just before been exchanged), were put to trial for the loss of the Amazon, they were "most honourably and fully acquitted of all blame, and with every sentiment of the court's highest approbation" Both first lieutenants, Mr. John Thompson, of the Indefatigable, and Mr. Bendall Robert Littlehales, late of the Amazon, were most deservedly promoted to the rank of commanders.

In describing the Amazon's loss by the fire of the Droits-de-l'Homme, we omitted to state, that Lieutenant Littlehales, while standing by the side of his captain, was knocked down by the wind of a 36-pound shot. Captain Reynolds lifted him from the deck, and ordered some of the men to take him below. By the time, however, that the men had reached the foot of the quarterdeck ladder, Lieutenant Littlehales recovered his senses, and forthwith returned to his post; but his chest and the upper part of his arms were for several weeks afterwards black and blue.*

The details we are about to give of the melancholy fate that attended the Droits-de-l'Homme and her numerous crew, we shall extract partly from a French account, and partly from the narrative of Lieutenant Pipon, to which we have already alluded. The proximity of the land was discovered at about the same time on board the Indefatigable and Droits-de-l'Homme; but the latter, partly perhaps owing to accident, makes the time 6 h. 15 m. instead of 4 h. 20 m. a.m. Very soon after the fatal discovery had been made, and just as she had altered her course to avoid the danger, the foremast and bowsprit of the 74 fell over her bows. This checked the way which the ragged mainsail had given to the ship, and hastened the catastrophe.

The French commodore now resolved to bring up; but all the anchors, except two, had been lost in Bantry bay, and the cables of these had been rendered useless by the enemy's shot. However, a stout hawser was bent to one of the anchors, ready for letting go. Meanwhile, the remains of the mainsail having blown from the yard, the ship scarcely moved ahead. The anchor was now dropped in 12 fathoms ; but it did not hold an instant, and the ship presently struck (according to the French account, at 7 a.m.) on a bank of sand, directly opposite to the town of Plouzenec in the bay of Audierne. The second shock carried away the mainmast by the board. Four or five guns of alarm were fired ; and, to ease the ship and endeavour to keep her upright, several of the guns were thrown overboard.

The instant the danger had become evident to the French crew, the exclamation, " Pauvres Anglais ! pauvres Anglais ! montez bien vite, nous sommes tous perdus ! " resounded through the ship. The English prisoners, whose station during the battle had been the cable-tier, rushed on deck. Here was an awful sight :

* Marshall, vol. ii., p. 287.

^ back to top ^