The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-12-23
BATTLE Of THE NILE,
Where ':the Boy Stood on the
Burning Deck"
cAsaBIANCA AND HIS FATE.
The Facts About the Little Hero OF
Mrs. Hemans' Famous Poem, His
Father and the Tragedy Of the
Doomed French FLAGSHIP, the Orient.

That was lucky child who in the
latter part Of the last century escaped
the ordeal Of standing up before cir
Gle Of relatives and friendS-outwardly
enthusiastic and admiring, inWardly
often greatly bored-to repeat those
well known if somewhat inaccurate
lines that tell US how "the boy stood
on the burning deck" Whether, nine
times out Of ten, the infant reciter or,
for that matter, any of the members
Of the applauding family circle could
have given the date and place of the
occurrence may be doubtful. The forty
lines of Mrs. Bemans gave them all
the history that they craved, and When
the parrot-like performance closed with
faithful heart" sentimental maiden
aunt would sigh, liberal uncle be-
stow larcesSe to the extent OF hall
crown, and that was all.
1t was in 179S that young CasabI-
anca, the ten-year-old son Of the COM
modore of the French flagship Orient,
stood amid the awful devastation Of
the battle Of the Nile. Bonaparte bad
himself sailed in the Ill fated Orient
from Toulon in the previous May, tax
ing with him a good stock Of bur-
gundy and also that famous camp IL
brary'' of cabinet editions, including
forty volumes Of English novels, ID
which the Bible and the Koran were
classed under the head Of politics"
More important still for those who love
the picturesque details Of history and
great men, he was accompanied by his
then private secretary, Louis Antoine
Fauvelet de Bourrienne, from whose
always entertaining if not invariably
accurate pen we have a capital ac-
count OF the voyage to Egypt.
Much Of the time was passed by Ma
poleon lying in his berth while Bour-
rienne read to him and in promoting
discussions on various questions among
the scientific and other distinguished
men who accompanied the expedition.
The flagship carried population OF
more than 1000 souls, and the cry OF
tsAfan oyerboard!'' was not infreQuent.
On these occasions Bonaparte display
ed side Of his character to which full
justice is not always done. Bour-
rienne describes his agitation till res
cue was effected as extreme. On one
occasion false alarm was raised dur
ing the darkness Of night, and the sup
posed 'man" proved to be the quarter
of a bullock which had dropped from
the rigging, but Napoleon rewarded
the rescuers even more literally than
usual, pointing out that their exerton
had been for what they believed hu-
man life.
The feet arrived off the coast Of AZ
rica on July /, and here Bourrienne
and his .Memoirs" leave the squadron
to accompany the army and his chief
on land. Brueys, the French admiral,
had during the voyage expressed fore
bodings as to the result Of an encoun-
ter with the British feet. Nelson,
who sailed from Syracuse on July 70,
was confident, but well knew the price
he might be called upon to pay. When
Captain Berry said, IF we succeed,
what will the world say?" Nelson re-
Piled: saThere is no if in the case. That
we shall succeed is certain. Who may
live to tell the story is very differ
ent question" For himself he made
that famous anticipation, "A peerase
or Westminster abbey
The battle began at 6:30 o'clock, half
an hour before nightfall. Nelson, on
board the Vanguard, flew his colors
in six places lest they should be shot
away. In a few minutes after the
ship had gone into action the crews
Of the first six guns were swept away
by the terrible fire of the French fleet,
and twice again during the fight were
fresh crews called for. The shot
which struck Nelson on the head tore
from his forehead q piece Of skin
which, falling over his one useful eye,
rendered him for the time being to-
tally blind. Carried to the cockpit, he
insisted on taking his proper turn
among the wounded for the surgeons
attention. Soon after 9 o'clock at
night, while he was still below. cry
arose that the Orient was on fire.
Unaided and unnoticed in the confu-
sion, Nelson made his way up, ana
presently from the quarterback his
voice was heard shouting orders that
the boats should be lowered to so to
the assistance of the Orient's crew.
The doomed French flagship had but
lust been painted, and quantities OF
oil and infammable material Uttered
her deck. Brueys, the admiral, was
dead, but Louis Casabianca and his
little son were still on deck. At 10
o'clock the ship blew up. 'There came
burst Of thunder sound" and, al
though the commodore was not at the
time lying Unconscious Of his son.,
as the poetess has it, for both were
seen clinging to floating mast after
the explosion, neither father nor son
was among the seventy members OF
the crew who were saved by the Eng
ush boats.
From the mainmast and ironwork
of the Orient Captain Hallowell OF the
Swiftsure had a coffin made, which
tsmemento mori" he presented to the
admiral that he might at the close OF
his career Of glory be buried IN one OF
his own trophies. Nelson received
this Offering III the spirit of the giVer
and even kept 1t set up on end ID his
cabin till the remonstrance Of his IA
vorite servant brought about its ban
! ishment-London Globe.
A Personal Appeal.