This was well arranged. I had the command of one division, for the first lieutenants had not been sent away from the _Isis_ and _Reindeer_, and having inquired which of the divisions of gun-boats I was to oppose, I pulled for them. In the meantime, we observed that the two praams, and two gun-boats, which had remained behind us, and had been firing at the _Racehorse_, had also divided--one praam attacking the _Acasta_, the two gun-boats playing upon the _Isis_, and the other praam engaging the _Rattlesnake_ and _Reindeer_; the latter vessel being in a line with us, and about half a mile farther out, so that she could not return any effectual fire, or, indeed, receive much damage. One of the praams mounted ten guns, and the other eight. The last was opposed to the _Rattlesnake_, and the fire was kept up very smartly, particularly by the _Acasta_ and the enemy. In about a quarter of an hour I arrived with my division close to the vessel which was the nearest to the enemy. It was a large Sunderland-built ship. The gun-boats, which were within a quarter of a mile of her, sweeping to her as fast as they could, as soon as they perceived our approach, directed their fire upon us, but without success, except the last discharge, in which, we being near enough, they had loaded with grape. The shot fell a little short, but one piece of grape struck one of the bowmen of the pinnace, taking off three fingers of his right hand as he was pulling his oar. Before they could fire again, we were sheltered by the vessel, pulling close to her side, hid from the enemy. This continued for some time, the enemy not advancing nearer, but now firing into the Sunderland-ship, which protected us. At last the master of the ship looked over the side, and said to me, "I say, my joker, do you call this _giving me assistance_? I think I was better off before you came. Then I had only my share of the enemy's fire, but now that you have come, I have it all. I'm riddled like a sieve, and have lost four men already. Suppose you give me a spell now--pull behind the vessel ahead of us. I'll take my chance." I pulled up to the other vessel, a large brig, and the captain, as soon as we came alongside, said, "I see what you're about, and I'll just leave you my vessel to take care of. No use losing my men, or being knocked on the head." "All's right--you can't do better, and we can't do better either." His boat was lowered down, and getting in with his men, he pulled to another vessel, and lay behind it, all ready to pull back if a breeze sprang up. As was to be expected, the gun-boats shifted their fire to the deserted vessel, which the boats lay behind, and thus did the action in our quarter continue until it was dark; the gun-boats not choosing to advance, and was restricted from pulling out to attack them.