and the men were assembled at the stern. The
sea was running very high. Rain and mist had come on, though a moon was
now rising. The enemy had altered course, and were approaching in line
abreast about 6,000 yards away. A light kept twinkling at regular
intervals from one of the ships. They were signalling in Morse, and
evidently were forming plans of action. Firing was still proceeding
intermittently. It was about half-past eight. Captain Luce could see
nothing for it but to abandon the _Monmouth_ to her fate. To rescue her
crew, under such conditions, was impossible, while to stand by and
endeavour to defend her would be folly. The _Glasgow_ was not armoured,
and could not contend with armoured vessels. Of the two guns she
possessed capable of piercing the enemy's armour, one had been put out
of action ten minutes after the start. If she stayed and fought to the
end, 370 good lives, in addition to the sufficiently heavy toll of 1,600
in the _Good Hope_ and the _Monmouth_, would be needlessly sacrificed.
The _Canopus_, moreover, must be warned. She was coming up from the
south to sure destruction. She could hardly be expected successfully to
combat the whole German squadron. Nevertheless, it must have been with
heavy hearts that the men of the _Glasgow_ turned away to seek safety in
flight. It is recorded that, as they moved off into the darkness, a
cheer broke forth from the _Monmouth's_ decks. Before the sinking vessel
became lost to sight another and a third went up. At about a quarter
past nine the _Nuernberg_, which had not been engaged in the main action,
came across the _Monmouth_. It is said that, though in a sinking
condition, the British ship attempted to ram her enemy. But the
_Nuernberg_ began to bombard her, and she capsized.

[Sidenote: _Glasgow_ and _Canopus_ start for Rio de Janeiro.]

The _Glasgow_ steamed off in a north-westerly direction. A few minutes
before nine the enemy became lost to sight. Half an hour later many
distant flashes of gunfire, the death-struggle of the _Monmouth_, were
seen. The play of a searchlight, which lasted a few seconds and then
disappeared, was also observed. The vessel bore round gradually to the
south. Her wireless was put into operation, and she made efforts to get
through to the _Canopus_. But the Germans had again set their apparatus
in motion, and the messages were jambed. Only after some hours was the
_Glasgow_ successful. Steaming hard at twenty-four knots through