Edmund Heywood, and the gun-brigs Bloodhound and Archer, Lieutenants Henry Richardson and John Price, to run in and open their fire upon such of the enemy's vessels as attempted to stand off from the land. The 16-gun ship-sloop Autumn, Captain Samuel Jackson, was at this time getting under way, and lost no time in giving her support to the Harpy and her two consorts ; all four vessels maintaining an occasional fire during the whole weather-tide.

At daylight on the 20th there were 19 brigs and eight luggers only remaining in the bay ; and at about 6 A.M. these began to slip singly, and run to the southward for the port of Etaples, or Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, the Autumn and three brigs being then too far to leeward to give them any interruption. As soon as the tide permitted, the Immortalité and Leda weighed and stood in close to Boulogne, when it was perceived that a brig, a lugger, and several large boats, were stranded on the beach west of the harbour. The crews of the vessels were endeavouring to save from them what they could, but the tide most probably completed their destruction. Three other French brigs and a lugger were on the rocks near the village of Portet, totally destroyed. A brig and two luggers remained at anchor close to the rocks, with signals flying; the brig had lost her topmasts, topsails, and lower yards, and one of the luggers the head of her mainmast besides which the sea was making a perfect breach over them.

In the French version of the affair no mention is made of the presence of the British. All is ascribed to the fury of the gale, which did, indeed, occasion sufficient havoc among the numerous craft. The exact number of gun-vessels that foundered, or were stranded, is not stated ; but the account acknowledges, that upwards of 400 soldiers and sailors were ingulfed with the former, and that a great many perished with the latter. The emperor was a spectator of the scene, and, if we are to credit the French writers, evinced much sensibility on the occasion. " L'empereur, arrivé de la veille à Boulogne, fut témoins de ces désastres; il se montra encore plus affligé que furieux ; la sensibilité chez lui parut bien supérieure au dépit, et l'orgueil de son caractère ceda à la bonté de son c�ur." * Napoléon, no doubt, was taught a lesson by the disaster : he saw that the shots and shells of British ships were not all he had to fear, in getting his immense armada across the English Channel.

Boulogne, being as already mentioned the head-quarters of the grand armament preparing for the invasion of England, occupied a due share of the latter's attention. The British squadron, which cruised off Boulogne in August, consisted of from 15 to 20 vessels, under the command of Rear-admiral Louis in the 50-gun ship Leopard. The main body usually lay at anchor, in 15 fathoms' water, about 10 miles north-west of the

* Victoires et Conquêtes, tome xvi., p. 138.

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