It was near ten o’clock when the _Richard_ had sunk considerably from the water she had received through the shot-holes, which was now below the surface. Some of the subordinate officers believing that she was sinking, cried out lustily for “Quarter!” when Jones, in great anger, threw a pistol at one of them, which he had just discharged at the enemy, fractured the poor fellow’s skull, and sent him reeling down the hatchway. Jones ordered all the hands that could be spared to the pumps, and shortly after the _Serapis_ surrendered. At this moment there was much confusion, as several of the crew, who were Englishmen, and near their homes, took advantage of the _mêlée_ to desert in a small boat toward _Scarborough_. Our hero well remembers seeing one of the lieutenants of the _Richard_ appear on the deck and present several of the officers of the _Serapis_ to Commodore Jones as prisoners.
The action had now ceased, all hands were ordered to assist in separating the two ships which had been so long in deadly embrace, and to extinguish the flames which were now raging in both vessels. It was daylight in the morning when the carpenters were ordered to examine the _Richard_. After a deliberate examination, they were of opinion that she could not be kept afloat sufficiently long to reach any port. Jones was not willing to abandon her till the last moment, and kept a lieutenant with a party of sailors at the pumps for twenty-four hours; Johnson says he worked for nine successive hours, and at last, when all hopes were extinguished, they commenced removing the wounded and the stores to the _Serapis_. They had not finished their operations more than half an hour, when she sunk to rise no more.
The next cruise was to the Texel, and from thence to Amsterdam, where they received great kindness from the Dutch. Jones still continued his cruising with satisfaction to the American government until the beginning of the year 1781, when he was sent with the ship _Ariel_ to Philadelphia with stores for the army which had been waiting in France for more than a year, no suitable conveyance having been provided. They arrived in Philadelphia in February, 1781, the first time Johnson had seen the land of his adoption. Here he received his prize money, and having disengaged himself from the _Ariel_, determined to remain a short time in order to become master of the English language, of which at that time he knew but little.