THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS. 77 



Soon after the battle began, the enemy's flotilla of 

 gun-boats advanced, with a daring which deserved 

 a better fate, to board the Queen Charlotte and 

 Leander. The smoke covered them at first, but as 

 soon as they were seen, a few guns, chiefly from the 

 Leander, sent thirty-three out of thirty-seven to the 

 bottom. 



At four o' clock, when a general and heavy fire had 

 been maintained for more than an hour without pro- 

 ducing any appearance of submission. Lord Exmouth 

 determined to destroy the Algerine ships. Accor- 

 dingly, the Leander having first been ordered to 

 cease firing, the flag-ship's barge, directed by Lieu- 

 tenant Peter Richards, with Major Gossett, of the 

 miners, Lieutenant Wolridge, of the marines, and 

 Mr. M'Clintock, a midshipman, boarded the nearest 

 frigate, and fired her so effectually with the laboratory 

 torches, and a carcass-shell placed on the main-deck, 

 that she was completely in flames almost before the 

 barge's crew were over her side. The crew of a 

 rocket-boat belonging to the Hebrus were prompted 

 by a natural, but unfortunate ardour, to follow the 

 barge, though forbidden ; but the boat pulling hea- 

 vily, she became exposed to a fire of musquetry, 

 which killed an officer and three men, and wounded 

 several others. Lord Exmouth stood watching the 

 barge from the gangway, delighted with the promp- 

 titude with which his orders were executed. When 

 the frigate burst into a flame, he telegra])hed to the 

 fleet the animating signal, " Infallible ! " and, as the 

 barge was returning, he ordered those around him 

 to welcome her alongside with three cheers. 



It was hoped that the flames would communicate 

 from this frigate to the rest of the Algerine shipping ; 

 but she burnt from her moorings, and, passing clear 

 of her consorts, drifted along the broadsides of the 

 Queen Charlotte and Leander, and grounded a-head 

 of the latter, under the wall of the town. The gun- 

 boats, and the Queen Charlotte's launch, then 

 opened with carcass-shells upon the largest frigate, 



