Let us now consider the number of boats attacking the little schooner. Dabney says that twelve large boats “crowded with men” came at the schooner. Observe that this is a statement by a spectator whose candor is proved by the enemy’s historian, and then read Allen’s report which says that “the _Plantagenet_ and _Rota_ anchored off Fayal Road, and at 9 h. seven boats from the two ships, containing one hundred and eighty men,” were sent. He says “Captain Lloyd determined to attempt the capture of the privateer by the _boats of the squadron_,” and then he omits saying whether boats were sent from the _Carnation_, and leaves the reader to infer that none was sent from her. Will a fair-minded student accept Consul Dabney’s count of twelve boats or will he do as Allen would have him do--will he believe that after Lloyd determined to attack with “the boats of the squadron” only the seven boats from the two ships and no more were sent? Is this unfairly accusing Allen of lack of candor? If anyone thinks it is unfair, let him note further that Allen gives in detail the losses among the _Rota’s_ crew and does not say a word--not one word--about losses on the boats from the _Plantagenet_. There were “seven boats from the two ships.” The one was a line-of-battle-ship and the other a frigate. Would not the larger ship send more boats than the smaller one? But grant that the larger ship sent three and the smaller one four, what was the loss on the _Plantagenet_? Were the _Plantagenet’s_ men cowards that they did not fight and get hurt? Certainly the loss on the _Plantagenet_ was as great in proportion to the number of men engaged as on the _Rota_. Captain Reid of the _Armstrong_ says that he learned from a lieutenant belonging to the _Plantagenet_, that all but four men were killed in one of the _Plantagenet’s_ boats under the _Armstrong’s_ quarter. Shall we believe this explicit statement or must we infer, because Allen says nothing about any loss on the _Plantagenet_, that there really was no loss there? And in connection with this let the reader note once more that no boat from the _Carnation_ is mentioned by Allen and that no loss among her crew is recorded by him.