A small French vessel, the unarmoured cruiser _Faucon_, had crept up unnoticed. The attention of the British officers had been, until that moment, concentrated upon the three powerful battleships, the _Requin_, the _Dévastation_, and the _Jemappes_, which kept up their hot fire upon the flagship, causing terrible destruction. Now, however, the British Admiral saw himself surrounded by the enemy, and the sight which caused his heart to beat quickly was a distinct line of bubbles upon the water, advancing with terrific speed, showing that a torpedo had been ejected from the _Faucon_ directly at his ship! In the conning-tower all knew their danger, but not a man spoke. Both the Admiral and the captain at the same instant saw the death-dealing projectile advancing, and both retained their coolness and presence of mind. The captain, shouting an order, sprang back and touched one of the electric signals, which was instantly responded to. It was the work of a second. The great engines roared and throbbed, and the huge vessel, propelled backwards by its 13,000 horse-power, swung steadily round just as the torpedo glanced off her bow obliquely. The crew of the _Royal Sovereign_ had never been nearer death than at that instant. Had the ironclad not halted in her course, the striker of the torpedo would have come square upon her bows, and one of the finest vessels of the British Navy would have probably gone to the bottom. The _Faucon_ was not given an opportunity to make a second attempt. The captain of the _Anson_ had witnessed how narrowly the British flagship had escaped, and immediately turned his great guns upon the little vessel, with the result that her quick-firing guns were quickly rendered useless, her hull was torn up like paper, and she slowly sank without offering resistance. Shots came from the frowning barbettes of the _Camperdown_, _Benbow_, and the turrets of the _Monarch_ rapidly, the damage and loss of life suffered by the enemy now being enormous. The three French battleships engaging the _Royal Sovereign_ at close quarters received terrible punishment. One of the 75-ton guns of the _Requin_ had been rendered useless, her deck had been torn up, and her bulwarks had been carried away, together with her funnel and forward mast. The rear barbette gun of the _Jemappes_ had been thrown off its mounting, and a shell striking the port side battery, had burst against the forward bulkhead, and wrought horrible destruction among the guns' crews. The three powerful French vessels pouring their fire upon the British flagship, and finding themselves being raked by the heavy fire of their adversary, signalled the _Tonnerre_ and _Furieux_ to assist them. Both vessels drew nearer, and soon afterwards commenced pounding at the _Royal Sovereign_.