PAUL JONES 306 In compliment to Dr. Franklin, one of the commissioners, and especially in gratitude for a hint which he had accidentally lighted upon in an odd number of that philosopher's almanac, to the effect that whoever would have his business well done must do it himself a suggestion by which Jones had greatly profited in giving a final spur to his protracted negotiations he changed the name of his vessel, by jjermission of the French Government, to the Bon Homme Richard. Jones at length set sail, on August 14th, with his squadron. Landais, an in- competent Frenchman in the American service, was in command of the Alliance. It was altogether a weak, mongrel affair. The Bon Homme Richard was un- seaworthy, her armament was defective, and in her motley crew Englishmen and foreigners outnumbered the Americans. The plan of the cruise was to sail round the British Islands from the westward. At Cape Clear the commander parted with two of the smaller vessels of the squadron, which now consisted of his own ship, the Alliance, the Pallas, and the Vengeance. The service was, how- ever, far more impaired by the insubordination of Landais, who evinced great jeal- ousy of his superior. Several prizes were taken, one of them by Jones off Cape Wrath, at the extremity of Scotland. Traversing the eastern coast, he arrived, with the Pallas and the Vengeance, at the Firth of Forth, and entertained the bold idea of attacking the armed vessels at the station, and putting not only Leith, but possibly the capital, Edinburgh itself, under contribution. He would certainly have made the attempt indeed, it was in full progress when it was defeated by a violent gale of wind. Jones now continued his course southwardly, casting longing eyes upon Hull and Newcastle, when, having been joined by the Alliance, the squadron sud- denly, off Flamborough Head, fell in with the Baltic cruisers, the Serapis, forty- four, Captain Pearson, and the Countess of Scarborough, twenty. Captain Piercy, convoying a fleet of merchantmen. Jones at once prepared for action. The combat which ensued^ between the Serapis and the Bon Homme Richard, is one of the most remarkable in the annals of naval warfare, for the circumstances under which it was fought, the persistence of the contest, and the well-matched valor of the commanders. The engagement was by moonlight, on a tranquil sea, within sight of the shore, which was crowded with spectators, who thronged the prom- ontory of Flamborough Head and the piers of Scarborough. After various pre- liminary manoeuvres on the part of the English commander to shelter the mer- chantmen, the engagement began at half-past seven in the evening, with a series of attempts of the Bon Homme Richard to come to close quarters with her antag- onist. At the first broadside of Jones's vessel, two of the old eighteen-pounders mounted in her gun-room burst, with fearful destruction to the men. This ac- cident compelled the closing of the lower ports, and produced a still greater in- equality between the combatants than at the start, for the Serapis was not only a well-constructed, well-furnished man-of-war, thoroughly equipped, while the Bon Homme Richard had every disadvantage in these respects ; but the absolute weight of metal was, at the outset, greatly in favor of the Englishman. The Richard then passed to windward of the Serapis, receiving her fire, which did much dam- - 20
