Yet boast not, haughty Britons, of power and dignity, Of all your conq’ring armies, your matchless strength at sea; Since taught by numerous instances, Americans can fight, With valor can equip their stand, your armies put to flight. Now farewell fair America, farewell our friends and wives, We trust in Heaven’s peculiar care for to protect their lives, To prosper our intended cruise, upon the raging main, And to preserve our dearest friends till we return again. The wind it being leading, it bore us on our way, As far unto the southward as the Gulf of Florida, Where we observed a British ship, returning from the main; We gave her two bow chasers, and she return’d the same. We hauled up our courses, and so prepared for fight; The contest held four glasses, until the dusk of night; Then having sprung our mainmast, and had so large a sea, We dropped astern and left our chase till the returning day. Next morn we fished our mainmast, the ship still being nigh, All hands made for engaging, our luck once more to try; But wind and sea being boist’rous our cannon would not bear, We thought it quite imprudent, and so we left her there. We cruised to the eastward, near the coast of Portingale; In longitude of twenty-seven, we saw a lofty sail; We gave her chase and soon we saw she was a British scow, Standing for fair America, with troops for General Howe. Our captain did inspect her, with glasses, and he said— “My boys, she means to fight us, but be you not afraid; All hands now beat to quarters, see everything is clear, We’ll give her a broadside, my boys, as soon as she comes near.” She was prepared with nettings, and had her men secured, She bore directly for us, and put us close on board; When cannon roar’d like thunder, and muskets fired amain, But soon we were alongside and grappled to her chain. And now the scene it alter’d, the cannon ceased to roar, We fought with swords and boarding-pikes one glass or something more, Till British pride and glory no longer dared to stay, But cut the Yankee grapplings, and quickly bore away. Our case was not so desperate as plainly might appear; Yet sudden death did enter on board our privateer. Mahoney, Crew, and Clemmons, the valiant and the brave, Fell glorious in the contest, and met a watery grave. Ten other men were wounded among our warlike crew, With them our noble captain,[17] to whom all praise is due; To him and all our officers, let’s give a hearty cheer; _Success to fair America and our good privateer!_ ----- [17] Captain Hawthorne was wounded in the head by a musket ball. His ship was called “The Fair American.” * * * * *