Part 33 (1/2)
She had already been severely battered before we attacked her. The gallant Frenchman, however, continued to engage us, and, looking up, as for an instant the smoke was blown aside, we saw that he had nailed his colours to the mast.
”We must knock them away notwithstanding,” said Nettles.h.i.+p.
Soon afterwards down came the enemy's mainmast, followed by her mizzenmast, fortunately falling over on the opposite side.
Still the Frenchmen continued working their guns, but one after the other ceased firing, and at last an officer waved a handkerchief, to show that they surrendered. As he did so the foremast went by the board. We immediately ceased firing, and our second lieutenant was sent to take possession in one of the few of our boats which could swim. I accompanied him. I by this time had seen a good deal of fighting, but I had never yet witnessed any scene so dreadful as the decks of the _Caesar_ presented. On reaching the upper deck, one of the first objects which met our eyes was the body of the gallant captain, who had just breathed his last. Near him lay three or four other officers, and a little farther off two young mids.h.i.+pmen; while fore and aft lay the dead and wounded, their s.h.i.+pmates having had no time as yet to carry the latter below. Everywhere there was wreck and confusion, masts and rigging trailing overboard, the stumps alone remaining, the bulwarks shattered, the guns upset, the carriages of some knocked to pieces, every boat damaged, while it was impossible, as we stepped along, to avoid the pools of blood and gore. The third lieutenant, his head bound up, stepped forward, saying that he was the officer of the highest rank remaining, and offered his sword. In the meantime the fight continued raging: the _Ardent_ struck to the _Belliqueux_, and the _Hector_ to the _Canada_; but the gallant Cornwallis, leaving his prize, made sail after the Count de Gra.s.se, who, together with his second, was endeavouring to rejoin his flying and scattered s.h.i.+ps. We were fast approaching.
Notwithstanding this, the Count de Gra.s.se held out till the _Barfleur_ came up, and poured in so tremendous and destructive a fire, that at length the gallant Frenchman, deserted by his s.h.i.+ps, was compelled to haul down his flag, just as the sun sank beneath the horizon.
The French fleet were now going off before the wind, pursued by some of our s.h.i.+ps. Others would have joined in the chase, but Sir George Rodney, wis.h.i.+ng to collect the fleet and secure his prizes, made the signal to the fleet to bring to.
Our captain meantime had ordered us at once to commence removing the prisoners.
I had shoved off with one boat-load, and just got alongside the _Cerberus_, when I heard the cry, ”The _Caesar_ is on fire!” I hurried the prisoners up the side, eager to a.s.sist in extinguis.h.i.+ng the flames, or to bring away as many as I could of those on board. Several of the other s.h.i.+ps were also sending their uninjured boats to the rescue; but before they could reach the blazing s.h.i.+p, we heard a fearfully loud explosion. Up went her decks. Fragments of planks and timbers, and even heavy guns, with human bodies torn and rent asunder, rose in the air; the whole s.h.i.+p blazed furiously, lighting up the surrounding vessels with a lurid glare, when suddenly her hull sank, and all was dark around. In her perished our third lieutenant and boatswain, and fifty of our gallant crew, besides four hundred Frenchmen.
Our most valuable prize was the _Ville de Paris_, as she had on board a quant.i.ty of specie, and she was considered the finest s.h.i.+p afloat; but we had a heavy price to pay for our victory: Captain Bayne, of the _Alfred_, and Captain Blair, of the _Anson_, were killed, besides several lieutenants and other officers. Altogether we lost two hundred and fifty-three men killed, and eight hundred and sixteen wounded. The French s.h.i.+ps, having numerous troops on board, and carrying more men than ours, suffered more severely in proportion, and it was generally believed that three thousand were killed, and double the number wounded.
On board the _Ville de Paris_ alone four hundred were slain.
We remained three days under Guadaloupe, repairing damages, when Sir George Rodney ordered Sir Samuel Hood to proceed with his division in search of stragglers. In spite of the fighting we had had, with cheerful alacrity we stood away; and on the 19th sighted five of the enemy's s.h.i.+ps. They were standing for the Mona pa.s.sage.
”They hope to escape us,” said Nettles.h.i.+p. ”But never fear, if they can get through, so can we.”
This proved to be the case. Just then Sir Samuel Hood threw out the signal for a general chase. A shout rose from our deck when it was seen that the wind had died away, and that the enemy lay becalmed.
The _Valiant_ early in the afternoon got alongside the _Caton_, which immediately struck. Captain Goodall then stood on, leaving us to pick her up, and attacked the _Jason_, of the same force, with so much impetuosity, that after a stout resistance of twenty minutes she also hauled down her colours. Two other smaller s.h.i.+ps were shortly afterwards captured, and only one, which got through the pa.s.sage, effected her escape.
A few days afterwards we rejoined Sir George Rodney under Cape Tiberoon, and with him proceeded to Jamaica.
Great was the rejoicing of the inhabitants. Guns were thundering, flags flying on steeples and houses and hundreds of flagstaff's; and the whole town of Kingston turned out, with the military and civic authorities at their head, to receive the conqueror as he landed, accompanied by the Count de Gra.s.se, the admiral who had threatened their subjugation.
We aboard the _Cerberus_ saw little of the festivities which took place, as we were engaged in repairing her, and fitting her for sea,--it being understood that in consequence of the damages she had received she was to be sent home.
Tom and I got leave only for one day to go up to Kingston, in the hopes of seeing our friends the Talboys. Tom was in a great state of excitement.
”I say, Paddy, I wonder whether Lucy still cares for me,” he said.
”Perhaps she'll have forgotten all about me by this time; and if that fellow Duffy has been stationed at Kingston, as soon as we left he'll have done his best to cut me out.”
”I don't think her papa, at all events, would prefer an ensign to a mids.h.i.+pman; and depend upon it, that if she has transferred her affections, it would be to a post-captain or a colonel,” I answered.
”But cheer up, Tom, don't be down-hearted; we'll hope for the best.”
Almost the first gentlemen we saw on landing were two French officers, strolling along arm in arm. As we got close to them they turned their heads, and I recognised Lieutenant Dubois and La Touche. They knew me in a moment, and held out their hands with more cordiality than I should have expected.
”You see us again prisoners to your brave nation; but we have given our parole, and are allowed to be at large during the day,” said Dubois.
”You'll come to our lodgings, I hope, and allow us to show you some hospitality,” added La Touche. ”In this life we have many ups and downs. One day you are prisoners to us, and the next day we are prisoners to you. What matters it if we retain our honour and our lives. It's a miracle that we're alive.”
”How is that?” I asked.
”We were aboard the _Ville de Paris_,” he said, ”and were doing duty on the lower deck. We fought to the last, and fully believed that the s.h.i.+p would go down. At one time the admiral was the only person left unwounded on the upper deck. Officer after officer was killed as they went up to join him. We were about to follow, when our flag was hauled down. However, we expect to be exchanged soon, when, for my part, I intend to return to France.”
This was said as we walked along with the young Frenchmen.