1809	British and French Fleets	104

frigates Pallas, Hortense, and Indienne. The fourth frigate, the Elbe, was moored as the headmost ship in the second or inner line. The method here taken will show, without the aid of a diagram, how the different ships were stationed

At the distance of about 110 yards in front of the line of frigates, a boom, half a mile in length, and composed of cables secured by anchors and floated by buoys, was thrown across the channel leading from Basque to Aix road, having its northern end within rather less than 1000 yards of the rocks that lie off the south-western extremity of the island. The anchors employed in mooring the boom were of the enormous weight of 5� tons English, and the cables 31� English inches in diameter. For the information of such as are unacquainted with the subject it may be useful to add that the bower anchor of the Caledonia, the largest ship in the British navy, weighs 4� tons, and that her bower cable measures in diameter, or did measure before iron ones were adopted, 25 inches. For any thing that appears in the accounts, the existence of this formidable boom was not known to the British until after the attack which we are about to relate had commenced.

The strength of the batteries that protected the anchorage has been variously stated at from 13 to 50 guns. It is probable that the number of guns did not exceed 30 ; but the greater part of these were long 36-pounders ; and there were also several mortars of the largest description in use. The island was garrisoned with 2000 troops ; but they were all conscripts and not to be relied upon. Nor was Isle d'Aix strong in any other part than that which protected the fleet. On its north-east side, or the side which fronts the bay of [La] Rochelle, there were only a few guns mounted, and those in bad condition and at a great distance apart. Exclusive of the batteries on Isle d'Aix, the isle of Oleron [Ol�ron], distant three miles and a half to the west-south-west of the citadel of Aix, contained three or four gun and mortar batteries, one of which, named Saumonard [Saumonards], could throw its shot and shells nearly within the range of the former. Besides these artificial defences, the road of Isle d'Aix had a shoal at a short distance in its rear, and another, at a somewhat greater distance,

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