1814. and 30 seamen killed, and 50 officers and men Jan. Wounded, including her gallant commander. The Venerable's loss consisted of two seamen killed and four wounded.

and a

chase

génie.

During the time that had thus elapsed, and the additional time required to shift the prisoners and repair the trifling injury done to the 74's rigging by Cyane the frigate's attempt to board, the Cyane and Jason prize- had gone in chase of the Alcmène's fugitive consort. brig At 10 P. M. the little Jason, having outrun the Cyane Iphi- in the chase, commenced firing at the Iphigénie with her two guns, both of which lieutenant Moffat had now got on the brig's larboard side. Such was the slow sailing of the Iphigénie, or the unskilfulness of those that manoeuvred her, that at 45 minutes past midnight the Cyane got near enough to open a fire from her bow guns, and received in return a fire from the frigate's stern-chasers, which cut her rigging and sails a good deal. At 4 h. 30 m. A. M. on the 17th the Cyane gallantly fired three broadsides at the french frigate, but soon found the latter too heavy for her and dropped astern. At 5h. 45 m, A. M. captain Forrest despatched the brig in search of the admiral, and continued his pursuit of the Iphigénie; who shortly afterwards hauled close to the wind on the larboard tack, and fired three broadsides at the Cyane, nearly all the shot of which, fortunately for the latter, either went over her masts or between them. At 9 A. M. the Iphigénie bore up and steered south-west, still followed by the Cyane.

rable

the

chase

Vene- The chase thus continued, the latter losing sight joins in Occasionally and again recovering it, during the remainder of the 17th, and the whole of the 18th and 19th. In the evening of the latter day the Cyane cape dropped astern; but the Venerable was now fast Iphi- coming up, and, at daylight on the 20th, was within génie. two miles of the french frigate. The Venerable,

and

tures

from whose mast-head the Cyane was now not to be seen, presently opened a fire from her bow guns,

and received in return a fire from the stern and 1814. quarter guns of the Iphigénie. Having thrown Jan overboard her boats and cut away her anchors without effect, the french frigate, at 8 A.M., discharged her starboard broadside and struck her colours.

lantry

and

Neither the Venerable nor the Iphigénie appears Galto have suffered any loss from the other's fire; and of capt. the Cyane, whose gallantry and perseverance in the Forrest chase were so creditable to captain Forrest, seems lieut. also to have escaped without loss. The same good Moffat. fortune attended the Jason; who with her two guns, (6-pounders probably,) gave so good an earnest of what lieutenant Moffat would have done, had he commanded a vessel that mounted 20. The Iphigénie and Alcmène, being nearly new frigates, were both added to the british navy; the first under the name of Gloire, the latter under that of Dunira, afterwards changed to Immortalité.

and

from

In the latter end of October, 1813, the two french Etoile 40-gun frigates Etoile and Sultane, captains Pierre- Sultane Henri Phillibert and Georges Du-Petit-Thouars, sail sailed from Nantes on a cruise. On the 18th of Brest. January, at 4 A. M., latitude about 24° north, longitude (from Greenwich) 53° west, these two french frigates discovered in the north-west the british 24-pounder 40-gun frigate Severn, captain Joseph Nourse, escorting a convoy from England to the island of Bermuda, and steering west by north, with the wind a light air from the south-east. At 7 h. 30 m. A. M. Chase the Severn proceeded in chase; and at 8 h. 40 m., finding the strangers did not answer the private signal, the british frigate bore up north by east, and made all possible sail from them, signalling her convoy to take care of themselves.

Severn.

opens

fire.

At 10 h. 30 m. A. M. the Severn commenced firing Severn her stern-chasers at the leading enemy's frigate, her and at noon lost sight of her convoy steering to the westward. At 4h. 5 m. P. M. the headmost french frigate, the Etoile, hoisting her colours and broad

1814. pendant, began firing her bow guns. A running Jan. fight now ensued, which, without doing the slightest injury to the Severn, lasted until 5 h. 30 m. P. M.;

give

when the Etoile, then distant less than two miles, French (the Sultane astern of her about one,) ceased firing. frigates The chase continued all night, rather to the advantage of the Severn. At 8 A. M. on the 19th the two french frigates gave up the pursuit, and hauled to the wind on the starboard tack.

over chase.

Anchor

island

of

and

ver

Creole

Astrea.

At

The Etoile and Sultane afterwards proceeded to at the the Cape de Verds, and anchored in the port of English-Harbour, island of Mayo. On the 23d of Mayo January, at about 9 h. 55 m. A. M., the two british disco- 18-pounder 36-gun frigates Creole, captain George Charles Mackenzie, and Astrea, captain John Eveand leigh, rounding the south-east end of Mayo on their way from the neighbouring island of Fort-aventura, with the wind at north-east, blowing fresh, discovered over a point of land the mast-heads of the two french frigates, and of two merchant ships, one brigantine, and one schooner, lying in their company. 10 h. 15 m. the two british frigates, having cleared the point, wore and hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, under their topsails. On a supposition that the strangers, whose hulls were now plainly visible, were portuguese or spanish frigates, the Creole hoisted the portuguese, and the Astrea, by signal from her, the spanish, private signals. No answer being returned, the strange frigates were considered to be enemies; and at 11 h. 30 m. A. M. the Creole and Astrea wore and made sail for the anchorage in which they lay.

Get under

way

chased

At noon, when the two british frigates were about a mile distant from them, the Etoile and Sultane, and are having previously hoisted their topsail yards to the by the mast-head, cut or slipped, and made sail free on the larboard tack, with a strong wind still from the frigates. north-east. The two former now set topgallantsails in chase; and the Astrea, owing to a gust of wind

two

british

her

suddenly striking her, had the misfortune to split 1814. all three topsails, the mizen topsail very badly, to Jan. replace which a fresh sail was soon got into the top. Creole At about 30 minutes past noon the south-west end opens of the island of Mayo bore from the Creole, the fire at leading british frigate, east-north-east distant four Sultane miles. In another quarter of an hour the Creole, both british frigates having previously hoisted their colours, fired a shot ahead of the sternmost french ship, the Sultane, then on the former's lee or starboard bow. The two french frigates immediately hoisted their colours. The Creole continued firing her bow guns occasionally at the Sultane until 1 P. M.; when the former discharged a few of her larboard guns, and then, as she ranged up on the Sultane's lee beam, received the french ship's first broadside..

in

nonade

and

Etoile.

The Astrea also opened her fire in crossing the Astrea stern of the Sultane, and then gallantly passed the joins between the latter and the Creole, just as the two canships had exchanged the fourth broadside. After giving and receiving two broadsides within pistol- attacks shot, the Astrea, at 2 h. 15 m. P. M., stood on to engage the Etoile, then about half a mile ahead of her consort, with her mizen topsail aback. Having extinguished a fire that had caught in the foretopmast staysail and mizen chains, the Creole, at 2h. 30 m., recommenced the action with the Sultane, and presently shot away her mizenmast. About this time the wadding from the french ship's guns again set the Creole on fire, in the forecastle hammocks and on the booms. The flames were again extinguished, and the action continued for nearly Creole half an hour longer; making about two hours from abanits commencement. Having now had every brace the and bowline, tack, and sheet shot away, her main contest stay and several of her shrouds cut through, her three masts, particularly her foremast, badly wounded, the Creole put her helm a-lee, and, steering to the

dons

1814. north-west in the direction of the island of St.-Jago, abandoned the contest.

Ja.1.

action

Astrea It took the Astrea, when, at 2 h. 15 m., she had in close quitted the Sultane, until 2 h. 30 m. before she got with alongside of the Etoile to-leeward. After an exEtoile, change of broadsides, the Astrea, having from the great way upon her ranged too far ahead, luffed up and raked the Etoile on her starboard bow. The Astrea, just at this moment losing her wheel, fell round off; and the Etoile, wearing, passed close astern of her, separating her from the boat she was towing, and poured in a most destructive raking fire; which cut the Astrea's lower rigging to pieces, shot away both deck-transoms and four quarterdeck beams, burst a carronade, and ripped up the quarterdeck in all directions. Backing round, the Astrea soon got her starboard guns to bear; and the two frigates, each with a fresh side opposed to the other, recomDeath menced the action, yard-arm and yard-arm. In a few of capt. minutes captain Eveleigh fell, mortally wounded by a leigh. pistol-shot just below the heart, and was carried below.

Eve

The command now devolved upon lieutenant John Bulford; and the engagement between the Astrea and Etoile continued in this close position, with mutual animation, although it was no cheering. sight to the Astrea, at about 3 P. M., to observe her consort on the starboard tack, apparently a beaten ship, and the Etoile's consort approaching to double the force against herself. At 3 h. 5m. P. M. the topsail, which lay in the Astrea's mizen top Sultane to replace the split one, caught fire, but the flames proach- were soon extinguished. Seeing the near approach es to of the Sultane, the Astrea would have boarded the consort Etoile, and endeavoured to decide the contest that stands way; but the motion of the ships was too great, and away the british frigate could only continue to keep her again. antagonist under her guns to-leeward. At 3 h. 30 m.

aid her

but

the Sultane, as she passed to-leeward, raked the Astrea, and did her considerable damage. In five