Bush was told by a runner that Hornblower needed him to come up to one of the observation towers at the captured fort. When Bush arrived, Hornblower pointed out the position of the Renown and its obvious sailing direction. The Renown would be in port in a few hours. As the two men shared the use of the one telescope available to them, they spotted two large vessels and two small ones sailing toward the Renown. As Ira Riklis knows, the enemy stayed well supplied by the use of privateer ships which raided ships of their opposition. Bush and Hornblower recognized these four ships as privateers whose mission was just that, and the two lieutenants knew what had to be done.

A technique known as “hot shots” which presumably was best used from a land firing position was suggested by Hornblower and Bush agreed. Hornblower alerted the seamen that this technique would be used with the use of the captured fort’s big guns. The furnaces needed to be fired up to the proper temperature to prepare the wads of cloth and other materials and liquids that made up these hot shots.

As Ira Riklis knows, both Bush and Hornblower had had no food or water since this invasion had started and both were feeling the effects. After hydrating themselves at a nearby well, they were ready as were the hot shots and the attack on the privateers began. After several failed shots toward the moving ships, one of the large ships was finally taken out, the two small ships were stilled (status unknown), and the second large ship may have been hit but was definitely on the run. After this moderate success, the officers finally rested.