Page:Final French Struggles in India and on the Indian Seas.djvu/44

16 made the tour of the roadstead, and then quitting it, found herself unable to return.

The Sphinx, owing to the mistake or disobedience of her captain, did not anchor. She endeavoured to maintain her position by manœuvring, keeping up at the same time a heavy fire; but she rendered little effectual aid.

Suffren found himself then with two anchored vessels, and one unanchored, and therefore comparatively useless, engaged with the whole English squadron. The odds were tremendous, but he still possessed the advantage always given by a surprise, and he continued, for an hour and a half, to maintain the unequal combat. At last, when the Annibal had lost her main and mizen masts, and her captain had been disabled; when the Héros had received considerable damage in her rigging, and had lost eighty-eight men killed and wounded; and when all hope of effectual aid from the other three vessels of his squadron had disappeared, he deemed it advisable to discontinue the contest. Signalling, therefore, to the Annibal to follow him, he slowly sailed out of the roadstead, still keeping up a tremendous fire.

The Annibal essayed to follow him; but, as she passed between the Hero and the Monmouth, her remaining mast fell by the board. Fortunately the wind had shifted and was now blowing strongly from the south-west. She managed thus to rejoin, though slowly, her consorts outside.

It was about half-past twelve o'clock in the day when