We were off Punta Cana, on the very eastern shore of Hispanola.
At dawn we saw three ships fast approaching. Two of them were sloops, the other was a frigate. We turned to to outrun them. As stated earlier we are not suicidal. However the two sloops closed the gap then began to fire their chase guns from 300 yards. The seas were moderate and the winds seemed to favor our enemy.
The frigate, that was a match for us and in our class, closed the gap aswell. At noon we decided to fight it out. We were within site of land and in 5 fathoms. We cleared our starboard battery at the frigate at a range of 600 yards. We scored some hits with our 12 pounders. For the next several hours we maneuvered around each other blasting away. At 6 bells our mizzen was stroke and she tore straight down onto the mainmast, cleaving yardarms, and fowling the rigging. This caused many of the crew to abandon the fight to free the tangled mess above them.
The nearest sloop put a canoe in the water. This proved to be our doom. They had made it to seem that they were damaged and would paddle to land. We ignored the canoe and continued fighting. The canoe past us then they fired grapples at us and came along side. As they approached the jumped ship. The last of them set a fuse.
All hell broke loose on the larboard side and we began to list severely. I ran to the rail and looked into a gaping hole. We were done for. We as much as we were afraid to die we were more angry at the dishonorly treachery done to us. So we put to sea in our canoes that numbered about 15. We hove to and made for the frigate as to surrender.
The cannonade stopped and we were allowed to come aboard where we immediately started to do bloody murder upon the worthless English. The two sloops took time to come to full knowledge of the action on their sister ship. By that time we had her in our hands. We went to her gun deck and found, much to our good luck, that she had her larboard battery primed and loaded. So we steered a course that brought us up with 40 yards of one of the sloops and blasted her to bits.
The other sloop turned to and left as fast as the wind could take her. We lost 40 men, most of whom had died below decks when the fire canoe exploded. We were so angry over the turn of events and the loss of our ship and much loot aboard her, that we turned to the remaining English and tossed them all into sea. Then we took turns shooting at them with pistol, musket and blunderbuss, while they bobbed in the bloody water and screamed for mercy that we were not inclined to show them.
Our new prize has been renamed the Nemisis, for the Greek god of retribution.
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