lating the men to undue or
unreasonable efforts. Such is an outline of the English materials on
this occasion; both parties being now ready for the struggle. If we add
that it was already past two, and that all hands began to feel some
anxiety on the score of the wind, which might soon be expected, the
preliminary picture is sufficiently sketched.

Sir Frederick Dashwood had formed his line about a mile within the
rocks, with one launch in the centre, and one on each extremity. That in
the centre was commanded by O'Leary, his own second lieutenant; that on
the left of his force by McBean, and the one on its right by Winchester.
O'Leary was tanked by Griffin and Clinch, in the Proserpine's cutters,
while the intervals were filled by the remaining boats. The captain kept
moving about in his own gig, giving his directions, somewhat confusedly,
beyond a question; yet with a cheerfulness and indifference of air that
aided in keeping alive the general _gaite de coeur_, When all was ready,
he gave the signal to advance, pulling, for the first half mile,
chivalrously in advance of the line, with his own gig.

Raoul had noted the smallest movement of the enemy with a glass, and
with grave attention. Nothing escaped his jealous watchfulness; and he
saw that Sir Frederick had made a capital error in the outset. Had he
strengthened his centre, by putting all his carronades in the same
battery, as it might be, the chances for success would have been
doubled; but, by dividing them, he so far weakened their effect as to
render it certain no one of the three French batteries could be wholly
crippled by their fire. This, of course, left the difficult task to the
English of pushing up to their hand-to-hand work, under the
embarrassment of receiving constant discharges of grape and canister.

The few minutes that intervened between the order to advance, and the
moment when the boats got within a quarter of a mile of the rock, were
passed in a profound quiet, neither side making any noise, though Raoul
had no small difficulty in restraining the constitutional impatience of
his own men to begin. A boat presents so small an object, however, to
artillerists as little skilled as seamen generally are, who depend more
on general calculations than on the direct or scientific aim, the latter
being usually defeated by the motion of their vessels, that he was
unwilling to throw away even his canister. A Frenchman himself, however,
he could refrain