About sunset the signal was made to discontinue the engagement; but as that might have encouraged the enemy to re-man their guns, we kept on till a considerable time after dark, when the Flag Lieutenant brought us orders to withdraw. The Revenge slipped her stern anchor, and made sail with great facility. The Princess Charlotte, I believe, picked up both her anchors, and also made sail, but casting the wrong way, nearly got on shore; she was conducted in a most seamanlike manner, and not a word was to be heard on board of her. The Powerful, having her main-top mast badly wounded, and the main-top-gallant mast down, was towed out by the Gorgon. The Thunderer and Bellerophon remained in their position. The southern squadron being anchored in the bay, with their stern to the beach, and their broadsides bearing on the Mole, remained at anchor also; and fortunately they did, for their position certainly contributed to decide the Governor to abandon the town, which he did after midnight, taking the greatest part of the garrison with him. Towards the west side there was no breach, and the walls were much too high to surmount without scaling-ladders, which were left behind, with the exception of a few in the Princess Charlotte. Towards the south the walls were lower, but still they were not breached; and a determined enemy might have remained secure under the breastworks, or in the numerous casemates, without suffering much loss, and, considering the season of the year, it would have been worth their while to have made the experiment. Be that as it may, it was decided to evacuate the town. What number was withdrawn, and finally escaped, is difficult to say, as many deserted on the march and came over in the morning, and others were picked up by the irregular cavalry who had joined from the country. Before the attack on the fortress, a regiment of Egyptian cavalry, with their flying artillery, encamped outside, charged the mountaineers who had collected in some force; these, although they behaved with great gallantry, were quite unequal to resist the disciplined Egyptians, and suffered severely. The loss of the enemy’s force during the battle, by the explosion, must have been very great; an entire battalion, who were formed near the magazine ready to resist any attempt to storm, were entirely destroyed; and nothing could be more shocking than to see the miserable wretches, sick and wounded, in all parts of this devoted town, which was almost entirely pulverized. The Turks paid little attention to the poor creatures, and many were seen lying in all directions dying for want of seasonable relief. CHAPTER XVII. Difference between the Admiral and the Author—The Author’s Orders—Captain Berkeley’s Orders—The Author applies for a Court Martial, but is refused—Correspondence with the Admiral—The Admiral’s Dispatches.