board, got his larboard tacks on board, and fled to windward. To avoid a raking, to jam him up against the wind, and bring our larboard guns to play, two of the other side having been rendered unserviceable, I followed his motions, exchanged a few shot with him on that side; but, to my great mortification, found my fore-mast and bowsprit tottering, and no head sail to govern the ship by, as you will see by my enclosed defects. However, we chaced and refitted as well as we could, and found we gained on the enemy, it having fallen less wind.
“The haze dispersed, and a large ship, which we at first took for an enemy, but afterwards found to be the Centurion, appeared to windward, and a-stern withal; and to leeward, a sloop, which by signal I knew to be ours. After about two hours’ chace, the Hussar got up abreast of the enemy, gave him one broadside, which he returned with two guns, and struck his colours; the Centurion, then about long random shot astern, and the Terrier sloop about four or five miles to leeward, under a pressure of sail, which does honour to Captain Morris[1].
“The prize is la Sybille, a French frigate of 38 guns, twelve of which he hove overboard when he first fled, and 350 men[2], commanded by Monsieur le Compte de Krergarou de Soemaria.
“In justice even to the Captain of the Sybille, it must be owned that all his evolutions (as far as my little ability enables me to judge) were masterly; and, in one instance, bordering on a noble enthusiastic rashness. Nor did he fly, until the men in his magazine were breast high in water, and all his powder drowned, by some low shot which he received early in the action. It is, therefore, Sir, with great pain and reluctance, that I inform you that this officer, commanding a ship of more than double the Hussar’s force[3], in perfect
- ↑ Now a Vice-Admiral.
- ↑ The Hussar had only 116 men, thirteen of whom were on the sick list. Her loss in the action consisted of 3 killed and 5 wounded; la Sybille had 42 slain and 1 1 wounded.
- ↑ At the time when she was taken, la Sybille was considered as the finest frigate in the world. In addition to her very select crew, she had 33 Americans on board, as passengers and supernumeraries.
