“In this state our yards and rigging were entangled. We bore along through the water, the men of the Vengeance keeping up an incessant fire of musketry, and from her thirty-six pounders, loaded with old nails, and jagged pieces of iron, a terrible fire was poured into the Brunswick. I had just mounted upon a large case near the flag-staff, and from thence I could see on the deck of the Brunswick where the shot told with terrible effect. It made my heart throb painfully. The next instant I saw the Achille bearing down also to the Brunswick, but the Achille had only her fore and mizen-mast standing, and a terrible and well-directed broadside from the Brunswick totally dismasted her. Strange to say, all this time we were locked together.
“The crew of the Brunswick taking advantage of the rolling of the Vengeance, depressed the muzzles of their guns, and fired into us most destructive broadsides, ripping and tearing our sides terribly; but the Vengeance kept up so incessant a fire from the tops, and from our decks, that it was utterly impossible for me to get on board the Brunswick. A violent squall striking both ships, they tore asunder, snapping ropes, rigging, and yards, like packthread. For nearly two hours those two great ships had been locked together, the whole time keeping up a terrible fire. It was now that we received what I may call the mortal wound that caused the Vengeance to founder. Attacked by the Brunswick, and another seventy-four-gun ship at the same time, our gallant commander exerted all his skill, assisted by the courage of his crew, to contend against these odds, but the British ships were also worked with consummate skill; a shot struck our rudder, another shot knocked a huge hole under our counter, through which the water rushed in with great violence. As I was gazing intently on the scene, a ball struck the case on which I stood, breaking it to atoms, and throwing me violently against the starboard bulwarks, but I was quite sensible, and very little hurt. The state of the Vengeance was now terrible, numbers of her crew were now lying dead and dying, from the fire of three ships. I caught a glimpse of Captain Renaudin standing on a carronade vehemently cheering on his crew. Just then, as I was getting on my feet, young Alfred Renaudin rushed out of the cabin, and seeing me just rising, rushed with a cry to my side, saying—
“‘Oh! Julian, where is mon cher papa? Are you wounded?’
“‘No, not wounded, only a little stunned; but you must not stay here,’ seeing his gaze fixed upon the body of a man lying dead within a yard or two of us. ‘Come below.’
“‘No, no,’ cried the child, ‘I’m no coward, but I am too little to fight.’ As I was leading him to the cabin, Captain Renaudin and his first lieutenant came up, followed by two of the crew; they unfurled a flag as a signal that the Vengeance surrendered. Captain Renaudin looked serious, if not distressed.
“‘We are sinking fast,’ he said, as he embraced his boy. ‘Mon Dieu, we have lost the ship, but we have done our duty;’ and in truth they had. The Vengeance had fought three line-of-battle ships. The firing had ceased on board the Brunswick. She had lost her mizen-mast and all her boats; so had the Vengeance, all but one small one. There was great excitement on board, for all knew they were sinking.
“Into the small boat Captain Renaudin desired me to get, and take his son with me and four men, and pull on board the nearest frigate that could afford assistance to save the crew. I slid down a rope first into the boat ready to receive young Alfred, but six or seven men slung down the rope, and one with his knife cut the warp.
“‘Rascal!’ I exclaimed, ‘what did you do that for? there are neither oars nor sail in the boat,’ and she drifted away from the Vengeance.
“‘Hold your jaw,’ said one of the men, ‘you skulking rascal, or I’ll stick my knife in you.’ I knocked the man over the side and shouted to the Vengeance, but the next moment a chance shot struck the boat, and cut her nearly in two, plunging us all into the water. As I scrambled up on the bottom of the boat, I beheld the main and fore-mast of the Vengeance fall, carrying away the mizen, but I had scarcely gained a firm hold on the boat’s bottom, when a wild and never-to-be-forgotten cheer startled me, and attracted my attention, despite my awkward situation. I looked in the direction of the sound. The cheer came from the lion-hearted crew of the poor Vengeance. She was going down; one moment she surged upwards; again another cheer. A tricolour was waved in triumph as she disappeared with her living freight of brave, devoted men beneath the waves.
“I was horror-struck; I looked at those clinging to the broken boat; three were there, the others had been killed by the shot; but the savage culotte, who had threatened to stick me with his knife was one, and he glared at me savagely.