About ten o'clock the great ship, that gave an idea of a world in conflagration, blew up. There was an awful pause and deathlike silence for about three minutes, when the wreck of the masts, yards, and so on, which had been carried to a vast height, fell down into the water and on board the surrounding ships. A port-fire fell into the main-royal of the _Alexander_, but the fire occasioned by it was extinguished in about two minutes by the active exertions of Captain Ball, who, meaning all along to stand by, had been sluicing his decks and rigging. After this awful scene the firing was recommenced with the ships to leeward of the centre till twenty minutes past ten, when there was a total cessation of firing for about ten minutes; after which it was revived till about three in the morning, when it again ceased. After the victory had been secured in the van, such British ships as were in a condition to move had gone down upon the fresh ships of the enemy, which occasioned these renewals of the fight, all of which terminated with the same happy success in favour of our flag. At five minutes past five in the morning the two rear ships of the enemy, _Le Guillaume Tell_ and _Le Généreux_, were the only French ships of the line that had their colours flying. At fifty-four minutes past five a French frigate, _L'Artemise_, fired a broadside and struck her colours; but such was the unwarrantable and infamous conduct of the French captain that, after having thus surrendered, he set fire to his ship, and with part of his crew made his escape on shore. Another of the French frigates, _La Sérieuse_, had been sunk by the fire from some of our ships; but as her poop remained above water, her men were saved upon it, and were taken off by our boats in the morning. The _Bellerophon_, whose masts and cables had been entirely shot away, could not retain her situation abreast of the _Orient_, but had drifted out of the line to the leeside of the bay a little before that ship blew up. The _Audacious_ was in the morning detached to her assistance. At eleven o'clock _Le Généreux_ and _Le Guillaume Tell_, with the two frigates _La Justice_ and _La Diane_, cut their cables and stood out to sea, pursued by the _Zealous_, Captain Hood, who, as the Admiral himself has stated, handsomely endeavoured to prevent their escape; but as there was no other ship in a condition to support the _Zealous_ she was recalled. The whole day of the 2nd was employed in securing the French ships that had struck, and which were now all completely in our possession, _Le Tonnant_ and _Le Timoléon_ excepted; as these were both dismasted, and consequently could not escape, they were naturally the last of which we thought of taking possession.