"Just as the action began the _Téméraire_ parted her cable and got ashore. I ran down to her and towed her off and while doing so, saw Fort Marabout giving pepper to _Monarch_, _Invincible_ and _Penelope_. Not one of these ships could be spared, as they were getting it hot and could not spare a gun for Marabout from the forts they were engaging. Seeing the difficulty, directly I had got the _Téméraire_ afloat I steamed down at full speed and engaged Fort Marabout, on the principle that according to orders 'an opportunity' had occurred.... I thought we should have a real rough time of it, as I knew of the heavy guns, and I knew that one shot fairly placed must sink us. But I hoped to be able to dodge the shoals, of which there were many, and get close in, when I was quite sure they would fire over us. That is exactly what occurred. I got in close and manoeuvred the ship on the angle of the fort, so that the heavy guns could hardly bear on me, if I was very careful. The smooth-bores rained on us, but only two shots hit, the rest went short or over. One heavy shot struck the water about six feet from the ship, wetting everyone on the upper deck with spray, and bounded over us in a ricochet. "I did not fire on the smooth-bores at all until I had silenced the heavy guns which were annoying _Invincible_, _Monarch_, and _Penelope_. The men fired splendidly. I put all down to the lectures I have given them at target practice, telling them never to throw a shot away, but always to wait until they got the sights on. [Illustration: ON BOARD H.M.S. "CONDOR," 11TH JULY, 1882. FROM A DRAWING BY FREDERIC VILLIERS] "Hedworth Lambton told me afterwards that the admiral had just sent on the signal for the _Monarch_ to go to Fort Marabout as soon as she could be spared, when he heard a cheer from his own men. He asked, 'What's that?' and they told him they were cheering the _Condor_. Just then our three guns were fired, and each shot hit in the middle of the heavy battery, and the _Invincible's_ men burst into a cheer. The admiral said, 'Good God, she'll be sunk!' when off {189} went our guns again, cheers rang out again from the flagship and the admiral, instead of making 'Recall _Condor_; made 'Well done, _Condor_' ... at the suggestion of Hedworth Lambton, the flag-lieutenant.