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Chapter 2 - Old Sea Dog -
From There Go the Ships by George Shirley

Page 20
Malta, and many other valuables; the clergy of the cathedral only saving their silver railings round the altar by painting them black. Nelson humanely ordered the boats to put out, and they succeeded in saving about seventy lives. The fire of the ships was only desultory after this the whole of the night. At daybreak we found that ten sail of the line and ten frigates were in our possession. During an action like this the sailors and officers that are between decks cannot see much of the general fight,-it is rapid firing into each other,-but I was quartered at an 18-
 
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pounder carronade on the poop, which was early disabled; but the signal midshipman being killed early in the action, I had to assist the flag-lieutenant with the signals. He ordered me to look after the Culloden, which was aground on a shoal during the action; thus we were a ship short as well as the La Mutine brig. I reported her swinging off to Captain Berry. Just before the action commenced I pulled off everything but my trousers, took my two watches out of my fobs or watch-pockets, and rolling them up in my shirt put them behind the flagstaff, saying to myself, "Well, if I am killed, here is a prize for some of the survivors." Soon after daylight, three sail of the line and two frigates, all that was left of the entire French fleet, got under weigh to get out of the bay and escape, one of which, the Timoleon, 80, whose foremast was injured, being unable to bear the pressure of the sail, went on one side, and being thus disabled, to prevent us taking her, she was run on shore and set on fire. The others, four in number, namely,

© Peter Smith 2008