It was now about eight o’clock. Seeing the boats coming Captain Reid dropped his anchor, got springs on his cable and then triced up a stout rope net all around the vessel above the rail--a net that the boarders could not quickly cut out of the way nor easily climb over. Then Captain Reid hailed them repeatedly but they made no reply, unless, indeed, the quickening of their stroke, which was manifest, was a reply. That the four boats were making a dash to capture the _Armstrong_ was not to be doubted and is not doubted now by any fair mind. In defence of his vessel attacked in a neutral harbor Captain Reid opened fire. The enemy returned the fire instantly and came on at their best stroke, but before they had reached the rail of the schooner they had had enough, and while some of them begged for quarter, they all turned about and rowed back to the _Carnation_. The loss of the enemy in this preliminary skirmish was never printed, but the _Armstrong_ lost one man killed and the First Lieutenant, Frederick A. Worth, wounded. When the enemy had retired, the _Armstrong_ was hauled in until within pistol shot of the Portuguese Castle on shore, and there she was moored, head and stern to the beach, after which the arms were all prepared for action and the crew, to a man, awaited the next assault with the hearty good-will characteristic of the American seamen when resisting insolent aggression. And meantime the whole population of the port, roused by the fire in the first attack, gathered on every height overlooking the Yankee’s berth to watch the issue. The Portuguese Governor was among those who saw it all. Neither spectator nor sailorman had long to wait for the first manœuvre. By 9 o’clock the _Carnation_ was seen drifting in with a large fleet of boats. Pretty soon the boats left the _Carnation_ and gathered under shelter of a reef of rocks at long musket range from the _Armstrong_. Here they lay until midnight, when, after being divided into three divisions, of four boats each--the number of boats was easily counted by every spectator of the scene--they headed for the desperate Yankees. [Illustration: The _General Armstrong_ at Fayal.]