shall
be offered up to Almighty God, for the signal interposition of his
Divine Providence during the conflict which took place on the 27th,
between his Majesty's fleet and the ferocious enemies of mankind.

It is requested that this memorandum may be read to the ship's
company.

"To the Admirals, Captains, Officers, Seamen, Marines, Royal
Sappers and Miners, Royal Marine Artillery, and the Royal Rocket
Corps."

Above twelve hundred slaves were embarked on the 31st, making, with
those liberated a few weeks before, more than three thousand, whom, by
address or force, Lord Exmouth had delivered from slavery.[13] Having
sent them to their respective countries, and leaving a ship to receive a
few who had yet to come up from the interior, he sailed on the 3rd of
September for England. On the 8th, when on his way to Gibraltar, he
wrote an account of the battle to his brother, to whom he had previously
sent a very laconic communication, stating merely the result.

"It has pleased God to give me again the opportunity of writing
you, and it has also pleased Him to give success to our efforts
against these hordes of barbarians. I never, however, saw any set
of men more obstinate at their guns, and it was superior fire only
that could keep them back. To be sure, nothing could stand before
the _Queen Charlotte's_ broadside. Everything fell before it; and
the Swedish consul assures me we killed above five hundred at the
very first fire, from the crowded way in which troops were drawn
up, four deep above the gun boats, which were also full of men. I
had myself beckoned to many around the guns close to us to move
away, previous to giving the order to fire; and I believe they are
within bounds, when they state their loss at seven thousand men.
Our old friend John Gaze was as steady as a rock; and it was a
glorious sight to see the _Charlotte_ take her anchorage, and to
see her flag towering on high, when she appeared to be in the
flames of the Mole itself; and never was a ship nearer burnt; it
almost scorched me off the poop; we were obliged to haul in the
ensign, or it would have caught fire. Everybody behaved uncommonly
well. Admiral Milne came on board at two o'clock in the morning,
and kissed my hand fifty times before the people, as did the Dutch
Admiral, Von Capellan. I was but