Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/538

514 head-braces being likewise shot away, her foretop-sail swung a-back, which made her fall a-stern of both her antagonists. At ten minutes past three the Count de Province, which had stood the Yarmouth, and was afterwards taken up by the Cumberland, likewise left the line to refit her rigging, as did the Duke de Bourgogne, which had divided her fire between the Cumberland and the Salisbury, and received theirs, divided likewise in return. The Weymouth, by what accident we don't find, was kept a-stern in the rear; but at three o'clock, the Salisbury came again into the engagement; and, on the French side, the lllustre, seeing the two ships before her gone, closed up to the Zodiaque. At four, the only ships engaged were the Minotaur and Due d'Orleans against the Grafton, the Zodiaque against the Yarmouth, the lllustre against the Cumberland, and the Fortunée and Centaur against the Salisbury and Sunderland. The pilot of the Zodiaque seeing, as he thought, the Fortune'e and Centaur going off likewise, put the helm a-lee, without order, and, as Mr. D'Aché was running to correct him, a grape shot carried off the flesh of his thigh, to the bone; he fell senseless, amongst four or five who were killed or struck down with him. The captain of the Zodiaque had been killed an hour before; and the officer who took the command after Mr. D'Aché fell, wore the ship to rejoin the comrades which had already left the line. The Centaur, lllustre, and Minotaur, thinking such was the will of their admiral, wore likewise, and set sail to accompany him. The English ships still in action endeavoured to follow them, but were soon left out of gun-shot, and all firing ceased at ten minutes after four. In this engagement the rear division suffered much less than the van. On board the Weymouth, which closed the rear, not a man was either killed or wounded, and in the Sunderland a-head of her, the whole loss was only two men killed; nevertheless the Centaur, the last of the enemy's rear, suffered as much in her masts and rigging from their fire, as any of the other ships of the French line, who were closer engaged, and her Captain, Surville the elder, was, killed. The Salisbury had 16