But we were at the heels of her, and night coming on, At six o’clock that very night the bloody fight begun. With broadside to broadside we play’d them two to one, Till the blood out of the scupper holes all in a gore did run. Both round, grape, and double-head we poured in so fast, [That] at eight o’clock that very night down came [her] mizen mast. We engag’d them five glasses as close as we could lay, While great guns, small arms, and cutlasses most sweetly they did play. The Frenchmen all for quarters aloud to us did cry; Their colours struck, no more could fight for love or liberty. But the remnant of their shattered crew they unto us tell That out of fifteen hundred men eight hundred of them fell. This ship was call’d the _Droits de l’Homme_; from Brest she lately came, With guns mounted ninety-eight on board and fifteen hundred men. Her intention was Ireland her troops all there to land, But bold Pellew and his ship’s crew did stop their warlike band. Twas early the next morning the land it did appear, And they were so disabled, from it they could not get clear; And we were so disabled we could not veer or tack, But down alongside our enemy we soon became a wreck. So now the _Indefatigable_ is bound for England’s shore To let our suffering country know the _Amazon’s_ no more. Still, we’ll drink to George our King, we’ll convince him of the same, That British tars for evermore rule lords of the main. _A NEW SONG (THE SEVENTEEN BRIGHT STARS)._ Come, all you bold Britons to the seas do belong, Of the seventeen bright stars I will sing you a song. On the 15th of April, at Spithead as we lay, Lord Bridport he hove out a signal to weigh: But we one and all refused to obey. The reason unto you I now will relate: We resolved to refuse the purser’s short weight; Our humble petition to Lord Howe we sent, That he to the Admiralty write to present Our provisions and wages that they might augment. But soon, to our grief, as you shall understand, They refused to comply with our humble demand; Although to the Army they granted more pay, While we sons of Neptune neglected did lay. But the 15th of April soon roused them straightway. Then each son of Neptune took their oath without dread, Until redress was obtained not to sail from Spithead; Two tars from each ship of the line did appear On board the _Queen Charlotte_ without dread or fear, While the ships manned their yards with a thundering loud cheer. Billy Pitt and Dundas soon heard of the news. They fell in a rage, and the tars did abuse; They sent for Lord Spencer and unto him did say: ‘For Portsmouth, my Lord, and make no delay, For the mutinous tars refuse to obey.’