The British sloop of war Drake, which the gale prevented him from attacking, was still at Carrickfergus, and Jones sailed thither in the hope of inducing her to come out and fight him.  Being uncertain of his identity, the captain of the Drake sent an officer in a boat to learn the truth.  Captain Jones suspected the errand and skilfully kept his broadsides turned away until the officer, determined to know his identity, went aboard.  As soon as he stepped on deck he was made a prisoner and sent below.

Captain Jones reasoned that the captain of the Drake would miss his officer after awhile and come out to learn what had become of him.  He, therefore, headed toward the North Channel, the Drake following, with the tide against her and the wind unfavorable until the mid-channel was reached, when, to quote Maclay, Paul Jones “in plain view of three kingdoms, hove to, ran up the flag of the new Republic and awaited the enemy.”

In reply to the demand of the Drake’s captain, Jones gave the name of his vessel and expressed the pleasure it would give him to engage him in battle.  The American was astern of the Drake, and, to show his earnestness, Captain Jones ordered his helm put up and let fly with a broadside.  The Drake replied and then the battle was on.  There was little manoeuvring, the contest being what is known as a square yardarm and yardarm fight.

The comparative strength of the two vessels was as follows:  The Ranger carried 18 guns and 123 men, the Drake 20 guns and 160 men, a number of the latter being volunteers for the fight, which lasted one hour and four minutes, at the end of which time the Ranger had lost two killed and six wounded and the Drake forty-two killed.  The latter was so badly damaged by the well directed fire of the American that the captain called for quarter.  Ceasing her firing, Captain Jones lowered a boat and sent it to the Drake to take possession.

As an evidence of the effect of the fire of the Ranger, the following words may be quoted from Jones’s official report:  “Her fore and maintopsail yards being cut away and down on the caps, the topgallant yard and mizzen gaff both hanging up and down along the mast, the second ensign which they had hoisted shot away and hanging on the quarter gallery in the water, the jib shot away and hanging in the water, her sails and rigging cut entirely to pieces, her masts and yards all wounded and her hull very much galled.”

The damages to the Ranger were so slight they were repaired by the close of the following day, when she got under sail with her prize.  Despite the swarm of cruisers that were hunting for him, Jones passed unscathed through North Channel, along the western coast of Ireland and arrived at Brest, in France, within a month of the day he left the port, his cruise having been one of the most remarkable in naval history.