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39.42% ships french ship fleet admiral war men board gun shore master landing engagement english enemy fired guns england fire isle shot batteries lieutenant command expedition officers namur returned fighting fight boy belle commodore spithead harbour ordered remarkable ocean spanish gibraltar george st portsmouth hoisted soldiers shells recovered sails attacked
38.46% ship people time made great day immediately board till thought night sailed began large called sea manner thing deck mind days left small long heard put brought morning shore water part things hands situation sight land purpose death kind arrived lost appeared struck rest evening life ran house number
13.46% captain man told board time vessel good found great god place asked make thought free mr knew gave gentleman master joy heart st england leave house money mate desired island poor deal set white met sloop wished received happy kind black back give treated men slaves hand means obliged
8.65% other topics

Our ship suffered very much in this engagement; for, besides the number of our killed and wounded, she was almost torn to pieces, and our rigging so much shattered, that our mizen-mast and main-yard, &c. hung over the side of the ship; so that we were obliged to get many carpenters, and others from some of the ships of the fleet, to assist in setting us in some tolerable order; and, notwithstanding, it took us some time before we were completely refitted; after which we left Admiral Broderick to command, and we, with the prizes, steered for England. On the passage, and as soon as my master was something recovered of his wounds, the admiral appointed him captain of the Ætna fire-ship, on which he and I left the Namur, and went on board of her at sea. I liked this little ship very much. I now became the captain's steward, in which situation I was very happy: for I was extremely well treated by all on board; and I had leisure to improve myself in reading and writing. The latter I had learned a little of before I left the Namur, as there was a school on board. When we arrived at Spithead the Ætna went into Portsmouth harbour to refit, which being done, we returned to Spithead and joined a large fleet that was thought to be intended against the Havannah; but about that time the king died: whether that prevented the expedition I know not; but it caused our ship to be stationed at Cowes, in the isle of Wight, till the beginning of the year sixty-one. Here I spent my time very pleasantly; I was much on shore all about this delightful island, and found the inhabitants very civil.