After the failure of Lieutenant¹ Davon’s mission with the Sword, the English authorities waited in vain for the expedition to return, and the conviction at length gained ground that the bold sailors had perished; but whether the Sword had been lost by striking against a rock or had been destroyed by Ker Karraje’s pirates, could not, of course, be ascertained².  
The object of the expedition, based upon the indications of the document found in the keg that was thrown up on the shore at St. George, was to carry off Thomas Roch ere his engines were completed. The French inventor having been recovered—without forgetting Engineer Simon Hart—he was to be handed over to the care of the Bermudan authorities. That done, there would be nothing to fear from his fulgurator when the island was attacked.
 
When, however, the Sword had been given up for lost, another expedition of a different kind, was decided³ upon.
 
The time that had elapsed—nearly eight weeks—from the date of the document found in the keg, had to be taken into consideration. It was thought that during the interval⁴, Ker Karraje might have gained possession of Roch’s secrets.
 
An entente⁵ concluded between the maritime⁶ powers, resulted in the sending of five warships⁷ to Bermudan waters. As there was a vast cavern⁸ inside Back Cup mountain, it was decided to attempt to bring the latter down like the walls of a bastion, by bombarding it with powerful modern artillery⁹.
 
The squadron assembled at the entrance to the Chesapeake, in Virginia, and sailed for the archipelago, which was sighted on the evening of November 17.
 
The next morning the vessel¹⁰ selected for the first attack, steamed forward. It was about four and a half miles from the island, when three engines, after passing the vessel, swerved¹¹ round and exploded about sixty yards from her. She sank immediately.
 
The effect of the explosion, which was superior to any previously¹² obtained by new explosives, was instantaneous. Even at the distance they were from the spot where it occurred, the four remaining ships felt the shock severely¹³.
 
Two things were to be deduced from this sudden catastrophe¹⁴:
 
1.—The pirate Ker Karraje was in possession of Roch’s fulgurator.
 
2.—The new engine possessed¹⁵ the destructive power attributed to it by its inventor.
 
After the disappearance¹⁶ of the unfortunate cruiser, ............