Lieutenant Thomas, foreseeing the inevitable loss of the brig, had
ordered the master to proceed with the cutter and eight men to Jersey
for assistance; and he was directing the crew in their endeavours to
mount some guns upon a small rocky islet, to which they had already
carried the greater part of the provisions, small arms, and
ammunition, when the look-out man, who had been stationed on the
summit of the rock, reported that several small craft were steering
towards them. Upon receiving this intelligence, the commander and
pilot repaired to the high ground, and after carefully examining the
appearance of the vessels, agreed that they were merely fishing boats,
and considered that it would be imprudent to let them depart before
assistance had been procured from Jersey, as, in case there were no
ships of war at that place, these boats might possibly be hired to
carry the men and stores to Jersey. With this object in view,
Lieutenant Thomas pushed off in the jolly boat, accompanied by the
French fishermen's small boat which had come to the assistance of the
Grappler's crew.

In order to approach the supposed fishing boats, it was necessary to
double a point of the Maitre Isle; and this they had no sooner
accomplished, than they came in sight of three chasse marées, which
had been concealed behind the point. On the sudden appearance of the
English boat, the men on board the chasse marées were thrown into some
confusion, and Lieutenant Thomas determined to attack them before
they had time to recover themselves. On communicating his intention to
his boat's crew, they dashed forwards at once with a loud cheer, but
had scarcely pulled a dozen strokes when a body of soldiers, who had
been concealed behind some rocks on the Maitre Isle, poured in so
severe a fire that Lieutenant Thomas, seeing the superiority of the
French in point of numbers, thought it prudent to retreat. No sooner