Page:Authentic account of the important battle of the Nile.pdf/5

(5) near 7 o'clock; during the time we were bringing the ſhip to an anchor with ſprings on our cables, we had ſeveral men killed and wounded, for we began to engage in five fathom water, within piſtol ſhot of each other: I cannot relate every particular that happened in the action, as I had to attend my duty. Early in the action, one of the French Eighty-fours came from her moorings, intending to bring along ſide of us, broad-ſide too but thank God they were fruſtrated in their ſcheme, for they brought up ſteem on our ſtarboard quarter, with her jib-boom before our Mizzen Rigging, they were not able to bring a gun to bear on us but ſmall arms, (by theſe however we had ſeveral men killed) ſhe likewiſe made ſeveral attempts to board us, but they were repulſed with great loſs on their ſide, our great guns did her incredible miſchief, as every ſhot near racked her fore and aft; ſhe remained in that ſituation near an hour: ſhe was ſo terribly ſhattered, that we could ſee through their bows very plain, ſhe either cut or dipped her cables, and drifted away from us, and run aground: another two decker, an Eighty-four, made an attempt to board us on our bow, for her taſſril was right under our