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Our officer continued uninterestingly employed on the various services allotted to the Channel Fleet, till June 1778, on the 18th of which month he captured the Pallas, French frigate, of 32 guns and 220 men. Soon after this, the battle between the English and French fleets, under the respective commands of Keppel and d’Orvilliers, was fought; a battle which, from the peculiar circumstances that attended it, was subsequently productive of more party clamour and acrimonious invective, than perhaps any other event in our naval history^[1]. On this occasion Captain Jervis was selected by Admiral Keppel to be one of his seconds; and the Foudroyant was as closely engaged and as much disabled as any ship in the fleet. She had five men killed and eighteen wounded.

We now come to detail the particulars of one of the most brilliant actions which had occurred during the American war; namely, the capture of the Pégase, of 74 guns and 700 men, commanded by the Chevalier de Cillart. In the month of April, 1782, Admiral Barrington sailed for the Bay of Biscay with twelve sail of the line; and on the 20th, when within a short distance of Ushant, discovered an enemy’s fleet. A general chace ensued; and at the close of the evening, Captain Jervis had so far outstripped the rest of the squadron, that when night came on, with hazy weather, he lost sight of them entirely, but still kept a full view of the enemy, whom he pursued with unremitting vigour. The enemy’s fleet consisted of eighteen sail, laden with provisions and ammunition, and containing a considerable number of troops for the supply of the French fleet and forces in the East Indies; being particularly destined to replace the convoy which had been taken by Admiral Kempenfelt in the preceding winter; they had

unfortunately, as Captain Jervis was leading that accomplished ornament of the British Court from Brixam Quay to the barge prepared to carry her on board, the plank over which they were going slipped, and thereby gave

‘The brightest beauty to the surly wave!’

On being taken out of the sea, her Grace was under the necessity (Brixham being a wretched fishing town) of repairing to the cot of an old woman, with whom she exchanged clothes, and those of the Duchess remained in the possession of her humble hostess.
1. During the trial of Admiral Keppel, in Jan. 1779, on four charges exhibited against him by Sir Hugh Palliser, relative to his conduct in the above action, Captain Jervis was examined as a witness. The evidence he gave was spirited, clear, consistent, and decidedly in favour of the accused.