1799 of a few shots from her bow-guns, the Sibylle was March, obliged to return without success to her anchorage near the Forte. The two frigates remained at anchor off the Sandheads, until the Sibylle had fished and secured her masts, and the Forte rigged herself jury-ones. This occupied two or three days: at the end of which time the Sibylle, taking the Forte in tow, steered towards Calcutta. On arriving there, the Forte was added to the british navy as a 44-gun frigate, established with 30 long 24-pounders on the main deck, and twenty 32-pounder carronades and two long 12-pounders on the quarterdeck and forecastle, total 52 guns; and the command of her was given, pro tempore, to lieutenant Hardyman, (promoted to commander on the occasion,) who had so gallantly fought the action after his captain had been carried below. It being in our power to give the names of the other commissioned officers present in this very gallant action, we gladly state that James G. Vashon was the second lieutenant, and James Douglas, the master. The names of the first and third lieutenants, and also of the volunteer lieutenant from the Fox, have already appeared. No marine officer was on board. Some of the published accounts having represented the Forte's quarterdeck and forecastle guns as "12pounders," we here subjoin the weight, in french and english pounds, of every nature of gun which the ship had on board. The loss of the Forte by shipwreck, before she was brought to a port of England, and properly surveyed and measured, prevents us from giving a very accurate account of her principal dimensions, as well as of establishing some other doubtful facts concerning her. With such materials as we have, we present the following as the relative length and 1799. breadth of the two frigates: March. Before we take our final leave of this action, we must offer a remark or two upon the account given of it by a contemporary. That account, to be sure, is contained in a very few lines; but still, upon one who has read the preceding accounts in the work, and who may not be otherwise informed as to the merits of this particular action, it is calculated to produce very erroneous impressions. "La Forte, a french frigate of the largest class, was captured on the 28th of February by his majesty's ship la Sybille, of forty-four guns, commanded by captain Edward Cooke."* Now, nearly all the french 18-pounder frigates, whose capture is noticed in the same work, are represented as frigates "of the largest class," or "of the first class," which amounts to the same; while the two captured french 24-pounder frigates, the Pomone and Immortalité, have the calibers of their guns carefully expressed. Hence, why may not the reader infer, that the Forte was an 18-pounder frigate, similar, for instance, to the Virginie, "one of the finest frigates in the french navy." On the other hand, as all british frigates, agreeing in their real force with the Sibylle, are described as "of thirtyeight guns," who but would imagine, that the Sibylle, declared to be "of forty-four guns," was a frigate of a higher class, and consequently of a greater force, than they were. Captain Cooke's principal wound was not merely a mortal, but a most painful one. It was occasioned by a large-sized grape-shot, which, after passing *Brenton, vol ii. p. 175. † Ibid. vol. i. p. 397. March. 1799. through the flesh on the inside of the arm, had entered the side and came out near the spine. His other arm and his breast were also wounded. After lingering at Calcutta until the 25th of the ensuing May, this active and enterprising officer (see his proceedings at Toulon and Manilla) died, how generally lamented it would be superfluous to add. He was buried with the highest military honours, and a monument was erected to his memory by the honourable court of East India directors. After captain Cooke's death, captain Hardyman continued in command of the Forte, and was made post on the 27th of January, 1800. On the 18th of March, at daylight, the Isle of Bas bearing south-east distant nine leagues, the british hired armed brig Telegraph, of 14 carronades, 18pounders, and two long sixes, with 60 men and boys, commanded by lieutenant James Andrew Worth, discovered, about two miles on her lee bow, the french privateer-brig Hirondelle, of 16 guns (8 and 6 pounders) and 72 men on board, out of a complement of 89. The Hirondelle immediately tacked, and stood towards the Telegraph. At 7 h. 30 m. A. M. the two brigs, having got close alongside each other, commenced a spirited cannonade. During the progress of the action, each vessel vainly tried, several times, to board the other. At length, after the struggle had continued three hours and a half; and when, having had all her rigging shot away, she was in an unmanageable state, the Hirondelle struck her colours. The Telegraph had five men wounded; the Hirondelle five killed, and 14 wounded. In this close engagement the carronades of the Telegraph produced their full effect, and lieutenant Worth, who was promoted to the rank of commander on the occasion, Mr George Gibbs, the master, and the remainder of the british officers and crew, conducted themselves in a very creditable manner; nor, considering the obstinate defence they made, can much TELEGR. & HIRONDELLE.-TRENT & SPARROW'S BOATS. 487 less be said of the officers and men of the Hiron- 1799. delle. On the 30th of March the british 36-gun frigate Trent, captain Robert Waller Otway, while cruising, in company with the 12-gun cutter Sparrow, lieutenant John Wiley, off the west end of the island of Porto-Rico, discovered, in a small bay about seven leagues to the northward of Cape Roxo, a spanish merchant ship and three schooners at anchor in shoal water, close to the shore, and under the protection of a 5-gun battery. Captain Otway immediately despatched the boats of the ship, commanded by lieutenants Nathaniel Belchier and George Balderston, and lieutenant George M'Gie of the marines, and covered by the Sparrow, to attempt cutting them out. A party of marines under lieutenant M'Gie, and of seamen under lieutenant Belchier, landed and stormed the battery; which, after killing five and wounding several of the Spaniards stationed at it, they carried. While the British on shore were engaged in spiking the guns and destroying the battery, those in the boats, led by lieutenant Balderston and greatly assisted by the fire from the Sparrow, boarded and brought off the ship and one out of the three schooners, two of which had been scuttled by the Spaniards. This creditable exploit was effected with no greater loss to the British, than two seamen and one corporal of marines wounded. March. On the 9th of April, early in the morning, the April. british 18-pounder 36-gun frigate San-Fiorenzo, captain sir Harry Neale, and 38-gun frigate Amelia, captain the honourable Charles Herbert, having reconnoitred two french frigates at anchor in the port of Lorient, stood towards Belle-Isle. As the British approached, some vessels were seen at anchor in the great road, but, being under the land, were not distinguishable until the frigates had run the whole length of the island; when the strangers were at once seen to be three french frigates and a large cutter gun-vessel, having their topsail yards hoisted April. 1799. ready for a start. At this instant, which was just at 9 A. M., a sudden and heavy squall of wind from the north-west carried away the Amelia's main topmast, and fore and mizen topgallantmasts; the topmast, in its fall, tearing a great part of the mainsail from the yard. So fine an opportunity was not lost upon the french commodore; whose three frigates, the Cornélie, Vengeance, and Sémillante, dropping their topsails, got under way, and, accompanied by the gun-vessel, made sail in line ahead towards the two british frigates. The San-Fiorenzo immediately made the signal to prepare for battle; and, followed by the Amelia, stood on to meet the French. After the San-Fiorenzo had shortened sail to keep company with her disabled consort, the two frigates bore up in close order, preserving the weathergage. The Cornélie, Vengeance, Sémillante, and gun-vessel now tacked to engage, and at 10 h. 10 m. A. M. opened their broadsides upon the San-Fiorenzo and Amelia ; who promptly returned the fire. In this manner the action commenced, a battery on Hædic rocks occasionally joining in the cannonade. So disinclined were the French to a close combat, that the British had to bear up three times in order to be within gun-shot. At length, at about 1 h. 5 m. P.M., the three french frigates, two of which appeared to be much crippled, wore, and, followed by the gunvessel, effected their escape; the frigates bearing up for the river Loire, and the gun-vessel returning to Belle-Isle. In this one hour and 55 minutes' engagement, the San-Fiorenzo had all her lower masts wounded, and her spanker-boom, and most of her starboard shrouds and running rigging, shot away. The Amelia's damages by the enemy's shot were nearly to the same extent; but she was in a more disabled state than the San-Fiorenzo, in consequence of the previous loss of her main topmast and fore and mizen topgallantmasts. The San-Fiorenzo, out of a complement of |