The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-05
BOOK vi.
The Great Lord Hawke"
CHAPTER xxxV,
The Protector. Of ENGLAND.

The Protector. Of England.
Very early In the morning Of the TWEEN
C-first. the day after the battle. the
Maidstone. under the smallest possible
canvas that could be spared. which
would yet enable Hatfield to keep control
Of his ship. came flying into the bay.
During the night the storm of the previ
ous afternoon had developed into one OF
the fercest tempests that ever swept over
the Bay of Biscay. and the breaking day
revealed a scene of awful desolation.
The storm still ragged with una bated
violence and the British ships which had
anchored near the Royal George strained
and tugged at her cables. under the ire
mendous pressure of wind and sea, with
such force that their officers feared every
moment they would drag their. anchors
and drift ashore. Indeed, II the English
captains, by the admirals direction, had
not resorted to the tedious and laborious
eXpedient of housing their topmasts it
would have been impossible for them to
have ridden out the gale. No ship could
remain at her anchors in such a wind
with her spars and top hamper all stand
ing. -.
Hawke was surrounded by a portion Of
his fleet only. Many Of his ships. not
having heard the signal to anchor-Which
was at night, two guns fired in success
sion-or mistaking the sound, if it was
heard, for dying reminder Of the en-
Eagement. had beat out to sea- Most of
them did not rejoin him for some days.
Several miles to the northward. Oft
the mouth of the little river Vilaine, could
be seen seven French battleships-Le Clio
rieux. LIE REQUISITE, lie Northumberland.
lie Sphynx, lie Solitaire. LEveille. and
together, their crews working like mad
casting guns. equipment. and everything
movable overheard In order to tighten
them sufficiently to enable them to pass
over the bar into the shallow waters OF
the river. Most Of them had been Sc
verely mauled in the battle
The eight ships which had fed with de
Beauffremont were nowhere to be seen
Far away to the southwark they were do
Ing the same thing off the mouth of the
Charente. LIE Juste, however. had been
SO badly handled that her officers LOST
control Of her, and she had run ashore
on Charpentier reef and had become to
tal wreck, with the loss Of many of hel
men. The names Of these ships were
lie Tonnant. L'Orient, L'Intrepide. Ii
Magnifque. lie Dauphin Royal, LIE ORA
Eon. LIE Brilliant, LIE Bizarre. Among
these. lie Magnifique was very much cut
UP. and only kept afloat with difficulty
All Of the others were more or less shat
tered. a.
OF the other French ships, lie Formid
able was anchored near the Magnanime
Her masts having been shot out o.
ner, she presented no surface above deck
for the pressure Of the wind. and conse
quently rode the storm better than an,
OF the ships about her. She was fa1rl,
sound in hull, and the English hoped tt
make her seaworthy and save her. Sh,
was the sole prize remaining to them.
AS the daylight came another French
ship was revealed anchored In the YER,
middle Of Hawkes. fleet. 1t was the I'm
fortunate Royal San. She had rename
there all night long In the storm. Com
pletely dismasted and shattered beyon
hope Of repair by the awful batterin
she had received from the Royal George
and surrounded by English ships. furthe
resistance on her part was impossible. A
soon de Contains discovered his situa
ton the unfortunate French admiral CT
his cable and ran ashore near Croisic.
Near the Torbay, high on lie Four banl
lay LHeros, which had struck to til
IyeIgnanime. She had become unmansg re
able and drifted ashore during the nigh
De Contains landed his men from I
Soleil Royal as best he could in the sur
losing many by the opera ton, and the
set fire to his once magnificent flazshi
AS the French admiral cut his cab
Hawke had ordered the Essex to cha
him. That vessel however, was unfort,
nate in her course, and, through no fau
of her captain, ran on lie Four bank
the side of Graftom's ship and became. Ill
the other two, a total wreck. Most Of tt