The delay of the two seventy-fours, though purely fortuitous, worked in furtherance of Nelson’s plan, and resulted, practically, in constituting them a reserve, which was brought into play at a most auspicious moment.  The “Bellerophon,” crushed by the preponderating weight of the “Orient’s” battery, had just cut her cable and worn out of action, with the loss of forty-nine killed and one hundred and forty-eight wounded, out of a total of five hundred and ninety men.  Her foremast alone was then standing, and it fell immediately after.  The firing, which had been animated from the French left towards the centre, now slackened around the latter, at the point where the “Orient” and her next ahead, the “Franklin,” were lying.  For this spot, therefore, the captains of the two fresh British ships steered.  The “Swiftsure,” Captain Hallowell, anchored outside the enemy’s line, abreast the interval separating the “Orient” and the “Franklin,” between which he divided his fire.  The “Alexander,” Captain Ball, passed through the line, astern of the “Orient,” and anchored close on her inner quarter.  Just at this time a shot cut the cable of the “Peuple Souverain,” next ahead of the “Franklin,” and she drifted out of her place to abreast the latter ship, ahead of which a wide gap of a thousand feet was thus left.  Into this the “Leander” glided, fixing herself with great skill to rake at once the “Franklin” and the “Orient.”

These two French ships had already been much battered, and the “Franklin” was still receiving part of the fire of the “Orion,” Sir James Saumarez, on her inner bow, as well as that of the “Defence,” hitherto engaged by the “Peuple Souverain.”  This accumulation upon them of three fresh ships would doubtless have proved irresistible, even if a yet more dire calamity had not supervened.  The new-comers took their positions soon after eight, and a little before nine a fire was observed on the poop of the “Orient.”  The British captains, seeing the flames fighting on their behalf, redoubled their efforts, directing their aim especially upon the scene of the conflagration, and thereby thwarting all attempt to extinguish it.  The blaze spread rapidly, upward through the tarred rigging and the masts, downward to the lower decks, where her heroic crew, still ignorant of the approaching doom, labored incessantly at their guns.  As the sublime sight forced itself upon the eyes of all about, friends and enemies alike busied themselves with precautions for their own safety in the coming catastrophe.  The ships to windward held on; those to leeward for the most part veered or slipped their cables, the “Alexander” fiercely refusing to do so till assured that the “Orient’s” destruction was inevitable.  Captain Berry went below to report to the admiral this appalling climax to the night’s work, and to his own long-sustained efforts in chase and battle.  Nelson demanded to be led on deck, where he gave orders that the only boat still in condition for use should be sent with the “Vanguard’s” first lieutenant, to help save the unhappy crew.  He then remained watching the progress of the fire.  At quarter before ten the “Orient” blew up.  At this time the moon rose, and from her tranquil path looked down, through the clear Egyptian air, upon the scene of devastation.