When We Had Driven Them Into The Cabin,
They Continued To Fight Us For At Least Four Hours, Before We
Could
finally suppress them, in which time they several times set the cabin on
fire, and burnt the bedding and
Other furniture; and if we had not
beaten down the bulkhead and poop, by means of two demi-culverines from
under the half-deck, we had never been able to prevent them from
burning the ship. Having loaded these pieces of ordnance with bar-shot,
case-shot, and musket-bullets, and discharged them close to the
bulk-head, they were so annoyed and torn with shot and splinters, that
at last only one was left out of two and twenty. Their legs, arms, and
bodies were so lacerated as was quite wonderful to behold. Such was the
desperate valour of these Japanese, that they never once asked quarter
during the whole of this sanguinary contest, though quite hopeless of
escape. One only leapt overboard, who afterwards swam back to our ship
and asked for quarter. On coming on board, we asked him what was their
purpose? To which he answered, that they meant to take our ship and put
us all to death. He would say no more, and desired to be cut in pieces.
Next day, being the 28th December, we went to a small island to leeward;
and when about five miles from the land, the general ordered the
Japanese who had swum back to our ship to be hanged; but the rope broke,
and he fell into the sea, but whether he perished or swam to the island
I know not.
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