Without pretending to minute accuracy with regard to time, this may be stated to have taken place about, or soon after eight o’clock. Soon after, the Leander ran in under the stern of the fifth ship; and, anchoring there, took a position whereby she could, without annoyance, fire her guns of one side in the stern of Le Peuple Souverain, and those of the other side into the bows of La Franklin. It is unnecessary to remark on what must have been the effect of so destructive a raking fire, even from a ship of the Leander’s small force.
Thus did each of the British ships enter into action. The result shews the manner in which each performed its duty. By the time the last-mentioned ships got placed in their respective positions, those which formed the van of the enemy were silenced, and some had struck. Their submission had extended as far as the fourth ship, about nine o’clock. And, soon after, L’Orient, in their centre, was discovered to be on fire, which spread with such rapidity that she was soon in a general blaze, and precluded even a shadow of hope for her preservation. The cannonade was, in the meantime, maintained with equal briskness by the British ships, whose opponents had not yet surrendered, while some of them, very much sickened, were barely able to maintain resistance.
While the flames were consuming L’Orient, great were the exertions made by the Alexander to remove to such distance as her captain judged necessary to save her from danger of being covered with the wreck of her unfortunate antagonist. About ten o’clock, the fire had reached L’Orient’s magazine, when she blew up with a most tremendous explosion, by which fragments of her wreck were thrown to a considerable distance on every side; and those ships who were nearest to the place of the explosion, were for some time completely obscured, by the thick column of smoke which spread around. The cannonade at that moment ceased, and a silence ensued, strongly expressive of the awe with which the minds of the combatants were impressed by that dreadful event.
That impression appeared to be effaced, by the recollection that there was still duty left to be performed; for, in about ten minutes after, the cannonade was renewed around the spot where L’Orient had exploded, and in a few minutes was maintained with vivacity, and continued with little abatement until after midnight, when it became slacker, with some intermissions, indicating the exhausted state of the combatants, by the fatigue already undergone;[13] but the firing did not entirely cease until three o’clock.
Thursday morning, the second of August.—When the day opened, how different was the prospect from that which the preceding evening had closed! The greatest part of the ships, which formed the van of the French line, dismasted, and all struck! Not a vestige of their admiral’s ship to be seen! The frigate (La Sêrieuse), whom the Orion had silenced the preceding evening, now sunk! The Bellerophon was observed several miles to the eastward along shore, at anchor, dismasted. Some of the British ships, which had attacked and defeated the van, now shifted more towards the rear, and others moving thither, to complete the conquest of the enemy’s ships. In that part, this led to a recommencement of the cannonade, in the outset of which, a frigate (L’Artémise), in the centre, displayed a conduct mean and unworthy of the squadron to which it was attached. After firing a broad-side, she struck; but, before she was sent to, by any of the British ships, was observed to be on fire, and the crew making for the shore in their boats, where they were so ill received by the natives, that a remnant of them were fain to return, and trust to the generosity of their enemy, whom they had so recently offended by a flagrant breach of the laws of war.
Without entering into any further detail of the whole, after the cannonade had been long maintained, with some intermissions, it was closed with the surrender of L’Heureux and Mercure, and dismasting of Le Tonnant. The two rear ships, Le Guillaume Tell and Genereux, observing all their companions either surrendered, or in a disabled state, prepared to get under sail, which they did, without interruption, before two o’clock, and were accompanied by La Dianne and Justice frigates, neither of whom had been annoyed. Le Timoleon made an attempt to follow, but, casting with her head into the bay, and not being alertly managed (probably, not in a manageable state), her head was not got out to the offing, but ran ashore at a little distance from whence she had laid, in the south-east part of the bay, where they set her on fire. The Zealous, who was under sail when the rear ships of the enemy left the bay, stood after them; but, as there was not any other then under sail, to accompany and support her, she was called in by the admiral.
There yet remained to be taken possession of, Le Tonnant, entirely dismasted, but who had not struck, and had shifted a considerable distance to leeward from her original position. In that state, incapable of moving or helping herself, a message was sent, to demand her surrender, which the captain refused, without the condition of vessels being furnished to carry him and his crew (which he stated to be then 1,500) to France. This requisition was communicated to admiral Nelson, who desired him to be informed, that the surrender must be unconditional, else force would be employed, against which resistance would not avail. These communications were not exchanged till late in the evening of the second, owing to the distance.
Friday morning, the third of August, the French flag was observed to be still displayed on the stump of Le Tonnant’s main-mast. The admiral made signals to the Theseus and Leander to attack her. It appeared they had, in some measure, recovered from their late fatigues, by the alertness of their movements. They were soon under the necessary sail; and, on the Theseus approaching her rear, the flag of truce was hoisted. An officer was then sent from the Theseus to desire the colours to be struck unconditionally, which was complied with. Thus was the close put to that distinguished battle.
Whether a retrospect is had to the unremitting perseverance in continuing the search after the enemy, to the promptness of decision in attacking them when found, or to the skill and intrepidity with which the attack was executed, it is difficult to decide which has the highest claim to admiration. The renown of this action has reached to every part of the globe, and been re-echoed back with the high praises so justly merited.