lerably secure from damage, while the enemy's shot went flying over
their heads. Hour after hour the battle continued to rage, the troops
on shore being hotly engaged with the batteries turned towards them, the
thundering roar of their guns answering to those of the ships. Never,
perhaps, in the same space of time had so many round-shot and shells
been flying through the air.

Little more could be seen of the ships in line across the harbour's
mouth. The French remained stationary, but some of the English
frequently moved their positions to the support of Sir Edmund Lyons and
the inshore squadron, which were enduring the brunt of the battle,
exposed as they were to the tremendous fire from Fort Constantine and
other batteries. Now flames were seen to burst forth from the _Queen_,
when, a steamer taking her in tow, she stood off to extinguish them.
Some time afterwards the _Albion_ was seen to be on fire, fearfully
mauled and unable to fire a shot, with the risk of drifting on shore.
She also stood off, helped by the steamer attending her.

The _Rodney_ was now seen standing in to support the _Agamemnon_ when
she took the ground, and though exposed to a tremendous fire, she
continued fighting her guns. It seemed almost impossible that she
should escape destruction, but she still kept firing away till, two
steamers going to her assistance, she at length got clear. Not till
darkness came on did the battle cease, when the ships returned to their
anchorage. Jack was thankful to find that Murray and the midshipmen had
escaped, though five of his own crew and many more of the _Briton's_ had
been killed. The next morning the "butcher's bill," as Jos Green called
it, was made out, when it was found out that forty-four British seamen
had lost their lives, and that two hundred and sixty-six had been
wounded, while the _Albion_ and _Arethusa_ had been so knocked about in
their hulls and rigging that the admiral sent them off to Malta to be
repaired.

The French ships presented a still more disabled appearance, and had
lost altogether in killed and wounded under two hundred men. Then came
the question, what had been done? and the opinion generally was that,
although a good many of the Russians might have been killed, no
essential damage had been done to the forts, and that it would be wiser
in future for the ships to let them alone.

"I suppose the work of the fleet is pretty well over," said Murray to
Jack, who had gon