among the vast multitude who gathered on shore
on that warm, hazy Sunday morning--June 19--to witness the coming
battle, it may be doubted whether there were a score who wished to see
the _Kearsarge_ win.

The respective captains were brave men and good officers. Both had
declared that, if they ever met, the battle would not end until one of
the ships went to the bottom, and each knew that the other would keep
his word. Such a thing as surrender was not thought of by either.

Semmes was confident of his ability to sink the _Kearsarge_. Being a
Roman Catholic, and unable to attend service, he requested a friend to
go to mass and have it offered up for him, which was done. His
accumulated sixty chronometers were sent ashore, and the motto displayed
by his ship was "_Aide toi et Dieu t'aidera_," meaning, "Help yourself
and God will help you," another version of the old adage, "God helps
them that help themselves."

The church chimes were sending out their mellow notes on the warm summer
air when the _Alabama_ began slowly steaming out of the harbor. She was
cheered by the sympathetic thousands, who heard the drums beating to
quarters, and fervently prayed that their favorite might return
victorious.

Winslow neglected nothing in the way of preparation. While calmly
confident, his experience had taught him that such a contest is often
decided by a chance shot, and he knew that the doom of one of the ships
would be sealed before the set of sun. Having done all he could, he
committed everything to the God of battles, content to abide by His
will, whatever it might be.

It was about ten o'clock that Winslow, with his glass pointed toward
shore, saw the head of the _Alabama_ coming round the point of the mole,
some three miles distant. He immediately beat to quarters. The
_Couronne_ accompanied the _Alabama_ to the limits of French waters, and
then turned back. The English yacht _Deerhound_ had hurried down from
Caen, upon being telegraphed of the impending fight, and the owner, with
his family on board, followed the _Alabama_ at the risk of receiving a
stray shot that would wind up the career of the pleasure craft and all
on board.

Some time before Captain Winslow had arranged his sheet chains for a
distance of fifty feet amidships and over the side of his vessel,
extending six feet down. They were intended as an additional protection
to his machinery, and the practice is common among warships. The chains
were secure