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But, notwithstanding the bad state of his masts, Captain Troude approached within musket-shot of the British ship, the Pompée, which, having lost her mast, after an engagement of an hour and a half, made haste to get away, being taken in tow by a frigate.
Thus the logs and journals of the captains and officers of the Spencer, Audacious, Venerable, and Cæsar, all agree that the Hannibal struck her colours between 1h. 20m. and 1h. 40m. The Pompée, being by this time near the Mole at Gibraltar, could not see nor take minutes of that circumstance.
I almost despaired of having a sufficient force in readiness to oppose to such numbers; but, through the great exertions of Captain Brenton, and the officers and men belonging to the Cæsar, the ship was in readiness to warp out of the Mole yesterday morning, and got under way immediately after, with all the squadron except the Pompée, which ship had not had time to get her masts in.
P.M. dark weather; at forty-five minutes past 12, the Venerable and Pompée hauled to the wind on the starboard tack; at 1h. cut the sheet-cable, and slipped the end of the kedge hawser, and spring on the sheet-anchor, got the boats ahead to tow, found the ship drifting under the island fort, which did us considerable injury, the rocks close under the lee-bow, cut away the best bower-anchor to check her head, and bring her broadside to bear, it being calm; at twenty minutes past 1, a light breeze sprung up off-shore, cut away the best bower-cable, and made sail on the starboard tack, observed the Hannibal on shore, and the enemy take possession of her; at 4h. anchored in Rosia Bay, Gibraltar.
The Admiral made the signal for the marines to be prepared to land on the island; but, as the boats were all employed in assisting the Pompée and Hannibal, this was rendered impracticable.
Lucar to recall the Superb, and make sail with the Pompée, Hannibal, Spencer, Audacious, and Venerable, for the entrance of the Straits of Gibraltar; making the signal to prepare for action, and for anchoring by the stern. Le Formidable, 84. Dessaix, 84. Indomptable, 74: and Meuron, 38. The day was beautiful, with a light air from the westward.
Gibraltar Rock N. by E. four or five leagues, shortened sail to let the Pompée go ahead to her station; at half-past 7, saw the enemy's ships at anchor in Algeziras Roads, consisting of three line-of-battle ships, a frigate, gun-boats, &c.; three-quarters past 7, the batteries commenced firing on our ships as they passed; twenty minutes past 8, the enemy's ships began to fire on our ships; at half-past 8, the action became hot on both sides, the Venerable, Pompée, and Audacious as yet only in action; at half-past 9, the Cæsar, Spencer, and Hannibal joined the action against the ships and batteries; at 11h. cut the cables, and tried to tow the ship's head round to the eastward, to bring the ship's broadside to bear on her opponent, but without effect; by this time the sails and rigging being much cut up, and the ship unmanageable, got the kedge anchor with a five-inch hawser out on the starboard bow, and succeeded in bringing the broadside to bear; at noon, light airs inclining to calm, Cæsar, Spencer, under way, still in action.
The second, represented by the outlines, shows the situation of the hostile squadrons at the time the Hannibal struck, when the Pompée had nearly reached the Mole, the distance of which from Algeziras is little more than four miles, and the Spencer was considerably advanced in that direction. We cannot conclude our account of this action without a few remarks on the circumstances we have related.
At 10h. 20m. the Pompée drifted between us and the French Admiral's, hove in our spring, and brought our guns to bear on the other enemy's ship on our bow, and the other's stern: at 12h. the Pompée drifted between our fire and the enemy's, slipt the sheet-cable, and eight-inch hawser, the spring, with the intention of getting alongside the enemy's southernmost ship, light air springing up at the time from the N.E.; in awaiting this opportunity, the mizen-top-mast, fore-braces, and jibb halyards, with various other standing and running rigging, shot away, and main-mast badly wounded: at 11h. 15m. breeze dying away prevented our intention, opened our fire on the southernmost ship; at 12h. calm and hazy, Cæsar, Hannibal, Audacious, Spencer, and us still firing on the enemy's ships, batteries, and gun-boats, boats of the squadron towing off the Pompée to Gibraltar; P.M. calm, still firing on the enemy's ships, which were warping farther in-shore.
Two other seamen belonging to the Pompée, who had not been selected as part of the reinforcement to the crews of the other ships, secreted themselves on board the Cæsar, and the day after the action presented themselves on the quarter-deck, with a request that intercession might be made for them with their captain, telling their story in the following quaint manner: "Sir, we belongs to the Le Pompée, and finding our ship could not get out, we stowed ourselves away in this ship, and, in the action, quartered ourselves to the "10th gun, and opposite on the lower deck," referring, at the same time, to the officer in command of this division of guns, for the truth of their statement.
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