thing to fear from the enemy’s distant fire. That Captain Pym himself did not then consider the Sirius in an utterly hopeless state, is evident from his anxiety for Captain Willoughby’s removal to her, lest the conduct of the latter, in having negociated with the inhabitants of Grand Port, and distributed Governor Farquhar’s proclamations, might prove prejudicial to him.
"At 11 P.M., Captain Willoughby sent an officer to the Bellone, which still continued a very destructive fire, to say that the Nereide had struck; but, being in a sinking state from shot-holes, the boat returned without having reached the French ship. At about 30 minutes past midnight, the main-mast of the Nereide went by the board. At 1-30 A.M., on the 24th, several of her ropes caught fire, but the flames were quickly extinguished. At about 1-50, after having been repeatedly hailed without effect by one or the other of the French prisoners who were on board the Nereide, the Bellone discontinued her fire. The Iphigenia and Magicienne, a portion of whose fire had already dismounted the guns at the battery de la Reine, then ceased theirs; and all was silent[1].
“At day-light the Bellone re-opened her fire upon the Nereide. To put a stop to this, French colours were lashed to the fore-rigging; but still the enemy continued their fire. It was now surmised, and very naturally too, that the cause of this persevering hostility was the union-jack at the mizen-top-gallant-mast-head, which could not be hauled down; for by one account[2] it had been nailed there; and, by mother, the haliards had been shot away, as well as all the rigging and ropes by which the mast could be ascended. As the only alternative, the mizen-mast was cut away, and the firing of the Bellone instantly ceased[3].”
Of la Nereide’s established complement, as stated at p. 148, only 202 were on board when she went into action;– she had sailed from the Cape (in April) with only 228; since then 10 had been either killed or invalided, and a master’s-mate and 15 men were absent cruising in her tender. To the first mentioned number, however, should be added 3 military officers, 2 of whom were killed, the other severely wounded, 12 artillery men, 50 grenadiers, and 10 light infantry, part of those recently exchanged at Port Louis, making a total of 277 persons. Commodore Duperré says, in his official report to General De Caen:–
