After the lapse of about three-quarters of an hour the _Emden_ had lost two funnels and the foremast; she was badly on fire aft and amidships, so that at times nothing more than the top of the mainmast could be seen amid the clouds of steam and smoke. Her guns, now occasionally firing, gave out a short yellow flash by which they could be distinguished from the long dark red flames of the _Sydney’s_ bursting lyddite. Once she disappeared so completely that the cry went up from the _Sydney_ that she had sunk, but she appeared again, blazing, almost helpless. Glossop, who had been circling round to port, then drew in to a range of 5,500 yards—which in the absence of the range-finder was wrongly estimated at under 5,000—and determined to try a shot with a torpedo. It was a difficult shot as the torpedo gunner was obliged to set his gyroscope to a definite angle and then wait until the rapidly turning _Emden_ came upon his bearing. But in spite of the difficulties it was very good; the torpedo ran straight for its mark and then stopped short at the distance of 5,000 yards for which it had been set. The torpedo crews, naturally enough, wanted forthwith to let off all their mouldies, just to show the gunners how the business should be done with, but the hard-hearted Glossop forbade. The moment after the one had been fired he swung the ship round to starboard, opened out his range, and resumed the distressful game of gun-pounding. The _Emden_ also went away to starboard for about four miles and then von Müller, finding that his ship was badly pierced under water as well as on fire, put about again and headed for the North Keeling Island, where he ran aground. The _Sydney_ followed, saw that her beaten enemy was irretrievably wrecked, and went away to deal with the _Emden’s_ collier—a captured British ship _Buresk_—which had hovered about during the action but upon which Glossop had not troubled to fire. The _Emden_ fired no torpedoes in the action, for though von Müller had three left his torpedo flat was put out of business early in the fight.