Page:Final French Struggles in India and on the Indian Seas.djvu/165

Rh and the greater part of her crew had been killed and wounded. Incapable of protracting the defence she then struck. But in the excitement of the fire and in the blindness of the smoke the hauling down of the Union Jack was not perceived by the enemy, and the French continued their fire for some time longer.

In the other part of the line, likewise, fortune had inclined to the French. The Iphigenia, warned by the fate of her consorts, had warped out of close range. The Magicienne, on her rock, had been so pounded by the Ceylon and the shore batteries that, when morning broke, she could scarcely keep afloat.

The firing continued all night. At eleven p.m. the crew of the Magicienne abandoned her. She blew up immediately afterwards. At the early dawn Duperré sent off a boat's crew to take possession of the Néréide. The Iphigenia then endeavoured for a short time to extricate the Sirius from her position, but failing, that vessel too was abandoned and blown up. Of all the squadron that had sailed so proudly and so confidently to the attack on the previous day the Iphigenia alone remained!

But she was not destined to escape. Duperré indeed was unable to get off his stranded ships in sufficient time to follow her to the Isle de la Passe. But just at the opportune moment, just as she had been warped to her station off that islet, there arrived off Grand Port