with, pursued, and after a sanguinary battle of nearly seven hours, captured la Furieuse French frigate, armed en flute; an event which added fresh lustre to his Majesty’s arms, and fully entitled him to the marks of royal and official favor which he afterwards received. The following is a copy of his public letter to Sir John B. Warren, Bart, dated at Halifax, Aug. 1, 1809, reporting that brilliant occurrence:
“Sir,– I have the honor to acquaint you, for the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that, having sailed from Spithead, on the 18th June, in company with H.M.S. Inflexible and the Quebec trade, on the 2d July, in lat. 44° N. long. 27° W., I had the misfortune to lose sight of the convoy when reconnoitring a strange suspicious sail astern, and by traversing between the parallels of 43° and 44° N., edging to the westward in proportion to the distance I supposed they would sail with such winds. In order to regain the fleet, I had the good fortune on the 5th, at 3 P.M., in lat. 43° 41' N., and long. 34° W., to fall in with a French frigate in the act of taking possession of a large English merchant ship, which they relinquished on our approach, steering to the northward under a press of sail. Finding they did not answer the private signal, I immediately bore up in pursuit, and, after a chase of 18 hours, at 9-25 A.M. on the 6th, had the satisfaction to lay H.M. sloop alongside within pistol-shot of the enemy, who had brought to, to engage us.
“A brisk cannonade with round and grape immediately commenced, and the combat continued with unabated fury, gradually closing until 4-16 P.M., when our powder being nearly expended I determined to carry her by boarding with all hands; and at the instant of laying her aboard for that purpose, they called out they had surrendered, and struck their colours to H.M. sloop. Thus ended a conflict obstinately maintained for six hours and fifty minutes, during which the enemy fired away more than 70 broadsides, whilst H.M. sloop, not less sparing, discharged 129 destructive broadsides, alternately from the starboard and larboard sides, as circumstances would permit me to change her position with advantage, so as to avoid the necessity of slackening our fire from the guns being over-heated; three of which were dismounted and rendered useless early in the action.
“She proved to be la Furieuse, a French frigate of the largest class, that escaped from the Saintes on the 1st April, pierced for 48 guns, but having only 12 forty-two-pounder carronades and 2 long twenty-four pounders on the main deck, with 6 of smaller calibre,” (James says 8-pounders); “40 soldiers at small arms, her full proportion of officers, and a complement of 200 men, besides the Colonel, 2 Lieutenants, and a detachment of the 66th regiment of the line; partly loaded with sugar and coffee; last from Basse Terre, bound to France; she is seven years old, and sails very fast.
