1805, A. M., the Ville-de-Milan took in her studding-sails, Feb. and hauled more up. The Cleopatra, as soon as she approached within three quarters of a mile, did the same. At 11h. 30m. A. M. the Ville-de-Milan brailed up her mainsail and kept more off the wind; but, upon the Cleopatra's steering to close with her upon her quarter, the Ville-de-Milan again set her mainsail and staysails, in the hope to gain the wind of her adversary, that being her own best point of sailing. Each ship now hoisted her colours; and, the Villede-Milan seeming to draw rather ahead, the Cleopatra, when at the distance of about half gun-shot, fired her bow-chasers. An occasional well-directed fire in return from the stern-chasers of the Ville-deMilan obliged the Cleopatra to steer more upon the latter's quarter; a course which, although it prolonged the chase, became necessary, in order to avoid being raked by what were now discovered to be heavy shot.

Com- At 2 h. 30 m. P. M., latitude at noon 29° 24' north, mence- longitude 64° 20' west, just as the Cleopatra had got action. within 100 yards of the Ville-de-Milan, the latter

ment of

luffed close to the wind, and gave her two broadsides. The former, as soon as she had approached to half the distance, returned the compliment, and a warm action ensued; both ships trimming sails, and steering, sometimes close to the wind, and at other times about three points free, in which latter case the Cleopatra had considerably the advantage. At about 5 P. M., having shot away the Ville-de-Milan's maintopsail yard, the Cleopatra forged ahead, and this although the mizen topsail was squared and both jib-stay and halliards gone. Having neither fore nor main clue-garnets left by which to haul up the courses, her running rigging being cut to pieces so as to render it impossible to shorten or to back sail, both the main and the spring stay being shot away, and the mainmast supported only by the storm staysail-stay, the Cleopatra prepared to cross her opponent's bow, so that by hauling up she might rake the

Milan, in preference to exposing her stern to the 1805. latter's powerful broadside. Just as the Cleopatra Feb. was in the act of attempting this manoeuvre, a shot struck the wheel, and the broken spokes, becoming jammed against the deck, rendered the rudder, already choked by splinters, totally immovable.

Availing herself of this ungovernable state of her antagonist, and of her own windward position, the Ville-de-Milan bore up and gave her stem to the Cleopatra; running her head and bowsprit over the latter's quarterdeck, just abaft the main rigging. Covered by a heavy fire of musketry, the french crew now attempted to board, but were repulsed. A continued stream of musketry from the Ville-deMilan's forecastle and tops soon cleared the Cleopatra's decks; and all the resistance the latter could offer in return was by two maindeck guns, which, as their shot passed in a line with the Milan's lower deck, did very little injury. In this dilemma, with her principal sails lying a-shiver, or partly aback, and a ship more than a third larger pressing upon her with all the accumulated force of a strong wind and heavy sea, the Cleopatra attempted to hoist the foretopmast staysail, and set the spritsail; but the fire from the french musketry, and from the swivels in the enemy's tops, was too destructive to admit of its being done. At length, at about 5 h. 15 m. P. M., the Ville-de-Milan boarded and took possession of her shattered and defenceless antagonist. Almost immediately afterwards the Cleopatra's Surfore and main masts went over the side. Her render bowsprit soon followed; and the Cleopatra lay patra. almost in a foundering state under the bows of the Ville-de-Milan.

ofCleo

loss.

Being 10 able seamen short of her complement, Her the Cleopatra mustered at quarters, including one heavy supernumerary lieutenant, only 200 men and boys; and several of these were so sick as to be of very little service. Of this comparatively small crew the Cleopatra had 16 seamen, three marines, and one

Feb.

1805. boy killed, her first and second lieutenants, (William Balfour and James Crooke,) one acting lieutenant, (Charles Mitchell,) one supernumerary lieutenant, (William Bowen,) one lieutenant of marines, (Thomas Appleton,) her master, (John Bell,) boatswain, (John McCarthy,) one midshipman, (Robert Standly,) 23 seamen, and seven marines (two of the latter mortally) wounded; total, 22 killed and dead of wounds, and 36 wounded.

Loss on

board

The loss on board the Ville-de-Milan, out of a Ville- crew, as deposed to by her officers, of 350, although de- admitted to have been severe, has not been enumeMilan. rated. The last shot fired by the Cleopatra killed

captain Renaud; and a previous shot had badly wounded the frigate's second in command, M. Guillet. The surviving crew of the Ville-de-Milan, after the action had ceased, amounted to 340, including the wounded. This would give 10 as the number killed, which is perhaps near the amount. As a proof that the Cleopatra's shot had done considerable execution on board the Ville-de-Milan, the latter's main and mizen masts went over the side in the course of the night succeeding the action.

COMPARATIVE FORCE OF THE COMBATANTS.

Had it not been for the carronades of the Cleopatra, more than a twofold disparity in weight of metal would here have been exhibited; and, in crew and size, the relative proportion still stands nearly as seven to four. Moreover the Cleopatra's was quite a young ship's company, many of the men being under 20 years of age; and of the marines, three only had joined that corps more than two weeks before they embarked in the summer of 1804. A less ardent mind than sir Robert Laurie's might

have suggested some reasons, and those of a sub- 1805. stantial kind, for not persisting to bring to action Feb. a ship so decidedly superior. It will not take a particle from the gallantry displayed upon this occasion, to suppose that the mere circumstance of a ship, of such apparent force as the Milan, flying from the Cleopatra, tended greatly to augment the confidence of the officers and crew of the latter. But it was not only a 32 hours' chase, a more than three hours' engagement, close engagement, followed. Nor did the Cleopatra yield until a fourth of her crew lay dead or disabled upon her decks; until her sails and rigging were destroyed, her masts left tottering, and her riddled hull pressed upon, and nearly borne beneath the waves by, the large and heavy body of her antagonist.

Chase

Lean

der.

Having disengaged his prize, placed on board of her his first lieutenant and 49 petty officers and men, shifted the prisoners, and partially refitted the two ships, capitaine de frégate Pierre Guillet, the late first lieutenant of the Ville-de-Milan, slowly continued his route towards a french port. On the 23d, at noon, the british 50-gun ship Leander, cap- of both tain John Talbot, obtained a distant view of the shipsby Cleopatra, bearing south from herself, the weather de at this time hazy, with squalls of wind and rain from the northward. The Leander instantly made sail, but, the haze increasing, lost sight of the chase. At 2 h. 30 m. P. M., the weather clearing a little to the southward, the Cleopatra again presented herself to view, and was now made out to be a frigate, under jury-masts, standing to the south-east. At 3 P. M. another and a much larger ship, also under jurymasts and steering the same course, was seen a short distance ahead of the Cleopatra. In about a quarter of an hour the two frigates closed for mutual support. Each then fired a gun to-leeward, and hoisted a french ensign at her main stay. At 4 P. M. the Leander arrived within gun-shot. The two frigates immediately separated, the Cleopatra putting be

1895. fore the wind, the Milan steering with it on the larFeb. board quarter. At 4 h. 30 m. P. M., being within half musket-shot of the Cleopatra, the Leander gave ture of her one of the maindeck guns; when, after a slight hesitation, the newly made french frigate hauled down her colours and hove to.

Recap

Cleo

patra.

ture of

de

Milan.

Those of the Cleopatra's original crew, that had been left on board, now came on deck and took possession of their recovered ship. Observing this, the Leander directed them to follow her, and immediately made sail after the Ville-de-Milan. In another hour the british 50 got alongside of the french Cap- frigate; and the Ville-de-Milan, without waiting for Ville- the discharge of a shot on either side, surrendered to the Leander. "It is not possible," says captain Talbot in his official letter, " for officers to speak in stronger terms, than the french officers do, in praise of sir Robert Laurie's perseverance in so long a chase, except it is in the praise they bestow upon him, his officers, seamen, and marines, for their gal lant conduct during so long and severe an action." These sentiments, no less than the candid avowal of them, reflect the highest honour upon those by whom they were uttered. Captors of every nation may here take a lesson, and learn how much they exalt themselves by a promptitude in doing justice to the merits of an enemy.

French

ac

counts.

The capture of the Ville-de-Milan, and the recapture of the Cleopatra, became a sore subject to the french naval writers. They consoled themselves, however, with the idea, that they could make up a story, which would both gain credit and give satisfaction on their side of the Channel, without its being confuted, or perhaps even seen, on the other. They pretended to believe, that the Cleopatra had exchanged her long 12 for long 18 pounders, being ignorant enough, as naval men, not to know, that the ports for the first, would not answer for the second caliber; and, in short, that the ship was scarcely large or strong enough to carry her battery of