The Arkansas advocate., 1835-10-02

and showing us q neat and well turned stern, away she gllded over the waves, with all sail set.
 The ship 10 windward threw her bows round, dashing up the spray before her, and displaying American colours, ran down to- wards US with flowing sheet. We imme- ] diately made all sail on the ship, and reel ing and staggering under her canvass, she sprang away, with the wind dead aft.
 As square rigged vessel has great ad- vantage over q fore-and-aft, on this point of sailing, We gained on the schooner hand over hand. As the day wanedi the wind lallod, and ere the sun set, sank away to light breeze, which filled the upper canvass, but did not swell the lower and heavier sails. The twilight of the tropics, short but bright, came rapidly on, and as the glorious sun screened himself from view behind the flame tinted waves, canopied by masses Of crimson clouds, the rich silver moon rose III radiance Tn the east, stealing gradually on, as if 10th to take the station just abdicated by her pre- decessor.
 And there, in the distance, with the long l sbadow of her tall masts and tapering pile of canvass resting or the pillow, lay, with the bright light dancing round her graceful bows, the ehace, which we had brought just within range as the wind died away 10 a calm. There we lay, hanmering away 1 from the bowchasers at the beautiful and graceful fabric which sported before us as if the ocean were its fairy homej and the elements is playielows.
 The bow guns being of too light metal to reach her, as she almost insensbly left US, one of the eighteen pounders from the main deck was wheeled into it's place. and fred repeatedly without success. At last the skipper walked forward ahd pointing and ranging the gun, applied the match, and the schooner's ga8 topnast flew in shiyers, carrying with it the peak of the mainsail
 My eyes!" said tie toremast nsh, in astonshment.
 "Glear away the boats ind call the board erso shouted fhe lieutenant of inc watch; and soon the launch was hoisted out, and the cutters dropped over the side, each with their fighting crew composed of the picked men of the ship.
 The moon glanced on sheathless cuilass and polished pike, as they were passing from the dark shade Of the vessel, and the rollocks grated as the oars fell into them with simultaneous movement. Give way! and the crew rose 10 the stroke, and kept time with the most beautiful precision l The cutters took the lead, divergn9 so IS 10 reach the bow and stern al once, while the launch kept steadily on with the purpose of boarding amidships.
 We perceived them getting out sweeps, and endeavoring 10 escape. Slowly we ap- preached tNi we could see dark mass col Iected in the waist of the schooner; sudden ly 1t opened, and hash-and the whzZing sound of a heavy ball cut the air over Us, and We heard it dash into the watt. far be- hind "Pull men, pull--give strong way" and with powerful strokes the launch was rapidly forced through the water, when, again, that flash, and two of he oars flew fiom the side, tearing out the tholepins, and flooring the stout topmen who pulled them. We were now within ten yards of the schooner, and the cutters about the same distance, when the bow gun of the launch, loaded with musket balls, was discharged, and cleared space on deck, of which our men ayaied themselves, and immediately boarded with the quick courage of seamen. \ close and deadly struggle now commen- ced, pistol shots crashed, and cutasses geamed from out the dark and waving mass of men, while now and then, the dead heavy sound told where the blade found its sheath, or the bullet pierced some broad and bold bosom. The Spaniards, headed by their leader, an Apolo-Iike figure, but scanned with scars and blackened with smoke, fought with desperation.
 Ii was in vain--the brawny arms of the boarders cloye their way to he forecastle. Their leader went down, felied by tre- mendous blow from the handspike of topman, and hIs crew were forced down the hatchways. dragging with them the body of their captain. The matches were clapped on, the dead and wounded removed to our own ship, the sails trimmed, and with a prize crew of twelve men the schooner fell into our wake.
 The moon nov rode high in heaven, and the tired watch slowly paced the decks; the ship was under easy sail, moving about four knots through the water. and the schooner about a quarter of mile astern, when we heard stir and commoion on board her; the clash of swords and the ring of the pis- tol sounded taintly to the night; soon shout, cry; and the lieutenant hastened to report, and called all hands up. But scarce could they rush upon deck, ere terrific re- port came over the waves, making the ship stagger with inc conenssiou, and the sails