Page:History of the French in India.djvu/199

 TEKKIBLE LOSSES OE THE FLEET. 177 with all her masts standing, were anchored safely off St. chap. Thome ; that a Dutch vessel had gone down near the same place, and that two small trading barks had met 1746. with a similar fate. All next day his anxiety was in- creasing. At nine o'clock he learned that the " Bour- bon " was at anchor fifteen miles off, with only a foremast standing, and leaking terribly ; that the " Achille " was almost in the same state, and that another ship, name unknown, had been descried totally dismasted. Every hour brought news of fresh disasters. At seven o'clock in the evening he reported to Dupleix that the " Bourbon " was lost beyond redemption,* and that it would be possible to save only a very few of the crew ; that the " Due d'Orleans " was lost, one man only being saved, and that another vessel, totally dis- masted, was in sight. On the 16th the weather moderated ; but it was not till the 17th that La Bourdonnais became acquainted with the entire extent of his losses. Of the eight French vesselsf anchored in the Madras roads on the evening of the 13th, the " Achille," after incurring great danger, losing two of her masts, and throwing over sixteen 18-pounders, anchored safely in the road- stead ; the " Neptune " had been totally dismasted, had thrown over fourteen 12-pounders, and had seven feet of water in her hold. All her prize-cargo had been ruined. The " Bourbon " was saved by a miracle ; she had lost her main and mizen masts, and been compelled likewise to throw over fourteen of her guns. She had received in other respects such damage as to make her quite unfit to put to sea. The " Phenix " was lost with all on board ; the " Due d'Orleans " underwent the same fate, eight only of her crew being saved ; the " Princess saved. cess Marie," an English prize, the t These were the "Achille," the "Mane Gertrude," and the " Ad- 11 Bourbon," the " Phenix," the vice," also prizes. "Neptune," the "Due d'Orleans," N
 * She was, however, eventually fitted out as mf-n-of- war, the " Prin-