Page:Final French Struggles in India and on the Indian Seas.djvu/54

26 by the Sévère, the Ajax and the Annibal. At last these three came up, and the action became general.

In the early part of the day fortune seemed to incline to the French. The Monmouth was dismasted and compelled to quit the line, having had 45 men killed and 102 wounded. The Superb was greatly damaged. The English admiral then gave orders to the squadron to wear. By this manœuvre, the position of the rival fleets was reversed. Still, however, the battle continued; when suddenly at six o'clock a tremendous storm burst upon both fleets, enveloping them in darkness, and forcing them, close to a lee shore, to pay attention to their own safety. Suffren at once signalled to anchor.

In this battle the English lost 137 killed and 430 wounded; the French 130 killed and 364 wounded. The Héros, the Orient and the Brillant had suffered severely. Nevertheless the next morning Suffren offered battle to Sir Edward, but the English admiral, having a large convoy under his charge, declined it. Suffren then sailed southward, whilst the English squadron entered the harbour of Trincomali. As to the captains of the Vengeur and the Artésien, Captains de Forbin and de Maurville, Suffren reported their conduct to the Minister of Marine. Subsequently, it will be seen, he deprived them of their commands and sent them to France, where, on arrival, they were imprisoned.

A little more than a fortnight after this battle, Suffren brought his squadron into the anchorage of Batacola, a Dutch port in the island of Ceylon, about twenty leagues