How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves: Updated to 1900Kingston, William Henry Giles
History
How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves: Updated to 1900
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Great Britain. Royal Navy -- History
In the morning the enemy's ships still in a condition to make sail got
under way and endeavoured to escape. Of the thirteen French ships of
the line, by this time, one had blown up, eight had surrendered, and two
had escaped. Of the remaining two, one, the _Timoleon_, was on shore,
with her colours flying; the other, the _Tonnant_, lay about two miles
from her, a mere wreck, but also with her colours up. On the approach,
however, of the _Theseus_ and _Leander_, she hauled them down; while the
crew of the _Timoleon_ set her on fire, and she soon afterwards blew up.
Thus, in the memorable "Battle of the Nile," the French lost eleven
line-of-battle ships, besides frigates. In this action the British lost
218 killed and 678 wounded. Among the latter was Horatio Nelson, who
was struck above his already darkened eye by a splinter; while all the
ships were considerably cut up. On board the _Orient_ fell the
Commodore Casa Bianca, as well as his gallant young son, who had refused
to quit his post; and the French commander-in-chief, Brueys, who, after
receiving two severe wounds, was nearly cut in two by a shot. While
still breathing, he desired not to be carried below, but to be left to
die upon deck, exclaiming in a firm voice, "Un amiral Francais doit
mourir sur son banc de quart."
"A French admiral ought to die on his quarter-deck."
While the ship was in flames, the boats of the British ships put off to
save the hapless crew, seventy of whom were thus rescued. The heroic
conduct of the captain of the _Tonnant_, Du Petit Thonars, deserves to
be recorded. He first lost both his arms, and then one of his legs;
even then, still able to speak, he gave his dying commands to his crew
not to surrender the ship. Of the English fleet, the _Culloden_
unhappily got on shore while going into action, and only by great
exertions did she get off, after the battle was over. That the French
fought with the utmost gallantry is acknowledged by all, while we must
rank the victory of the Nile among the most brilliant achievements of
the British Navy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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