The few who had landed instantly sprang on board again and pushed off, but the moment Howe saw their intention he ordered his men to rise and fire. The enemy had hardly time to let go their fastenings and get on board when a general discharge of musketry was commenced by the party in ambush. So continued and destructive was the fire that the Refugees were all driven below, and both vessel and crew would have been captured if the Americans had been provided with boats or any means of boarding. Fortunately for the British party the tide was (ebbing) running out of [page break] 198 1042 [margin: PARIS] the bay and some boats from the other vessels came to assist in towing them out of danger. They were within reach of mus- -ket shot still when Grigg succeeded in planting the privateer guns so as to bear upon the attacking vessels and commenced a brisk cannonade, during which the sloop or schooner escaped from Chimney Corner and ran up the bay out of reach of the enemy's shot. [This probably hap- -pened in the afternoon when the tide had begun to flow up. J. M. M.] The cannonade was kept up on both sides till about 3 oclock, P. M. when the British, despairing of success, unwillingly withdrew. Three or four of the Privateersmen were wounded, one of whom died. By two oclock P. M. 200 or 300 militia and volunteers had assembled. I don't know what the enemy's loss was, but it was supposed to be large, nor do I know the names of the Refugee vessels or of their commanders although I once did. It was but a day