1814	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	298

her larboard guns. The Wasp then kept away, and, running under the brig's lee, at 9 h. 29 m., opened her broadside. Almost the first fire from the American ship, consisting of star and bar shot, cut away, with other parts of her rigging, the slings of the brig's gaff ; and, on the immediate fall of the latter, the boom-mainsail covered the quarterdeck guns on the side engaged, the only ones that would at this time bear. Shortly afterwards the brig's mainmast fell by the board. Thus rendered completely unmanageable, the Avon lost all advantage to be derived from manoeuvring ; and, what with the wreck lying upon some of her guns, and the upsetting of others from the usual defects in their fastenings, the brig could make little or no return to the animated fire maintained by the Wasp; who, on this occasion (recollecting what she had lately suffered by allow. in the British an opportunity to board), fought much more warily than in her action with the Reindeer.

At 10 h. 12 m. p.m., according to Captain Blakeley's minutes, but at a time much nearer 11 p.m., as will presently be proved, the Wasp hailed the Avon, to know if she had surrendered, and received an answer in the affirmative. When, says Captain Blakeley, " on the eve of taking possession," the Wasp discovered " a sail close on board of her." This sail was the British 18-gun brig-sloop Castilian (same force as Avon), Captain David Braimer. It was exactly at 11 p.m. that the Castilian came near enough to ascertain that one vessel was a dismasted brig (supposed to be the Avon), and the other a ship. The Castilian immediately chased the Wasp, then without either light or ensign. After having hailed several times without effect, the Castilian, at 11 h. 40 in. p.m., fired her lee guns into, or rather, as it proved, over, the weather quarter of the Wasp ; who, although this second opponent had only cut away her lower main cross-trees and damaged her rigging, did not return a shot, but made all sail before the wind.

Repeated signals of distress having by this time been made by the Avon, the Castilian tacked and stood towards her ; and on. closing, at 11 h. 55 m., Captain Braimer was informed by Captain Arbuthnot, that the Avon was sinking fast. The Castilian immediately hoisted out her boats to save the people ; and at 1 a.m. on the 2d, just as the last boat had pushed off from the Avon, the British brig went down: an irrefragable proof, that she had not surrendered until every hope of success or escape had vanished. Hoisting in her boats, the Castilian filled and made sail to the north-east, in search of the Wasp ; but the latter had already run out of sight. As a reason for this, Captain Blakeley has alleged that he discovered two other vessels, besides the Castilian, in chase of him.

Out of her 104 men and 13 boys, the Avon lost, her first lieutenant (John Prendergrast) and nine seamen and marines killed and mortally wounded, her commander, second

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