There I was patrolling off the coast of Tuscany in the Sixth Rate HMS Delilah of which I am Captain when from the foremast comes a cry of "SAIL HO!". Sure enough a French sloop of 16 guns had slipped the blockade and was beating against the wind in a desperate attempt to reach open waters.
I gave the order to pursue, ordered that the men be fed then as we closed with them over the course of the morning gave the order to unleash the long nines in the fo'cas'le and try to force an error. As fortune would have it our sixth or seventh shot took out a spar and we rapidly gained.
Naturally I gave the order to beat to quarters and amidst the shouts and yells and the shrill whistles and rattan canes of the boatswains we pulled alongside and unleashed our first broadside. We did some frightful slaughter in that first exchange, enough to satisfy the French commander's honour in surrendering but the devil was determined to fight so we took the vessel amidships and raked her something dreadful and before we could board her colours were lowered and the day was ours. We are now accmpanying her prize-crew back to Portsmouth where if God be good I should receive a capn's share of some three thousand pounds.
I gave the order to pursue, ordered that the men be fed then as we closed with them over the course of the morning gave the order to unleash the long nines in the fo'cas'le and try to force an error. As fortune would have it our sixth or seventh shot took out a spar and we rapidly gained.
Naturally I gave the order to beat to quarters and amidst the shouts and yells and the shrill whistles and rattan canes of the boatswains we pulled alongside and unleashed our first broadside. We did some frightful slaughter in that first exchange, enough to satisfy the French commander's honour in surrendering but the devil was determined to fight so we took the vessel amidships and raked her something dreadful and before we could board her colours were lowered and the day was ours. We are now accmpanying her prize-crew back to Portsmouth where if God be good I should receive a capn's share of some three thousand pounds.
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