Night, however, intervened, and the firing had to stop, but when daylight returned the engagement recommenced and continued for an hour. A fierce encounter was fought on both sides, and at length Captain Burdon and his first lieutenant were killed, as well as twenty of the crew disabled. The _Drake’s_ topmast was shot away and the ship was considerably damaged, so that there was no other alternative but to surrender to the privateer. But as both sides of the Irish Channel were now infuriated against Jones, he determined to leave these parts, and taking his prize with him proceeded to Brest, where he arrived in safety. In the following year, instead of the _Ranger_ he had command of a frigate called the _Bon Homme Richard_, a 40-gun ship with 370 crew. In addition to this vessel he had also the frigate _Alliance_, of 36 guns and 300 crew; the brig _Vengeance_, 14 guns and 70 men; a cutter of eighteen tons; and a French frigate named the _Pallas_. All except the last mentioned were in the service of the American Congress. A little further down the coast of the Bay of Biscay than Brest is L’Orient, and from this port Jones sailed with the above fleet in the summer of 1779, arriving off the Kerry coast, where he sent a boat’s crew ashore to bring back sheep. But the natives captured the boat’s crew and lodged them in Tralee gaol. After this Jones sailed to the east of Scotland and captured a number of prizes, all of which he sent on to France. Finally he determined to attempt no less a plan than burn the shipping in Leith harbour and collect tribute from the undefended towns of the Fifeshire coast. He came into the Firth of Forth, but as both wind and tide were foul, he let go under the island of Inchkeith. Next day he weighed anchor and again tried to make Leith, but the breeze had now increased to a gale, and he sprung one of his topmasts which caused him to bear up and leave the Firth. He now rejoined his squadron and cruised along the east coast of England. Towards the end of September he fell in with a British convoy bound from the Baltic, being escorted by two men-of-war, namely, H.M.S. _Serapis_ (44 guns), and H.M.S. _Countess of Scarborough_ (20 guns). And then followed a most memorable engagement. In order that the reader may be afforded some opportunity of realising how doughty an opponent was this Paul Jones, and how this corsair was able to make a ship of the Royal Navy strike colours, I append the following despatch which was written by Captain Pearson, R.N., who commanded the _Serapis_. The _Countess of Scarborough_ was under command of Captain Thomas Piercy, and this officer also confirmed the account of the disaster. The narrative is so succinct and clear that it needs no further explanation. The letter was written from the Texel, whither Pearson was afterwards taken:— “_PALLAS_ FRIGATE IN CONGRESS SERVICE, TEXEL, _October 6, 1779_.