Our orders were to lay the vessel on the boom which the French had moored to the outer anchors of their ships of the line.  In a few minutes after passing the frigates we were close to it; our boat was towing astern, with three men in it—­one to hold the rope ready to let go, one to steer, and one to bale the water out, which, from our rapid motion, would otherwise have swamped her.  The officer who accompanied me steered the vessel, and I held the match in my hand.  We came upon the boom with a horrid crash; he put the helm down, and laid her broadside to it.  The force of the tide acting on the hull, and the wind upon the foresail, made her heel gunwale to, and it was with difficulty I could keep my legs; at this moment, the boat was very near being swamped alongside.  They had shifted her astern, and there the tide had almost lifted her over the boom; by great exertion they got her clear, and lay upon their oars:  the tide and the wind formed a bubbling short sea, which almost buried her.  My companion then got into the boat, desiring me to light the port-fire, and follow.

If ever I felt the sensation of fear, it was after I had lighted this port-fire, which was connected with the train.  Until I was fairly in the boat, and out of the reach of the explosion—­which was inevitable, and might be instantaneous—­the sensation was horrid.  I was standing on a mine; any fault in the port-fire, which sometimes will happen, any trifling quantity of gunpowder lying in the interstices of the deck, would have exploded the whole in a moment:  had my hand trembled, which I am proud to say it did not, the same might have occurred.  Only one minute and a half of port-fire was allowed.  I had therefore no time to lose.  The moment I had lit it, I laid it down very gently, and then jumped into the gig, with a nimbleness suitable to the occasion.  We were off in a moment:  I pulled the stroke oar, and I never plied with more zeal in all my life:  we were not two hundred yards from her when she exploded.

A more terrific and beautiful sight cannot be conceived; but we were not quite enough at our ease to enjoy it.  The shells flew up in the air to a prodigious height, some bursting as they rose, and others as they descended.  The shower fell about us, but we escaped without injury.  We made but little progress against the wind and tide; and we had the pleasure to run the gauntlet among all the other fire-ships, which had been ignited, and bore down on us in flames fore and aft.  Their rigging was hung with Congreve rockets; and as they took fire, they darted through the air in every direction with an astounding noise, looking like large fiery serpents.

We arrived safely on board, and reported ourselves to the captain, who was on the hammocks, watching the progress of the fire-ships.  One of these had been lighted too soon; her helm had not been lashed, and she had broached to, close to our frigate.  I had had quite enough of adventure for that night, but was fated to have a little more.