Discipline saved nearly everyone aboard the burning Hindostan

Unable to locate the fire, the crew threw powder and flammable stores overboard, prepared boats and a raft, and tried to reach shore. Captain Le Gros paraded the Royal Marines with loaded muskets both to demonstrate control and to prevent panic from overtaking the evacuation plan. He grounded the fully burning ship in Rosas Bay and supervised an evacuation that placed women and children first, followed by crew and officers; he left only after checking the vessel himself. The court martial praised the officers, Nelson called the crew's preservation nearly miraculous, and acting lieutenant Thomas Banks received promotion for his conduct. The cause remained uncertain, with damp hemp and combustible medicine-chest contents among the possibilities discussed rather than a definitive explanation.