t should obey
their signal, and to allow an officer to each division of them; to
have the remaining boats launched, and as soon as the sick were
disposed of, to begin to remove the whole of the crew, with the utmost
despatch, but without risking too many in a boat.

Accordingly at dawn, the signal was made for the boats of the
merchantmen, but nobody suspected what was to follow, until the bread
was entirely removed and the sick gone.--About six o'clock, the rest
of the crew were permitted to go off, and between nine and ten, there
being nothing further to direct and regulate, the admiral himself,
after shaking hands with every officer, and leaving his barge for
their better accommodation and transport, quitted forever the
Ramillies, which had then nine feet water in her hold. He went into a
small leaky boat, loaded with bread, out of which both him and the
surgeon who accompanied him were obliged to bail the water all the
way. He was in his boots, with his surtout over his uniform, and his
countenance as calm and as composed as ever. He had, at going off,
desired a cloak, a cask of flour and a cask of water, but could get
only the flour, and he left behind all his stock, wines, furniture,
books and charts, which had cost him upwards of one thousand pounds,
being unwilling to employ even a single servant in saving or packing
up what belonged to himself alone, in a time of such general calamity,
as to appear better in that respect than any of the crew.

The admiral rowed for the Belle, Captain Forster, being the first of
the trade that had borne up to the Ramillies the preceding night in
her imminent distress, and by his anxious humanity set such an example
to his brother traders as had a powerful influence upon them--an
influence which was generally followed by sixteen others.

By three o'clock most of the crew were taken out, at which time the
Ramillies had thirteen feet water in her hold, and was evidently
foundering in every part, at half past four the captain, and first and
third lieutenants, left her, with every soul excepting the fourth
lieutenant, who staid behind only to execute the admiral's orders for
setting fire to her wreck when finally deserted. The carcase burned
rapidly, and the flames quickly reaching the powder, which was filled
in the after magazine, and had been lodged very high, in thirty-five
minutes the decks and upper works blew up with a horrid explosion and
cloud of smoke, while the lower pa