Looking at the details of the fight from the present time, the most remarkable fact in connection with it seems to be that the _Argus_ endured the raking fire of her antagonist from 6.18 P.M. until 6.45 P.M., although scarcely able to fire a gun in return. With men who were either worn out, or drunk, or both, Lieutenant Allen stubbornly endured the sulphurous and iron storm. That an American crew would do this after the loss of the captain, and of the executive officer as well, was a fact that did not escape the notice of the enemy at the time. However much the report of the affair was exaggerated by the British writers, the British authorities knew the real facts. It was a defeat, but the Americans compelled respect even in this, that was, all things considered, one of the most unfortunate defeats suffered at sea during the war. How it was particularly unfortunate appears from a consideration first of the losses. The _Argus_ sailed with one hundred and thirty-seven men, but had manned enough prizes to reduce her crew to one hundred and four. The _Pelican_ carried one hundred and sixteen men, but since the _Argus_ had enough men to handle her guns the superiority of numbers on the _Pelican_ was a matter of no importance. But the _Argus_ had ten killed and fourteen wounded, while the _Pelican_ lost but two killed and five wounded. The _Argus_ was a much smaller vessel--she measured but two hundred and sixty-eight tons to the _Pelican’s_ four hundred and sixty-seven, and she could fight with but ten guns, throwing two hundred and ten pounds of metal at a broadside, to the _Pelican’s_ eleven guns throwing two hundred and eighty pounds of metal. Nevertheless, the difference in losses was much greater than the difference in forces. It has been asserted that the American fire proved ineffective because the powder used after the first few rounds was from a lot taken from a prize that was bound to South America, loaded with what is known in commercial circles as “export powder”--a very inferior quality. If Captain Allen permitted this it shows he was not well posted in the tricks of the British export trade of his day. It is not denied that the _Pelican’s_ sides were full of dents where the Yankee’s shot struck but did not penetrate. Still the most reasonable explanation of the inferiority of the Americans’ fire is in the fact that they had captured a wine-ship. By the modern standard of morals it would be disgraceful to allow a ship’s crew to drink of a captured cargo of wine. In that day the standard of morals was different. Then, and for many years afterward, grog was served to all hands at least once every day in every naval ship afloat in the world. The men of the _Argus_ had been working as never before in their lives for a month. It was entirely natural that some extra grog should be allowed them when the wine was captured, and it was entirely natural for the men to take too much.