At about 7:20 the two-decked ship, soon known to be the _Bon Homme Richard_, brought to on the larboard bow of the _Serapis_, within musket-shot, when Captain Pearson hailed her, and asked, "What ship's that?" "The _Princess Royal_," was the answer. Captain Pearson then asked from whence they came, and on an evasive answer being returned, declared that he would fire if his question was not directly answered. The stranger then fired a gun, on which the _Serapis_ gave her her broadsides. Several broadsides were now exchanged, when the American ship hove all aback, and dropped on the quarter of the _Serapis_, evidently with the intention of raking her. Filling again, she ran the _Serapis_ aboard on the weather or larboard quarter, and an attempt was now made to board her, but was at once repulsed. Captain Pearson now backed his yards to enable him to get square with his antagonist, but gathering too much stern-way, the _Richard_ was able to fill and stand across his bows. Her mizen-shrouds, however, catching the jib-boom of the _Serapis_, and the spar giving way, the ships dropped alongside each other head and stern. Both ships were kept in this position in consequence of the spare anchor of the _Serapis_ having entered the gallery of the _Richard_, when a furious cannonade was carried on, the muzzles of the guns touching each other. While in this position, the _Alliance_ frigate coming up, sailed round the combatants, pouring in a galling fire on the _Serapis_, to which no return could be made. There could have been little doubt that even thus Captain Pearson would have gained the victory, had not some hand grenades been thrown on his deck, which set the ship on fire several times, one of them igniting a cartridge of powder, the flames of which communicated from cartridge to cartridge all the way off, and blew up the whole of the people and several officers who were quartered abaft the main-mast. By this time all the men on the quarter and main-decks were killed or wounded. Notwithstanding this, so furious had been the fire of the _Serapis_, that at ten the enemy called for quarter; but on Captain Pearson hailing to inquire if they had struck, and no answer being given, he ordered the boarders away. As, however, they reached the deck of the enemy, they found a superior number of men concealed with pikes in their hands ready to receive them. On this the crew of the _Serapis_ retreated to their own ship, and instantly returned to their guns; but at the same moment the frigate again poured another broadside into her with such effect that the main-mast fell, and Captain Pearson being unable to get a single gun to bear on his antagonist, was compelled to strike his colours. He and his first lieutenant were immediately escorted on board the _Bon Homme Richard_. He found her condition to be even worse than his own; her quarters and counter were entirely driven in; the whole of her