▁have ▁to ▁call ▁off ▁the ▁attack ▁when ▁approaching ▁the ▁shall ows . ▁Close ▁to ▁P unta ▁Gru esa , ▁a ▁shall ow ▁c ove , ▁Cov ad ong a ▁sc rap ed ▁and ▁bare ly ▁cleared ▁a ▁re ef . ▁The ▁Indep endencia , ▁attempting ▁to ▁ram ▁for ▁a ▁third ▁time , ▁struck ▁the ▁obst acle ▁and ▁immediately ▁took ▁on ▁water ▁while ▁listing ▁to ▁star board . ▁The ▁Cov ad ong a ▁then ▁turned ▁around ▁and ▁opened ▁fire , ▁while ▁Indep endencia ''' s ▁crew ▁returned ▁fire ▁ ▁and ▁tried ▁to ▁float ▁her ▁off ▁the ▁re ef . ▁ ▁As ▁Captain ▁More ▁realized ▁his ▁ship ▁was ▁lost , ▁he ▁ordered ▁her ▁sc utt led , ▁but ▁the ▁magazine ▁was ▁already ▁flo oded ▁and ▁it ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁blow n ▁up . ▁The ▁Cov ad ong a ▁kept ▁firing , ▁but ▁retre ated ▁when ▁Hu á scar ▁was ▁seen ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁north . ▁Hu á scar ' s ▁commander ▁checked ▁on ▁Indep endencia ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁purs ue ▁the ▁enemy ▁after ▁seeing ▁she ▁was ▁imm obil ized , ▁but ▁this ▁cost ▁pre cious ▁time ▁and ▁Cov ad ong a ▁ste amed ▁south ▁as ▁fast ▁as ▁possible . ▁Captain ▁Gra u ▁realized ▁that ▁Hu á scar ▁could ▁not ▁catch ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 0 ▁mile ▁head ▁start ▁before ▁d usk , ▁gave ▁up ▁the ▁ch ase , ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁assist ▁Indep endencia ▁and ▁salv age ▁her ▁guns ; ▁the ▁crew ▁( th ose ▁ab o ard ▁and ▁some ▁who ▁had ▁escaped ▁to