Page:Artabanzanus (Ferrar, 1896).djvu/197

Rh though not without suffering many hardships. At St. Catherine's, in the Brazils, we stayed over three months, putting everything in order, and, after another long stoppage at St. Helena, waiting for convoy, arrived safely in the Thames.

'I soon became desirous of revisiting my native land, and, resigning the charge of my New Zealand friends into the hands of an excellent man, Sir Joseph Banks, I made my way to the city of my ancestors, which I found had just been bombarded by an English fleet. The most beautiful city in the world was a heap of ruins. Fifteen hundred of my poor countrymen had been destroyed. This made me detest England, a Power which I had previously respected, if not loved. To prevent our fleet from falling into the hands of the then conqueror of Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte, was her ostensible motive; but, although I did not love France, I determined to wreak summary vengeance on England. I therefore took the command of a fine ship, armed with twenty-eight guns, which had been purchased by my father and seven other merchants of—yes, Copenhagen I have it now—and presented to the Crown. We cut our way through the ice a month before it was expected that any vessel could get out, and, coming unawares among the English traders, captured eight or nine ships. I then stood boldly over to England, determined to immortalize my name by a glorious conquest, and found myself suddenly in sight of Flamborough Head, and at the same time within the reach of an English sloop of war, while a little way beyond lay another. To save my ship was now my work but we were obliged to fight. The enemy had a hundred and twenty men; I had only eighty-three; and in a few minutes we were hard at it, yard-arm to yard-arm, two against one. The fight lasted three-quarters of an hour; I fired seventeen broadsides, and did not cease until all my