Night, which must have been ardently wished for by the French, now came on; when the British admiral made the signal for his fleet to bring to, in order that he might secure his prizes. In the course of this night the _Cæsar_, one of the prizes, blew up by accident; and a British lieutenant and fifty seamen, with about four hundred prisoners, perished. The _Ville de Paris_ was the most important of the prizes; she was the largest ship in the French king's service. She had been a present from the city of Paris to Louis XV., and no expense had been spared to render the gift worthy of the city and of the monarch; the expense of building her and fitting her for sea is said to have been one hundred and fifty-six thousand pounds. On board of her there were, at the time of her capture, thirty-six chests of money, intended for the pay and subsistence of the men who were to have been employed in the expedition against Jamaica: in the other captured ships the whole train of artillery and the battering cannon, and travelling carriages meant for that expedition, were also found. The loss of men in the British fleet in both actions, on April the 9th and 12th, was very small, amounting only to two hundred and thirty-seven killed and seven hundred and seventy-six wounded. The loss of the French is computed to have been three thousand slain and more than double that number wounded. In the _Ville de Paris_ alone upwards of three hundred men were killed; and several other of the captured ships lost between two or three hundred. Two sail of the line and three frigates were captured the following day, so that the total loss of the enemy amounted to eight sail of the line and two frigates; six of which were in possession of the British, one sunk and another blown up. The Count de Grasse was sent prisoner to England. After his success, Sir Samuel Hood joined Admiral Rodney, who proceeded to Jamaica with his prizes; leaving Sir Samuel with twenty-five sail of the line to keep the sea and watch the motions of the enemy. Admiral Pigot, having arrived from England to succeed Sir George Rodney on the West India station, the latter sailed from Jamaica in the beginning of August. The news of his victory gave great and universal joy in Great Britain, and the admiral was created an English peer, and a pension of £2,000 a year was conferred upon him. Sir Samuel Hood was created an Irish peer. Lord Rodney died in 1792, and a memorial was erected to his memory in St. Paul's Cathedral by public subscription. [Illustration: ADMIRAL DUNCAN ADDRESSING HIS CREW AFTER THE MUTINY AT THE NORE. (_See page 361._)] THE LOSS OF THE _RAMILIES_. BY G. H. WALKER.