l'Comte de Rapprochement On The Seine River

Narrator:
If the good reader will oblige by repairing to three scenes of prodigious interest entitled "Aboard l'Vengeance" (from late June), he will perhaps note with immense curiosity, the following remarkable, astounding and serendipitous chain of events. When we last read of the journey of the Gallian diplomat l'Comte de Rapprochement, he was aboard the forty gun frigate l'Vengeance en-route to Paris and Versailles with the diplomat von Bergman. Along the way von Bergman suffered a horrible wound in a naval action with the Britannian frigate Invincible. Lucky long gun shots disabled Invincible's foremast and bowsprit allowing the Gallian ship to resume her more important mission of transporting the two diplomats to the port of Le Havre at the mouth of the Seine River, the water road to Paris and Versailles. It is within this context we resume our narrative with l'Comte aboard an armed galley journeying up the Seine to Paris.

l'Comte de Rapprochement:
[Thinking silently to himself in his petite cabin late at night.] "Providence has protected us. However, I am not so sure of von Bergman. The decision to place him in the naval hospital back in Le Havre under the care of surgeons well-versed in these kinds of nautical wounds was a good one. Meanwhile his mission to the court is paused, perhaps ended pending success or failure of his recovery. I could do no more for the poor fellow. Well, in a few hours we should arrive at the dock below Paris and if my coach is waiting, onto Versailles. I'll go up on deck in a moment and see if the city of lights is coming into view. "

Bow Lookout:
[Tis dark. The bow lookout suddenly stands up straight calling for the officer of the watch.] "Monsieur, alarm, fire comes from the river into the city!"

Lt. Gregorie, Officer of the Watch:
"Where away? C'est MAL! ... Beat to quarters."

Narrator:
Within moments the drum calls all watches to their battle stations. The duty watch is joined by those awakened from sleeping below, bare feet thundering to their stations. Deck guns are unhoused from their ringbolts, powder monkeys bring bags of gunpowder, cannons are loaded and the few marines load their Charleville muskets taking up positions out of the way. The ships capitaine and Rapprochement arrive on the quarter deck simultaneously to see several buildings on fire ashore. The magnificent Catholic Cathedral of Notre Dame, Our Lady, the mother of Christ is illuminated by the blaze.

Lt. Gregorie:
"Monsieur, there are three vessels in the river heading downstream toward us a thousand toises ahead. Some of them have loosed fire arrows into the city. The bow lookout is adamant about it Monsieur. This is why I gave the order to beat to quarters. A portion of the city is on fire.

l'Capitaine:
"Very well. I saw some of it ... I see ... and there they are ... the vile and infernal scoundrels. [A moment's pause to consider the tactical situation and....] Port oars rise. Starboard oars commence. Gun captains, run out your guns. Steady ... steady.... Starboard oars sweep. Gently now. That's it. Trés bon."

Narrator:
For those without sea legs, l'Capitaine has turned his galley to port (to the left) placing his starboard battery (on the right side of the galley) facing upstream crossing the bow of one of unsuspecting scoundrel vessels.

l'Capaitaine:
"Starboard battery! We'll fire as we bear and ..... FIRE! ..... FIRE! ..... FIRE! ..... FIRE! ..... FIRE! ..... FIRE! Oui, that's the ticket mon trés cher amis. RELOAD. Starboard oars UP. Port sweeps down and double speed, now. Lt. Gregorie. Run out your port side guns."

Narrator:
As the galley turned on a proverbial centime (dime), the port side guns now began to face the foe coming downstream.

Lt. Gregorie:
"Now men, steady. Ready. We'll fire as we bear on the second one. Oui Pierre, quiet. I see it. The first enemy ship is on fire. Vive le Roy! Now. FIRE! ..... FIRE! ..... FIRE! ....."

Narrator:
But the fourth shot was never fired for as Lt. Gregorie was about to order it, the first vessel blew up in a shocking thunderous roar. Gregorie and the whole crew save for l'Capitaine fell to the deck. Far upstream ignited debris and wreckage was cast high into the night sky, into the river and also onto the unlucky second vessel causing fires to break out there. As the new blaze spread the crew of the enemy ship jumped overboard some quenching the fire on their garments in the water of the Seine. Soon the second ship was a blazing inferno settling in the Seine. Muffled explosions occurred below decks and then she too was gone. There remained only the third enemy vessel now run hopelessly aground as she tried to escape the carnage with her life. As the fire in the city spread more closely to Notre Dame a downpour of rain commenced such as none had ever remembered then or since putting out the flames started in the city of lights. Angry townspeople converged on the stricken enemy vessel as the galley rowed near to cross her stern , he rstarboard guns run out with matches lit and ready.

l'Capitaine:
"Ahoy there. Stricken vessel. Surrender or ....