Early in the contest the French Admiral, de Brueys, had been badly wounded, but, gallant sailor that he was, refused to go below, and met his death about this time by a shot that almost cut him in two: even then his resolute spirit refused to yield, and death only gave his comrades the power to remove his maimed body. At 9 o'clock his ship, "L'Orient," was seen to blaze out; but her determined crew stuck to their guns and fired them until they were literally scorched out of their places--and then the great ship blew up. So awful was the scene that the gunners of both fleets were apparently too dazed to fire again for about a quarter of an hour. Meantime a French lad won undying fame by his devotion to his father, the Commodore of "L'Orient," and his name has been immortalised by a British poetess, Mrs. Hemans, who has so well portrayed the story of the little ten-year-old lad who refused to leave his mortally wounded father, and despite the fact that, as a French writer states, "the English seamen made the most strenuous efforts to save the young Casabianca," he went down to his death with the father he loved so well. Just before "L'Orient" blew up, Nelson received a severe wound on the forehead which was for a time thought likely to prove mortal; but on hearing that the great vessel had blown up, he gave orders for the launching of the only boat so that the unfortunate survivors of the explosion might be rescued. The night with its horrors had exhausted the fleets, and firing gradually ceased until the day broke at 4 o'clock: by then 6 French ships had hauled down their colours and two were aground, while the "Tonnant," commanded by the bravest of brave seamen, Captain Dupetit-Thouars, showed fight to the last, for her seamen were filled with the spirit of their dead captain, who had his colours nailed to the mast, and when wounded unto death refused to yield. Such courage as his must be infectious. With both arms and a leg shot away, seated in a tub of bran, this defiant and gallant Frenchman commanded his ship until the conqueror of all--Death--claimed the victory.