hese decks were
not primed until the ship had anchored. But the Algerines reserved their
fire, confident in the strength of their defences, and expecting to
carry the flagship by boarding her from the gun-boats, which were all
filled with men. Steered by the master of the fleet, Mr. Gaze, who had
sailed with Lord Exmouth in every ship he commanded from the beginning
of the war, the _Queen Charlotte_ proceeded silently to her position. At
half-past two, she anchored by the stern, just half a cable's length
from the Mole-head, and was lashed by a hawser to the mainmast of an
Algerine brig, which lay at the entrance of the harbour. Her starboard
broadside flanked all the batteries from the Mole-head to the
Light-house. The Mole was crowded with troops, many of whom got upon the
parapet to look at the ship; and Lord Exmouth, observing them as he
stood upon the poop, waved to them to move away. As soon as the ship was
fairly placed, and her cables stoppered, the crew gave three hearty
cheers, such as Englishmen only can give. Scarcely had the sound of the
last died away, when a gun was fired from the upper tier of the eastern
battery; and a second, and a third followed in quick succession. One of
the shots struck the _Superb_. At the first flash, Lord Exmouth gave the
order, "Stand by!" at the second. "Fire!" The report of the third gun
was drowned in the thunder of _Queen Charlotte's_ broadside.

The enemy now opened from all their batteries, the _Queen Charlotte_ and
_Leander_ being the only ships which had yet reached their stations.
Preparations had been previously made in all, to avoid the necessity of
exposing the men aloft when shortening sail. Following the flag-ship,
the _Superb_ anchored about two hundred and fifty yards astern of her,
and the _Minden_ at about her own length from the _Superb_. The _Albion_
came to astern of the _Minded_, which passed her stream cable out of the
larboard gun-room port to the _Albion's_ bow, and brought the two ships
together. The _Impregnable_ was anchored astern of the _Albion_.

The large frigates, and the Dutch squadron, particularly the _Melampus_,
their flag-ship, went into action under a very heavy fire, and with a
gallantry that never was surpassed. The _Leander_ had placed herself on
the _Queen Charlotte's_ larboard bow, at the entrance of the harbour;
her starboard broadside bearing upon the Algerine gun-boats with the
after guns, and upon the Fishmarket battery with the o