about 20 minutes after six o'clock in the morning, as I was dressing myself, I heard throughout the ship a general cry of fire! ! I immediately ran up the fore-ladder to get upon deck, and found the whole half-deck, the front bulk-head of the admiral's cabin, the coat of the mainmast, and the boats' covering on the booms, all in flames; which, from every report and probability, I apprehend was occasioned by some hay, that was lying under the half-deck, having been set on fire by a match in a tub, which was usually kept there for signal guns. The mainsail at this time was set, and almost instantly caught fire, the people not being able, on account of the flames, to come to the clue-garnets.

" I immediately went to the forecastle, and found Lieutenant. (the Honourable George Heneage Lawrence) Dundas and the boatswain encouraging the people to get water to extinguish the fire. I applied to Mr. Dundas, seeing no other officer in the forepart of the ship (and being unable to see any on the quarterdeck from the flames and smoke between them), to give me assistance to drown the lower decks, and secure the hatches, to prevent the fire from falling down. Lieutenant Dundas accordingly went down himself, with as many people as he could prevail upon to follow him; and the lowerdeck ports were opened, the scuppers plugged, the fore and main hatches secured, the cocks turned, water drawn in at the ports, and the pumps kept going by the people who came down, as long as they could stand at them. Owing to these exertions, I think the lower deck was kept free from fire, and the magazines preserved from danger for a long time: nor did Lieutenant Dundas or myself quit this station until several of the middledeck guns came through the deck. At about nine o'clock, finding it impossible to remain any longer below, Lieutenant Dundas and myself went out at the foremast lowerdeck port, and got upon the forecastle; on which, I apprehend, there were then about 150 of the people drawing water, and throwing it as far aft as possible upon the fire. I continued about an hour on the forecastle, till finding all efforts to extinguish the flames unavailing, I jumped from the jib-boom, and swam to an American boat approaching the ship; by which boat I was picked up and put into a tartan, then in the charge of Lieutenant Stewart, who had come off to the assistance of the ship. "* Captain Todd, with Mr. Bainbridge, the first lieutenant, remained upon deck to the last moment giving orders for saving the crew, without providing, or apparently caring, for their own safety.

We shall now enter upon the sorrowful task of showing what loss of lives was the consequence of this dreadful accident. The number of persons on shore at Leghorn, including five who did not know the ship had been ordered to sea, were the admiral,

* Schomberg, Vol. iii., p. 431.

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