The Blanche, having only her fore-mast standing, now paid off before the wind; towing, and plying with incessant and well-directed vollies of musketry, her equally determined opponent. None of the great guns could be brought to bear, until a part of the stern-frame was blown out; when the enemy’s ship was so effectually raked, that all her masts were soon shot away. Still did the brave Frenchmen persevere in their resistance; and it was not until a quarter past five, that they hailed to announce their surrender.
It was not yet day-light; neither of the ships were able to put a boat in the water. Under these difficulties, nothing remained but to get on board the prize, by means of the hawser; this was successfully performed by Lieutenant (now Sir David) Milne and 10 seamen, whose weight bringing the bight of the rope into the water, obliged them to swim part of the distance, when they gained her deck, and found her to be la Pique of 40 guns, besides several brass swivels on her gunwale, and 360 men, of whom 67 were killed, 110 wounded, and about 9 supposed to have been drowned by falling into the sea when attempting to board the Blanche; whose loss, considering the length and violence of the conflict, was but small. It consisted of 8 killed and 21 wounded[1]. The fall of her commander was, however, deplored by every friend to the service; his courage and determined bravery had been often tried, and always with success; indeed the English cause in the West Indies, at that period, could hardly have received a deeper wound than it did by his death.
The gallantry of this action was long the theme of praise. An Interlude, called “The Death of Captain Faulknor” was performed at Covent Garden Theatre; and a monument to his memory, with a suitable inscription, was erected in St. Paul’s Cathedral, by a vote of the House of Commons.
As a reward for his distinguished bravery in the above glorious affair, Lieutenant Watkins was promoted to the rank of Post-Captain, by commission dated April 26, 1795; and appointed to the command of the Resource, of 28 guns, in which ship he continued about two years, on the Leeward
- ↑ The Blanche mounted 38 carriage guns, and had on board at the commencement of the battle only 198 men; 14 of her crew being absent in prizes. With respect to size, she was 196 tons less than her opponent.
