The National tribune., 1898-05-05

without record, and flying a flag withou
preStige!
| Jones comprehended all this and was
| prepared to encounter the odds in morale
as well as in physique.
/ Thus matched the two ships manuveref
for some time until about 80 D. M. wher
they came within hail, both heading abou
! north by west, the Richard having the
! weather gage and hauling up on the quar-
! ter OF the Scraps, distant about a cable s
length !say 200 yardsj. 1t was now night
! in that latitude, but a full moon was risina
and the sky was clear.
Capt. Pearson, backing his topsai to lei
the Richard range alongside, stood with
! speaking trumpet at his taffrail and hailed
What ship is that?'
One OF the officers, Lieut.. Brenton writ
ing an account of the battle in the London
Magazine some time afterward, says he
was at Pearson's side when the hail was
made, and that Pearson, as he took the
speaking trumpet from his lips, remarked
TO him: 1T is probably Paul Jones; if so
! there is work for us aheadp
Brenton also says that Capt Pearson
expressed some Impotence at his inability
TO determine from the contour, size and RIG
, OF the Richard exactly what her rate ought
| to be, but had no doubt that she was
superior in force to the Scraps.
THESE observations" continued Bren-
ton. were addressed to me by Capt. Pear
son before ne nailed the stranger for the
last time"
"At any rate said he, we must fight
him. We will beat him off the coast ii we
do not take himl"
BY this time the Richard had ranged I'D
abeam and Pearson repeated his hail. to
which Jones responded with his broadsidel
The two ships were now fairly beam q
beam, about 800 feet apart, on the same
TACK, the wind forward Of the beam; light
put steady, sea smooth and moon full and
bright. Time, 7:45 p. M" Extract from
Serapis's log.)
The Richard still held the weather gage.
TERRIBLE BRoADsIDEs.
AS they ranged slowly along close hauled
ana hugging TO windward, the Richard.
being less weatherly than the Seranis
gradually sagged towards her with leeway
whle the Scraps sailing the smarter and
working the quicker of the two forereached
until Pearson thought he had room to huff
across Jones's bows, rake him and then
gan the weather gage on the other tack.
lie, however, miscaIculated either his
own distance or the way the Richard had
and as the Scraps lost way by keennp
her luf while the Richard forged up ii be-
came apparent that the latter would foul
the former, bows on about midships. If
both courses were held,
Pearson, not wishing the Richard to
foul or grapple him, box hauled his shin
on her heel to avoid his antagonist. hut
not quick enough, because as the bow of
the Scraps paid off her stern swung to
and the richards jibboom came in over
her quarter deck on the port side, while
the starboard bow Of the Richard razed
her port quarter.
Jones promptly threw graphing irons into
the miZzen backstays of the Serapis. but
as the latter gathered way again and shot
ahead The lines parted and the ships
cleared IN line ahead, but half a ship's
length apart, neither being for some minutes
able to bring her broadside to bear.
The Richard now rapidly gathered wav
and ranged alongside the Serapis again
and broadsiding was renewed The battle
had now lasted over an hour. Excepting
the few minutes when they were afoui and
afterwards ranging alongside again. this
time had been passed in the most terrific
broadsiding at the closest quarters.
In this kind OF combat the heavier metal
OF the Scraps served, as her guns were
with vim and accuracy remarkable even
for English seamen, told frightfulIy on the
richards hull. Two of the Richards sly
1Spounders mounted in the steerage or gun
room had burst at the second broadside.
tearing everything to pieces around them.
killing and wounding most of their crews.
and causing the crews of the other four 49,
Founders to desert them.
Acting Lieut.. Mayrant, who commanded
this section OF the richards battery. at
once reported to First Lieut.. Dale, COM
handing the main or gun-deck battery.
that IN his judgment the other four 49,