of the people were then ordered on to the raft, and by
the time it was covered, the flames came aft so thick, that it was
necessary to send it off from the stern. All now had left the
ill-fated vessel, except the gallant Captain Le Gros, Lieutenant
Tailour, and the master. When they saw all the rest clear away, and
not till then, did they descend by the stern ladders into one of the
yauls and pulled towards the shore, which they had scarcely reached
when she blew up.

The value of this ship was estimated at 100,000_l._, and the loss to
Lord Nelson must have been incalculable. Yet it is said that he was
much more distressed by the loss of the despatches, which were taken
by the enemy, about the same time, in the Swift cutter.

In a letter to Lord St. Vincent, dated the 19th of April, Admiral
Nelson says, speaking of Captain Le Gros.--"If his account be correct
(he was then upon his trial), he had great merit for the order in
which the ship was kept. The fire must have originated from medicine
chests breaking, or from wet getting down, which caused the things to
heat. The preservation of the crew seems little short of a miracle. I
never read such a journal of exertions in my whole life."[6]

The captain, officers, and ship's company were most honourably
acquitted by the sentence of court-martial.

Brenton, in his _Naval History_, remarks, 'In support of the
reasonable conjectures of the Admiral (Lord Nelson), as to the origin
of the fire, we might adduce many instances of ships in the cotton
trade having been on fire in the hold during a great part of their
voyage from China, owing to the cargo having been wet when compressed
into the ship. Hemp has been known to ignite from the same cause; and
the dockyard of Brest was set on fire by this means in 1757. New
painted canvas or tarpaulin, laid by before it is completely dry, will
take fire; and two Russian frigates were nearly burnt by the
accidental combination of a small quantity of soot, of burnt fir wood,
hemp, and oil, tied up with some matting,'

Mr. Thomas Banks, acting-lieutenant of the Hindostan, was recommended
to Lord Nelson for promotion, by the members of the court-martial, in
consequence of his conduct on this occasion; and he was advanced to
the rank of lieutenant on the 23rd of June, 1804. This gallant officer
died in 1811. Lieutenant George Tailour was appointed to the Tigre in
1808, and was promoted for his gallant conduct in cutting out a convoy
of