and another five minutes may be allowed for the ship to drop fairly alongside.

Less considerate than either of her antagonists about fire, although in equal if not greater danger from its effects, the Redoutable continued throwing hand-grenades from her tops and yard-arms (" les grenades pleuvent des hunes du Redoutable "*) some of which, falling on board herself, set fire to her larboard fore chains and starboard fore shrouds. The fire from the fore shrouds presently communicated to the foresail of the Téméraire; but, by the active exertions of her forecastle-men, led by the boatswain, the flames on board both ships were presently extinguished. The Victory's crew, after having put out a fire that had spread itself among some ropes and canvass on the booms, also lent their assistance in extinguishing the flames on board the Redoutable, by throwing buckets of water from the gangway upon her chains and forecastle.

All further hostility having, as well it might, ceased on board the Redoutable, Captain Hardy ordered two midshipmen, Messieurs David Ogilvie and Francis E. Collingwood, with the sergeant-major of marines and eight or ten hands, to go on board the French ship, and (not to "take possession," † for, had that been deemed of any importance, a lieutenant would have been sent, but) to assist in putting out a fire which had just broken out afresh. This party, not being able to step on board for the reason already given, embarked from one of the Victory's stern-ports in the only remaining boat of the two that had been towing astern, and got to the Redoutable through one of her stern-ports. As a proof, too, that all hostility had then ceased on board the French ship, the Victory's people's were well received. Their boat, we believe, was soon afterwards knocked to pieces by a shot. The other boat had been cut adrift by a shot just as the Victory was about to open her fire, and was afterwards picked up with her oars and tackle as complete as when, early in the forenoon, she had been lowered down from the quarter.

Very soon after these young midshipmen had been despatched, lieutenant of the Victory, looking out of one of her aftermost ports on the starboard side, saw a second French two-decker lying close upon the Téméraire's starboard side ; and, as the Victory, a few minutes afterwards, was in the act of booming her bows off from the Redoutable, the same officer read the name upon the stern of each French ship. The circumstances under which the second French ship came in contact with the Téméraire, we shall now proceed to relate.

In our account of the proceedings of the Belleisle and Mars, we noticed the hauling of from the former of the French ship

*  Victoires et Conquetes, tome xvi., p. 174.

†  Beatty's Narrative, p. 55.

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