“Now chase the other fellow!” he cried, turning the wheel with his own hands, and soon the Good Richard was bounding over the waves in hard pursuit of the second sail. Slowly but surely she was overhauled. Heavily armed, she did not surrender until after the exchange of several shots, which the Richard pumped into her, after running up close enough to show her broadside.
A boat soon carried a number of seamen to take possession of her, and she proved to be the British privateer, the Union, mounting twenty-two six-pounders, and bound northward from London to Quebec, in Canada, laden with a cargo of naval and military stores for the British troops and flotillas on the Lakes. The Union also carried a valuable mail, including dispatches for Sir William Howe, in New York, and Sir Guy Carleton, in Canada. “These were lost,” writes John Paul to good Doctor Franklin, at Paris, for the Alliance imprudently showed American colors, though English colors were still flying on the Bon Homme Richard; “the enemy thereby being induced to throw his papers of importance overboard before we could take possession of him.” The prizes were manned from the Alliance and sent (by Landais) into the seaport of Bergen, in Norway.
The squadron now beat down the east coast of Scotland, and, after capturing five or six small prizes, rounded-to off the Firth of Forth.
“I intend to attack the port of Leith!” cried Jones, “as I understand that it is defended only by a small guard-ship of twenty-two guns, and an old fortification (old Leith Fort) garrisoned by a detachment of Militia.”
The wind was adverse, blowing off shore, with frequent heavy squalls, but about noon of the 17th of September, the Richard and the Pallas beat up within gun-shot of Leith Fort and were lowering away their tenders in order to land, when a heavy Northwest gale sprang up, compelling them to hoist their boats, and put to sea. The gale lasted about twenty-four hours, but, on the morning of the 19th, the wind took another turn, the sea grew calm, and Jones proposed to renew the attack upon Leith. The Commander of the Pallas made strong objection to this. “I do not believe that we should stay here,” cried he. “If we persist in the attempt to remain on this station three days longer, we shall have a squadron of heavy frigates, if not a ship of line, to deal with. Convinced of this, I offer it as my judgment that we had better work along the shore to-day and to-morrow, as far as Spurn Head, and then, if we do not fall in with the Baltic merchant fleet, stand off the coast and make the best of our way to Dunkirk.”
Commodore Jones spent a few moments in reflection. “You are probably right, Cottineau,” said he. “I only wish that another man like you were in command of the Alliance. However, we cannot help what is and must make the best of it. Go aboard your ship and make sail to the south-southwest. Speak the Vengeance as you run down, and tell Ricot—her commander—to rendezvous off Spurn Head. I will bring up the rear with this ship. We may fall in with the Baltic fleet between here and Scarboro’, which is usually their first English port of destination at this time of the year. Should you happen to sight the Alliance, inform Captain Landais of our destination, but do not communicate it to him as an order, because that would be likely to expose you only to insult.”
The two ships turned South, and the next three days were without events of importance. At length they neared the harbor of Scarboro’, and, as they hovered about twelve miles off the land, they saw some vessels making for the shore, and protecting a fleet of merchantmen.
“They’re a heavy man-of-war—either a fifty-gun frigate, or a fifty-four—with a large ship-of-war in company,” cried one of his Lieutenants, who had been watching them through a glass. “The Captain of the larger one has cleverly manœuvered to protect his merchant ship.”
Commodore Jones seemed to be much pleased.
“At last we’ll have a little fight,” cried he. “Bear hard for the land, and get between the larger vessel and the shore!”