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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 291

that the American continued his fire, even after the flag, and, as
it appears, until the pendant of the ' Nautilus' was hauled down.
Nineteen of the crew have deposed to the same effect. Captain
Warrington's object in framing this falsehood was evidently to
show what execution had been done by his one broadside.
"From the first gun fired some of the 'Nautilus' men were
killed ; and Lieutenant Boyce was dangerously wounded, a grape
shot measuring two inches and one third in diameter, entering
at the outside of his hip and passing out close under the back-
bone. This severe wound did not, however, disable him. In a
few minutes a 32-pound shot struck obliquely on his right
knee, shattering the joint, splintering the leg-bone down-
wards, and the thigh-bone a great way upwards ! This, as may
be supposed, laid him prostrate on the deck. The first,
and only Lieutenant, received a mortal wound, the Master, who
would have been the next officer, was on board the ' Peacock.'
It was then, and not till then, that the gallant Boyce, lying
bleeding on the deck, ordered the ' Nautilus's' colours to be struck.
Of the ' six Lascars killed,' two were European invalids, and
one a seaman, of the ' seven or eight (Lascars) wounded,' two
were seamen; and was Lieutenant Mayston a ' Lascar T was
Lieutenant Boyce a ' Lascar V 'i'hat Captain Warrington well
knew he was uttering a falsehood, is clear; because the ' Pea-
cock's ' surgeon had, at Lieutenant Boyce's rec^uest, attended
the ' Nautilus's' wounded ; and his official return would certainly
have noticed a distinction so evident, as that of Native or
European. The ' Nautilus's ' First-Lieutenant, Mr. Mayston,
languished till the 3rd of December, a period of five months,
when mortification of his wound carried him off. About a fort-
night after the action, Lieutenant Boyce suffered amj)utati()n
very near to his hip, on account of the length and complication
of the fracture. The pain and danger of the operation was
augmented by the proximity of the grape-shot wound. His life
was subsequently despaired of, but after a long course of hopes
and fears to his numerous friends, this brave and amiable young
man (or what Captain Warrington has left of him) still survives.
The damage and loss of the 'Peacock,' as stated in Lieutenant
Boyce's letter, was as much as, from the shortness of the action,
and the immense disparity between the two vessels, could
reasonably be expected. Of course the American Captain, who
had escaped unhurt, the moment he was informed of the
casualties on board his prize, either visited or sent a condoling
different sources from which I have heard that a peace had been conchided between
the United States and Great Britain, I feel myself bound to desist from hostilities,
and regret that my reasonable demand had not been complied with by the Com-
mander of the ' Nautilus ' brig yesterday afternoon.
" Kespectfully, your obedient servant,
"L. VVakuinoton, Captain U.S. Navy,
"
'' Commanding the U.S. sloop-ol-war ' Peacock.'
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