HE failure of the Antwerp expedition ters, but did not affect the reputation of our naval heroes. The maritime fame of England was supported by the gallantry of lord Cochrane, and the bravery of our West Indian commanders. A French fleet consisting of nine sail of the line and four frigates, lay in the isle of Aix, under the protection of its forts. In the evening of the 11th of April lord Cochrane, who was under the orders of admiral Gambier, proceeded to attack the fleet thus stationed. The enemy's ships were anchored in two lines, very near each other, in a direction south of the fort on the isle of Aix, and the ships in each line were no further apart than their own length. The preparations of lord Cochrane were completed at sun-set; twelve fire-ships had been sent out from England, eight others were fitted out upon the spot, and fifty of Congreve's rockets were placed in the tops of each of these ships. But the most tremendous effect was expected from three explosion ships. The largest of these lord Cochrane charged himself; 1500 barrels of gunpowder were started into puncheons which were placed end upwards; upon these 400 shells were laid charged with fusees, and between and upon these were 3000 hand grenades. The puncheons were fastened to each other by cables wound round them

and jammed together with wedges, and

them, so as to render the whole as solid as possible from stem to stern. In one of these tremendous instruments of destruction lord Cochrane committed himself with one lieutenant and four seamen, and at half past eight at night proceeded to the attack. Let it be recollected that the batteries on shore were provided with furnaces for firing red-hot shot.

The wind blew so strong that it was not deemed advisable for the boats of the fleet to join in the attack, they could not have acted with effect in support of the fireships, and it would have been exceedingly difficult to return, the French also considering an attack to be impossible in such weather thought it necessary to have their boats upon guard. To the wind, however, it was in some measure owing that they escaped from total destruction. The fusces, partly from this cause, and partly perhaps from some error either in the making or in the delivery, did not burn more than a third of the time which had been calculated, and that in the largest explosion ship, which lord Cochrane conducted, should have burned twenty minutes. Lord Cochrane putting his brave crew into the boat kindled it himself and followed them. It was manifest that the fusee was burning too quickly, and they made the most

violent exertion against wind and tide, to get out of reach of the explosion. Instead of twenty minutes, it burned only six and a half. The boat escaped destruction, and but just escaped it. Nothing Nothing could have been better placed than this ship had the fusee burned its proper time; that it should be faulty could not be foreseen, but it frustrated the immediate success of the attempt. The fire-ship, which 'had been fitted out by the Cæsar, was near the explosion vessel when it blew up; two men were killed on board her, and one of the boats in which the men were to have come away was destroyed; they were, therefore, crowded into the other, and the efforts they made to escape were so excessive, that one man and the acting lieutenant died in the bottom of the boat from pure fatigue. This was not the only evil which the premature explosion occasioned; The fire-ships were immediately kindled in consequence, many of them before they were in a proper situation to bear down upon the enemy having brought to upon a wrong tack. One of those which were better managed, was commanded by captain Newcombe, another by lieutenant Cooksley, who declaring that he would not fire his till he was among the French, ran fairly aboard one of their two-deckers. One ran ashore on the isle of Aix, and her volley of rockets going into the batteries in one flight, silenced a very heavy fire. Most of them, however, ran upon shoals and sands, where they burnt ont. The second explosion vessel was not more fortunately directed. The Imperieuse had herself a wonderful escape from the third. A fire-ship had been so ill conducted that it passed close by her, enveloped the explosion vessel in flames, and actually swept away this tremendous machine from her stern, providentially without kindling it; and, having thus got adrift, was not ex ploded.

As soon as the French discovered the blue lights of the fire-ships, one of their signal vessels gave the alarm. The signal was a blue light also, and the French in their alarm fired upon their own ship. The explosion almost immediately fol VOL. II.

lowed; and, though it failed of its intended effect, it so completely terrified the enemy, that they cut their cables. Two only of the fire-ships fell on board them, one on the Regulus, the other on L'Ocean, but both vessels got clear. In all directions the fire-ships were blazing; and as the flames reached the rigging, the rockets took flight. From all the surrounding. shores, from their forts and batteries on the islands, and from Rochefort and Rochelle, the French beheld this terrific illumination in their own harbor. When morning came, the situation of the enemy could be perceived. During the night they had landed many of their men, so that most of their boats were ashore, and instead of them there were two or three chasse-marees unloading and lightening the ships, and thus rendering it practicable to get them off, and secure them up the river. A quarter before six, lord Cochrane made signal that seven of the enemy's ships were on shore, and might be destroyed: presently, as he distinguished more clearly, he discovered that they were all ashore except two, and signal was made from the Imperieuse, that part of the fleet might destroy them. It was his own opinion that a much smaller force would have been sufficient; and when the Caledonian directed him to repeat the signal, he ordered it to be replied, that two of the line would be enough; but the signal officer thinking this would appear like an insult, repeated the former signal, thus leaving it to the discretion of the commander-in-chief to send what force he should think proper.

There were at this time but two of the enemy's ships in a situation to resist an attack, all the rest being fast aground; the three-decker and two others lying so close together that their masts and yards seemed to be locked, and heeling inwards. Lord Cochrane expected that an endeavor would immediately be made to dislodge the two ships that still remained at anchor. The wind and tide were favorable, and, according to his judgment, our ships, by passing near to the Boyart, and putting their helm a-lee, their fore and main-top-sails being to the mast, could

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have been able to bring all their guns to bear upon the enemy, at a distance where the shot from the isle of Aix could be of no effect; and, by putting their helms up, and running under their sterns between them and the ships on shore, they might either capture them or force them to cut, and run aground likewise, and then effect the destruction of all. Lord Gambier, however, thought the tide which was then at the last quarter ebb, was so far spent, that if a force were sent in, it could not possibly return in case of disaster, before the making of the flood, and then our ships would have been effectually locked up within the enemy's confined anchorage, during the whole of that tide. Here, in his opinion, they would have been exposed to the point-blank shot of the batteries, and to the broadsides of the two line of battleships at anchor, which, even without assistance from the batteries, must have entirely crippled every one of the British ships in their approach through so narrow a channel; besides which, some of the grounded ships were sufficiently upright, and so situated as to enable them to bring their guns upon the entrance. Being convinced, therefore, that no attempt could be made till the tide had flowed for some time, all that he thought could be done, was to make preparations for the attack, and accordingly he ordered the fleet to be immediately unmoored. Between nine and ten he made signal to weigh, and ordered the Ætna, which was the only bomb'present, to proceed as soon as the tide would permit her to approach near enough, and bombard the enemy's ships. The fleet stood in and came to anchor about half past eleven, three miles distant from the fortress of Aix. The ships were ordered to have spare or sheet cables out of the stern ports, and sprigs on them, that any one might be in readiness to go in; and three fire-ships were prepared. Lord Cochrane, burning with impatience to commence the attack, supposed that the fleet was anchored for the purpose of giving the seamen something to eat and drink before they went into action; and though he regretted the precious time which had been lost, and which

was then passing by, he consoled himself by supposing that it was intended to strike a grand blow on the island as well as the ships, though he did not see the necessity of the measure.

Lord Cochrane's mind was bent wholly upon destroying the enemy, and he calculated upon the fears of the French, upon which an English sailor has always a right to calculate. Lord Gambier's chief thought was for the preservation of his ships, and his reason for delaying the attack till the latter part of the flood was for the purpose of giving any ships that might be disabled on their approach, a chance of returning by means of the receding tide. That his apprehensions from the two ships at anchor, which, as he thought, might have commanded the channel, were unfounded, the event proved. The crew of those ships, as Lord Cochrane expected, were thoroughly frightened; they had been from day-light for six hours attempting to get their topmasts up, and had not quite effected it, when, seeing the British fleet approach, instead of profiting by the strength of their position, they cut and run aground in the middle of the channel leading to the Charente. Twelve o'clock came, no signal was made for the fleet to weigh anchor; half past twelve, still no signal; mean time the French were using every exertion to get their ships into the river, and many of them were already afloat and crowding sail. It was now one o'clock. The Etna came up, and was hailed from the Imperieuse to know what attack was in tended to be made. The commander re plied, that he was ordered to bombard them. Lord Cochrane directed him to go close, and promised to protect him, The French three-decker at this time swung to her hawsers, and the last of their ships began to move. Never was a brave man who had full confidence in his own power, and in his own judgment, in a more painful state of impatience. The fire-ships of which he had been entrusted, with the charge, had failed. "I knew," said he, "I knew," said he, "what the tongue of slander was capable of; the expecta tions of my country, the hopes of the

admiralty, and my own prospects, were about to vanish." If there were any further delay, the opportunity, already too long neglected, would irrecoverably be lost. Without orders, therefore, or signal, acting from his own impulse, he weighed anchor, ran in, and went beyond the possibility of return.

At this time part of the fleet had just been instructed to weigh. Lord Cochrane ordered sail to be made after the sternmost ships of the enemy, and he made signal that the chase was superior to the chasing ship, because the Ville de Varsovie and the Calcutta were both afloat. Immediately afterwards he made signal that he wanted assistance; this signal happens to be coupled with the words, "being in distress,"-which in this case there was no intention to imply. The Imperieuse brought up, and opened her fire upon the Calcutta and the Varsovie; the former was placed with her broadside, the latter with her stern towards the English ship, and under sail; the Aquilon also had her stern towards the Imperieuse, but she was aground. The Etna at this time was bombarding the enemy; some brigs had anchored for the protection of the bomb, and were firing, but too far off to be of any use. Lord Cochrane made signal for them to close there was no flag to express brigs only, without frigates or larger vessels, and most of those were commanded by senior officers; so to explain as far as possible that the brigs only were meant, he fired upon them from the main deck, the quarter-deck shot, which he elevated himself not reaching them. This gave offence, though it was intended to pre vent it. There was, however, no time to express his designs, by tedious telegraphic communication. It was twenty ninutes past two when the Imperieuse opened her fire; it threw the enemy into such alarm, that the Calcutta cut, or broke a hawser which lay from a weather port, and the Varsovie ran ashore. The crew of the Aquilon also was so founded, that it was an hour and a half before they could clear away their stern,

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and get a single gun out of the stern ports. The Aigle came up at three, and several other ships soon afterwards came within hail. came within hail. Lord Cochrane hailed them to anchor, or they would ground immediately, the Imperieuse having taken her birth upon the very edge of the shoal. These ships, when anchored, opened their fire upon the three enemies within reach, the Ville de Varsovie, the Aquilon, and the Calcutta ; the latter, however, had already struck to the Imperieuse, and lord Cochrane made signal to this effect, and sent to inform those who were firing at her, that he had a boat at that time on board her. They then turned their fire upon the remaining two, and his lordship, seeing that there were ships enough to destroy them, ordered his own men, who were exceedingly fatigued, to cease firing; and, except those who were stationed to destroy the rigging, to rest themselves. The Ville de Varsovie and the Aquilon struck about six o'clock. The French mean time were deserting several of their ships with every boat that belonged to them, and pulling and sailing for the Rochefort river. Two arrived safe; the enemy themselves set fire to one, and the remaining five ran ashore.

It was now the close of the afternoon;: lord Cochrane was too much exhausted to be capable of further exertions; he could scarcely stand from extreme fatigue. Five ships were still aground at the mouth of the Charente; and in the hope that something might be effected against them during the night, lord Gambier · sent rear-admiral Stopford, in the Cæsar, with the Theseus, the three fire-ships, and the boats of the fleet, with Congreve rockets, giving discretional orders to proceed as far as he should think proper, and apply that force to the best of his judg ment. The Cæsar grounded in going in. either on a continuation of the Boyart, or on a separate bank in the direction of that shoal. It was nearly dark and the French on the island did not perceive that the ship was ashore, though she lay there threehours within range of shot from their batteries. The Theseus and the Valiant had:

also been grounded that evening. Admiral Stopford perceiving that if any thing farther could be effected against the enemy it must be by smaller vessels, availed himself of a shift of wind before day-light on the 13th, and returned with the line of battle. ships to Basque roads. The fire-ships were to have acted against the Foudroyant, and against the Ocean, a three-decker, but a baffing wind blew directly out. The enemy also had moored two lines of boats across the stern of their three-decker, with boats of advance. This was the only instance in which they displayed skill, or made a shew of resolution. Captain Bligh, who had charge of the fire-ships, applied to admiral Stopford for some gun-brigs to cover the retreat of the boats. The wind continued directly against them till about four in the morning, when he gave up the attempt as impracticable, and ordered the fire-vessels to move where the Imperieuse was laid, and follow the directions of lord Cochrane. The Calcutta had previously been burnt; and at half past three captain Bligh ordered the two other prizes to be set on fire. Here lord Cochrane's humanity was as strikingly displayed as his skill and intrepidity had been. When the prisoners were taken out of the Varsovie, he brought away a dog in his arms, which was howling upon the deck. The captain of one of the captured ships lamented to him, that all he had in the world was about to be destroyed in the conflagration. Instantly he got out the boat and pushed off, in hopes of saving his property for the prisoner; but in passing by one of the blazing ships her guns began to go off, and killed the French captain by his side, and so damaged the boat that she was with difficulty prevented from sinking.

Admiral Stopford had ordered the line of battle-ships out, because of the imminent and evident danger to which they were exposed by a longer continuance in that anchorage, and the certainty that they could not be employed in any farther operations against the enemy. The Imperieuse still remained in Aix road with the Pallas frigate, which hailed lord Cochrane in passing, to know if she should continue in the

inner anchorage; this he directed her to do if she had no orders to the contrary, and the bomb and brigs observing the Imperieuse at auchor, and the Pallas bringing up, anchored likewise. A signal of recal was made, which lord Cochrane answered by telegraphing that the enemy could be destroyed. This was about five in the morning of the 13th. In the course of the day, lord Cochrane received a letter from lord Gambier, telling him he had done his part so admirably, that the commander-inchief would not suffer him to tarnish it by attempting impossibilities, for any farther efforts to destroy the enemy's ships was, both in his own opinion and in that of those captains who had returned from the inner anchorage, altogether hopeless; he must therefore join the fleet as soon as he could. It was added in a postscript that lord Gambier had ordered three brigs and two rocket vessels to join him, with which he might make an attempt on the ship that was aground at the Palles, or towards Isle Madame; " but I do not," said his lordship," think you will succeed, and I am anxious you should come to me, as I wish to send you to England as soon as possible; you must therefore come as soon as the tide turns." Lord Cochrane wrote in reply that they could destroy the ships that were on shore, and hoped that his lordship would approve of it Lord Gambier's letter placed him in a most unpleasant situation,-first it recalled him,--then gave him liberty to act, then dissuaded him from acting, and then recalled him again. Had he been left freely to follow his own impulses, he would have attacked the enemy with his own ship, the Pallas, the bomb and brigs; but this letter which expressed so strongly the opinion of lord Gambier, and of so many senior officers, made him feel that a very heavy respon sibility would lie upon him in case of any disaster, such as in military operations is always possible. If, for instance, his cable had been shot away, he might have been sunk, such things were possible, though he considered them as by no means likely. Thus discouraged, he did nothing that day. But in his own mind he was assured