AV'ith her fires fiercely burning, the sloop continue*! alongside the P/iwni.v, nearly a quarter of an hour, during which time the latter was also set on fire, in four places; and she was finally saved from total destruction, " almost miraculously," by a sailor who leaped, naked, on board the sloop, and, with an axe, " disengaged the "chain of the grappling wliieh had " linked the two vessels together." ' It is said,* very reasonably, that the lowness of the burning sloop, when alongside of the viistly larger frigate, prevented the more complete ignition of the latter ; and that, after the vessels had been separated, tiie slooj) was sunk by her intended victim. We are told,'' also, that, as soon as she was disentangled from the burning sloop, "the Plurnix either cut "or slipped her cable; let fall her foresail; wore "around; and stood up the river; being imme- "diatcly veiled from the spectators by the darkness of " tlie night ;" that " the Jiose and the other two " tenders remained at their moorinurs, although it was
1 M-mniff .,/ i;, ,v riil Jl<„lh, 51. Ibiil.
^[HaU'sl lllfUnij nf the Ciril ll'.ir i,i America, i., l.sfi.
* We have tiikeri this iiiiiiuto description of the .'\si<aiilt on the enemy's ships from Captnin Hall's Huitonj nf the CU-il War in Ameria, i., 18(>, 187, because it is so clearly stated, and because it is the work of an oIK- cer of the Royal .\rniy, and, therefore, is not likely to have been overstated.