his drunken companions, should, at this painful moment to the spectators (and something of the kind we believe did happen), wave to and fro the tri-coloured flag, under which he had so nobly fought.

Among the survivors of the Vengeur's crew, were Captain Renaudin and his son, a boy of twelve years of age. These were accidentally taken off by different ships' boats; and each, until they met again at Portsmouth, imagined the other had perished. Affecting indeed must have been the interview to all who witnessed it ; to the father and son rapturous in the extreme. Captain Renaudin was afterwards exchanged, and proved, as we shall by-and-by have occasion to show, as humane as he had already shown himself a gallant man.

The Valiant, the next ship claiming our attention, hove to, at 9 h. 30 m. a.m., to windward of her proper opponent (reckoning from the rear) the Patriote, and, as she well might, from the latter's sickly state, soon drove her to leeward. The Valiant then passed through the line ahead of the Patriote, and engaged the Achille soon after the Queen-Charlotte had quitted her. At 10 h. 5 m. a.m. the Achilles main and mizen masts, disabled, no doubt, by the three-decker's previous fire, fell over the side ; and the Valiant then stretched ahead, until she brought to to windward of the Royal-Sovereign, as has already been related. The Valiant's loss of spars was confined to her main topsail and cross jack yards, and her loss of men to one seaman and one soldier or marine killed, and five seamen and four soldiers or marines wounded.

The Orion bore down upon and engaged the Northumberland, and fired a few shot, as they would bear, on the Patriote ahead of her. At about 10 h. 30 m. a.m. the two French ships bore up, and the masts of the Northumberland, which previously to her attack by the Orion, had received several destructive shot from the foremost guns of the Queen, felt over the side; as, a few minutes before, had the main topmast of the Orion, carrying with it the main top and main yard. The Orion then hauled up, as well as she could, in support of the Queen Charlotte ; and the Northumberland set her spritsail, and endeavoured to get off to leeward : the latter, however, was subsequently secured, and found to have sustained a loss in killed and wounded of 180, including a large proportion of officers. The Orion received no other damage of any consequence than what has been related ; and her loss extended to only two seamen killed, and 20 seamen and four soldiers or marines wounded.

The Queen, in bearing down to engage, having suffered considerably in her sails and rigging, was unable to get abreast of her proper opponent, the Northumberland ; who, with her fore and main tacks down, was running fast ahead. She therefore closed with the seventh French ship from the rear, the