Bristol's cable being cut by the shot, she swung so as to get
dreadfully raked. Mr. Saumarez was employed in replacing this spring
three times in the Mercury's boat, assisted by the captain of that
transport.

The brave Captain Morris, after receiving a number of wounds, with a
noble constancy disdained to quit his duty; until, his arm being shot
off, he was carried below in a condition which did not afford any
probability of recovery. At one time, the quarter-deck of the Bristol
was cleared of every one except the commodore, who stood on the
poop-ladder alone; a spectacle of intrepidity and firmness which has
been seldom equalled, never exceeded. It is said, that Mr. Saumarez
seeing him in this situation, requested him to come down; when he
replied with a smile, "What! you want to get rid of me, do ye?" while
he well knew that the reverse was the fact.

The loss sustained by the squadron in general, and by the Bristol in
particular, in an action unexampled in point of duration, and in which
it was finally repulsed, was very great: she had alone one hundred and
eleven killed and wounded, including her gallant captain and several
other officers.

During this severe conflict, Mr. Saumarez had a very narrow escape: at
the moment he was pointing a gun on the lower-deck, of which he had
the command, a shot from the fort entered the port-hole, struck the
gun, and killed seven out of eight men who were stationed to work it.
Some time afterwards, being called on deck to execute certain orders
respecting the replacing the spring on the cable, he was standing
close to Mr. Darley, a midshipman, for whom he had the greatest
regard, when a shot took off the young man's head and covered Mr.
Saumarez with his blood.

Captain Morris, after being carried below, lingered contrary to
expectation, and hopes were formed that he would survive; when,
unfortunately, his attendant being overcome with sleep, it is supposed
the captain's bandages gave way, and, not having strength to awake
him, he was found in the morning bathed in his blood. His dissolution
becoming inevitable, one of the officers asked him if he had any
direction to give with respect to his family; to which he nobly
replied, "None! I leave them to the Providence of God, and the
generosity of my country," and soon after expired. This engagement
lasted thirteen hours: it was the first in which Mr. Saumarez had been
present; and, after the very many in which he was subseque