king ▁fire ▁into ▁the ▁British ▁ship ▁from ▁point ▁blank ▁range , ▁Phili bert ▁inf lic ted ▁severe ▁damage ▁to ▁Ast rea ''' s ▁quarter deck , ▁te aring ▁away ▁f itt ings ▁and ▁det on ating ▁a ▁loaded ▁car ron ade . ▁E ve le igh ▁des per ately ▁pulled ▁his ▁ship ▁back ▁alongside ▁E to ile , ▁but ▁in ▁doing ▁so ▁was ▁struck ▁in ▁the ▁ch est ▁and ▁killed ▁by ▁p istol ▁fire ▁from ▁the ▁deck ▁of ▁E to ile . ▁Lieutenant ▁John ▁Bul ford ▁assumed ▁command , ▁continu ing ▁to ▁fight ▁Phili bert ▁at ▁close ▁range . ▁By ▁ 1 5 : 0 5 ▁however ▁it ▁was ▁clear ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁prospect ▁of ▁victory : ▁Cre ole ▁could ▁be ▁seen ▁retre ating ▁from ▁the ▁battle ▁while ▁S ult ane ▁was ▁rapidly ▁approaching ▁the ▁combat , ▁threaten ing ▁to ▁over wh elm ▁the ▁str icken ▁fr ig ate ▁even ▁as ▁a ▁fire ▁broke ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁main ▁to ps ail . ▁The ▁fire ▁was ▁soon ▁ex ting u ished , ▁and ▁Bul ford ▁cont empl ated ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁board ▁E to ile ▁but ▁was ▁th wart ed ▁by ▁rough ▁se as . ▁At ▁ 1 5 : 3 0 ▁S ult ane ▁ra ked ▁Ast rea ▁before ▁pulling ▁away , ▁Du ▁Pet it - Th ou ars ▁considering ▁that ▁Phili bert ▁needed ▁no ▁assistance ▁against ▁the ▁dam aged ▁British ▁fr ig ate . ▁ ▁At ▁ 1 6 : 1 5 ▁the ▁m izen m ast ▁of ▁Ast rea ,