slightly touched in the thigh,
face, and fingers--my glass cut in my hand, and the skirts of my
coat torn off by a large shot; but as I bled a good deal, it
looked as if I was badly hurt, and it was gratifying to see and
hear how it was received even in the cockpit, which was then pretty
full. My thigh is not quite skinned over, but I am perfectly well,
and hope to reach Portsmouth by the 10th of October. Ferdinand has
sent me a diamond star. Wise behaved most nobly, and took up a
line-of-battle ship's station; but all behaved nobly. I never saw
such enthusiasm in all my service. Not a wretch shrunk any where;
and I assure you it was a very arduous task, but I had formed a
very correct judgment of all I saw, and was confident, if
supported, I should succeed. I could not wait for an offshore wind
to attack; the season was too far advanced, and the land-winds
become light and calmy. I was forced to attack at once with a
lee-shore, or perhaps wait a week for a precarious wind along
shore; and I was quite sure I should have a breeze off the land
about one or two in the morning, and equally sure we could hold out
to that time. Blessed be God! it came, and a dreadful night with
it, of thunder, lightning, and rain, as heavy as I ever saw.
Several ships had expended all their powder, and been supplied from
the brigs. I had latterly husbanded, and only fired when they fired
on us; and we expended 350 barrels, and 5,420 shot, weighing above
65 tons of iron. Such a state of ruin of fortifications and houses
was never seen, and it is the opinion of all the consuls, that two
hours more fire would have levelled the town; the walls are all so
cracked. Even the aqueducts were broken up, and the people
famishing for water. The sea-defences, to be made effective, must
be rebuilt from the foundation. The fire all round the Mole looked
like Pandemonium. I never saw anything so grand and so terrific,
for I was not on velvet, for fear they would drive on board us. The
copper-bottoms floated full of fiery hot charcoal, and were red hot
above the surface, so that we could not hook on our fire-grapnels
to put the boats on, and could do nothing but push fire-booms, and
spring the ship off by our warps, as occasion required."

The battle of Algiers forms a class by itself among