After the battle a merchant brig happened along, and a prize crew was put on board of her. Then the fishermen who had been captured when the _Ranger_ first arrived on the coast were not only released, but enough gold was given them to pay for all their losses, together with a sail from the _Drake’s_ outfit as a notice to the shore people that the Yankee had won. They went away cheering the generosity of John Paul Jones. And while speaking of the generosity of this American naval captain, it should be told that, in fitting out the _Ranger_ on the American side, he advanced to the American government several thousand dollars (continental currency) of his own money, and that he bore all the expense of fitting and refitting her on the French coasts before her cruise. In all, he spent some £1,500 sterling of his own money, and because of the poverty of the American government he had to wait a long time to get it back again. It was very well written of this cruise that “the news of the brilliant achievements of Paul Jones electrified France and appalled England.” Just how much England was appalled by the American demonstrations on her coast may be inferred from a statement of the number of men “raised” (_i.e._, gathered in by press gangs) for her navy. In 1774 she “raised” 345 men. In 1777 she “raised” 37,458, and in 1778 the number was 41,847. CHAPTER VII THE FIRST SUBMARINE WARSHIP IT WAS SMALL AND INEFFECTIVE, BUT IT CONTAINED THE GERM OF A MIGHTY POWER THAT IS AS YET UNDEVELOPED--WHEN NICHOLAS BIDDLE DIED--HE WAS A MAN OF THE SPIRIT OF AN IDEAL AMERICAN NAVAL OFFICER--FOUGHT HIS SHIP AGAINST OVERWHELMING ODDS TILL BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER--THE LOSS OF THE _HANCOCK_--AN AMERICAN CAPTAIN DISMISSED FOR A GOOD REASON--CAPTAIN RATHBURNE AT NEW PROVIDENCE--LOSS OF THE _VIRGINIA_--CAPTAIN BARRY’S NOTABLE EXPLOIT--WITH TWENTY-SEVEN MEN TO HELP HIM, HE CAPTURED A SCHOONER OF TEN GUNS BY BOARDING FROM SMALL BOATS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, ALTHOUGH THE SCHOONER WAS MANNED BY 116 SAILORS AND SOLDIERS.