1808	Seahorse and Badere-Zaffer	59

attack, the two ships did not in the slightest degree deviate from the course they were steering.

At 9 h. 30 m. p.m., the Seahorse having arrived abreast and to windward of the Badere-Zaffer, the weathermost of the two ships, Captain Stewart, by means of the pilot, a native of Gibraltar, who had formerly been a captive in the hands of the Turks, and had afterwards served as a slave on board the Sultan-Selim, hailed the Turkish commodore, and ordered him to surrender to the British frigate. This Captain Scandril flatly refused, and into the hull of the Badere-Zaffer went a whole double-shotted broadside of the Seahorse. Nor was the Turkish frigate slow in returning the fire. In this way, with the wind a light breeze about two points abaft the starboard beam, the two frigates went off engaging ; the Badere-Zaffer gradually edging away to close her consort, who was about a gun-shot distant a little before her larboard beam. See the diagram at p. 61.

As soon as she had run far enough to leeward for the Alis-Fezan to join her in the cannonade, the Badere-Zaffer put her helm hard a-port, with the intention of laying the British frigate on board ; but the Seahorse, whose comparatively small crew such a mode of contest would never have suited, suddenly hauled close to the wind (see diagram, pos. 1), and left the Turkish frigate with her sails all aback and in great confusion. In a minute or two the Seahorse tacked, and, bearing up, stood again for the Badere-Zaffer; who, in the mean while, had wore and was running nearly before the wind.

At 10 p.m., just as the Seahorse was about to close the Badere-Zaffer upon her larboard quarter, the Alis-Fezan interposed. Taking the wind out of her main and mizen topsails, the Seahorse sheared towards this new antagonist ; and, pouring in her starboard broadside, at the distance of not more than 200 yards, made a dreadful havoc on board. After a continuance of the fire until 10 h. 15 m. p.m., there was a great explosion on board the Alis-Fezan near the fore hatchway, and the people on board the Seahorse expected every moment that their opponent would blow up. That, fortunately, did not happen; but the Turks on board this vessel had had fighting enough ; and, putting her helm a-starboard, the Alis-Fezan luffed under the stern of the Seahorse, and stood away in the direction of the island of Pelagnisi. In consequence of the smoke and the attention due to her more formidable antagonist, the Seahorse did not again see, or trouble herself any more about, the Alis-Fezan ; which ship, however, it may here be stated, got back to Constantinople, but in a very shattered state.

Not long after the abandonment of the action by the Alis-Fezan, or at about 10 h. 35 m. p.m., the Seahorse, favoured by a freshening of the breeze, overtook, and, furling her topgallant-sails, renewed the engagement with, the Badere-Zaffer ; who received the starboard broadside of the Seahorse, and returned

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