Speaking of the conflagration of the ships, Bonaparte himself says, "Sir Sidney Smith set them on fire, and they would have been all burned, if the Spaniards had behaved well. It was the prettiest feu d'artifice possible."

This dictum certainly goes no farther than a corroboration as to the incapacity of these allies, to assist whom has caused, and is still causing, the loss of so much money, anxiety, and blood.

To return to Sir Sidney Smith's proceedings. Our officer, finding affairs in this critical situation, immediately proceeded to burn, after having liberated the prisoners, the two prison-ships, Le Héros and Thémistocle, which he completely effected. Hardly was this service performed, when he and his gallant little party were astonished by the explosion of the Montreal, another powder-ship, by means equally unexpected and base, and with a shock even greater than that of the former disaster; but the lives of Sir Sidney Smith and the gallant men who were then serving under him were again providentially saved from the imminent danger in which they were so suddenly placed.

Threading a thousand perils, and literally pulling through showers of grape and musketry, the brave band which had thus so much damaged the enemy and served their country, at length reached the Victory in safety. This exploit was

the most striking and the most glorious feature of these ill-conducted proceedings. The fame of our officer was commensurately increased. Men began to look up to him a sone destined, hereafter, to extend the conquests and uphold the honour of the British empire. From the kindness of his natural disposition, and the amenity of his manners, his successes, great and dazzling as they were, created for him less envy than usually attends transcendent merit. Men of all classes and of all ranks spoke well of him. By the seamen he was all but idolised.

We present our readers with Sir Sidney's despatch on this momentous occasion:

“Toulon, Dec. 18. 1793.

"MY LORD,-Agreeably to your lordship's order, I proceeded with the Swallow tender, three English and three Spanish gunboats, to the arsenal, and immediately began making the necessary preparations for burning the French ships and stores therein. We found the dock-gates well secured by the judicious arrangements of the governor, although the dockyard people had already substituted the three-coloured cockade for the white one. I did not think it safe to attempt the securing any of them, considering the small force I had with me, and considering that, a contest of any kind would occupy our whole

attention, and prevent us from accomplishing our purpose.

"The galley-slaves, to the number of at least six hundred, showed themselves jealous spectators of our operations: their disposition to oppose us was evident; and being unchained, which was unusual, rendered it necessary to keep a watchful eye on them on board the galleys, by pointing the guns of the Swallow tender and one of the gunboats on them in such a manner as to enfilade the quay on which they must have landed to come to us, and assuring them, at the same time, that no harm should happen to them if they remained quiet. The enemy kept up a cross fire of shot and shells on the spot, from Malbosquet and the neighbouring hills, which contributed to keep the galley-slaves in subjection, and operated in every respect favourably for us, by keeping the republican party in the town within their houses, while it occasioned little interruption to our work of preparing and placing combustible matter in the different storehouses, and on board the ships; such was the steadiness of the few brave seamen I had under my command. A great multitude of the enemy continued to draw down the hill towards the dockyard wall; and as the night closed in, they came near enough to pour in an irregular though quick fire of mus

ketry on us from the Boulangerie, and of cannon from the height which overlooks it. We kept them at bay by discharges of grapeshot from time to time, which prevented their coming so near as to discover the insufficiency of our force to repel a closer attack. A gunboat was stationed to flank the wall on the outside, and two field-pieces were placed within against the wicket usually frequented by the workmen, of whom we were particularly apprehensive. About eight o'clock I had the satisfaction of seeing Lieutenant Gore towing in the Vulcan fireship. Captain Hare, her commander, placed her, agreeably to my directions, in a most masterly manner across the tier of men-of-war, and the additional force of her guns and men diminished my apprehensions of the galley-slaves rising on us, as their manner and occasional tumultuous debates ceased entirely on her appearance. The only noise heard among them was the hammer knocking off their fetters, which humanity forbade my opposing, as they might thereby be more at liberty to save themselves on the conflagration taking place around them. In this situation we continued to wait most anxiously for the hour concerted with the governor for the inflammation of the trains. The moment the signal was made, we had the satisfaction to see the flames rise in every quar

ter. Lieutenant Tupper was charged with the burning of the general magazine, the pitch, tar, tallow, and oil storehouses, and succeeded most perfectly; the hemp magazine was included in this blaze: its being nearly calm was unfortunate to the spreading of the flames, but two hundred and fifty barrels of tar, divided among the deals and other timber, insured the rapid ignition of that whole quarter which Lieutenant Tupper had undertaken.

"The masthouse was equally set on fire by Lieutenant Middleton of the Britannia. Lieutenant Porter, of the Britannia, continued in a most daring manner to brave the flames, in order to complete the work where the fire seemed to have caught imperfectly. I was obliged to call him off, lest his retreat should become impracticable: his situation was the more perilous, as the enemy's fire redoubled as soon as the amazing blaze of light rendered us distinct objects of their aim. Lieutenant Ironmonger, of the Royals, remained with the guard at the gate till the last, long after the Spanish guard was withdrawn, and was brought safely off by captain Edge of the Alert, to whom I had confided the important service of closing our retreat, and bringing off our detached parties, which were saved to a man. I was sorry to find myself de