one half a pistol shot of the castle; that soon after midnight over twelve or fifteen boats, believed to contain over four hundred men with small cannon, swivels, and other arms, attacked the brig; that a severe conflict ensued, lasting nearly forty minutes, ending in the total defeat of the attacking party and the destruction of their boats with great slaughter; that the loss to the Americans was one lieutenant and one seaman killed, two lieutenants and five seamen wounded. He further describes the destruction of the brig, and enters a pro test against the government of Portugal for inability to protect and defend the neutral ity of the port. The British commander reported that on entering the harbor for refreshments he discovered a suspicious vessel at anchor ordered the captain of the Carnation to watch her movements, and sent the pinnace and the cutter of his own ship to assist him, and, seeing her under way, sent the pinnace about eight o'clock to observe her proceed ings; that on approaching the schooner they were ordered to keep off or they would be fired upon, upon which the boat was im mediately backed but received a broadside
