The Aquilon, assailed from without the line by the powerful broadsides of the Minotaur (the only ship in the two fleets that, for an upper battery, had a tier of 32-pounder carronades), and from within by the occasional fire of the Theseus, was soon reduced to the dismasted state of her three companions ahead ; and was compelled, at about 9 h. 25 m. p.m., to follow their example, with a loss nearly, if not quite as severe, including among the killed her commander, M. Thévenard. The Minotaur, the Aquilon's principal opponent, had 23 killed and 64 wounded ; and the Theseus, with whom she was only partially engaged, had five killed and 30 wounded.

The Peuple-Souverain, by the close and animated fire of the Defence, also by a succession of raking broadsides from the Orion, as the latter lay on the Peuple-Souverain's inner quarter, having lost her fore and main masts, and become in other respects greatly disabled, parted her cable and dropped out of the line, re-anchoring abreast of, and at about 400 yards distant from, the Orient, with, including her captain among the wounded, a severe loss, but which, as in most of the other cases, we are unable to enumerate.

The loss sustained by the Peuple-Souverain's outside opponent, the Defence, was only four killed and 11 wounded ; while that of the Orion, the former's opponent within the line, amounted to 13 killed and 29 wounded. The Orion had her fore and mizen masts shot through in several places, and her yards and rigging greatly disabled. The ship had also a narrow escape from a more imminent danger. In the heat of the action a fire-raft, represented as the Guerrier's launch filled with combustibles, came drifting down with the tide, which runs here at a great rate. The Orion's stern-boat having been shot away, and no means existing to get another boat out for the purpose of towing the raft clear of the ship, preparations were made to boom off the unwelcome visiter and sink it by pigs of ballast; but, fortunately, the raft passed clear of the larboard bow by about 25 yards. Just as the Peuple-Souverain had driven from the line and ceased firing, the fore topmast of the Defence fell over her side; and her three lower masts, as well as bowsprit, were much injured.

The Bellerophon soon found her station a hotter one than she could bear. At about 7 h. 50 m. her mizenmast was shot away ; and, in a few minutes afterwards, the mainmast fell on the starboard side of the forecastle. Some combustible materials discharged from the Orient had also set the ship on fire in several places, but the crew succeeded in extinguishing the flames. At about 8 h. 20 m. p.m., being entirely disabled, the Bellerophon cut her stern cable, and, setting her sprit-sail, wore clear of the powerful three-decker to whose fire she had so long been exposed. Scarcely had the Bellerophon filled her fore topsail and dropped her foresail, than her shattered foremast, unable to bear the weight, fell over her larboard bow. In drifting along the

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