in five fathoms, and, veering to half a cable, kept fast the spring,
firing upon the _Calcutta_ with our broadside, and at the same time
upon the _Aquillon_ and _Ville de Varsovie_, two line-of-battle ships,
each of seventy-four guns, with our forecastle and bow guns, both
these ships being aground stern on, in an opposite direction. After
some time we had the satisfaction of observing several ships sent
to our assistance, namely, the _Emerald_, the _Unicorn_, the
_Indefatigable_, the _Valiant_, the _Revenge_, the _Pallas_, and the
_Aigle_. On seeing this, the captain and the crew of the _Calcutta_
abandoned their vessel, of which the boats of the _Impérieuse_ took
possession before the vessels sent to our assistance came down." Soon
after the arrival of the new ships, the two other vessels were also
forced to surrender.

Most of the ships sent to his assistance returned to Lord Grambier on
the 13th. Lord Cochrane, seeing that it would be easy for him to do
much further mischief, made ready for the work on the morrow. But from
this he was prevented by the inexcusable conduct of Lord Gambier, who,
having discountenanced the attempt with the fireships, now not
only refused to take part in the victory which his comrade had made
possible, but also hindered its achievement by him.

Lord Cochrane had already overstepped the strict duty of a
subordinate, though acting only as became an English sailor. The
fireships with which he had been ordered to ruin the enemy's fleet had
partly failed through the error of others. "It was then," he said, "a
question with me whether I should disappoint the expectations of my
country, be set down as a charlatan by the Admiralty, whose hopes had
been raised by my plan, and have my future prospects destroyed, or
force on an action which some had induced an easy Commander-in-Chief