The wind increased so much that the Indiamen were compelled to heave-to, and took in the third reef of their topsails. It was not an ideal day for an engagement, as the ships heeled over so that they could not keep open their lower-deck ports. Captain Meriton formed his ships in line abreast, _Ceylon_ in the centre, and at 2.15 p.m. _Minerve_ opened fire on _Windham_ and _Ceylon_. There was a heavy sea running and the action became general. During the afternoon Captain Hay of _Astell_ was severely wounded, and the command was taken over by the chief mate. _Windham_ had her sails and rigging considerably damaged, and about 4.30 p.m. a temporary lull occurred, when _Minerve_ carried away her main and mizzen topmasts. And then Captain Meriton was wounded, so the command of _Ceylon_ devolved on her chief mate, who a few minutes afterwards was himself wounded and was succeeded by the second mate. This ship had received great punishment throughout the engagement: her masts, sails and rigging were badly damaged, many of her guns disabled, her hull so injured that she was making three feet of water an hour; six of her people were killed and twenty-one wounded. Therefore before half-past seven she hauled down her colours and was taken prize. _Astell_, already much injured, put out her lights, made sail and escaped during the extreme darkness of the night. _Windham_ was now left alone, and finding that she was too damaged to make sail, continued the action to help _Astell’s_ escape, and then hauled down her colours and was taken captive. The captains, officers and men had fought very gallantly against the French, who were in superior force, and the East India Company, who always could afford to treat their servants handsomely, awarded each of the three captains the sum of £500, with a fine reward for the officers and men. On Captain Hay of the _Astell_ the company also settled a pension of £460 a year, and distributed £2000 among the officers and crew. Furthermore, the Admiralty, to show their appreciation of the ship’s gallantry, granted to the crew a protection from impressment for three years. One of the men, Andrew Peters, had bravely nailed the pendant to the maintop masthead, and having done so was killed while descending the rigging.