By the light of the burning vessel, the British brig _Pelican_, of twenty-one guns, sighted the _Argus_ and bore down upon her. The _Pelican_ got the {202}weather-gage, and came within close range. The _Argus_ opened with a broadside, and for three quarters of an hour the firing was kept up on both sides with great spirit. At the end of that time the American had lost her steering apparatus and most of her running rigging, while the enemy was lying under her stern, firing at leisure. Captain Allen was mortally wounded before the fighting had been going on five minutes, and his first lieutenant was disabled a few minutes later. There was now nothing for the _Argus_ but to surrender. She had lost six men killed and seventeen wounded; the _Pelican_, three killed and five wounded. Early in September the American brig _Enterprise_, of fourteen guns, commanded by Lieutenant William Burrows, was cruising along the coast of Maine in search of Canadian privateers, when, on the 5th, near Penguin Point, within sight of Portland, the British brig _Boxer_, of fourteen guns, Captain Samuel Blythe, was encountered. Both vessels prepared for action, and a few minutes past three o'clock they had approached within half pistol-shot, when both opened fire. The wind was light, the sea nearly smooth, and the broadsides of the _Enterprise_ were very effective. Burrows had mounted a long gun in his poop-cabin, running it out of a window, and after the first broadside he drew ahead, sheered {203}across the enemy's bow, and raked him with this gun. This was repeated, with other skilful manoeuvres, and in forty minutes the _Boxer_, being hailed, said she was ready to surrender, but could not haul down her colors, because they were nailed to the mast. One of her officers is said to have sprung upon a gun, shaken his fists at the Americans, in a fearful state of excitement, and shouted "No! no! no!" adding a few opprobrious epithets, when a superior officer ordered him down. This exhibition, together with the ridiculous fact that a ship with her colors nailed was trying to surrender, brought a hearty laugh from the American crew, notwithstanding the shattered spars and bloody decks.