Before Captain Todd fell a victim to the flames, he had the presence
of mind to write the particulars of the melancholy event, and to give
copies of his account to several of the sailors, charging them to
deliver it to the admiral if they should be so fortunate as to
escape.[5]

The following daring exploit is related of Lieutenant Bainbridge in
James's _Naval History_. We transcribe it as affording a striking
example of the union of undaunted courage with endurance in the
character of a British sailor.

"On the evening of the 21st of December, the British hired 10 gun
cutter, Lady Nelson, while off Carbareta Point, was surrounded and
engaged by two or three French privateers, and some gun vessels, in
sight of the 100 gun ship, Queen Charlotte, and the 36 gun frigate
Emerald, lying in Gibraltar Bay. Vice-Admiral Lord Keith, whose flag
was flying on board the former ship, immediately ordered the boats of
the two to row towards the combatants, in the hope that it might
encourage the Lady Nelson to resist, until she could approach near
enough to be covered by the guns of the ships. Before the boats could
get up, however, the Lady Nelson had been captured, and was in tow by
two of the privateers.

"Notwithstanding this, Lieutenant Bainbridge, in the Queen Charlotte's
barge, with sixteen men, ran alongside, and boarded with the greatest
impetuosity; and after a sharp conflict, carried the Lady Nelson,
taking as prisoners seven French officers and twenty-seven men.--six
or seven others having been killed or knocked overboard in the
scuffle. Lieutenant Bainbridge was severely wounded in the head by the
stroke of a sabre, and slightly in other places."