the island;
but, as the boats were all employed in assisting the Pompee and
Hannibal, this was rendered impracticable. At length, finding
every effort fruitless to close with the enemy, the Admiral was
under the necessity of withdrawing his ships from this unequal
contest with winds and batteries; but it was not until all hope
had vanished of saving the Hannibal that he left her in
possession of the enemy.

The accompanying diagram shows first, the position of the hostile
squadrons at the moment the Spencer, and Venerable, and Caesar, had
anchored; secondly, their position when the action ceased, and when
the Hannibal was in possession of the enemy.

The action of Algeziras was certainly obstinately fought, and
gallantly contested on both sides. It is true that the French
had little to do but to attend to their guns, being either at an
anchor in their strong position, or warping towards the shore.
In this operation the Spaniards had the hardest duty, being
employed in their boats in carrying out hawsers, and even in
heaving them in. Success seemed certain to the British squadron
till the Pompee broke her sheer; after that, it was one
continued but unavailing struggle to recover the ground we had
lost by this misfortune: and we retreated to Gibraltar when all
hope was at an end, the Admiral justly considering the
importance of repairing the damages already sustained, and of
preserving the lives of his gallant crew, which would be
uselessly sacrificed by a continuance of a hopeless contest.

Never did I contemplate more real greatness of mind than was
displayed on this occasion by our heroic chief. The calmness and
cheerfulness with which he met and sustained the sad reverses of
this most trying day, were objects worthy of remark and
admiration. Whilst going into the Bay of Algeziras, he desired
me to look over my signal-book, and to mark such signals as
might be likely to be called for. He had already done the same,
and when, during the heat of the action, any of the flags were
destroyed, or the halliards shot away, I was astonished at the
readiness with which he ordered one signal to be substituted for
another, according as the signification might answer the
purpose, without any reference to the book.

On reaching our anchorage off the Mole of Gibraltar, after
giving the necessary orders for the disposal and r