As I climbed onto the deck of the Bordeaux with help of the seamen from the Superb who had been lucky enough to have stayed onboard the French ship after her capture, I saw the Defense had struck her colors not far from us, her sailors manning the pumps in a frantic effort to keep her afloat. Just beyond her, the Vanguard and the Aquilon were converging on each other, their captains racing to cross the other’s bow first.
The Vanguard won, sinking the Aquilon; the price of failure for the French captain being high indeed. In the distance the Malta and the Neptune exchanged fire, but it appeared both ships were able to absorb the punishment.
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