Calcutta, with her head to the south-east. The Calcutta first took the ground at 11 h. 30 m. p.m., floated again at 1 a.m., and soon afterwards grounded a second time upon the rocky bottom on which she at this time lay. The Patriote and Tourville lay on the mud off Isle Madame, and at no great distance from the channel of the Charente. With respect to the four frigates, the Indienne lay about three quarters of a mile to the eastward of the Océan, upon the mud off Pointe Aiguille, near Enette isle. The Elbe and Hortense lay upon the Fontenelles, and the Pallas upon the mud off the little fort of Barques, just at the entrance of the Charente.

All the grounded ships, especially the six on the hard part of the Palles, were more or less upon the heel ; and most of them, from the nature of the ground on which they lay, were in a very desperate situation. So that, although the fire-vessels of the British had not caused the immediate destruction of a single ship of the French fleet, they had left nearly the whole of the ships in a comparatively defenceless state ; exposed, if promptly acted upon, to an attack of a different description, an attack more conformable to the rules of regular warfare, and more congenial to what is usually the prevailing spirit on board a British fleet.

From her proximity to the scene of disaster, the Impérieuse was the first British ship to observe, and the first to communicate to the commander-in-chief, the grounded state of the French ships. The falling tide obliged the Impérieuse, at daylight, to weigh and stand out. Lord Cochrane then made the following telegraphic signals to the Caledonia, the distance of whose anchorage from the grounded ships was just 12 miles. At 5 h. 48 m. a.m. " Half the fleet can destroy the enemy ; seven on shore. " At 6 h. 40 m. " Eleven on shore." At 7 h. 40 m. "Only two afloat." At 9 h. 30 m. " Enemy preparing to heave off." As soon as the tide suited, which was at 10 a.m., the Impérieuse returned and reanchored close to the Boyart [Boyard] shoal, the south part of Isle d'Aix bearing south-east by east ; which was nearly on the same spot from which the frigate had a few hours before weighed.

Immediately after the last telegraphic signal of the Impérieuse, Lord Gambier telegraphed the fleet, " Prepare with sheet and spare anchors out of stern ports, and springs ready." At 9 h. 35 m. a.m. the British admiral made the signal for the fleet to weigh, but suspended the execution of that signal by making another, calling all captains on board the Caledonia. As soon as the conference was ended, the captains returned to their ships ; and at 10 h. 45 m. A.M., according to the average time noted down in the logs of the different ships, the fleet got under way. At 11 h. 30 m. a.m. the fleet reanchored, in 12 and 13 fathoms' water, at the distance of three miles from the flagstaff on Isle d'Aix, and consequently of about six miles from the grounded

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