As soon as braced
up, on the other tack, we opened starboard and larboard, on such of
the chaps as came within range; clearing our way as we went. The
headmost proas all came round in chase; but, being from half a mile to
a mile astern, we had time to open a way out of the circle, and to
drive all the proas who were now ahead of us, to take refuge among the
crowd of their fellows. The manoeuvre was handsomely executed; and, in
twenty minutes we ceased firing, having all our enemies to the
westward of us, and in one group: this was an immense advantage, as it
enabled us to fight with a single broadside, prevented our being
raked, and rendered our own fire more destructive, by exposing to it a
more concentrated, and, at the same time, a larger object. I ought to
have said before, that the wind was at the southward.
The Crisis now tacked, setting the courses and royals. The ship lay
up well, and the proas having collected around their admiral, there
was a prospect of her passing to windward of everything. Six of the
fellows, however, seemed determined to prevent this, by hauling close
on a wind, and attempting to cross our bows, firing as they did
so. The ship stood on, apparently as if to intercept them; when,
finding ourselves near enough, we kept away about three points, and
swept directly down in the very centre of the main body of the
proas.
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