collected in the
harbour. The _Prometheus_ brought the wife, daughter, and infant child
of Mr. M'Donell, the British consul. The two former had succeeded in
getting off, disguised as midshipmen; but the infant, which had been
carefully concealed in a basket, after a composing medicine had been
given to it by the surgeon of the _Prometheus_, awoke, and cried as it
was passing the gateway, and thus led to the arrest of all the party
then on shore. The child was sent off next morning by the Dey, and, "as
a solitary instance of his humanity," said Lord Exmouth, "it ought to be
recorded by me;" but the consul was confined in irons at his house, and
the surgeon, three midshipmen, and fourteen seamen of the _Prometheus_,
were detained as prisoners; nor could the most urgent remonstrances of
Captain Dashwood induce the Dey to release them.

The fleet continued beating against a head wind until midnight on the
24th, when the wind shifted to south-west. On Monday the 20th, at noon,
they made Cape Cazzina, the northern point of the Bay of Algiers, and
about twenty miles from the town. Next morning at daybreak, Algiers
itself was in sight As the ships lay nearly becalmed, Lord Exmouth sent
away Lieutenant Burgess in one of the _Queen Charlotte's_ boats, under a
flag of truce, with the terms dictated by the Prince Regent, and a
demand for the immediate liberation of the consul, and the people of the
_Prometheus_. The _Severn_ was directed to tow the boat, but as she
made very little way, the boat was ordered by signal to cast off, and
proceed alone to the shore. At eleven o'clock, she was met outside the
mole by the captain of the port, who received the communication, and
promised an answer in two hours. In the mean time, a breeze springing up
from the sea, the fleet stood into the bay, and lay to about a mile from
the town.

At two o'clock the boat was seen returning, with the signal that no
answer had been given. The _Queen Charlotte_ immediately telegraphed to
the fleet, "Are you ready?" Immediately the affirmative was displayed
from every ship, and all bore up to their appointed stations.

The _Queen Charlotte_ led to the attack. It was Lord Exmouth's intention
not to reply to the enemy's fire in bearing down, unless it should
become galling. In that case, the middle and main-deck guns, thirty long
24-pounders, were to have opened; keeping the upper deck for shortening
sail, and the lower for working the cables. The guns on t