With fruitless toil the crew oppose the flame,
    No art can now the spreading mischief tame.

And many of that gallant company verified the poet’s description:  almost maddened by the intense heat, they sprung overboard and perished.

    Some, when the flames could be no more withstood,
    By wild despair directed, ’midst the flood,
    Themselves in haste from the tall vessel threw,
    And from a dry to liquid ruin flew. 
    Sad choice of death, when those who shun the fire,
    Must to as fierce an element retire.

Lieut.  Archibald Duff, who had been alarmed by the firing of guns, attempted to get out of the ward-room door, but was driven back by the smoke.  He at last succeeded in scrambling out of the quarter gallery, and reached the poop, from whence he jumped into the sea, and was picked up by the launch, when in the act of casting off the tow-rope.  He had hardly left the ship when the mizenmast fell over the side, by which great numbers were thrown into the water, and left struggling in the waves; for, as the launch had only one oar, and neither sail nor mast, she drifted much faster than the men could swim, and many, whom those on board her would gladly have saved, perished within a few feet of the boat.

At length a ray of hope dawned upon the anxious survivors:  vessels and boats were seen coming towards them from Leghorn; and as they neared the ship, every heart beat quicker, and every hand was nerved with increased strength.  But the boats’ crews, alarmed by the explosion of the guns, which were most of them shotted, refused to approach nearer, and hove to.  Seeing their hesitation, the crew of the Queen Charlotte gave them three cheers to encourage them.  The English cheers seemed to have the desired effect, for again the boats pulled towards the hapless vessel; but it was afterwards discovered that this renewed activity was entirely owing to the persuasions of Lieut.  Stewart and other English officers who were in the boats.

Lord Keith, who was watching with intense anxiety the destruction of his noble ship, used every possible effort to induce the Tuscans to put to sea; but his entreaties, backed as they were by the commands of the governor and other authorities, had no influence save with a few only, and even these, when they did venture to the rescue, were with great difficulty prevailed upon to approach the vessel.  A boat from an American ship presented a striking contrast.  She was manned by three men only, who, in their generous ardour to save the lives of their fellow-creatures, came alongside too incautiously, so that the wretched sufferers from the burning deck leaped into the boat in such numbers that she capsized, and every one of them perished.  The fire had now advanced so rapidly that it was impossible to bear the heat on the forecastle, and most of the people got on to the bowsprit and jib-boom.  The latter, however, gave way under the pressure, and numbers were precipitated into the water and drowned.