fleet, not even the explosions, loud as they were, could be heard. One of their early effects, however, was to lull the breeze considerably. What other effects the fire and explosion vessels produced, we shall proceed to relate, as well as we can collect the facts from the published and other accounts.

At 9 h. 30 m. p.m., according to the time kept by the Indienne, a floating body at the boom, in the direction of her starboard cat-head, blew up with a tremendous explosion, but, although distant only 110 or 120 yards from the frigate, did not, as we are told, do her the slightest injury. The words of Captain Proteau in his journal are: " J'étais dans cette position, à trois encablatures [encablure] et demie de mon escadre, l'amiral dans mes eaux, lorsque nous distinguâmes à 9 heures et demie, sous notre bossoir de tribord, un corps flottant à l'estacade. L'explosion s'en fit tout-à-coup et vomit quantité de fusées artificielles, grenades, et obus, qui éclatèrent en l'air sans nous faire le moindre mal, [en] cependant nous n'en étions qu'à une demie-encablature [encablure]." What then becomes of the statement of Mr. Fairfax, the master of Lord Gambier's fleet, that the explosion-vessel blew up at " about a mile " from the enemy? What grounds had he for fearing, that he should be blown up, instead of the enemy, when he admits that the Lyra, the vessel he was on board of, lay two cables' length to windward of the explosion-vessel, while the Indienne, who escaped unhurt, lay only half a cable to leeward of her ? * In 10 minutes more, a second vessel exploded, also on the boom, and almost under the bowsprit of the Indienne. We may observe, in passing, that, although in point of absolute time the Indienne and Impérieuse differ by an hour and ten minutes, in relative time they agree exactly. This last explosion is described to have been more loud and appalling than the first, and to have covered the frigate with a shower of fire ; and yet we are not informed of any injury she sustained. It is therefore true, as Lord Gambier has stated, that " the blast of the explosion vessels, under Lord Cochrane's immediate direction, did not take place by any means so near to the enemy's ships as his lordship had projected. " † But it was not because the fusees had been fired too early, as stated by Lord Gambier's witnesses, nor because the fusees had burnt too rapidly, as generally understood, but because the boom had interposed to stop the progress of the vessels. When the Indienne's officer on the forecastle discovered the floating body, it was already at, not advancing towards, the boom. Had this boom been away another half minute would have carried the vessel amidst the line of frigates ; and then, what would have been the effect of the blast ; that blast followed in 10 minutes by a second, which was even greater and more terrific than the first ? At 9 h. 45 m. p.m. the Mediator broke through the boom, and, as well as the ships with her, was instantly fired at by the French ships, the shot of the line-of

* See Minutes, &c., pp. 177, 178. † Ibid., p. 131.

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