Our Ammunition Also Was Now Very Short, And We Had
Only, Enough To Engage For A Few Glasses Longer.
All these circumstances
being duly considered, together with the difficulty of procuring masts,
and the time and provisions we
Must spend before we could get them
fitted we resolved to desist from any farther attempt upon the enemy,
since our battering her signified little, and we had not sufficient
strength to carry her by boarding. We determined therefore to keep her
company till night, and then to lose her, after which to make the best
of our way to the harbour where we had left our prize, to secure her.
We had engaged this ship first and last about seven glasses, during
which we in the Duke had eleven men wounded, three of whom were scorched
with gun-powder. I was again unfortunately wounded by a splinter in my
left foot, just before the arms chest was blown up on the quarter-deck;
and so severely that I had to lie on my back in great pain, being unable
to stand. Part of my heel-bone was struck out, and all the foot just
under the ankle cut above half through, my wound bleeding very much
before it could be stopped and dressed, by which I was much weakened. In
the Duchess above twenty men were killed and wounded, one of the slain
and three of the wounded belonging to my ship, which had been lent when
I was left in the harbour. The Marquis had none killed or wounded, but
two of her men were scorched by gun-powder. The enemy was the
Vigoniae, a brave and lofty new ship, admiral of Manilla, and this her
first voyage. She was calculated to carry 60 guns, and had above 40
mounted, with as many pattereroes, all brass, and, as we were informed,
had a complement of 450 men, of whom 150 were Europeans, besides
passengers. We were told also that several of her crew had formerly been
pirates, who had all their wealth on board, and were resolved to defend
it to the last extremity. The gunner was said to be a very expert man,
and had provided extraordinarily for defence, which enabled them to make
a desperate resistance; and they had filled all her sides between the
guns with bales of soft goods, to secure the men.
During the whole action she kept the Spanish flag flying at her
mast-head. We could observe that we had shattered her sails and rigging
very much, and had slain two men in her tops, besides bringing down her
mizen-yard; but this was all the visible damage we had done them, though
we certainly placed 500 round shot in her hull, which were six-pounders.
These large ships are built at Manilla of excellent timber, which does
not splinter, and their sides are much thicker and stronger than those
of the ships built in Europe. Thus ended our attempt on the biggest
Manilla ship, which I have heard related in so many ways at home, that I
have thought it necessary to give a very particular account of the
action, as I find it set down in my journal.
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