Dundonald

6th they were caught by a British squadron of nine ships under Sir James Saumarez; and Cochrane enjoyed the unusual opportunity of witnessing an action between French and English from the quarterdeck of a French ship; an action, moreover, wherein the British, owing to an astonishing chapter of accidents, suffered heavy loss. One British ship, the Hannibal, ran aground, and was compelled to strike to three French ships, all of which were aground. The French, on boarding their prize, for some reason hoisted not French colours, but the Union Jack upside down; whereupon the dockyard authorities, knowing nothing of what had passed and seeing only a signal of distress, sent off almost the whole of the reserve seamen and dockyard artificers to her assistance. Captain Palliere of the Dessaix was at first in doubt18o1-18o6 A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS 33 whether this flotilla of boats was not designed to recapture the Hannibal, and sought the advice of Cochrane, who, seeing the mistake, advised him by all means to warn them off by a gun. But the Frenchman was too astute to be easily taken in. The boats were permitted to come alongside the Hannibal, and then quietly and unostentatiously captured, one after another, until almost the entire naval establishment of Gibraltar had surrendered without a blow. This extraordinary occurrence led to negotiations for an exchange of prisoners, whereby Cochrane was enabled to proceed to Gibraltar on parole. A few days later (July 12t...