order to follow the motions of the Sirène, along whose gangways were now seen, planted three deep, a numerous body of troops.

Although the wind was fresh and the sea high, the Sirène, a ship of about 920 tons, appeared by her stability and steadiness to feel little of its effects; while the Aimable, a ship of 782 tons, and very deep with stores and provisions, kept rolling her maindeck guns in the water. Under these circumstances, and perceiving no chance of separating the two ships, the Aimable remained within gun-shot on the frigate's weatherquarter, in the hope that the Glenmore, a ship of 926 tons, and, as carrying a tier of 18-pounders, a match for the Sirène and Bergère together, would come to her assistance. At one time, indeed, a ship was seen to windward; but, having no studding-sails set, she did not promise a speedy reinforcement. Nor was this ship the Glenmore, but one of the armed vessels of the convoy, the Bellona, who had followed the Aimable in her chase, in order, as the master of her, with a feeling that, had he been otherwise circumstanced, might have prompted him to do more, said, "to look on." Had the Bellona gone yet further beyond the strict line of her duty, and set her studdingsails, the Sirène, in all probability, would have mistaken the bold merchant ship for a vessel of war, and, abandoning the Bergère to the Aimable, have sought her own safety in flight.

Having maintained his station within gun-shot of the French frigate and corvette until dark, and being, by the ship's reckoning, 15 miles at least from the convoy intrusted to his jointcharge, and at an equal distance, as then appeared and really was the case, from those alone to whom he could look for support, Captain Raper considered that he was not justified in a further pursuit of the Sirène and Bergère, now especially that they had bore up. The Aimable accordingly, after making signals with rockets and blue-lights, none of which were answered, stood away to the north-west in search of her consort and convoy. On the 18th, at 1 h. 30 m. A. M., the Aimable rejoined them, fortunately without any loss of men, and with only a slight damage to her rigging and sails.

This affair excites a mixed feeling of regret, that Captain Duff should first have mistaken a merchant ship for a rasé, and then have felt himself bound to keep in the midst of his convoy, even after his consort, by his permission, had gone in chase of a superior force; and of the highest admiration at the gallantry of Captain Raper, who, had fortune placed him in the command of an 18, instead of 12 pounder frigate, would, most likely, unless flight saved them, have captured both the Sirène and Bergère.

According to the brief notice of this affair in the Moniteur, no damage or loss worth mentioning was sustained by either French ship, or rather by the Sirène, fo no other French ship is allowed

to have been present. The "sang-froid" of Victor Hugues is much praised, and so is the gallantry of the French, and the shyness of the British commodore; in which, however, is meant, not Captain Duff of the Glenmore, but Captain Raper of the Aimable, as appears by the following passage in the account: "Un combat s'engagea entre la Sirène et une frégate anglaise, qui, après quelques volées de canons et de mitraille, et quoique soutenue par plusieurs autres frégates qui étaient en vue, quitta la partie," &c. We need only to remind the reader, that it was a Commodore Jean-Marie Renaud who, about five years before, when commanding the French 36-gun frigate Prudente, behaved in so discreditable a manner off the Isle of France.* There, too, the French account contained several mistatements, and bestowed very great praise upon monsieur the commodore.

On the 21st of December, in the evening, the British hired 10-gun cutter Lady-Nelson, while off Cabrita point, was surrounded and engaged by two or three French privateers and some gun-vessels, in sight of the 100-gun ship Queen Charlotte and 36-gun frigate Emerald, lying in Gibralter bay. Viceadmiral Lord Keith, whose flag was flying on board the former ship, immediately ordered the boats of the two to hasten towards the combatants, in the hope that it might encourage the Lady-Nelson to resist, until she could approach near enough to be covered by the guns of the ships.

Before the boats could get up, however, the Lady-Nelson had been captured, and was in tow by two of the privateers, Notwithstanding this, Lieutenant William Bainbridge, in the Queen-Charlotte's barge, with 16 men, ran alongside of, boarded with the greatest impetuosity, and after a sharp conflict carried, the Lady-Nelson; taking as prisoners seven French officers and 27 men six or seven others had been killed or knocked overboard in the scuffle.

In the mean time the two privateers, having cut the towropes and made off towards Algesiras, were pursued by Lord Cochrane in the Queen-Charlotte's cutter. The darkness of the night prevented the boats from acting in concert, otherwise both privateers would probably have been taken. Lieutenant Bainbridge was severely wounded in the head by the stroke of a sabre, and slightly in other places. Some of his men were also wounded. These boat-attacks are desperate affairs, and few have exhibited more gallantry than that which ended in the recapture of the British cutter Lady-Nelson.

On the 26th of December, at 10 h. 15 m. A. M., the Dodman bearing north distant seven or eight leagues, the British cutter Viper, of fourteen 4-pounders and 48 men and boys, Lieutenant John Pengelly, perceiving a suspicious-looking vessel to windward, tacked and stood after her. At 10 h. 45 m. A. M. the Viper brought the stranger to close action, which continued for three.

* See vol. i., p. 213.

quarters of an hour, when the latter sheered off. The Viper immediately gave chase; and, after a running fight of an hour and a half, had the good fortune to lay her opponent on board. Two well-directed broadsides then compelled the French luggerprivateer Furet, of fourteen 4-pounders, and 57 out of a complement of 64 men (seven having been sent away in a prize on that morning), commanded by Citizen Louis Bouvet, to strike

her colours.

The Viper had her mainmast rendered unserviceable by the privateer's shot, and her rigging and sails very much cut; but the cutter escaped with only her commander (slightly) and one seaman wounded. The Furet's rigging and sails were in as bad a condition as the Viper's, and her loss much greater; amounting to four seamen killed, her first and second captains, and six seamen wounded, four of them dangeronsly.

This was a very spirited little affair, and ranks with the Courier and Guerrier as to the near equality of the match. Moreover it was, as will be recollected, the second occasion where the Viper cutter, under the same commander, had captured a French privateer of equal force.*

COLONIAL EXPEDITIONS.-WEST INDIES.

On the 31st of July an expedition intended to act against the Dutch island of Surinam, composed of the 98-gun ship Princeof-Wales, Captain Adrian Renou, bearing the flag of Viceadmiral Lord Hugh Seymour, 74-gun ship Invincible, Captain William Cayley, four frigates, one 20-gun ship, and one gunbrig, having on board a body of troops commanded by Lieutenant-general Trigge, sailed from Port-Royal bay, Martinique.

.

On the 11th of August the expedition made the coast of Surinam to windward of the river of that name, and on the 16th, in the afternoon, stood in and came to an anchor off the mouth of the river. A summons was immediately sent in to the governor of the colony, who requested and received 48 hours to consider of the proposals. On the 18th the Dutch governor consented to treat; and on the 19th, on account of the shallowness of the water, the troops were removed from the two lineof-battle ships to the frigates. This done, the latter, with the admiral and general on board of one of them, weighed and proceeded to a fresh anchorage about two miles up the river.

In this situation the British squadron continued until the night of the 20th, when the capitulation was returned finally ratified and confirmed by the governor; and on the following day, the 21st, Fort New-Amsterdam was taken possession of, and the garrison, numbering 750 men, of whom 250 only were regulars, marched out with the honours of war. On the 22d several other forts and posts, including the town of Paramaribo,

* See p. 82.