my shared a similar fate. The crew (excepting six, who stole away the cutter and were drowned) saved themselves by making rafts, and upon their landing were made prisoners.
In this gallant action, which commenced at a quarter before six P.M. and lasted (excepting at short intervals,) until half past four A.M. the sea was so high, that the people in both ships were up to their middles in water on the main deck. Some of the guns on board the Indefatigable broke their breechings four times over; others drew the ring bolts from the sides; and many, from getting wet, were repeatedly drawn immediately after loading. The loss sustained was only 19 wounded on board the Indefatigable; among the number Mr. Thompson, the first Lieutenant.
The Amazon had 3 men killed, and 15 badly wounded.
The enemy’s ship proved to be les Droits des Hommes, of 80 guns, commanded by Captain ci-devant Baron Le Cross, and had on board 1750 men, including soldiers, 1350 of whom perished.
Sir Edward Pellew remained in the Indefatigable until the spring of 1799, when he was appointed to the Impetueux, of 78 guns[1]; but he does not appear to have been engaged in any other affair of moment previous to the summer of 1800, at which period he was sent, by Earl St. Vincent, with a squadron consisting of seven ships of the line, one of 50 guns, nine frigates, a sloop of war and a cutter, having on board a detachment of troops, under the command of Major-General Maitland, to co-operate with the French Royalists, and Chouans, in Quiberon Bay and the Morbihan. But the issue of this enterprize, though not so disastrous and fatal as that which formerly took place under Sir John B. Warren[2], was not attended with any important or permanent success; this was owing entirely to the circumstance of the Royalists being much less formidable than they had represented themselves
- ↑ In addition to the captures already mentioned to have been made by Sir Edward Pellew and his squadron, sixteen armed vessels and privateers, mounting 238 guns, appear to have been taken, up to Dec. 31, 1798.
- ↑ See p. 169.
