e the rounds of his
ship; yet those wounded and dying raised themselves to cheer as he made
his tour. The crew of the howitzer which was mounted forward had all
been killed; a second crew was destroyed likewise; and even then a third
crew was taking over the gun. In the stern cabin a firework expert, who
had never been to sea before--one of Captain Brock's employees--was
steadily firing great illuminating rockets out of a scuttle to show up
the lighthouse on the end of the Mole to the block ships and their
escort.

[Sidenote: The _Daffodil's_ part in the fight.]

The _Daffodil_, after aiding to berth _Vindictive_, should have
proceeded to land her own men, but now Commander Carpenter ordered her
to remain as she was, with her bows against _Vindictive's_ quarter,
pressing the latter ship into the Mole. Normally, _Daffodil's_ boilers
develop eighty pounds' pressure of steam per inch; but now, for this
particular task, Artificer Engineer Button, in charge of them maintained
a hundred and sixty pounds for the whole period that she was holding
_Vindictive_ to the Mole. Her casualties, owing to her position during
the fight, were small--one man killed and eight wounded, among them her
Commander, Lieutenant H. Campbell, who was struck in the right eye by a
shell splinter.

[Sidenote: The _Iris_ finds her work difficult.]

_Iris_ had troubles of her own. Her first attempts to make fast to the
Mole ahead of _Vindictive_ failed, as her grapnels were not large
enough to span the parapet. Two officers. Lieutenant Commander Bradford
and Lieutenant Hawkins, climbed ashore and sat astride the parapet
trying to make the grapnels fast till each was killed and fell down
between the ship and the wall. Commander Valentine Gibbs had both legs
shot away and died next morning. Lieutenant Spencer, B.N.R., though
wounded, conned the ship and Lieutenant Henderson, R.N., came up from
aft and took command.

[Sidenote: Terrible casualties on the _Iris_.]

_Iris_ was obliged at last to change her position and fall in astern of
_Vindictive_, and suffered very heavily from the fire. A single big
shell plunged through the upper deck and burst below at a point where
fifty-six marines were waiting the order to go to the gang-ways.
Forty-nine were killed and the remaining seven wounded. Another shell in
the ward-room, which was serving as sick bay, killed four officers and
twenty-six men. Her total casualties were eight officers and sixty-nine
men