We had a pleasant dinner at the governor's, and among the people invited
to meet us, I perceived the French captain of the privateer. I knew him
immediately, although he did not recognise me. We had some conversation
together, and he spoke about his cruises in the West Indies, and asked
me whether I knew Captain Weatherall. I said there was a Captain
Weatherall who commanded the Revenge privateer, and who was killed when
his vessel was taken.
"Exactly," said the captain; "he was a brave man, and fought nobly, and
so did all his people--they fought like devils."
"Yes," I replied, "they fought as long as they could, but Captain
Weatherall was very short-handed. He had but fifty-five men on board at
the commencement of the action."
"More than that, I'm sure," replied the French captain.
"He had not, I assure you," I replied; "he had lost so many in an attack
on shore, and had so many away in prizes."
Our conversation had attracted general notice, and a French army officer
observed, "Monsieur speaks so positively, that one would imagine that he
was actually on board."
"And so I was, Sir," replied I, "and have my wounds to show for it. I
knew this officer immediately I saw him, for I was close to Captain
Weatherall at the time that this officer expostulated with him before
the action; and I crossed my sword with him during the combat."
"You have convinced me that you were on board," replied the captain of
the privateer, "by your mentioning the expostulations previous to the
combat taking place. I am delighted to have met with so brave an enemy,
for every man on board that vessel was a hero."
The conversation was then general, and many particulars were asked; and
I will do, the French captain the justice to say, that he was very
correct in all his statements, and neither vaunted his own success, nor
did us less than justice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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