Page:Intrepid & daring adventures of sixteen British seamen.pdf/18

18 Arica, and each shot struck its allotted portion of the line of attack. At the scene which presented itself when the smoke cleared away, even the drugger’s crew were appalled. The grape had swept the entire line, carrying death and destruction before it; and the cannon’s roar was in an instant succeeded by the loud shrieks of the wounded and drowning. Several boats were sunk, others were fast sinking, while those that swam were soon overloaded by such as had scrambled into them, or had been picked out of the water; some of the craft, indeed, were in this way swamped, and their crews suffered to perish, for there existed no means of saving them. All around was covered with shattered planks, drifting oars, and the still buoyant bodies of the killed, while here and there were seen wounded soldiers, sailors, and citizens, cngagedengaged [sic] in an ineffectual struggle for life.

The surviving boats soon made for Arica, and the authorities there wisely resolved to make no farther attempt to disturb the new masters of the Minerva. One of these, the same Tom Martin whose name has been already mentioned, and from whom this narrative has been chiefly derived, was informed, some years afterwards, that the Mincrva’sMinerva's [sic] fatal broadside consigned to eternity upwards of 150 men!

Not in the least surprising incident in the fortunes of Mackay and his shipmates remains to be related. After having deliberately put the ship in proper sailing trim, they stood out to sea, in order to catch the trade-wind, which is at the distance of 150 miles at that season from the north.