Великий военный синдикат

           Unwilling,therefore,toexposehisvesselstoprofitlessdanger,theVice-Admiralorderedthetorpedo-boatstoretirefromthefront,andthewholelineofthemproceededtoapointnorthofthefleet,wheretheylayto.Whenthishadbeendone,therepellerceasedthedischargeofbombs;buttheseawasstillheavingandtossingafterthestorm,whenadespatch-boatbroughtordersfromtheBritishAdmiraltytotheflagship.CommunicationbetweentheBritishfleetandtheshore,andconsequentlyLondon,hadbeenconstant,andallthathadoccurredhadbeenquicklymadeknowntotheAdmiraltyandtheGovernment.TheordersnowreceivedbytheVice-Admiralweretotheeffectthatitwasconsideredjudicioustodiscontinuetheconflictfortheday,andthatheandhiswholefleetshouldreturntoPortsmouthtoreceivefurtherorders.InissuingthesecommandstheBritishGovernmentwasactuatedsimplybymotivesofhumanityandcommonsense.TheBritishfleetwasthoroughlypreparedforordinarynavalwarfare,butanenemyhadinauguratedanotherkindofnavalwarfare,forwhichitwasnotprepared.Itwas,therefore,decidedtowithdrawtheshipsuntiltheyshouldbepreparedforthenewkindofwarfare.Toallowironcladafterironcladtobedisabledandsetadrift,tosubjecteveryshipinthefleettothedangerofinstantaneousdestruction,andallthiswithoutthepossibilityofinflictinginjuryupontheenemy,wouldnotbebravery;itwouldbestupidity.ItwassurelypossibletodeviseameansfordestroyingthesevenhostileshipsnowinBritishwaters.