of his flag with heroic firmness; but at length a period was put to his exertions by a cannon ball, which cut him asunder; he had before received three desperate wounds, one en the head, and two in his body, but could not be prevailed on to quit his station on the arm chest. His Captain, Casa Bianca, fell by his side. Several of the officers and men, seeing the impracticability of extinguishing the fire, which had now extended itself along the upper decks, and was flaming up the masts, jumped overboard; some supporting themselves on spars and pieces of wreck, others swimming with all their might to escape the dreadful catastrophe. Shot flying in all directions dashed many of them to pieces; others were picked up by the boats sent to their assistance, or dragged into the lower ports of the nearest ships; the British sailors humanely stretching forth their hands to save a fallen enemy, though the battle at that moment raged with uncontrolled fury. The Swiftsure, whose distance from l’Orient did not exceed half-pistol shot, saved the lives of the First Lieutenant, Commissary, and 10 men. The situation of the Swiftsure and Alexander was perilous in the extreme. The expected explosion of such a ship as l’Orient was to be dreaded, as involving all around in certain destruction. Captain Hallowell, however, determined not to move from his station, though repeatedly urged to do so. He observed the advantage he possessed of being to windward of the burning ship. Captain Ball was not so fortunate; he twice had the mortification to perceive that the fire of the enemy had communicated to the Alexander. He was obliged therefore to change his berth and move a little further off.
About ten o’clock the fatal explosion took place. The fire communicated to the magazine, and l’Orient blew up with a crashing sound that deafened all around her. The tremulous motion, felt to the very bottom of each ship, was like that of an earthquake; the fragments were driven such a vast height into the air, that some moments elapsed before they could descend; and then the greatest apprehension was formed from the volumes of burning matter which threatened to fall on the decks and rigging of the surrounding ships. Fortunately, however, no material damage occurred. Two large pieces of the wreck fell into the fore and main-tops of the Swiftsure;
