Miller was in the act of going, also, but I directed him to remain—­he was supported by our spritsail yard, which hooked in the mizen rigging.  A soldier of the sixty-ninth regiment having broken the upper quarter-gallery window, I jumped in, myself, and was followed by others as fast as possible.  I found the cabin doors fastened, and some Spanish officers fired their pistols:  but, having broke open the doors, the soldiers fired; and the Spanish brigadier—­commodore, with a distinguishing pendant—­instantly fell, as retreating to the quarter-deck; where immediately onwards, for the quarter-deck; where I found Captain Berry in possession of the poop, and the Spanish ensign hauling down.  I passed with my people, and Lieutenant Pearson, on the larboard gangway, to the forecastle; where I met two or three Spanish officers, prisoners to my seamen.  They delivered me their swords.  A fire of pistols or muskets, opening from the admiral’s stern-gallery of the San Josef, I directed the soldiers to fire into her stern; and, calling to Captain Miller, ordered him to send more men into the San Nicolas, and directed my people to board the first-rate, which was done in an instant, Captain Berry assisting me into the main-chains.  At this moment, a Spanish officer looked over the quarter-deck rail, and said they surrendered.  From this most welcome intelligence, it was not long before I was on the quarter-deck; where the Spanish captain, with a bow, presented me his sword, and said the admiral was dying of his wounds.  I asked him, on his honour, if the ship surrendered.  He declared, she was.  On which, I gave him my hand; and desired him to call in his officers, and ship’s company, and tell them of it:  and, on the quarter-deck of a Spanish first-rate, extravagant as the story may seem, did I receive the swords of vanquished Spaniards; which, as I received, I gave to William Fearney, one of my bargemen; who put them, with the greatest sang-froid, under his arm.  I was surrounded by Captain Berry, Lieutenant Pearson of the sixty-ninth regiment, John Sykes, John Thompson, Francis Cooke—­all old Agamemnons—­and several other brave men, seamen and soldiers.  Thus fell these ships.

“N.B.  In boarding the San Nicolas, I believe, we had about seven killed, and ten wounded; and about twenty Spaniards lost their lives by a foolish resistance.  None were lost, I believe, in boarding the San Josef.

     “Rear-Admiral Don Francisco Winthuysen died of his wounds on board
     the San Josef, and Commodore Gerraldelino on board the San Nicolas,
     soon after the action ceased.

     “Don Enrique M’Donal was killed on board the San Nicolas, when
     boarded by the Captain.”

The second day after writing the letter which inclosed the above admirable account of the proceedings of the Captain, on the memorable 14th of February, the fleet sailed from Lagos Bay, and proceeded to Lisbon, which they reached on the 27th instant.