Note 3 — Chapter IV · THE FLOATING BATTERIES.

An Italian officer, who served on board the combined fleet, may here be quoted in reference to the failure of these experiments:—“Our hopes of ultimate success became less sanguine,” he says, “when, at two o’clock, the floating battery commanded by the Prince of Nassau (on board of which was also the engineer who had invented the machinery) began to smoke on the side exposed to the garrison, and it was apprehended she had taken fire. The firing, however, continued till we could perceive the fortifications had sustained some damage; but at seven o’clock all our hopes vanished. The fire from our floating batteries entirely ceased, and rickets were thrown up as signals of distress. In short, the red-hot balls from the garrison had by this time taken such good effect, that nothing now was thought of but saving the crews, and the boats of the combined fleet were immediately sent on that service. A little after midnight, the floating battery which had been the first to show symptoms of conflagration burst out into flames, upon which the fire from the Rock was increased with terrific vengeance; the light produced from the flames was equal to noonday, and greatly exposed the boats of the fleet in removing the crews. During the night one or other of these batteries was discovered to be on fire; they were so close to the walls that the balls pierced into them full three feet, but being made of solid beds of green timber, the holes closed up after the shot, and for want of air they did not immediately produce the effect. At five A.M. one of them blew up with a very great explosion, and soon after the whole of them, having been abandoned by their crews, were on fire fore and aft, and many of their gallant fellows were indebted to the exertions of the English for their lives.”—Barrow, “Life of Admiral Earl Howe.”